After many years teaching, Nicole Christian continues to innovate her practice and provide great opportunities for her students and the wider community. She teaches History, Geography, English and an integrated Humanities Arts and Social Science (HASS) program at Pine Rivers State High School, an Art and Science of Teaching (ASOT) school based off the research of Robert J. Marzano that has influenced pedagogical practice for years. “Nicole has been the lead teacher in the implementation of our IGNITE HASS program and has developed this cross curricular, inquiry based program to align with the schools NPDL [New Pedagogies for Deep Learning] program and meet ACARA [Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority] standards for subject areas,” says colleague Charlene Duncan.
Units within Nicole’s HASS program have gone to NPDL local and global moderations and she regularly attends such conferences. “She fosters an environment where students are prepared to take risks. These students develop 21st century skills as they strive to meet and frequently exceed, her high expectations. Nicole leverages digital to differentiate for the students in her classes and to ensure student voice and agency,” Charlene says. A primary school teacher for over two decades, Nicole made the move to high school teaching in 2015 when Grade 7 become part of secondary teaching adapting her practice and pedagogy. She is currently undertaking further study in education at the Australian Catholic University to continue to develop and refine her pedagogical practices. Congratulations Nicole on your nomination.