2024 World Teachers' Day: making a difference

Teachers can make a real difference to their students’ learning, often turning small moments into outcomes with a big impact.

World Teachers’ Day is held internationally on 5 October, however Queensland celebrated the 2024 event on 25 October during State Education Week.

As part of the celebrations, we invited eligible teachers from across Queensland to enter our World Teachers’ Day competition by telling us about an unforgettable teaching moment they had experienced or seen.

We received many great entries featuring amazing stories of passion, inspiration, courage and rewards, but eventually our judges settled on eight winning teachers.

And the winners are:

Hayley Marie – Narangba Valley State School, Metropolitan North

Deirdre Aldridge – Sunnybank State High School, Metropolitan South

Rosemary Hunsley – Logan Reserve State School, South East

Tara Towns – Toowoomba State High School, Darling Downs and South West

Kathryn Hunt  – Mourilyan State School, Far North Queensland

Ralph Stacey – James Nash State High School, North Coast

Lauren Isbel – Rockhampton State High School, Central Queensland

Linda Hawes – Garbutt State School, North Queensland

Great stories, unforgettable moments

Brisbane teacher Rosemary Hunsley recalled her pride in encouraging a five-year-old student to continue writing and illustrating stories about his blue heeler dog. That youngster was Joe Brumm who went on to become an animator and create the hugely successful Bluey television series.

Kathryn Hunt, from Far North Queensland, was equally proud when one of her former students was recognised on International Woman's Day and used her acceptance speech to laud the inspiration from her former teacher.

There were moments of great reward, too. Tara Towns, from Toowoomba, told of a classroom of her students being inspired to ‘revolt’ and then form their own government as she was teaching them about author George Orwell’s renowned book Animal Farm.

North Queenslander Linda Hawes’ commitment to teaching was cemented when a usually non-verbal student told her she was the best teacher ever. ‘It broke my heart,’ said Linda.

Narangba Valley State High School teacher, Hayley Marie, felt similarly elated when a former Year 6 student, who had struggled with school, visited her classroom in Year 12 to reveal he had been accepted into medical science at university. He credited her belief in his potential to succeed.

Lauren Isbel, from Rockhampton, said her most unforgettable teaching moment was seeing a student from a disadvantaged background in regional Queensland light up with excitement after understanding the concept of electrical circuits for the first time.

Brisbane-based teacher Deirdre Aldridge’s favourite memory was less about academics and more about human nature when a blond, fair-skinned girl in her classroom turned to her friend to discuss the Year 12 formal.

‘She said I am going to get spray tan, do you want to get one, too. Her friend was of Indian extraction and just smiled at her. I thought it was an awesome moment. The girl did not see the colour of her friend, she only saw her friend,’ said Deirdre.

And there was remarkable sporting inspiration as well. Ralph Stacey, from the James Nash State High on the North Coast, built a batting machine for a wheelchair-bound student so he could play softball with his classmates. He followed up by ordering a pitching machine so the same student could pitch, using his mouth, to his classmates.

Prize packs for winners

For our competition, eight prize packs worth $1,150 each were up for grabs – one for each region including Far North Queensland, North Queensland, Central Queensland, North Coast, Metropolitan North, Metropolitan South, Darling Downs South West and South East.

The nominated winning teacher receives a $150 Coles Myer gift card, while $1,000 Officeworks gift cards will be presented to their school to be used to benefit student learning.

Supporting Queensland’s educators

We’re proud to support the financial wellbeing of Queensland’s teachers, just as teachers support the educational needs of students across the state. The World Teachers’ Day competition is just one of the ways we give back to those who make a difference to our community.

We’re here to help

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