Carmen Serrano

It is my belief that safe, engaged students, structured lessons and well managed classrooms are key drivers to a positive, thriving school community. It is my goal to find success in a school role where I am able to share my knowledge and experience with other educators. Through inclusive practices, positive interactions and engagement, I wish to support students and staff in contributing to a school which takes pride in academic success and positive culture.

will do thid later

• I am writing to express my interest in applying for the Aspiring Leaders Program. I am currently employed at Elanora State High School as a Senior Experienced Teacher- English/Humanities and I have over 16 years teaching experience across both the Queensland and NSW education systems. I believe I am a desirable candidate to be an aspiring leader as I am committed to improving Elanora State High School’s academic success and focus on positive culture.
• As an experienced teacher, I have taught across all year levels of high school, including Senior English. At Elanora State High School, I have been actively involved in the school’s development of the ATAR General English course; including writing TLaps, assessments, resource and lesson preparation. I used my knowledge and experience to best prepare students for the new external ATAR exams and have also been involved in the external marking process. In the NSW education system, I taught Extension 2 English, Extension 1 English, Advanced and Standard English and this also included preparing students for external exams. I also had the opportunity to mark HSC external exams for 4 years.
• I have also had the opportunity to be a part of the ACE program here at Elanora State High School. For the past 3 years, I have taught 9X English and developed a series of deep learning units and assessments which focus on critical and creative skills. I have attended various professional development days and shared my experiences with the faculty and other teachers in the ACE program.
• I believe that one of my strengths is the positive relationships I build with students. Through my experience in teaching, I have come to understand the importance of a holistic approach in teaching all students; this includes academic students who may be more prone to stress and high expectations. I strongly believe in the importance of well-being and thus I fully support the Elanora State High School’s positive culture program. I am currently the Coolangatta Head of House and I believe this to be a very rewarding role in the school. I have enjoyed contributing to house and school culture, as well as, supporting students so that they feel safe and happy. I am also the Team Leader of the Elanora Mentors and I have been a part of this group since it was first created in 2019. I attend the Umbrella Club and Elanora Environmentalist meetings as I believe it is a wonderful opportunity to support students and contribute to positive culture in the school.
• In my time teaching in NSW, I was Year Adviser and filled in the Co-Ordinator of Student Wellbeing role when the permanent staff member was on leave. This granted me vast opportunities to communicate with executive staff, community members and parents. I organised school camps, excursions and programs such as Rock and Water, as well as, presented at parent information evenings and primary school meetings.
• As a Senior Experienced teacher, I believe I have many strengths in both curriculum and student support. I am now looking at drawing on this knowledge and experience through new opportunities in education. I am very keen to seek the guidance and support of those with valuable experience in leadership. I would like to learn about: specific recruitment selection processes of Education Queensland; key leadership strategies and approaches; and how to build a competitive Selection Criteria. I believe Elanora State High School is a wonderful school which offers many opportunities to both staff and students. I look forward to contributing to the positive culture of the school as it thrives in the future.
• Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this exciting opportunity here at Elanora State High School.
• Yours Sincerely
• Carmen Serrano