An award-winning Hedland teacher is hoping to use her scholarship to create a more inclusive classroom

A South Hedland Primary School teacher has been named a winner of an Australian teaching award and will use her prize money to build a better community inside and outside the classroom. From a pool of 500 educators across the country, Nadine Stapleton was one of 22 teachers to receive a 2023 Commonwealth Bank teaching award. Ms Stapleton received the Early Career Teaching Award at a ceremony in Canberra on September 11. The Early Career Teaching Award celebrates professionals who demonstrate leadership and excellence in their first five years on the job. Ms Stapleton said her professional goal was to foster a community both within and outside the class environment. “My teachers created a space where I was really supported and felt as though I was loved,” she said. “I want to create a space like that for my students because it doesn’t matter how many mistakes you make as long as you keep on going. “I’m very big on not only relationships with my students but also their families because they are the first educators so I hope they feel comfortable coming up to me.” As part of her award win, Ms Stapleton received a $10,000 grant. She said she was interested in using the scholarship to increase her knowledge of trauma and building a more inclusive classroom. “I’m really interested in widening my knowledge in trauma,” she said. “I would love to better my strategies for students who come from those sorts of backgrounds as well as ways to support those families.” Originally from Perth, Ms Stapleton moved to Hedland in 2021 and said she encouraged new teachers to begin their careers in regional classrooms. “Once that red dirt hits you it’s hard to shake,” she said. “It’s really become a home so I encourage all new teachers to go regional because the experiences you get to have and the people you get to meet through work are amazing. “A lot of the families up here have invested a lot in me and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be the teacher I am today.”