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Speaker 1: Now, last week it was World Teacher's Day and the

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Speaker 1: Northern Territory proudly salutes our educators and also hosts an

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Speaker 1: annual Teaching in the Territory Excellence Awards ceremony. There were

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Speaker 1: a number of amazing teachers recognized at that award ceremony,

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Speaker 1: and I am very pleased to say that one of

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Speaker 1: them joins me on the line right now. It is

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Speaker 1: Mark Bunnett from Darwin High School, who took out the

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Speaker 1: Secondary Education Teacher of the Year award. Good morning to you, Mark, Oh.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, and thanks for having me on.

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Speaker 1: It's wonderful to have you on the show. Now. I

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Speaker 1: understand that you are the drama teacher at Darwin High

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Speaker 1: School and you must have been pretty humbled and also

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Speaker 1: excited to receive this award, very much so, and.

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Speaker 2: I guess even more so knowing that it was actually

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Speaker 2: agreed with my students and some of the parents who

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Speaker 2: put forward the nomination, so that made it even more special.

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Speaker 1: That incredible to hear. What were some of the reasons

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Speaker 1: why they nominated you.

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Speaker 2: I think some of them were about being inclusive, creating

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Speaker 2: a safe space to work in the fact that some

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Speaker 2: of them felt that they'd made lifelong friends in those

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Speaker 2: classes and that they had been encouraged through the work

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Speaker 2: that I'd done with them to go on and consider

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Speaker 2: drama or theater as a career in the future.

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Speaker 1: But what is what do you love most about your

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Speaker 1: job as a teacher?

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Speaker 2: Look, I've been doing this for a long time now,

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Speaker 2: started off as a primary school teacher for many years

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Speaker 2: and became a secondary school teacher is dar and High

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Speaker 2: about six years ago now. And for me, for me,

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Speaker 2: it's about the students. It's about drama. Students are a

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Speaker 2: lovely mix of people and it's just lovely to see

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Speaker 2: them develop into a harmonious group who you know, functioning

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Speaker 2: well enough to put on a performance. And like if

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Speaker 2: I particularly those students I have from year ten to

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Speaker 2: year twelve because that's the years we have on high

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Speaker 2: school and just seeing that that development through through those

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Speaker 2: three years is just a lovely process. And I think

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Speaker 2: it was it was showing the Year twelve play that

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Speaker 2: we did this year and at our final performance, many

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Speaker 2: of them were in tears. Many of them were saying

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Speaker 2: that they were really sad this was the last moment

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Speaker 2: that they would be performing together as a group and

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Speaker 2: they felt that, you know, their time over that that

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Speaker 2: three year period had been very special.

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Speaker 1: It must be you know, when the day comes when

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Speaker 1: they do graduate and and that experience that you've just

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Speaker 1: spoken about, then it must be hard for you, sad

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Speaker 1: for you as a teacher sort of knowing that they're leaving,

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Speaker 1: but also a really proud time where you go, I

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Speaker 1: know that they're moving on to you know, it's a

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Speaker 1: bigger and better things and the rest of their lives

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Speaker 1: ahead of them.

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Speaker 2: Look, it is sad, but what I love and what

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Speaker 2: I try and promote is is finding ways where they

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Speaker 2: can actually be involved in the arts community in Darwin

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Speaker 2: or in e NT once they leave school. So what

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Speaker 2: I'm finding is I'm a director as well with the

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Speaker 2: Donk Theater Company. We've got a show at me next

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Speaker 2: week at Brown's Mark called An Inspector Calls. But what

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Speaker 2: I'm finding is that some of those students are then

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Speaker 2: popping up at auditions and I'm then working with them

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Speaker 2: outside of school and then seeing them go on to

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Speaker 2: also drama schools. One of my students in year twelve, Mischka,

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Speaker 2: has got a place at coll Arts, which is performing

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Speaker 2: art school in Melbourne for next year. So what I

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Speaker 2: find that even though they leave, I managed to keep

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Speaker 2: connections with them in a different way outside of school.

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Speaker 1: That's incredible. Look, I just think that the job set

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Speaker 1: teachers can be so difficult but so rewarding, I would

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Speaker 1: imagine in so many ways. And you've got the ability

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Speaker 1: to really help kids to believe in themselves, help get

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Speaker 1: them on the right path, and you know, really sort

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Speaker 1: of get their minds going, which it sounds like you

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Speaker 1: are doing. Mark. I think it's wonderful that you've won

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Speaker 1: this award and it sounds like you are doing a

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Speaker 1: phenomenal job, Katy.

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Speaker 2: I think you've here the nail on the head. I

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Speaker 2: think that particular for drama, you know, I see this

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Speaker 2: as being an award for performing arts and for drama

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Speaker 2: in general. There we've been through such a hard time

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Speaker 2: during COVID, We've seen the arts really take a kick

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Speaker 2: in the guts. But I think what drama particularly offers

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Speaker 2: students are skills for life. So skills like collaboration, building

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Speaker 2: up self confidence, developing empathy, and being able to work

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Speaker 2: in groups, which is what being in the workforce is

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Speaker 2: all about. It really does set them up for whatever

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Speaker 2: job they choose. To do in the future.

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Speaker 1: Mark, I did drama in high school. I absolutely loved it.

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Speaker 1: It was one of my favorite favorite subjects. And I

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Speaker 1: was never going to be an actor. Mate, never going

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Speaker 1: to be an actor, but it's helped me in a

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Speaker 1: lot of ways.

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Speaker 2: It helps you on the radio in some way exactly.

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Speaker 1: Mark, lovely to talk to you, and a massive congratulations

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Speaker 1: to you on your award. Thanks so much for your

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Speaker 1: time this morning.

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Speaker 2: Thanks Katie Lovely to talk to you.

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Speaker 1: Thank you.