NEiTA Foundation board member Catherine O'Sullivan and Bryony Edwards receiving her award in Melbourne. Photo / Paul Jeffers
NEiTA Foundation board member Catherine O'Sullivan and Bryony Edwards receiving her award in Melbourne. Photo / Paul Jeffers
A design and photography teacher from John Paul College in Rotorua has received a National Excellence in Teaching Award (Neita) and is the only secondary school teacher in New Zealand to do so.
Teaching since 1997, Bryony Edwards has spent six years at John Paul College, and in November was named a recipient of the Neita ‘Apple Award.’
The award, which recognises New Zealand and Australian teachers who exceed expectations, received about 1000 nominations.
Edwards said she was humbled and extremely honoured to receive the award.
“We teachers don’t go the extra mile expecting this type of recognition, but I’m very appreciative.”
Edwards said she kept thinking of the inspiring teachers she wants to be like.
“As a teacher in the arts, I’m really grateful and I tribute this to my art teacher colleagues.
“It’s nice for one of us to get this because I believe that what we do in addressing social, emotional and cultural learning in our classes is so important.”
Having been a photography teacher her entire career and learning to teach design alongside her students, Edwards said art had always been her talent.
“I got a photography teaching job in 97′, and back then photography was film. It was thrilling to teach until it became too expensive, so I had to make a transition.
Bryony Edwards (right) with students Anahera Mear (left) and Aria Stoneham (centre) at the 2023 NZQA Top Art Exhibition Launch, one of Edwards's proudest teaching moments. Photo / Supplied
“I reluctantly put my hand up and became a design teacher by default. That was terrifying because I knew nothing about computers, and I had to learn alongside my students.”
Edwards said, in hindsight, that was very important for her teaching career.
“It was a blessing because I had to learn quite early on that you need to step out of your comfort zone. Teachers always talk about being lifelong learners and it’s a really important mindset to be willing to change our practice.”
She now considers design her strength, and as an artist loves doing design work.
When asked what makes her stand out from other teachers in the country, Edwards said she was in awe of so many and had to think hard about it.
“One of my colleagues told me recently that I’m not capable of doing things in halves. So I think I have a natural tendency to go 210% and to always go the extra mile and be the best I can.
Neita Foundation board member Catherine O'Sullivan and Bryony Edwards receiving her award in Melbourne. Photo / Paul Jeffers
“I have this crazy belief in the impossible, like in brinkmanship, and that people can achieve extraordinary things under pressure, and so I never, ever give up on my students.”
Edwards said her mother was her biggest role model when it came to teaching.
“My mum is a teacher. She’s 79 and is still in the classroom. I just find her energy and her passion so inspiring and I think that’s always been there.”
When Edwards became a teacher, her mother told her she needed to get to know every student, find something to love in them, and then think about what tools were needed to teach them.
“It was the best advice, I think it was better than anything I learned at teacher training college, it sums it up in a nutshell.”
Edwards received her Neita award at a ceremony in Melbourne. She was welcomed home with a full haka pōwhiri at John Paul College, where she was received as a taonga.
“That brought me to tears, it was truly overwhelming, beautiful and very humbling. I wasn’t expecting that, so it was a big highlight to have that recognition.”
Edwards was given a $5000 professional development grant as a part of the award and wants to make sure it contributes well to what she aims to do in her practice.
She will start the school year in her new role as head of visual arts at John Paul College.
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.
