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Trainee teacher in spotlight at awards night
University of the Sunshine Coast pre-service teacher Ebonie Humbert was left speechless when she found herself in the spotlight at Charleville State High School’s annual speech night recently.
Ebonie, 23, of Tewantin, was surprised when her name was called out to receive a special Rural and Remote Practicum Award from the Isolated Children's Parents' Association (ICPA).
The ICPA presents these awards annually to one student from each university in Queensland who enthusiastically undertakes a rural or remote teaching placement and who does well academically.
Ebonie drove back to the Sunshine Coast yesterday after completing a three-month placement at Charleville as her final practicum of a combined Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education at USC.
She said she had enjoyed working in Charleville so much she would have liked to have continued working there.
“I absolutely loved it,” she said. “It was really, really good and I’d do it all again.
“The best thing about it was that it was a completely different experience for me. It is more relational out there because it’s a smaller school with about 250 students.
“They laughed when I told them that Charleville was the furthest west I’d ever been, but then they really embraced me and were really lovely.”
USC’s Education Programs workplace learning rural and remote coordinator Shirley Richards said Ebonie's enthusiasm and love of teaching in a rural location was the key factor to her winning the ICPA award.
“She was involved in the local community and community initiatives and experiences, and she fully embraced country life,” she said.
“Nothing was too much trouble and she willingly worked and involved all students in many new tasks over the 10 weeks she was there for her workplace learning experience.”
Charleville State High School principal Tracy Tully was so impressed by Ebonie’s attitude to work that she hired her as a teacher aide for the final three weeks of term.
“She is very mature for her age, very easy to talk to, and a very high calibre teacher,” Ms Tully said. “We just really enjoyed having her here.”
Mrs Tully said she had sought to employ Ebonie next year but Oakey State High School had already secured a contract with the USC student.
Ebonie will start work at Oakey in January, teaching SOSE (Studies of Society and Environment) and English. She said she liked the look of Oakey because it was similar to Charleville.
During Semester 2, Ebonie was one of 17 USC Education students to receive a Rural and Remote Education Bursary, up to the value of $2,500, from the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation.
These bursaries aim to help cover the transport and living expenses of pre-service teachers while they are completing country placements and will also be available in 2011.
— Terry Walsh