Deputy Principal - Strategic Performance (Kelly Anderson)
Skills for Lifelong Learning
So I think we all enjoyed the sessions on our School Development Day, but so what? What was the learning underlying those sessions? The point was to remind us that delivery of curriculum doesn't have to be traditional "chalk and talk". When students are presented with a problem or a challenge or an opportunity to explore ideas, how can we open up the process to allow them to lead their own learning? The biggest challenge for teachers is letting go of controlling each and every aspect of what unfolds in their classroom. When students are engaged in project-based learning, they do need structure and support, but they also need the flexibility to explore beyond the knowledge imparted during a planned explicit instruction lesson. They need to be able to follow where their learning takes them, access experts beyond the classroom who can ask them probing questions or pose interesting ideas. The teacher doesn't have to be the expert in this situation, they just need to take away the boundaries.
Last year I ran a session with staff using spaghetti and marshmallows. The focus of the session was for teachers to recognise and identify the other skills, separate from the content of the curriculum, that were being developed by posing a problem and trying to solve it by working collaboratively with others. At the end of the session, I provided a modified instructional framework for planning a project, and an Observation Checklist, for identifying the types of skills being used by students when working together.
I hope that you find these tools useful and I am providing them again here. They are also available on our Instructional Leadership Connect Community.
I challenge you to take one class through one project this year. It won't always go to plan. Failure is part of your own learning and growth. But if you never try, you will never know how rich the learning can really be using this approach.
Ball Coordinator
The Ball Coordinator position is available. Sarah Barrett has given her time and energy to this role over the past few years, and has made the School Ball an even better event each time around! Thanks, Sarah for your contribution to the school.
The Ball Coordinator also has an awesome sidekick, Danelle, who works closely with the Coordinator to ensure that the students have a fantastic evening. This role involves setting up and overseeing the Ball Committee (a group of Year 12 students who set the theme for the Ball), as well as making all the necessary arrangements for the event.
The position comes with a Band 2 Special Responsibility Allowance for Term 1, 2022.
If you are keen to pick up the reins of this role, please email your Expression of Interest to Kelly Anderson by COB Friday 30 April.