CGS ASPIRE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL AT CGS
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Volume 3 – December 2023
A FULFILLING AND REWARDING WORKPLACE: AT CANBERRA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, WE ARE A STIMULATING AND FULFILLING COLLEGIAL COMMUNITY. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF OUR TEACHING AND OPERATIONAL TEAMS.
FOREWORD It is an honour to introduce this third edition of CGS Aspire, the journal of the professional community at Canberra Grammar School. In my introduction to the first, I said its publication in the midst of a pandemic was a triumph, yet but a sign of things to come. Here is the proof of that claim; a volume bursting with articles from all parts of our large and thriving School, representing not only our professional aspirations in the classroom, but in curriculum development, in growth coaching, in houses and sport, in technology and the outdoors, in leadership and administration, in music and drama, across the age range and between disciplines, in boarding and inclusive care, in faith and in all the domains that give richness to our working life. We are, in every sense, a learning community. We may be driven by our School’s guiding purpose to educate our students as curious, creative, confident and compassionate citizens of the world, but clearly we are fuelled by the same qualities in ourselves. Every essay here is an answer to curiosity; every initiative an exercise in creativity. The act of writing, giving your thoughts to the appraisal of peers, takes confidence; and to share so freely with each other for the betterment of all is the compassionate citizenship of true collegiality. In speaking to the graduates of the Faculty of Education at the University of Canberra this year, I said that education in Australia needs to change its narrative. Of course, it is disingenuous to deny the challenges that our profession faces. It is hard work, under-appreciated in Australian culture, all too often undermined by poor and unsupportive parenting. Every social ill is ours to fix, and there simply aren’t enough of us, nor hours in the day for all we need to do. Yet here in this edition is the alternate reality: a flourishing professional community passionate for the opportunities of learning, brimming with ideas, enthusiastic to collaborate, and proud of the difference that we make to each other and, above all, to our students’ lives. Here are educators bouncing back from the greatest global upheaval of our lifetimes, embracing new models of interdisciplinary learning, relishing the wonder of their students’ inquiry, experimenting with artificial intelligence on new devices, nurturing inclusion and Indigenous education, striving for higher accreditation, coaching each other in leadership, and taking pride in the aspiration to “be that teacher!” How lucky we are to be in this profession, and how grateful I am to everyone who has given to the culture that is represented in this journal. Congratulations and thank you to all. Dr Justin Garrick Head of School
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CONTENTS Foreword................................................................................................................................................................... iii
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE
1
Dr Tessa Opie & the question of respect................................................................................................................ 2 Preparing for MYP.................................................................................................................................................... 3 Inclusion .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 The global inclusive teaching initiative................................................................................................................... 4 Open-ended tasks to promote inquiry in mathematics......................................................................................... 6 IB workshops for the introduction of the MYP........................................................................................................ 9
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
11
Growth Coaching International CPL...................................................................................................................... 12 Being new at CGS & my professional growth cycle.............................................................................................. 14 Inquiry units............................................................................................................................................................ 15 Approaching interdisciplinary learning................................................................................................................. 16 Bites of mini bites.................................................................................................................................................. 18 CGS Aspiring Leaders: A new initiative................................................................................................................. 23
PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT
24
Pursuing highly accomplished teacher accreditation ......................................................................................... 25 ISTAA experienced teacher accreditation............................................................................................................. 26 Saving minutes in a day......................................................................................................................................... 28 The power of music................................................................................................................................................ 30 Effective pedagogy................................................................................................................................................. 32 Coaching & mentoring........................................................................................................................................... 34 Be that teacher!...................................................................................................................................................... 35 Embracing AI in education: maximising benefits while ensuring student learning........................................... 36 The messy middle.................................................................................................................................................. 38 Managing the extended essay category 3 IB course........................................................................................... 39 Professional development in boarding................................................................................................................. 40 Professional association connections.................................................................................................................. 42 Autism awareness – an inclusive classroom....................................................................................................... 43 The Berry Street education model: unpacking the domains & their use in pastoral care................................ 45 Staff Professional Excellence Fund (SPEF) initiatives......................................................................................... 48 Orton Gillingham approach to reading.................................................................................................................. 52 University of Canberra Faculty of Education Graduation Address 27 March 2023.......................................... 54
