Revealed: The NSW teachers named most beloved by their own students

Fellow Western Sydney school teachers John Maté and Jackie Scollard each received dozens of submissions for NESA’s Teaching Gems project. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Students have flooded a NSW Education initiative with more than 18,500 tributes to their most inspiring teachers, with some schools receiving hundreds of heartfelt messages.

Meet the most beloved teachers in NSW, as decided by their own current and past students, and parents.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) received more than 18,500 submissions for its Teaching Gems project, which maps out students’ love for their highly dedicated teachers in the form of anonymous shoutouts.

Teachers are an “inspiration” to more 300 contributors, almost 1000 described their chosen teacher as “caring”, and another 2100 said their teacher made learning “fun”.

Smiths Hill High School in central Wollongong had more gems than any other secondary school, with more than 300 mentions on the map, and just 10km south, Cedars Christian College was the most-referenced private school with more than 150 gems placed.

Teachers at Terrigal Public School on The Central Coast were among those with the highest number of gems in the primary years, totalling over 180.

The NSW Education Standards Authority’s Teaching Gems map. Picture: NESA

St Agnes Catholic High School in Rooty Hill had the most mentions among Catholic schools with almost 120 submissions, followed by St Gertrude’s Catholic Primary School in Smithfield with 70.

JOHN MATÉ, ST AGNES CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

“Mr JM, thank you for supporting me to do better during lessons. Thank you for guiding me, to be the best version of myself.”

“Mr Maté is one of the best teachers because he makes our work fun and helps me when i need it instead of getting mad.”

History teacher John Maté has been described by his Gen Alpha students as “da goat” (greatest of all time) and the “top g” at Rooty Hill’s St Agnes Catholic High School.

“I felt very loved, and I felt very appreciated,” he said, having seen the dozen or so comments fill the submission box.

The 28-year-old’s fondest memories are the “everyday, random interactions with the kids” – “you never know what you’re going to get when you walk through the school gates,” he said.

“I think what drives me to do what I do, and show up every day for the kids and put the effort that I put in, is there’s nothing like seeing ... a student realise what they’re capable of, which is one of the most fulfilling things about the profession.”

Mr Maté often has students in Year 8 or Year 10 who are picking their elective and senior subjects quizzing him on which subjects he’s teaching, in the hope he’ll be their teacher again.

“Although I can never tell them whether I am or not, it’s nice for me to hear that,” he said.

John Maté, from St Agnes Catholic High School in Rooty Hill. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“To see how excited they are to pursue history … makes me very proud.”

COURTNEY BARNETT, TERRIGAL PUBLIC SCHOOL

“Miss Barnett inspires me, supports me, helps me, and guides me. She makes learning fun and starts and finishes each day with a smile on her face.”

“Thank you Miss Barnett. I wouldn’t have gotten through my schooling without you. I hope, one day, I can influence others in the same way you do.”

Year 5 Terrigal Public School’s Courtney Barnett has been teaching for almost 15 years.

She has spent most of her career at The Central Coast primary school, and says she “wouldn’t want to be anywhere else”.

NSW's most loved teachers have been revealed, including Courtney Barnett - pictured here at Terrigal Public School with year 6 students and school leaders Ziggy Beveridge (left) and Quinn Marchant. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The 35-year-old began her career in the far southwestern country town of Deniliquin, then briefly moved overseas to teach in England before finding her way to Terrigal as a kindergarten PE teacher after a run-in with the deputy principal at the side of a netball court.

Ms Barnett said finding out she was among the most-mentioned teachers, not just at her own school but across the state, was “beautifully humbling”.

“I was actually really surprised … because some of (the messages), from what I read, seem to have come from past students,” she said.

“Terrigal’s such a tight-knit community.

“I had a student who I taught … back in 2015 and I bumped into her at the petrol station, and she was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Miss Barnett … do you remember me?’ and I was like, ‘Of course I do!’”

Courtney Barnett with Year 6 students and school leaders Ziggy Beveridge (left) and Quinn Marchant. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

When asked what she’d like parents and the wider community to know about what it’s like to be a teacher in 2025, Ms Barnett “times have changed, and … social media influence has been probably one of the trickiest things to manage”.

“Kids couldn’t just be themselves without … having everything plastered on social media,” she said.

“The one thing that I think would help is for parents to know that we want to work with them, for their children.

“Yes, there are so many other social pressures ... but we all, as educators, just want the best for these little people.”

