Clare Lever

Bounty Boulevard State School

Clare Lever’s exceptionally nurturing attitude towards the young students she teaches is inspiring.
 
The Bounty Boulevard State School teacher’s ongoing care of a Year Six boy with diagnosed learning disabilities is what led the boy’s mother Melinda to nominate her for the 2017 QCT Excellence in Teaching Award.
 
Understanding that all students work at different levels, Clare has built individualised programs for her students, adjusting the curriculum to cater for students of all learning styles and abilities.
 
She skilfully ensures the children with learning difficulties are attended to without drawing any negative attention towards them. Since joining Clare’s class, he has gone from receiving failing grades to succeeding academically and, most importantly, actively looking forward to attending school every day. 

Clare’s commitment to the development of her students reaches far beyond her teaching of the curriculum. Her innate ability to nurture her students as individuals was demonstrated earlier this year when Melinda’s son was being bullied.

“When Clare heard of a recent bullying incident my son was involved in, she used it as a teaching opportunity to highlight how it feels to be victimised and to develop the children’s empathy and acceptance,” class parent Melinda said.

“The bullies weren’t exposed in front of their friends and they gained essential insight into bullying that may change the trajectory of their lives. Each child in that class would have benefited enormously from this practical social lesson,” she said.
 
Clare acts as a mentor to all of her students by helping them set and achieve individualised goals, incentivising learning with a classroom rewards program, and actively praising them for their personal achievements.
 
“Clare Lever is positive, empathetic, and aware of the changing needs of individual students and, for this reason, has a class full of students who absolutely love coming to school each day,” Deputy Principal Crystal Kirkwood said.
 
She makes learning fun, exciting, and engaging by tailoring her teaching to the students’ interests, providing them with opportunities to use auditory, visual, verbal, and kinaesthetic learning techniques to match their individual strengths.
 
Congratulations Clare on your nomination.
 
By Claudia Farhart.