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE
DR TESSA OPIE & THE QUESTION OF RESPECT By Lizzy Collier Assistant Director of Student Development – Senior School Senior School Music Teacher
Dr Tessa Opie has spent a career working all over Australia. A researcher and educator by training, she has firmly established herself as one of Australia’s leading authorities on sex-positive and consent education. Dr Opie has worked with the South Australian, Western Australian and Northern Territory’s Departments of Education, alongside leading research for Flinders and Monash Universities. Canberra Grammar School was fortunate enough to have Dr Opie present to our Year 11 and 12 students, staff and parent body in May 2023. Working through the In Your Skin programme, Dr Opie presented a wellresearched and informative session that addressed a changing approach to consent education. Through the lens of a harm reduction approach, Dr Opie unpacked how we form relationship values, attitudes, and expectations in a social climate that feeds us often misleading messages about sex and relationships. Dr Opie’s breadth of knowledge and expertise in this area opened discussion on how to ensure that teenagers in our care are safe, healthy, and happy. The key message to staff and parents was building respectful relationships, with communication skills being taught and encouraged throughout a child’s life. In the early years of schooling, children navigate social interactions and learn how to share. Consenting to someone to play with your toys or join a game is a skill. Learning how to deal with rejection is also essential. As children form intimate relationships through the years, interpersonal skills, such as assertive communication and negotiation, are key to good relationships. After the presentation, our Year 11 and 12 students engaged in House based discussions on sexual rights and what influencing factors can impact our decisions. Our students quickly saw the link between this content and what had been delivered during the 7-10 PDHPE curriculum. The In Your Skin presentation also supported the recent development of ACRA Health and Physical Education, which sees the shift to active consent education and sex-positive language. Dr Opie’s presentation was thought provoking and, in places, challenged students and staff to consider their preconceived notions on delicate topics such as sex, consent and the influence of social media and pornography. This presentation has started many powerful conversations among our Senior Students and was supported by the ongoing whole school pastoral programme, designed to help our students, staff and families navigate contemporaneous issues.
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PREPARING FOR MYP By Andrea McNamara Assistant Director of Academic Education – Senior School (IB Middle Years Programme Coordinator)
At the beginning of the school year, Canberra Grammar School hosted a staff professional conference where Ashley Coats presented the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) to senior staff. Ashley is the Deputy Principal of Tatachilla Lutheran College in Adelaide and a respected leader in IB education. During the presentation, Ashley emphasised the importance of the MYP in challenging teachers to improve their practices and measure their impact on student learning. One key aspect of the MYP that Ashley discussed was the unit planner, which comprises three essential parts: inquiry, action, and reflection. When introducing a unit, Ashley stressed the importance of team collaboration and identifying the key concept, which allows for a macro focus on a universal idea that is abstract, timeless and transferable across disciplines. He referred to the work of Lyn Erikson, an internationally recognised consultant on concept-based curriculum design and instruction who encourages teachers to incorporate context-based learning and conceptual understanding in their lessons. This approach to teaching supports student inquiry and prepares students for the Diploma Programme, specifically the Theory of Knowledge. Ashley also emphasised the importance of inquiry questions in unit planning, ideally developed in collaboration between teachers and students. This approach allows for authentic inquiry and helps students satisfy their curiosity and interest in the subject content. Additionally, Ashley discussed the importance of developing Approaches to Learning skills that transcend subject knowledge and can be applied in various contexts. Overall, Ashley’s presentation provided a comprehensive look at the elements of unit planning for the MYP and offered valuable insights for staff members as they prepare for the programme roll-out with Years 7 and 8 in 2024. The presentation was a valuable opportunity for the staff at Canberra Grammar School to deepen their understanding of the MYP and explore new strategies for improving their teaching practices.
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INCLUSION
THE GLOBAL INCLUSIVE TEACHING INITIATIVE A PRIMARY SCHOOL INITIATIVE By Sarah Maldon Head of Individual Learning Team – Primary School
Last year, the Primary School focussed on developing a shared understanding of what Inclusion is:
AT CANBERRA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, WE STRIVE TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE CLASSROOM AND BROADER SCHOOL CONTEXT THROUGH PARTICIPATION AND ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT. WE RECOGNISE THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN SUCCEED AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL, REGARDLESS OF STARTING POINTS OR ABILITIES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE AND THE PROVISION OF HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY CHILD. MEETING THE INDIVIDUAL AT THEIR POINT OF NEED IS WHAT WE ENDEAVOUR TO ACHIEVE. This year, all Primary School teaching staff are completing the Global Inclusive Teaching Initiative (GITI), a world-class training for teachers in differentiation facilitated by the International Forums of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP). GITI is a ground-breaking global teaching programme establishing an international differentiation standard. It aims to help all teachers effectively meet the needs of all children in the classroom in a truly inclusive way. GITI is a sophisticated virtual platform with unique video content, case studies, directed reading and suggestions for implementing your learnings. The Initiative comprises five Learning Modules, collectively covering what teachers need to know about Inclusion in the classroom. The course is written by the five most highly regarded authors and global thought leaders in inclusive practice. Louise Dawson (Dubai) is an expert in inclusive technology who supports parents and schools with Inclusion across the Middle East.
Professor Carol Tomlinson (USA) is widely regarded as ‘The mother of differentiation’, whose books have been translated into 14 languages.
