Carrie (Zhenyi) Wang (2014) has won the 2021 Teacher’s Guild Early Career Award !
The Early Career Educator Award is presented to a teacher who currently works in either a primary or secondary school. Teachers in their second or third year of teaching are eligible for nomination. Carrie was nominated for this award alongside 5 other finalists in NSW.
The Teacher’s Guild of NSW provides teachers with the opportunity to network, debate and learn. It is through this engagement and professional collaboration that teachers continue to thrive and develop new and effective approaches to their teaching practice. The annual presentation of Awards Celebration recognises the outstanding professional contribution to education made by a select group of teachers.
Carrie is pictured here with the Heads of Mathematics at Trinity Grammar School and the Vice President of the Teachers’ Guild of NSW.
Upon receiving this award, in an email to her teachers Carrie Scanlan, Nicola Dennis and Vicki Minton-Tanou at KRB, Carrie says
“I know it’s been a very long time since we last saw each other but the care and support you gave me during high school has had a long-lasting effect on me as a person and as a teacher. During both the written application and interview phase of this award, I mentioned how amazing my high school teachers were. I LOVE teaching – it’s honestly the BEST profession to be in. And if it weren’t for you, I probably would never have thought to enter this field !”
Carrie graduated from KRB in 2014 and completed a double Bachelor Degree in Science (Majoring in Mathematics) and Education (Secondary) from 2015 – 2018 at UNSW.
Carrie has been employed at Trinity Grammar School, since graduation, where she teaches Mathematics to Years 7-12 in both the HSC and IB curriculum. In addition to teaching, Carrie is the Master in Charge (MIC) of the Chess Club where she organises and hosts Chess competitions and conducts weekly training sessions with other staff and coaches. She also participates and leads activities in the Debating and Mathematics Clubs at Trinity. Ensuring the well-being of students under her care, Carrie works closely with housemasters, teachers and parents and has been a House Tutor for years 7, 8 and 9 students over the last four years. Mentoring new teachers within the Mathematics faculty, Carrie also supports teachers to integrate effectively into the Trinity school environment.
Carrie is responsible for managing all technology subscriptions and promoting the use of technological tools in the Mathematics faculty. During the COVID remote learning periods, Carrie encouraged staff to incorporate various technological tools in their teaching. She assisted teachers who were not fluent with technology, in developing teaching resources online, and sent out regular emails with quick tips on how to use subscribed tools and platforms.
As part of the nomination process for the Teacher’s Guild Early Career Award, Carrie outlined in her application that she has been asked countless times on her decision to become a teacher. In her own words, Carrie explains …
“I love it” is the most genuine and concise answer I can give.
I was born and raised in China. Growing up, my parents had always emphasised to me the difference between a job and a career. A job, is just for the pay check; a career, is something you love, regardless of the pay.
Education is my career.
I moved to Australia at the age of 15, barely knowing what laid ahead. During high school, I was fortunate to be inspired by some of the most amazing educators I’ve met. At the end of Year 12, I achieved Dux of School and First in State for English as a Second Language. When everyone expected me to enter Medicine or Law, I didn’t hesitate for a second to choose Education, because I wanted to give back what I had been gifted. During university, I achieved Distinctions and High Distinctions for all my courses and won the Dean’s List award every year for my degree.
Education is not simply about the knowledge. It is about shaping young minds and fostering characters. It is about nurturing curiosity, creativity and passion and equipping students with communication, research and problem-solving skills. It is about collaborating with colleagues and being inspired by each other every day. I strive to be an inspiring teacher and work with my colleagues to make our profession better, so that one day, people will no longer ask why we become teachers, but aspire to become one of us as well. ”