'Her words have stayed with me always.' 7 women on the teachers that changed their lives.

My son Charlie and I have a short drive from school pick up to home each afternoon. 

The parenting experts I find myself endlessly googling, tell me this is a good time to have uninterrupted, quality conversations. I avoid questions that only elicit one word responses and luckily for me, Charlie is still at the age where he is happy to chat. At pick up a few days ago, he jumped in the car in his usual dishevelled state and immediately began to tell me a story about Mrs Bennett, how much she likes science just as much as he does. 

Eyes bright, talking animatedly, something about magnetism and electricity, at least I think that’s what it was about, meanwhile, I sent a silent prayer thanking the teaching gods for sending us Mrs Bennett.

Not for the first time do I think how lucky we are to have hit the teacher jackpot and I know I am not the only one who thinks this. Teachers are the glue that binds society, and it’s well worth celebrating the contribution they make and the positive influence they have on our children as well as the wider community. 

Together, Commonwealth Bank and national non-profit, Schools Plus give us the opportunity to do this through the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards.

The awards are a perfect way to thank teachers for the incredible work they do and acknowledge the significant role that they play in shaping future generations. Through the awards, 22 teachers from around Australia will receive a $40,000 Teaching Fellowship (including funds for their school) or a $10,000 Early Career Teaching Scholarship.

I’ve done enough tuckshop duty at Charlie’s school to bear witness to his teachers in action, not just in the classroom but in refereeing handball at break time to juggling missing lunch orders, it’s hard not to be in awe of their gentle patience. I wonder if they realise what we see from behind the school gate and do they know just how thankful we are?

I spoke with 7 women about how their own teachers made a difference to them and to their lives. Here’s exactly what they told me.

“My chemistry teacher, Dr Hey, noticed me explaining stuff to my classmates and asked me to do so for the whole class. He pulled me aside at the end of the lesson and told me I'd make an excellent teacher. I laughed and went on to study science at uni, and went into forensics. When I got bored with that after 6 months, Dr Hey's voice came back to me. I've been a science teacher with a love of teaching chemistry for 13 years now. Two years ago one of my ex-students showed up as a teacher at my school and the cycle continues!” – Lisa.

Lisa and friends. Image: Supplied.

“In high school, I had the most amazing English teacher for many of my years. I could be a little outspoken and felt comfortable challenging what my teachers said. Ms H took my questions and challenges, and weaved them into discussions that got the class on track and allowed what others may have seen as being cheeky, to in fact be a valid conversation. No surprises that today I am a High School English teacher who loves what I do, and who hopefully shows this same respect to my students. Teaching our future is a joy. One of my greatest joys was the day I got to tell Ms H, who briefly became my colleague, that she was the reason I taught High School English.” – Sophie.

“Mrs Bebrouth was my English teacher for Years 8 to 10 at a private girls’ school in the ‘80s. A teacher that was so well-loved for her intellect, humour, caring nature and progressive attitude, that a dozen of her ex-students attended her funeral in 2010. I was 8 months pregnant when her funeral was held, but this didn’t stop me from attending the service. Thanks to her, I never gave up on the possibility of higher education and she would be proud of my achievements.” – Bernie.

Bernie. Image: Supplied.

“I went to an all-girls Catholic school. My English teacher, Ms Harper was a significant influence on me at high school. She was well spoken, kind and funny. She was the one who encouraged my love of language and creative writing. I was the class clown and was quite a disruptive influence on the class. I now figure, it was my undiagnosed ADHD. She noticed my flare for debating and got me involved in the debating team, it helped me focus my maverick energy on doing well in class. With my love for debating it was no surprise that I was voted most likely to become a lawyer or politician." – Sarah Jane.

“My Year 8 geography teacher, Mrs Waddington, saw me doubt myself over a multiple choice answer in a class test once. She quietly whispered to me "trust your instincts" as she passed my desk. Those wise words have stayed with me always.” – Elizabeth.

“My Year 7 teacher was amazing. She had such a lovely nature and treated us like little adults with so much respect. I got to see her 6 years later at my sister’s graduation to tell her that I was studying to be an engineer and she was so proud. I also had a fantastic physics and maths teacher in high school who filled me with confidence, and were a large part of why I chose to become an engineer.” – Hanna.

“One of the best teachers I ever had was my high school Indonesian teacher. Her name was Mrs Patience, and she really was. She would check in on students she noticed who were struggling, not just academically, but mentally and genuinely cared. She’d said to me once that she always has time for what others see as the ‘naughty’ students, because these are the kids with a story to tell and who may need some extra care and support.” – Sarah Margaret.

Let's celebrate the teachers who are changing children's lives. Nominate a great teacher for the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards presented by Schools Plus, by May 7, 2023.

Feature Image: Supplied.