Dr Paul Brock Medal

Last night I received the Dr Paul Brock medal from the Australian College of Educators. I was lucky enough to receive Fellowship to ACE in the same year that Dr Brock received the ACE medal. I was struck by his approachability and his capacity to speak with the good old-fashioned nous he so admired in others. His comments always resonated with teachers. It is humbling to receive an award with his name. Dr Brock used words like: imagination, creativity, innovation, wisdom, respect, tolerant, and happy.

He issued a passionate cry to the future teachers of his daughters:

“Don’t patronise them with lowest common denominator blancmange masquerading as knowledge and learning; nor crush their love for learning through boring pedagogy. Don’t bludgeon them with mindless ‘busy work’ and limit the exploration of the world of evolving knowledge merely to the tyranny of repetitively churned-out recycled worksheets.”

I hope, in receiving this award, on behalf of the teaching profession, we can continue to create learners with imagination, creativity, wisdom, respect, and happiness.

It is through the good auspices of an association like the Australian College of Educators that we are able to go about the complex work of teaching with professional honour, acknowledging professional expertise, focused on wellbeing and growth.

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