Principal
What makes a good teacher?
I have worked in schools for many years (so many in fact, I am not prepared to declare the exact number) but I am not sure that I can answer that question with a categorical answer. There are so many professional skills and personal qualities needed that, in my mind, a good teacher is nearly impossible to define. You know a good teacher when you see one in the classroom, the rehearsal room, the art studio or the boarding dorm. You also know that there is no ‘cookie cutter’ mould for what makes a good teacher.
Carl Jung suggests the following essential quality:
‘An understanding heart is everything in a teacher and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.’
He may well be right. While being a warm, relational teacher is essential; it is not enough on its own in today’s educational landscape. The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is the leading professional organisation for teachers in Australia. Their work over recent years has seen the development of the Professional Standards for Teachers. Even a brief perusal of these standards will provide you with insight into what is expected of teachers today. In short, it is complex and challenging.
At the College this year, we have continued to develop our teachers as individuals but also to build them as a cohesive, vibrant community of professionals. Our framework for doing so has been the implementation of the Art and Science of Teaching (ASOT). In staff rooms and staff meetings across the College we have been endeavouring to embed this framework in the planning and practice of our teachers. Parallel to this has been our work to develop a comprehensive Staff Performance and Professional Growth Process for all staff in all dimensions of school life. More information on this will be shared in the future as we roll it out across the College in the next two years.
I share all of this as an introduction to World Teacher's Day (WTD) on Friday. At the College, we are truly blessed to have teachers of the highest calibre - both in their professional capabilities but also in their personal qualities. There are many reasons why Nudgee College is such a well renowned school. One of the most essential reasons for this is the quality of our teachers. I express my sincere gratitude to them all. A small suggestion for parents - perhaps tomorrow on WTD you might also find a way of expressing your personal appreciation to the good teacher/s that your son is nurtured by here at the College.
Please see below some of the social media that is associated with the celebration of WTD in all schools.
World Teachers' Day Queensland 2022
Read the campaign teacher profiles here.
Find out more at: https://www.worldteachersday.com.au/
Please see shared below a Statement on behalf of the College that was sent to our boarding families on Wednesday in response to a recent online news story. Please contact my office should you have any questions.
Dear Nudgee College Boarding Families,
You may be aware of an article published late last week regarding allegations against Brother Darcy Fidelis Murphy, a boarding master and deputy headmaster of the school in the 1980s and early 1990s. The article referred to one of the College’s boarding houses being named after Br Murphy.
Given these allegations, we will conduct a review into the naming of the house. The review will consider any information gathered in an independent investigation commissioned by the Christian Brothers Oceania Province. This investigation was established in response to the allegations raised in media reports. Any changes will be communicated to the Nudgee College community.
I can confirm that Nudgee College has no record of any complaint made against Br Murphy, however the College encourages anyone with any information to contact Queensland Police Service or the Christian Brothers Oceania Province.
We understand and appreciate the enormous level of trust that you instill in our College staff to look after your sons. As a College, we continue to do all that we can to create an environment in which our students, your sons, can feel safe. We follow strict protocols around child protection to do so.
Should you have any questions about this matter please contact Mr Casey Brealy - Dean of Boarding.
Mr Peter Fullagar