Three Logan teachers have been awarded on the national stage for their innovation and “unwavering commitment” towards their students’ education.
Kiri Griffiths from Loganlea High School, and Abbey Tamsen and Sara Curtis from Marsden State High School were among 22 teachers recognised at the 2023 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards.
They were chosen as winners based on their work to empower students through personalised educational strategies, developing supportive wellbeing programs, and setting them up for success in a rapidly evolving technological environment.
Ms Griffiths and Ms Curtis received a $40,000 teaching fellowship, including $25,000 for a school project and a professional learning program.
Ms Griffiths is deputy principal at Loganlea High School, where she introduced programs like ‘Uplift Logan’ to help build the confidence and leadership capabilities of students through unique mentoring partnerships developed with the local community.
She also led a school-focused improvement program that has led to 83.5 per cent of students achieving A to C grades, up from 78.1 per cent, along with getting the school an assistance dog named Biscuit, who has helped reduce anxiety for students and helped reduce littering through a ‘Bin it for Biscuit’ campaign.
Ms Curtis is head of department for Teaching and Learning Programs at Marsden State High School, the largest school in Queensland with around 3,800 students from 54 distinct cultural groups, and 257 teachers with over 30 per cent in their first three years of their careers.
Since 2019, Ms Curtis has created and led professional development for teachers at all stages of their careers, including beginning and early career teachers, mentors, teachers returning from extended leave, and highly accomplished and lead teachers.
She has been credited for the school’s surging teacher retention and recruitment rates.
Ms Tamsen, a Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Marsden high school, won the Early Career Teaching Award, which is given to teachers who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in their first five years of the profession.
She received ECT scholarship valued at $10,000, including $5,000 for professional development and an exclusive learning and mentoring program.
Ms Tamsen helped develop resources and training programs for teachers to ensure the school and students “consistently achieve”.
She worked on strategies for managing behaviour, implementing technology in the classroom and producing handbooks to support pre-service teachers and their supervisors, of which 92 per cent found to be helpful in making their teaching more effective.
She said her goal was to reach teachers in low-socioeconomic schools to provide opportunities to assist their teaching practice as well.
The three teachers were shortlisted for the awards from more than 500 educators across the country.
