Megan Danckert

Megan Danckert, English and History Teacher at Alexandra Hills State High School is not your ordinary classroom teacher, but a leader in literacy who is responsible for excellent results in students’ reading and writing skill development at the school. In her role as Literacy Coordinator, Megan has equipped staff with the necessary skills and knowledge so that they are able to provide effective and meaningful feedback on students’ writing. She has conducted significant research in her own time and positioned herself at the school as a “change agent” who has taken responsibility for enhancing all students’ learning in this way. She has led meetings and sessions with staff, where she has been able to provide training on the provision of feedback to students in accordance with the works of John Hattie. Also as the Literacy Coordinator, she has been responsible for developing the school’s writing approach, “Seven Steps to Writing Success”, which is a collection of writing strategies that are now used across all classrooms at the school to improve students’ writing abilities. She has taken an active role in upskilling staff on how to employ these strategies in their classroom practice, making effective writing practice accessible for all staff across all subject areas. Since the implementation of the “Seven Steps to Writing Success”, NAPLAN results at Alexandra Hills State High School have improved. In her own classroom, Megan consistently provides engaging and valuable learning experiences for students. As the Year 10 English Coordinator, she shares her practices and activities with her colleagues. Her lessons are student-centred and focus on the inquiry cycle, and students are always engaged and motivated in her classroom. She works closely with Year 10 teachers to evaluate student progress and discuss how programs or tasks can be improved, a practice which has seen wonderful results. Megan’s unassuming manner makes her approachable for staff and students. Students in Megan’s classroom are encouraged to adopt a growth mindset, and are pushed to learn from their mistakes. Megan has also taken on a mentoring role for beginning teachers and inexperienced English teachers, providing them with a safe space to reflect and consider their practice and how they can grow further. Megan is a critical asset to Alexandra Hills State High School. ​ Congratulations Megan on your nomination.