EXCELLENCE IN BEGINNING TO TEACH
Through his innovative teaching approaches, Ben Hugheston-Roberts is shining a light on the value of the Arts for students and families of The Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie). Ben is an everyday ambassador and model for life-long learning.
Ben is the Visual Art and Film and Television teacher at Churchie and behind the scenes he is undertaking a Master of Educational Leadership course at the Queensland University of Technology. His teaching is enhanced by ‘real-world’ connections to the Arts community in his position as Vice-Chair of the Churchie Emerging Art Award, and he has trained as a confirmer for the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Only three years into his teaching career, Ben is making an outstanding contribution as a beginning teacher to the lives of young people, the teams in which he works, and the broader arts education context.
Ben was nominated for this TEACHX Award by the Churchie Head of Visual Art, Suzanne Thomson. Suzanne highlighted a range of creative ways in which Ben has effectively contributed to and communicated the importance of Visual Art education at Churchie. For example, Ben co-produced a short film for students on subject-selection, in which industry leaders and representatives from leading universities, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art and a global engineering firm encouraged students to choose school subjects they are passionate about.
Ben has also led the development and content production for a successful social media page (@churchieart on Instagram) that speaks to the value of creativity in teaching and learning. Its content reflects relevant news headlines, information and events associated with universities and museums, interspersed with fun quizzes and activities. By interacting with this page, Churchie students are connected in engaging ways to industry leaders and career opportunities, making it an important tool for students learning at home due to COVID-19.
Consistent with these activities, Ben has become known at Churchie for his continuous demonstration of leadership in the development of a curriculum that responds to real world events. Suzanne notes that his most outstanding contribution as a beginning teacher is his willingness to work as part of a team, which has been key in making a positive impact on student outcomes:
“Ben is an exemplary member of the teaching cohort at Anglican Church Grammar School. He brings enthusiasm, confidence and passion to work every day, and that spirit within a tight-knit team is essential. He genuinely wants to foster a love of life-long learning in his students and models this on a daily basis. His passion for teaching and learning is infectious,” Suzanne says.
Congratulations Ben on being shortlisted for the TEACHX Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award.
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