WINNER REVEALED: Warwick’s best teacher crowned
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A LIFELONG passion for teaching and inspiring the next generation has earned Scots PGC College’s Shell Campbell the title of Warwick’s best teacher.
The Warwick community was eager to celebrate several other teachers, with St Mary’s Marie Sullivan and Elaina Bronson, Warwick East’s Michael Sullivan, and Warwick West’s Charlene Newton rounding out the top five rankings.
Having tried her hand at nearly every teaching role from school principal to teaching senior high school students, Mrs Campbell said working with children in those early formative years was the most rewarding.
“I love teaching little people, and we see a lot of growth because they’re so little. You see them come in and they can’t read or write, and by the end of the year they’re these confident little people,” Mrs Campbell said.
“I really like that ‘aha’ moment, when you can see the little children learning and developing, and then you see that little moment it all clicks and they think they’ve been doing it all their life.
“The art, the painting, the glitter, it’s all really good – you can do that with the little kids. They love it and the whole room can have visible learning all through the room.”
Mrs Campbell added that she owed the strong bond she formed with the many students and families who came through her classroom to smaller class sizes and her love of creativity.
“We only have about 12 kids in my class, so you can individualise everything – you know exactly where they are with their academic, their social, emotional, their confidence, which is great,” she said.
“It’s that three-way partnership that’s so vital – the children, the parents, and yourself, you’ve got to have a really positive relationship and positive support.
“When that happens, it all just comes together.”
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