NATURE ON A WINNING NOTE

REAL life lessons with real animals are the key behind a Townsville teacher’s success.

Belgian Gardens State School STEM teacher Brett Murphy was handed the Queensland College of Teachers’ innovation in teaching award after bringing science to life in the classroom with a kaleidoscope of colourful fish and birds.

With more than two decades of teaching experience under his belt, Mr Murphy is the pioneer behind a raft of innovative, award-winning environmental programs in which primary school students breed and care for clownfish and endangered birds.

Students can volunteer to look after the school’s birds as well as the tanks of colourful clownfish.

“Instead of looking at pictures or books, we have the actual species in the classroom,” he said. “Having animals really hooks them in. The more you can make (lessons) real the more impact it has on students.”

Mr Murphy took out the Innovation in Teaching section in the annual TEACHX awards for the realworld impact of his programs.

Kirwan State High School principal Meredith Wenta was also a winner in the awards and took out the Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning accolade. Under her watch the school has been recognised for its award-winning education and multicultural programs.

In the past five years every graduate from the school has achieved a Queensland Certificate of Education or Queensland Certificate of Individual Assessment and each year, at least 98 per cent of Ms Wenta’s graduates are successful in their applications to university.