JACKIE SCOLLARD, ST GERTRUDE’S SMITHFIELD

“Thank you Ms. Scollard for all the help and support you have given to the children this year. Your patience, guidance and willingness to go the extra mile have made a big difference in B’s learning. We appreciate your kindness and dedication.”

“Mrs JS supports me. Mrs Scollard helps support all to achieve their best!”

Jackie Scollard has been a primary school teacher for 38 years, and has been at St Gertrude’s Catholic Primary School in Smithfield for every single one.

Primary school teacher of 38 years Jackie Scollard at St Gertrude's Catholic Primary School. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“I really like the kids that we teach, and some of the colleagues I’ve worked with over the years have turned into really good friends – that’s what kind of keeps you there,” she said.

For the first time, this year Mrs Scollard has taken on small classes of up to seven students with additional learning needs, many of whom have a diagnosis and are at risk of falling behind without specialist intervention.

“I am really loving it,” she said.

“You can target in on what those children require and spend more time reading with them, on top of what they already get in the classroom with their own teacher.

“To see their growth is really something very special, and how they become more confident as students … (has) been really rewarding.”

Seeing students transition from primary into high school over so many years has also been a rewarding experience, she said, and when some “come back and see you and just tell you about how wonderful it is and how well they’ve done, it is really special”.

“Teachers work really hard … we do work long days at school, and there’s always prep before school and after school … so it’s nice that parents are appreciative of all we do for their children to help them be the best people they can be,” she said.

MAKIKO NAITO, SMITH’S HILL HIGH SCHOOL

“Sensei MN helps me. Thanks you for being pacient while teaching our class languages, even though we have not had many classes we still appreciate you. Thank you Naito Sensei.”

“Thank you for teaching us Japanese! you are an amazing teacher and you make every lesson fun.”

Smith’s Hill High School Japanese teacher Makiko Naito was “stunned” to learn how many of her past and current students had given her a shoutout on the Teaching Gems site, but she’ll certainly be keeping them all in her treasure box.

“I was surprised that many students just mentioned my name,” she said.

“I’m really thankful for that, and then I’m really humbled … I didn’t expect that to happen.”

The 54-year-old has been teaching since 1999, and started out at Smith’s Hill for her training practical placement.

Her career has taken her to a number of schools, including a 14-year stint at The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS) where the annual school fetes are among her favourite memories.

“There was a tradition to run a Japanese noodle stall, and my students used to come back to help me, or help the (current) students to run the stall,” she recalled.

Now back at Smith’s Hill, Ms Naito is involved in another tradition which sees students write gratitude cards to their teachers at the end of the year.

“I tell my students every day that I love receiving cards from my students, even little notes,” she said.

Makiko Naito, Japanese teacher at Smith’s Hill High School in Wollongong. Picture: Supplied

“I have everything collected, I’ve never thrown anything away, and they’re all in my treasure box.”

KYLE WALKER, CEDARS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

“Mr walker is the goat. He’s genuinly the sweetest, and hes always there for me and all my friends. BEST PC TEACHER OUT !”

“thankyou so much for inspiring me to be the best version of my self. whenever i walk past you, your wisdom stikes me like a lightning bolt stike of aura. thankyou so much for everything you do for me and my friends. i pray you continue to show your amazing power to other students”

Music teacher and Year 11 pastoral care adviser at Cedars Christian College Kyle Walker is back where it all began, returning to teach at the very same school he graduated from a decade ago.

Unlike at other schools, “relational teaching” is a “driving force” at the Illawarra school, he said.

“My guys are always joking with me, but to see so many of them … (come forward) and show me theirs (submissons), it was a very nice feeling,” Mr Walker said.

The most important entries in his diary are the mentoring sessions where he checks in with students who have begun their Year 12 studies this term, “whether they want help with their study plans, or just want someone to mentor them in terms of how they’re going in life”.

“Some kids don’t have consistent adults in their life, and so that’s where potentially a teacher or another staff member becomes that (person),” Mr Walker said.

Teachers and students can get lost in the “fast-paced” day-to-day work of teaching and learning all the curriculum content required of them, he said, and slowing down to talk and pray is “something that’s getting increasingly harder as you have so many checklists you got to get done”.

He tells his students; “I am a teacher, first and foremost, because I want to see you guys ... grow up as loving, caring individuals”.

Kyle Walker, music teacher and Year 11 pastoral care adviser at Cedars Christian College in the Illawarra. Picture: Supplied