Celebrating our future teachers

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s teaching students proved that the future of Aotearoa’s children is in good hands at the annual Teacher Education Excellence Awards last week.

Back row left to right: A/Prof Louise Starkey, Rebecca Essery, Teegan-Claire Turnbull, Georgina Fulford, A/Prof Sue Cherrington, Prof Carmen Dalli, Hannah Pym, Elaine Khoo, Zoë Finlayson, Bridget Clayton, Ruby Joy, Frances Haggerty-Drummond Middle Row left to right: Dr Ben Egerton, Anna Trethewey, Charlotte Strang, Jolene Sewell, Micaela Irvine, Stacey Teague, Amelia-Rose Gill, Isobel Franklin, Jennifer Perkin, Ruth Edwards, Corinne Pearce, Heather Robilliard, Malgorzata Kaca, Katherine Mathewson, Dr Karyn Saunders, Dr Bronwyn Wood, A/Prof Robin Averill Front row left to right: Dr Gillian Hubbard, Dr Jae Major, Dr Mary Jane Shuker, Dr Anne Yates, Lesley Hoskin, CEO, Teacher Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, Associate Professor Hon Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, Professor Stephen Dobson, Professor Sarah Leggott, Dr Hiria McRae, A/Prof Mere Skerrett, Grace Muyoma (representing her daughter, Saliya Muyoma), Dr Maggie Haggerty, Dr Sandi McCutcheon Award winners in absentia: Felicity Chrysoulis, Saliya Muyoma, Sophie Harrison, Chanette Büttner, Zoe Williams
Twenty-seven high achieving students who studied in the Faculty of Education in 2021 were selected to receive a Certificate of Excellence at the 2022 ceremony. As well as these awards, this year’s event also saw one Certificate of Excellence for Pasifika graduand and two Certificates of Excellence for Māori graduands presented at the ceremony.

Teegan-Claire Turnbull received the Certificate of Excellence for Pasifika graduand. In receiving her award, Teegan also wanted to acknowledge the success of the eight other Pasifika students who studied alongside her during a difficult year. She hopes the University continues to encourage people from all backgrounds to get into teaching so that all New Zealand’s tamariki can look at their teachers and see themselves reflected.

Jennifer Perkin (Ngāti Tama) and Stacey Teague (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāpuhi) received the Certificate of Excellence for Māori graduands. Jennifer was inspired to become a teacher after her school community helped her family through a tough time, and she saw first-hand how much of a difference teachers make. Stacey worked as a nanny before getting qualified as an early childhood teacher, and she loves giving tamariki the best start in life.

These awards have acknowledged outstanding students who excelled in their academic studies and performed strongly in their teaching practicum experiences in schools or early childhood centres since they were first held in 2011.

“The annual excellence awards are a fantastic occasion to celebrate the great achievements of the next cohort of graduate teachers,” says Professor Stephen Dobson, Dean of the Faculty of Education.

The Ilse B. Steinberger Prize in Primary Teaching is also awarded at the ceremony. The recipient of the prize for 2022 was Sophie Harrison. Sophie loves the variety, vibrancy, and challenge that tamariki bring to each day. She enjoys being creative and imaginative with her students and incorporating digital technology into their everyday learning. Sophie plans to keep learning, both about her students and the best ways to help them succeed and about how to be a culturally sustaining kaiako within Aotearoa.

Ilse B. Steinberger was an outstanding elementary school teacher in the USA, as well as a tutor and a founding member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International, a professional honorary society of women educators. The prize was established by her daughter Erica McLean, and Erica and the University’s Development Office have recently arranged that this prize will continue in perpetuity. The award of this prize is based on academic achievement and teaching performance.

Congratulations to all the recipients:

-Felicity Chrysoulis
-Hannah Pym
-Ruth Edwards
-Frances Haggerty-Drummond
-Malgorzata Kaca
-Elaine Khoo
-Katherine Mathewson
-Saliya Muyoma
-Jolene Sewell
-Stacey Teague
-Rebecca Essery
-Georgina Fulford
-Sophie Harrison
-Jennifer Perkin
-Teegan-Claire Turnbull
-Heather Robilliard
-Chanette Büttner
-Bridget Clayton
-Zoë Finlayson
-Isobel Franklin
-Amelia-Rose Gill
-Micaela Irvine
-Ruby Joy
-Corinne Pearce
-Charlotte Strang
-Anna Trethewey
-Zoe Williams