St Margaret’s secondary teacher and AI Champion Adam Hand has been named on The Educator’s annual Hot List, which recognises educators across Australia who are reshaping practice, strengthening school communities and raising national standards.
The recognition highlights Adam’s work establishing the school’s engineering curriculum, his evidence informed programs for students and early career teachers, and his role guiding staff and students through emerging technologies.
Before becoming an educator, Adam had a decade long career working as an engineer. He was inspired to pursue a career in education after having spent time coaching sports.
“I found I genuinely valued helping people work toward a goal and figuring things out. When I decided to make a career change, teaching felt like a natural fit. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to students reaching their academic potential,” Adam said.
Aside from his work in the classroom, one of the many other ways that Adam has achieved this is through his development of the bespoke Steps to Success Retrieval Program, which empowers students to build strong metacognitive habits and take ownership of their learning.
Adam has also pioneered the establishment of St Margaret’s engineering curriculum, creating a practical STEM pathway that inspires young women and bridges secondary learning with university level rigour.
The epitome of a lifelong learner, Adam is in continual pursuit of furthering his knowledge and improving his skills, and he is committed to sharing his learnings with his colleagues.
He has designed a Quality Teaching Rounds framework for early-careers teachers, using structured peer observations and collaborative debriefs to elevate instructional quality that has begun trial implementation across the school.
Adam is also one of St Margaret’s AI Champions and works within a collaborative team to steer both staff and students through the ethical and practical applications of emerging technologies, building crucial digital literacy across multiple departments.
By mentoring colleagues, driving pedagogical growth and actively contributing to extracurricular school life, his blend of expertise, mentorship and dedication to school culture exemplifies the impactful contribution behind this recognition.
Honoured to be named on the Hot List, Adam said: “St Margaret's is home to many incredible educators, and I have learned a great deal from the people I work alongside every day. It is very humbling to be highlighted for my contributions, but I think the award is a reflection of the outstanding teams with whom I get to collaborate.”