Abigail Gray (UK) is a SEN professional with over 30 years of experience and over a decade in senior leadership at an ISA special school.
Helena Wallberg (Sweden), an authority in Inclusion, has supported numerous schools, groups of schools and municipalities.
Daniel Sobel (UK), Founder of Inclusion Expert and advisor to the Department for Education, the European Union and the United Nations.
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A key takeaway for staff is that differentiation acknowledges diversity and reduces the correlation with disadvantage. Staff are introduced to the seven essential considerations for making adaptations to their teaching. These are key considerations practitioners can make about dialogue, resources, grouping, outcome, pace, task, and assessment that can positively affect vulnerable children.
Differentiation of dialogue, resources, grouping, outcome, pace, task, and assessment is essential to meeting the needs of all students in our classrooms. A teacher who differentiates creates meaningful learning opportunities for each student to grapple with new knowledge, develop new skills and make new understandings. Instead of assigning mindless activities to the entire class, the teacher provides varied opportunities for students to work with new ideas. Dialogue: teacher self-awareness, teaching of vocabulary, modelling active listening, encouraging pupil voice, addressing grammar in speech, and varying volume, tone and register. Resources: human, technical, digital, and material resources. Grouping: variety, use of learning assistants, relationships, access, communication, roles, and response. Equal opportunities for all children to work alongside others: to make friends, access resources, explore, and take risks. Outcome: being clear about the objective of the lesson and identifying the key takeaways; thus, considering whether a child can demonstrate them in a way that is accessible via a medium that plays to a strength. Pace: the speed, frequency, duration, speech, action, and spaces of and within a lesson. Task: Ensuring we do not limit the challenge for students. Assessment: feedback, concessions, diagnostic data, and motivation. In addition, staff could see that effective communication in the classroom is essential to enabling each learner to achieve maximum growth. A teacher’s beliefs, attitudes, and practices determine the effectiveness of communication for each learner. Teachers are likely to communicate more effectively if they establish clear aspirations and reflect on them in light of their ongoing classroom practices. Carol Ann Tomlinson demonstrates how framing can also help students reflect on what they have learned and how they can use it. She also shows how effective classroom questioning enhances students’ and teachers’ learning; it supports student engagement, develops student voice, and extends student thinking. Helena Wallberg sets out the importance of the learning goal to benefit all students’ learning. This includes enabling students to set their own learning goals using content, language, and active verbs. We also see how assignments, including homework, can be differentiated to meet the learning needs. We looked at the four types of feedback and their effectiveness: personal, metacognitive, process, and task correctness feedback. What was most important in feedback was allowing the student to take ownership of learning: where they are, where they are going and how they can get there. GITI has provided Primary School Staff with the fundamentals of effective differentiation, which is essential for fostering a truly inclusive approach to education. We look forward to completing GITI by the end of 2023! CGS Aspire – The Professional development journal at CGS | 5
OPEN-ENDED TASKS TO PROMOTE INQUIRY IN MATHEMATICS By Lisa Kaptein Associate Director of Academic Education (Mathematics) – Primary School
This year, we welcomed Professor Peter Sullivan to the Primary School to support teachers’ professional learning in Mathematics. Professor Sullivan is an emeritus professor at Monash University and has spent his career developing a range of practical strategies for enhancing numeracy skills in students. He advocates for advancing quality mathematics education through an inquiry framework of developing open-ended learning opportunities that provide multiple entry and exit points and set challenges for the students to stretch to their full potential. At the start of the year, Professor Sullivan spent a day with our staff exploring four strategies for creating open-ended tasks. Open-ended tasks can lead to powerful learning opportunities as students can stretch to their full potential. The four strategies he shared were:
1) MAKING TASKS OPEN BY WORKING FROM THE ANSWER. 2) MAKING TASKS OPEN BY CREATING BLANKS. 3) OPENNESS THROUGH PERSONALISING. 4) FORCING CONNECTIONS. Professor Sullivan encouraged us to remove our preconceived ideas about what the students might achieve and instead challenged us to imagine what they could achieve when given the opportunity to explore, discover, innovate, and extend when ready, with support provided as needed. Drawing on the concept of place value in the K-6 curriculum, Professor Sullivan then gave the teachers the opportunity to experience some of these open-ended tasks. The teachers were encouraged to complete the tasks designed for the students to understand better the mathematics involved in them. In Terms 2 and 3, Professor Sullivan returned to Canberra Grammar School to work with individual teams by conducting demonstration lessons to explore how rich, open-ended tasks can allow all students to be challenged by the learning and how to frame tasks in a way that enables the students to view this challenge as something positive. The sessions with Professor Sullivan provided an opportunity for rich discussion from students and teachers alike. These demonstration lessons provided a powerful professional learning opportunity for our staff, as they were able to discuss Professor Sullivan’s process for designing learning experiences and how to take the learning forward, both before and after the demonstration lesson.
