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Picture





Award recipient
Krystal Flynn

Tagai State College, Sabai Island Campus

After just one year of teaching on one of the state’s most remote islands, Krystal Flynn started a Masters degree focusing on languages in her local community.

Her analysis of Yumplatok – the Torres Strait Islander Creole – and Kalaw Kawaw Ya, a dialect of Kala Lagaw Ya, which is spoken on Saibai Island, is informing her teaching in the classroom. ​
​
Tagai State College (TSC) Associate Principal Ken Treasure says Krystal is already an exceptional teacher in her second year in the profession. This year she is the winner of the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award.

Krystal started her teaching career last year at the TSC campus on Saibai Island, which is just 4km away from Papua New Guinea and 150km north of Cape York.

She says her Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics, which so far has included a project analysing the differences between Torres Strait Islander Creole and Standard Australian English, is helping her teaching.

“Although we are primary school teachers, more than anything we are language teachers, because we are teaching children how to speak English right from the very start,” the Year 2 and 3 teacher says.

“The Australian Curriculum kind of operates under the assumption that kids come to school with a basic level of English, where as our kids generally don’t.”

Krystal says the Saibai Island community, which is visited daily by Papua New Guineans by boat, was very isolated, with just a local store, the school, a health centre and a church.

But Krystal adores the island, the community and the experience it has given her.

“The community is just lovely and the children, they make your time up here I think,” she says.

“I have got a really, really good bunch of children, and realistically the whole island has got great children. It is so rewarding teaching up here; because there are no cinemas, because there are no waterparks or anything, they are so engaged with what you do at school. 

“To go back (to the mainland) with your transfer points you actually need to be here for two years. I have put my name down for a third year because I do enjoy it so much.”

QCT Director John Ryan says Krystal’s work highlights that outstanding teaching is taking place right across Queensland.




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  • Home
  • TEACHX AWARDS
    • 2019 TEACHX Winners
    • 2019 TEACHX Finalists
    • 2019 TEACHX Nominees >
      • Beginning to Teach Award Nominees 2019
      • 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
  • Anxiety and trauma―an expert’s advice