QCT TEACHER STORIES
  • 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

Vanessa Tierney

Sheldon College

Vanessa Tierney really puts the EXTRA in extraordinary.

The Sheldon College Primary teacher is renowned for her outside-the-box teaching strategies and fabulously fun-filled approach to learning.

This, combined with high quality pedagogical practice, professionalism and implementation of the Australian curriculum has led to her nomination for the 2017 QCT Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award. 

Picture
Vanessa says her goal is for students to go home at the end of the day, excited to tell their parents about what they have learned.

“I believe the most powerful form of learning is when students are having fun,” says Vanessa.

“If you walk past my classroom, you will often see us singing about fractions or the rock cycle, dressing up and acting, doing artwork, participating in hands-on, collaborative activities, using a range of resources and ICTs, or playing multi-sensory games.” 
Picture
Vanessa dresses as a Sensei Warrior and uses actions, chants and rhymes to teach students ‘Kung Fu Punctuation’, as a crazy scientist called ‘Professor Nerdly’ to spark students’ interest in Science, and as a ‘rapper’ to link rap music to poetry.

Students in Vanessa’s classroom are always encouraged to think critically and creatively, and given opportunities to display their skills and passions.

Vanessa worked with her colleagues to create an activity whereby students were required to design and construct a 3D, interactive campsite which represented the Indigenous and European perspectives of Australian settlement and colonisation.

Together with her colleagues, Vanessa also implemented a digital technologies project for Year 4 students to construct a 3D scale model of several of Sheldon College’s buildings using Minecraft, integrating real world mathematical skills.
At a recent Sheldon College community event, Vanessa enthusiastically jumped —snorkel in hand— into the teacher dunk tank: just another example of her ‘give it a go’ attitude.

Vanessa’s colleagues commend her for her exceptional level of professional growth and development over the past 12 months

“She has demonstrated great tenacity to continually learn and improve, setting high expectations and standards for herself,” says Sheldon College Director of Teaching and Learning, Louise Morris.
 Vanessa establishes powerful connections with her students and their families by writing each student a personalised letter with excellent feedback and messages of support.

Congratulations Vanessa on your nomination.

Queensland College of Teachers
Level 5, 601 Coronation Drive
​Toowong Qld 4066
Call (07) 3377 4777
Search the QCT Teacher Stories website
Visit the Queensland College of Teachers website 
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer

    Do you or a registered teacher you know have an inspirational story to share?
    ​We'd love to hear about it!

Submit
  • 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