Rosina Tucker has been an integral part of the Cavendish Road State High School community since 1987, beginning as a German and Music teacher.

Known for helping students achieve goals they never thought possible, her passion for music, performance and self-expression extended well beyond the classroom to many school musicals, choirs and ensembles, even leading a group to perform for the Queen at World Expo 88.

It was during this time that she was working closely with visually impaired students, many of whom were musically gifted.

As she returned from maternity leave, the school’s Head of Special Education made a suggestion that turned out to be pivotal.

“They used to say to me, you do great things with our students, so whenever you want to make a change, you’re more than welcome to join our team”, Ms Tucker said.

And so, she did - learning Braille and Braille music and joining the Special Education department to support students who are blind or have a vision impairment. Despite the initial challenge, she embraced the opportunity to make a difference.

“I had my music knowledge on my side, but learning Braille music is more complex, certainly not like reading straight music,” she said.

Mrs Tucker didn’t just have to learn a new communication system, she also had to train in new technologies.

“When I first started, we had an old braille machine, like an old-fashioned typewriter. But now we have a Braille Sense that acts as a note taker for students. It has the same Braille keys, but it is electronic so they can note take in class,” she explained.

Then there’s ‘Job Access With Speech’ (JAWS), a screen reader program for Microsoft Windows that allows people who are blind to read the screen.

Providing image descriptions, organising PowerPoints for ease of use, and translating resources into Braille all help these programs to run smoothly.

“All students with a disability should have every opportunity to access their learning. It’s essential that these kids can use these devices, and I have to know how to use them if they are,” she shared.

In her decades of experience in teaching, Mrs Tucker has extended and supported students, families and the community in endless ways, and has consistently advocated for students with disabilities.

Her favourite thing about working in Special Education, she says, is the resilience of students and seeing what they can achieve.

Known for her patience and kindness, she continues to work closely with Vision Australia, TAFE Queensland and Jigsaw to ensure students with disabilities can achieve their full potential.

Described by her peers as “an amazingly dedicated teacher”, Mrs Tucker has also contributed her expertise to panels for the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) and Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) and has worked determinedly to help others develop their teaching and learning strategies.

Reflecting on her career to date, she says that all teachers should never be afraid to ask for help, no matter what stage they’re in.

“We’ve all been there done that and we’re all on a journey. We just have to stop at different places along the way,” she said.

Mrs Tucker is a finalist at the Queensland College of Teachers TEACHX Awards, in Outstanding Contribution to Teaching category.

Winners will be announced October 27^th, the eve of World Teachers' Day in Queensland.