From the President: You may not be a Superwoman, but you are still fabulous!
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 127 No 2, 11 March 2022, page no.7
This edition of the Queensland Teachers’ Journal will arrive just after International Women’s Day and Queensland Women's Week. This year’s QWW theme celebrating the work and contribution of women is “Keep Making Noise”.
In a profession dominated by females – roughly 76 per cent of those currently teaching are women – I wanted to pay tribute to one remarkable woman who has made a difference to her school, community, and myself personally.
In our working lives, we have all worked with remarkable women. When I arrived at Emerald State School in 1999 on the first student free day, she introduced herself as the school Union Rep, invited the staff to attend the first branch meeting, and laid out the history of the Union at the school. We got chatting, and on the day of the first branch meeting of the year, she reminded me it was on, and she made sure I attended.
This woman is a Union Rep who not only walks the walk, she talks the talk. She has held almost every branch position in her time in the Central Highlands Branch. She has supported members at the school, both professionally and industrially, her whole career. She knows the working conditions that we work within, and while her work life balance is not 100 per cent perfect all the time, it is in check for a large portion of the year. She will always tell you that she works smarter, not harder.
When there are member issues, an LCC issue, or anything else for that matter, this woman demonstrates leadership and common sense for the QTU membership in the school. Consensus and reaching a resolution in the best interests of members and school community is always at the forefront of her activism.
She has built a strong and cohesive QTU Rep team at the school, with 100 per cent membership ongoing year after year. When one Rep moves on, another colleague is supported in moving in to the space, with attendance at regular training encouraged, promoted and supported. This woman also supports the Rep team in becoming more confident in Union duties.
During her far-ranging teaching career, she has held many roles, including Return to Work Rehab officer, which as we all know is a massive undertaking for a classroom teacher (or anyone else for that matter). She has mentored beginning teachers, supported colleagues while an STLaN, and been an incredible teaching professional. She has adjusted and embraced change, and this has enhanced her teaching over the past 25 years. She has always been committed to the students in her class and their continued improvement.
She sounds a bit like Superwoman, doesn’t she? But she would not see herself that way. On any given day, there are many fabulous women such as her in our schools, supporting their colleagues to be the best they can be.
This is part of who many QTU activists are, and I’m proud to say that I am the Union activist I am today because she brought me along with her. This is such an important part of who we are as a Union and why we will be around much longer than any insignificant professional associations without our history or understanding of what makes us all Union proud.
This woman is an inspiration, and I look forward to her continuing to “Make Noise” at her school, being the best Rep she can be, and sharing her knowledge and passion for Union activism for many years to come.
Thank you, Michelle Peters!