Excellence in Teaching Award

The Excellence in Teaching Award is designed to recognise the significant contribution made by an experienced Queensland HPE teacher who has promoted active and healthy lifestyles through quality teaching practices with the school community. 

Winner: Tamika Megawatt, Maroochydore State High School

Tamika Megawatt is the proud creator, developer and facilitator of the Sports Development Program (SDP). Tamika began the SDP as a way of focussing on her passion of sport in the community and connecting students to all of the sporting opportunities the Sunshine Coast has to offer. Under the program Years 7, 8 and 9 students travel off campus once a week into the local community to participate in a range of sports, whilst local coaches come in to the school once a week to share their knowledge. Tamika has written all twelve theory units, as well as developing over 30 community partnerships. The program also focusses on disability and equal access to sport. In partnership with local wheelchair basketball organisation, Suncoast Spinners, Tamika also spoke at the National Reverse Inclusion Conference on the Sunshine Coast about her work in breaking down barriers in sport for students with disabilities.  The program also links students to the USC’s High Performance Student Athlete program, a flexible program for aspiring athletes. 
This year Tamika planned and conducted the school’s first ever ‘Colour Fusion Fun Run’ to increase participation in the Cross Country, whilst coordinating the district team and volunteering at the competition. She is currently the Acting Head of Department for Health and Physical Education after finishing her Masters in Education – Leadership and Management in 2019. Tamika is also a passionate Senior Physical Education teacher and has been involved in the implementation of Sate, as well as becoming a trained and practiced Endorser and Lead Confirmer for the QCAA. Tamika also runs social staff sport at school to encourage teachers and auxiliary staff to get involved in the faculty, as well as coordinating teacher vs students’ competitions throughout the term. Tamika has also run the annual Snow Trip for the previous 4 years that takes up to 50 students to Perisher for a week on the snow.
Outside of her dedication to increasing participation in sport, Tamika is dedicated to bettering the lives of both staff and students. She runs the staff Social Club to promote positive mental health amongst employees. She is also the Chairperson of the Local Chaplaincy Committee (LCC), conducting the organisation, running and staffing events that raise money for local charities, the school chaplain and our LEOs leadership committee. Tamika was also responsible for the creation and direction of ‘PRISM’ the Proud Identities and Supporters at MSHS group. PRISM is a peer-based support group that values diversity and promotes positive social interactions, and is committed to providing all students with a safe and supportive environment that celebrates diversity and supports all students, including LGBT+. 
Tamika is also a leader in the development of quality curriculum across the school as a Curriculum Review Chairperson, a process that was awarded the National Showcase award last year. As a chairperson she reviews school-wide curriculum checking for alignment with syllabus demands, engagement, the embedding of STEM, technologies and relevance of learning. Tamika is also the HPE Professional Learning Community Coach that has conducted the re-writing of all health units from years 7 to 10 within the faculty over the past 3 years. Tamika is also a dedicated mentor teacher, profiler and coach within the school.