2023 Photo Competition — Winners
Congratulations to the winning entrants in this year’s Photo Competition!
Their photographs celebrate the outstanding diversity of teaching all over Queensland.
Our judges selected the winning images based on their relevance to this year’s theme (‘My Teacher Life: Capturing the diversity of everyday teaching moments), their creativity, and their overall impact.
Thank you to all teachers who participated in this year’s competition.
View the winning and runner up images below.
First Prize
Photo Title: Circle work
Description: Clifton State High School has its own Stockman’s Challenge Club which consists of a group of riders from Year 7 through to Year 11. We ride regularly and train for competitions which we compete in as a group. Both last year and this year we took out a lot of age categories and were very successful in the Aldridge State High School Equestrian Challenge, which is a 10 hour round trip for us and our horses. It’s held over two days in the last week of Term 2 in June.
School: Clifton State High School
Photographer: Gemma Thorpe
Second Prize
Photo Title: Reflecting the Year 12 Art Journey
Description: Trying to reach IA3 deadlines, Year 12 Visual Art student Jennifer Theile asked for advice on her appropriated artwork based on Picasso’s ‘Girl in the Mirror’. As a boarder at the college, she needed to utilise after school time, as taking the work back to boarding was not possible. The artwork was entered into EQ’s Creative Generations Excellence in Visual Art awards. Jennifer’s artwork was selected in the top 100 artworks (459 entries), receiving a Commendation Award.
School: St Monica’s College, Cairns
Photographer: Jacquie Lester
Third Prize
Photo Title: Book Week Excitement
Description: Year 6 teacher Mark Hoppe leads the way in the Book Week parade.
School: Coomera Anglican College
Photographer: Tayla Goody
Runners up
Photo Title: Student Engagement
Description: Working one-on-one with a student to work on her reading.
School: St Margaret’s Anglican School, Ascot
Photographer: Mitch Hollywood
Photo Title: Embracing culture
Description: At Woree State School we embrace cultural identities including during our NAIDOC celebrations and throughout the year. Our teacher, Tazma Marris-Whiteley, is pictured with a student who is skilfully dot painting her face. This beautiful exchange of culture and art exemplifies the spirit and celebration of cultural recognition and pride.
School: Woree State School
Photographer: Cheryl McAlonan
Photo Title: Teacher singing and students
Description: Singing with the students.
School: St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane
Photographer: Lachie Prince
Photo Title: Book Week Celebrations
Description: Our wonderful Kindy teachers inspired our young learners by joining in the fun at our whole school book week parade. This photo captures the enthusiasm and fun that our teachers bring to each learning experience.
School: Freshwater Christian College, Brinsmead
Photographer: Claire Scott
Photo Title: Connecting with Diverse Learners
Description: Forming a connection is so important in modern diverse teaching and Narelle Ramey, our HIC teacher, is the master at connection. In this photo, she is connecting with a student and developing their exploration of colour sorting.
School: Norris Road State School, Bracken Ridge
Photographer: Sue Leigh
Photo Title: Nurturing School Spirit in Vibrant Hues
Description: In this wonderful snapshot of a Queensland classroom, a dedicated teacher, dressed in vibrant blue, stands at the forefront of an inspiring lesson on school spirit. Her students, all donned in vibrant green, reflect the kaleidoscope of diversity that defines the teaching profession in Queensland. This scene encapsulates the high standards of teaching, as it underscores the importance of fostering school spirit and unity among students while celebrating the rich tapestry of educators.
School: St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School, Cornubia
Photographer: Amanda Frederickson-Munro
Photo Title: Battle of the Bridges Competition
Description: Teacher Aide, Mr Denis St-George, supporting a St John’s Year 9 student during the weigh in of the annual bridge building competition.
School: St John’s Anglican College, Forest Lake
Photographer: Dan Hayward
Photo Title: Buzzing with potential
Description: Agriculture teacher, Chris Butcher, inspires all students with his passion and knowledge about creatures big and small on our Smart Farm.
School: Corinda State High School
Photographer: Alyce Valentine-Berrett
Photo Title: Music Education
Description: The diversity in this teaching moment with Christopher McKenna lies in its ability to address various aspects of the individual’s well-being, combining music education with the outdoors. He approaches teaching with empathy, flexibility, and a genuine commitment to the well-being of each student. Our students are unique, and a personalised trauma-informed approach is crucial for fostering engagement and healing through music education.
School: Holy Spirit College, Manoora
Photographer: Lavina Niblett
Photo Title: Building an Aqueduct!
Description: My teacher life involves inspiring learning, and here I put out a simple provocation - modelling clay, a catalyst for this group of students to build their very own aqueduct. My role is to facilitate learning and here you can see me working alongside children to help build the aqueduct and join in the process of collaboration. The aqueduct was a hit and ended up carrying water successfully.
School: Compass Independent School, Kelvin Grove
Photographer: Alicia Gilbert