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Picture






Christopher Eveans

Robina State School

An inspiring Gold Coast principal who led his school to become the first in the nation to be accredited by the Australian Dyslexia Association (ADA) has been nominated for a state leadership award.

Robina State School (RSS) has changed the lives of many students with reading difficulties since it first started as a pilot “dyslexia-friendly school” about five years ago.

The accreditation means the school has teachers who can identify struggling readers, including those with dyslexia, and its staff can teach a code-based structure of English language with a focus on phonological and phonemic awareness in oral language.

RSS principal Christopher Eveans, who has been nominated for a Queensland College of Teachers Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award, says seeing children experience success is what inspires him and motivates him to teach.

Chris regularly shares his knowledge by mentoring schools, presenting at seminars and writing publications, and furthers this knowledge by visiting many progressive schools to observe innovative teaching practices.

He has ensured RSS teachers have undertaken professional development about dyslexia and has two trained in multi-sensory learning.

Students undertake assessment from their point of entry at the school, ensuring early recognition rather than later remediation around literacy challenges.

“Teaching reading to students is hard work, it’s not simple and it is challenging for teachers,” Chris says.

“There is a percentage of students that are failing to read yet research tells us it should be less than 5 per cent who fail and after 38 years of being in education I think I’ve finally learnt how to teach reading effectively.”

Chris says best teaching practice for children with dyslexia benefits all children and the ADA accreditation has helped all students flourish.

“Students who have a diagnosis of dyslexia are enjoying school, are experiencing success and are positive in their self-esteem,” he says.

“We’re reducing the percentage of failing students.”

  • Story by Joshua Pickstone

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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