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Highly Accomplished Teacher

Ruth Graham

Aldridge State High School
Picture
When Ruth Graham found out she was Queensland’s first certified Highly Accomplished Teacher (HAT) she ran down the hallway shouting “I got it!”.

“It was the recognition,” the Aldridge State High School teacher explains. 
“A lot of work goes into that application, so I was really happy,” she says.

“I feel like there are a lot of us out there that do go that extra mile 
-- we don’t just go and teach in our classroom and go home, we do do a lot of other things as well around the school and sometimes it’s not really recognised.”

Recognition is one of the great benefits of being certified as a Highly Accomplished Teacher or Lead Teacher, but for Ruth it was always about self-reflection.

“Initially I applied to see where I was 
-- where I was at in the standards and how I stacked up against the descriptors and then I found it a bit of a challenge, it made me think about what I had done, but initially it was really a self-reflection tool if anything,” Ruth says.

“Even if I hadn’t got the position, it was still very beneficial for me to do it because it really highlighted those areas to me that I’m not as strong in.”

She thinks the introduction of the new certification process is “brilliant”. 


“It’s incentive for our really, really good teachers to stay; to keep all of these young innovative teachers that are coming in,” Ruth says.

Ruth's Tips:

  • ​​Start prepping as soon as you can, so you can get your work together as soon as you can. 
  • Start putting your hand up for roles around the school. Go to your principal or deputy and say,
    ​"Hey, I would
    like to run this program at the school", or "I would like to write this particular program." 
  • Don't just sit on ideas, but actively look for opportunities. 

​“It also gives you something to strive for. It gives you more incentive to better yourself, to do more professional development, to learn more and become better at your craft – I think it is a really good idea, they should have brought it in years ago,” she says.

“It stops you being stagnant. There is a real sense of accomplishment there.”

The Year 11 Coordinator, who came to teaching later in life after studying Zoology and Ecology, has been teaching at Aldridge State High School since she started her teaching career in 2009.

She says she spent “a lot of hours” on her HAT application
— working on it solidly every day for two weeks.

“More work than I have ever done for any other application!” Ruth says.

Queensland College of Teachers
Level 5, 601 Coronation Drive
​Toowong Qld 4066
Call (07) 3377 4777
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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