Former Bay teacher wins $150k

Former Hawke's Bay teacher Terry Burrell has won a teaching prize worth $150,000.

A former Hawke's Bay woman has won this year's Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize, worth $150,000.

Terry Burrell, who teaches science at Wellington's Onslow College, said she once vowed she would never enter the profession.

But she "fell into" the classroom, teaching at Havelock North High School for five years up to 2000 before joining Sacred Heart College in Lower Hutt and Onslow College in 2009.

She was known for her hands-on approach to learning, such as demonstrating the process of cell respiration to senior biology students through sports sprints and endurance training.

She said she believed in collaborating with her students.

"I see myself as working with my students. We are on a journey of discovery together with a focus on developing the ability to observe and think critically about evidence.

"Then they can make meaning from the data mountain. I'm a great believer in being able to say something is good enough, you don't have to be a perfectionist. I don't know all the answers and never will. The day I stop learning is the day I stop teaching."

The Prime Minister's Science Prize was introduced in 2009 and aims to raise the profile of science among New Zealanders.

Ms Burrell' award, presented yesterday at the Te Papa Museum, would see her receive $50,000 and Onslow College $100,000.

Onslow College principal Peter Leggat said the school's share would be used to enhance the school's science learning area.