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Picture







Belinda Crook

Tagai State College, Saibai Island Campus


A passion for working with children led former childcare worker Belinda Crook to a teaching placement on one of Queensland’s most remote islands, where she has made an inspirational difference.


Teaching on Saibai Island, just 4km from Papua New Guinea in the Torres Strait, has been both rewarding and challenging for the second-year teacher, who says she will remember the experience, and what the local community has taught her, for the rest of her life.

Belinda (pictured above on the right, with teacher aide Karowa Waia on the left) is one of three teachers from Tagai State College’s Saibai Island campus nominated for a Queensland College of Teachers Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award.

The Years 4 to 6 teacher has played a key role in her campus’s push for students to increase their digital technologies skills through robotics and coding.

She provides students with support before and after school, seeks regular feedback to help her reflect on her practice and has developed individual curriculum plans and intensive programs for her pupils in consultation with other Tagai State College staff, parents and carers.

At lunchtime she and fellow teacher Jordan Tomelty run a drama lesson once a week and together they have also started a cross-country running club, after they found themselves being joined by students on the weekends and outside of school on their regular runs.

Belinda has also embraced community life and is thankful for what she has learnt.

“They make fun out of what they have got and they don’t need these big fancy things to have fun. I think that personally has made me appreciate things a lot more,” she says.

“I have learnt so much from when I first came up to now. My learning journey – personal and professional – I believe has come a long way.”

Belinda has joined the local basketball team, regularly takes part in community events and has taken books to different parts of the island to read to children outside of school hours. She also takes part in the school’s homework club.

She says she loves teaching because it is challenging.

“You are always thinking, you are always reflecting … thinking ‘How can I do better?’,” she says.

“Just like the curriculum – the curriculum hasn’t always been the same; it’s always developing and always changing and I think as a teacher you have that challenge, especially with the 21st century and all of the digital technologies coming into it.”

Belinda is currently studying a Digital Technologies online professional development course.

 Congratulations Belinda on your nomination.
Queensland College of Teachers
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​Toowong Qld 4066
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  • Home
    • TEACHX AWARDS >
      • Beginning to Teach Award Nominees 2019
      • 2019 TEACHX Winners
      • 2019 TEACHX Finalists
      • 2019 TEACHX Nominees >
        • OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY AWARD NOMINEES 2019
        • Excellence in Teaching Award Nominees 2019
        • Innovation in Teaching Award Nominees 2019
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award Nominees 2019
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award Nominees 2019
  • Teacher Stories
    • Teaching graduates meet tough standards
    • Rachel Downie
    • The importance of teachers
    • Marsden State High School has the answer to keeping beginning teachers in the classroom
    • Exceptional support for early career teachers in Far North Queensland
    • QBECT
    • 2018 Awards >
      • 2018 Winners
      • 2018 Finalists
      • 2018 Nominees >
        • Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award
        • Excellence in Teaching Award
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award
        • Outstanding Contribution to School Community Award
    • 2017 Awards >
      • 2017 Winners
      • 2017finalists
      • 2017 nominees >
        • Excellence in Beginning to Teach
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning
        • Excellence in Teaching
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching
    • 2016 Awards >
      • Excellence in Beginning to Teach
      • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning
      • Excellence in Teaching
      • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching
    • HAT and LT >
      • Meet the Assessors
      • Ruth Graham
      • Tracey Peden
      • Helen and Dwayne
      • Carly Sopronick
      • Jessica Roberts
      • Jessica Roth
    • OAM >
      • Kathryn George, OAM
      • Keith Graham, OAM
      • Dr Judith Grimes, OAM
      • Michael Goodwin, OAM
      • Steve Parle, OAM
      • Dr Lyn Bishop, OAM
      • Dr Catherine Day, OAM
    • Taryn Gollshewsky
    • Vanuatu
    • NAIDOC >
      • NAIDOC Week 2017
      • NAIDOC Week 2016
    • QLD Day >
      • Bundaberg East State School
      • St Catherine's Catholic College
      • Mornington Island State School
      • Queensland Week 2016
    • ANZAC
  • Claire Cummins
  • Anxiety and trauma―an expert’s advice