WAKING up everyday to teach children the joy of learning is Julie-Ann Goldman’s passion.
From helping her prep students to build sandcastles to assisting them to read and write, Ms Goldman loves her job.
Now the Sheldon College teacher has been recognized for her outstanding efforts.
She was awarded in October with a state and territory National Excellence in Teaching Award by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited (ASG) and selected as one of 36 educators across Australia to progress to the next round of the national teaching excellence competition.
If Ms Goldman is chosen as one of the 12 winners in the final round of judgement, she will receive a two night trip to Melbourne in March and a $5000 professional development grant.
While the prospect is exciting, she must first submit a 1000 word essay on a teaching topic and respond to a series of questions, all before mid-January next year.
But the hard work will be worth it – the experienced educator, who has taught for the past decade as a primary teacher, said she would use the grant money to further explore how to use information technology in the classroom.
“The bottom line is, is that technology needs to be an integration and not an add on,” she said.
Earlier this year, Sheldon College prep students designed and built zoo animals which emitted sounds.
To make these, the children created circuits made from paper clips to connect their zoo animal models to a laptop with audio.
When the children’s parents ventured inside Ms Goldman’s classroom to see the finished work, they were astounded, she said.
One of Ms Goldman’s students was awarded a University of Queensland science prize for their creation.
While helping her class to achieve such milestones is all in a day’s play for Ms Goldman, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
"I truly believe our greatest resources are our children,” she said.
“They are our future."
Sheldon College principal Dr Lyn Bishop said Ms Goldman’s passion for her job was evident.
“Julie-Ann Goldman is an exceptional teacher in every sense of the word,” Dr Bishop said.
