By Parker McKenzie
Grade five teacher at The Basin Primary School, Ruby Russell, has been nominated for a Victorian Education Excellence Award in Outstanding Primary Teaching.
Ms Russell said it was a privilege to be one of the three nominees.
“A lot of my nomination was focused around my work with student voice, leadership and wellbeing,” she said.
“As a teacher, it feels great to get the recognition and be celebrated”
Her nomination for the award describes Ms Russell prioritising getting to know students’ backgrounds, interests and abilities when developing lessons, creating opportunities for students to contribute in the classroom and providing a supportive and exciting space for students to develop their voice and agency.
Ms Russell said it is crucial to give students the support they need.
“You have to give them that support, and focus on their well-being before you’re going to get any academics done,” she said.
“You need them to be feeling safe and comfortable before you can then get that engagement.”
The Victorian Education Excellence Awards recognize teachers, principals, business managers and educational support staff who “improve school and support children and young people to develop their skills and learning outcomes they need to succeed in life.”
Ms Russell has been working at The Basin Primary School for two years, during a difficult time of upheaval for students and teachers with online learning becoming the norm for a lengthy period before students returned to the classroom.
She said students have faced challenges returning to full-time face-to-face learning at school in 2022 after spending 2020 and 2021 either learning online during lockdowns or spending periods of time in the classroom.
“They are settling back in after what can be a traumatic and life-changing experience,” she said.
“For some students, their challenge is that during remote learning, they had a choice of what they could do during the day, whether it was cooking, classroom work or something else. Having to follow a class routine can be difficult as they no longer have control over their day.”
The winner of the awards will be announced on 21 October during an award ceremony. 39 education workers across Victoria were nominated.
For more information, visit vic.gov.au/victorian-education-excellence-awards
