Celebrating Excellence in Teaching - Wesley's Megan Unthank achieves prestigious Lead Teacher Accreditation
Wesley College Glen Waverley is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Megan Unthank, Head of Faculty, Language and Literature, who has been awarded Lead Teacher accreditation through the HALT (Highly Accomplished Lead Teacher) program - the pinnacle of teaching excellence in Australia.
Remarkably, Megan was the only candidate in her cohort to successfully complete the rigorous Lead Teacher certification, placing her among the most accomplished educators in the country. The HALT program, delivered through Independent Schools Victoria in collaboration with AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership), requires extensive evidence of exceptional teaching practice and educational leadership.
'It was only just after I started at Wesley in 2024 that I flagged that I wanted to do this certification,' Megan reflects. 'The school's support showed me immediately that Wesley invests in its teachers' professional growth.'
Enhancing English Education
Megan's approach to English education exemplifies Wesley's commitment to contemporary, student-centred learning. She has led significant curriculum modernisation, including the introduction of texts that resonate with today's diverse student body.
'We've moved from texts like Boy' by Roald Dahl to The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do,' she explains. 'It's about choosing literature that speaks to our students' lived experiences while maintaining academic rigour.'
Her innovative Year 9 module development has already shown results, enhancing students’ argument analysis skills. 'It's about bringing some of those skills forward and reaping the benefits in the Senior School,' Megan notes.
The Wesley Difference
What drew Megan to Wesley, and what keeps her passionate about her role, is the school's authentic commitment to student-centred education.
‘Coming to Wesley was like coming home,’ she says. ‘There's a human-centred approach here - we treat students as people and think about their learning holistically. What you see on the outside matches what's inside, and that authenticity means everything to me as an educator.’
This philosophy extends to her classroom management in Wesley's coeducational environment. Building strong relationships builds success. As a female teacher, Megan sees her role as crucial in modeling confident leadership for both boys and girls.
‘Good teachers don't see gender in terms of learning,’ she emphasises. ‘It's about seeing all students as contributors and finding ways to engage every voice - whether through building confidence, using technology, or creating collaborative learning opportunities.’
Wesley students regularly thank teachers at the end of lessons - a small gesture that speaks to the respectful, collaborative learning environment she helps foster.
Preparing Students for the Future
Megan's approach to modern challenges, including AI integration, demonstrates her forward-thinking pedagogy. Rather than banning technology, she teaches students to be critical consumers and skilled users.
‘Students need to be literate and critical thinkers to be able to critique what AI produces,’ she explains. ‘We use ChatGPT as a learning tool - having it generate essay responses that we then analyse and improve upon. This teaches students that they need deep text knowledge to know if the AI is correct and how to add their own insights.’
A Model of Professional Excellence
Megan's HALT certification required extensive evidence across multiple teaching standards, including filmed lessons with detailed annotations, leadership of professional learning programs and demonstration of impact on student outcomes and colleague development.
Her evidence portfolio included innovative feedback strategies, such as colour-coding rubrics to help students visually analyse their essay writing, and her leadership of collaborative curriculum development within Wesley's Personalised Professional Learning (PPL) framework.
Looking Forward
As Wesley continues to attract exceptional educators like Megan, the College reinforces its reputation as a place where both teachers and students thrive. Her achievement in HALT certification not only recognises individual excellence but reflects Wesley's commitment to supporting teacher growth and educational innovation.
‘I genuinely see a future for myself at Wesley,’ Megan concludes. ‘It really matches my ethos for teaching and education. I like how we hold students accountable with parent support, so instead of creating a combative culture it's a cohesive one that sees student, parent and teacher as all part of a team.’
Wesley College Glen Waverley Campus is currently welcoming enrolment enquiries for 2026 and beyond. For more information about our educational programs and community, contact our Admissions team.
