Tauranga lecturer wins award

A Tauranga lecturer has won the education category in Next magazine’s Woman of the Year Awards held in Auckland.

University of Waikato Tauranga lecturer Chris Brough has won the education category final of the 2012 Next Woman of the Year Awards.

Tauranga lecturer Chris Brough has won Next magazine’s Woman of the Year Award

The Tauranga lecturer was one of five finalists in the education category and one of 30 finalists overall.

Chris says she was surprised to be named a winner.

“It has been an honour and a total surprise to be named among the finalists, and to win the education category, alongside such capable and successful women, was incredibly exciting.”

Chris lectures Bachelor of Teaching students at the Waikato University in Tauranga and in July was one of 12 academics from around the country to win a highly coveted tertiary teaching excellence award.

Despite not enjoying school as a child, Chris says she made the ‘metamorphic transformation’ from a hospital telephonist to educator and soon discovered she thrived on the challenges teaching presented.

She says her experiences at school shaped her vision and influences the way she teaches today.

“I first became a teacher because I was passionate about motivating and teaching children. It was my goal to make learning meaningful, positive and highly engaging to every student in the class.

“Now as a tertiary educator, I believe it is my role to inspire my student teachers to become active lifelong learners who are knowledgeable about learning, teaching, and literacy, and who subsequently make a positive difference in the lives of the children they teach.”

At the ceremony the judges commented on Chris’s genuine love for education.

 “Chris has mastered the art of communication coupled with self-empowerment. She inspires teachers to inspire students through generosity of spirit and extraordinary skills.”

Chris, author of numerous teaching resources and children’s books, learned sign language to enable her to teach students who are hearing impaired or profoundly deaf.

Chris, who has survived cancer, is also a camp companion at Camp Quality for children living with cancer.

Earlier this year, Chris received recognition for teaching excellence within her own faculty and leter within the University.

Last year she completed her Masters of Education with first class honours, which subsequently earned her the New Zealand Associate for Research in Education 2011 Rae Munro Award.

The award recognises excellence in Masters-level thesis.