TODAY is World Teacher’s Day and a great opportunity for students at Redlands College to honour teacher Catherine Smeeton, a finalist in this year’s Queensland College of Teachers awards.
Ms Smeeton, a past president of Redlands Netball Association, was nominated for the Dr Roger Hunter Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award.
She will find out if she won the award at a celebration at Parliament House today.
Competition was rife with five other teachers, from as far afield as Maryborough and Gympie also in the running for the top accolade.
Ms Smeeton worked in the finance industry before becoming a business teacher with the college’s senior school.
She has helped her students develop with practical learning experiences which simulate real business scenarios.
Students also participated in a recent “Class of Origin” event, in which Ms Smeeton organised trophies, cooked a barbeque and ran programs for 80 peers.
Along with being honoured this year at a parliamentary breakfast for inspiring women, Ms Smeeton was also guest speaker at this year’s Business Educators’ Association of Queensland state conference.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the awards recognised the hard work and dedication of teachers and congratulated the 22 finalists.
“There’s no doubt that the most important factor in a child’s education is the teacher standing at the front of the classroom,” Mr Walker said.
The Queensland College of Teachers’ motto for World Teachers’ Day is Teachers Inspire.
The award categories recognised four stages of a teaching career: excellence in beginning to teach, excellence in teaching, excellent leadership and learning and outstanding contribution to teaching.
Recipients in the first three categories will receive $5000 for professional development, while the recipient of the outstanding contribution to teaching award will get the prestigious Emeritus Professor Betty Watts OBE Memorial Medal.
