WATCH: Top marks! Retired Kilkenny teacher receives Teachers Inspire Award

A Kilkenny teacher has been recognised with a coveted Teachers Inspire Award for 2021 for going above and beyond to help her students.

Liz Kett, a retired Art teacher with Grennan College in Thomastown is one of four teachers nationally to be recognised with the award. Liz was nominated by former student Gerard Kelly who said she provided a safe space for him as he was coming out as a gay teenager in rural Ireland. Gerard's nomination speaks about Liz's dedication and support.

“Her room was always open, regardless of if it was anything to do with school  or subjects, Liz would take you underneath your wing and just make you feel safe and give you space to grow and be yourself," he says.

"Not only did she become someone in school I felt comfortable confiding in, but she helped me believe in myself enough to get to where I am today.” 

Accepting her award, Liz said she was shocked and honoured to have been nominated.

"I think that an award such as Teachers Inspire Ireland might be like a signpost to assure teachers, or anyone working with people, that often it's the small moments that matter most," she said.

Organised and run by Dublin City University, Teachers Inspire is an Ireland-wide initiative that seeks to celebrate teachers and to recognise the transformative role they play in our lives and in our communities.  It is curated by acclaimed author Louise O’Neill, who has also hosted the Teachers Inspire podcast, sharing stories of teachers who have made a difference, and it has prompted hundreds of nominations since it began in 2019.  

Ms O’Neill said there were hundreds of entries for the Teachers Inspire initiative and if there was any recurring theme, it was the power of teachers to encourage their students to believe in themselves, and how those young people carried that message throughout their entire lives.

Prof Daire Keogh, President of Dublin City University said: “The response to the second year of the Teachers Inspire initiative has been phenomenal. Once again, we have received extraordinary testimonies from people across the country, who have spoken about the hugely positive influence teachers have had on their lives and on the life of communities. I want to congratulate the four worthy recipients of this honour, who are representative of the excellence, passion, and dedication of so many of Ireland’s teachers.”

Dermot Desmond said: “I had a grand uncle and an uncle that attended Dublin City University [St. Patrick’s] and I felt that teachers were under-appreciated and undervalued in society. I believe that education is the best investment any government can make. I really wanted teachers to be recognised, because teachers had a profound impact on my life, in advising, mentoring, educating and passing on knowledge.

"I congratulate all the recipients and all those who have been nominated, because you are the heroes in our society.”

Prof Anne Looney, Executive Dean of Dublin City University’s Institute of Education said: “With these awards, Teachers Inspire gives recognition not just to the four exceptional recipients but also to the wider teaching community across the country. Right through the pandemic, our teachers displayed enormous resilience and an unwavering commitment to their students’ education. At the DCU Institute of Education, we are immensely proud of the more than one thousand student teachers who played their part as substitute teachers in classrooms countrywide. I have no doubt that they will be the next generation of Ireland’s inspiring educators.”

Teachers Inspire is an Ireland-wide initiative that seeks to celebrate teachers and to recognise the transformative role they play in our lives and in our communities.