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The key takeaways from these sessions were: 1) Multiple Approaches: to build awareness that there is often more than one way to solve problems and to share students’ work to discuss student thinking and to all other students to build on these ideas or try something they might not have thought of before. 2) Using Students’ Work Samples: The power of modelling student work samples in real time and using this as a catalyst for moments of explicit teaching. 3) Student Agency: Getting out of the students’ way, giving them the time they need to discover and explore questions. The role of the teacher is to ask questions when required to promote deeper thinking, which can be facilitated through the use of wait time. At CGS, we believe that providing engaging opportunities for students to explore and apply their knowledge through a variety of learning opportunities is the key to creating mathematically empowered students. Professor Sullivan encourages inquiry in everyday maths classes in conjunction with explicit teaching. He has modelled to the staff how these two elements complement each other and support the students to be successful. We look forward to continuing our learning with Professor Sullivan through the rest of this year and the first half of 2024, where we will delve into assessment. Links to the resources that Professor Sullivan has used in classes can be found on the Primary School Staff Website in the Academic Education tab.
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Whilst engaging in the meetings with Peter Sullivan, I was reminded how mathematical thinking can be applied to all areas of learning, including learning through movement. In PE, we apply the importance of allowing students to struggle with a concept first. The ‘struggle’ often allows for deeper conversations, multiple plans, and perspectives to be sought, identifying the best strategy and then using trial and error. Moreover, while we have conversations about timing, distance, measurement, estimation, and other numerical concepts, the overarching notion of problem solving with multiple perspectives deepens PE’s connection to mathematics. – Emma Potter, Head of Physical Education - Primary School
Peter Sullivan’s approach allows students to determine their own entry point, which allows them to feel comfortable and successful no matter their confidence or experience level. The open-ended problems, however, give them a chance to think deeply about a range of possible answers and have a sliding scale that challenges each class member. I appreciated how Peter Sullivan’s approach encouraged my more confident students to dig into a particular problem, think flexibly, articulate their understandings and focus on the depth of their maths learning rather than presenting them with the same style of problem repeatedly with increasingly tricky component parts. – Patrick Taylor, Teacher Primary School (Year 6)
As a teacher, embracing Peter Sullivan’s ideas and principles has led to many benefits in the classroom. Having Peter come into my classroom and observing him teach a lesson was beneficial. Observing the strategies, language, and the various tasks he chose for the students was valuable. As a teacher, the biggest challenge I have found is stepping back and allowing students time to work through and understand the problem. His emphasis on promoting a growth mindset has allowed me to continue to adopt a positive and resilient learning environment. This approach encourages students to embrace challenges, continue to persist when faced with setbacks and hopefully achieve higher levels of mathematical proficiency. By focusing on the process that students go through, I can help guide them towards a deeper understanding and encourage them to build on the analytical skills and knowledge they already have. This, in turn, has helped me foster a stronger foundation for future maths learning in the classroom. The emphasis on cultivating a growth mindset has positively impacted students’ attitudes towards learning. When the students start to believe that their efforts, persistence and strategies can lead to improvement, they are more willing to challenge themselves. Integrating practical everyday scenarios has helped the students recognise the relevance and the ability to apply mathematical concepts. – Georgina Mills, Teacher Primary School (Year 3)
Having Peter Sullivan mentor our maths planning, teaching and learning in kindergarten has given us the confidence to try more complex problem solving and abstract thinking at this foundation level. He has reminded us of the importance of time to think and the power of confidence and pride when you finally understand or something ‘clicks’ when provided the time to work it out. Finding the balance between giving too much or not enough information to tackle tasks can be challenging when some students are learning single digits and others are capable of mental multiplication – his approach encourages us to open tasks up to extend and support naturally whilst encouraging mathematical thinking and exploration. We should not underestimate a Kindergarteners’ ability to find reasoning and mathematical understanding! – Lizzy Mitchell, Primary School Teacher (Kindergarten)
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IB WORKSHOPS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MYP By Senior School Heads of Department
On 17 July 2023, Senior School staff participated in the ‘Developing the MYP’ workshop, deepening our understanding of what it means to be an IB world school with an introduction to the Middle Years Programme (MYP). As an MYP candidate school, this workshop is mandatory to meet the requirements for authorisation. All teaching staff participated, including specialists, librarians, and part-time educators involved in our MYP curriculum. The workshop spanned several sessions with the primary objective of providing a solid foundation of knowledge for implementing the MYP and acting as a specific launch point for MYP practice. The workshop, led by experienced IB workshop leaders Ashley Coates, Kumaravell Sepulohniam, Christopher Burch, Helen Hopping, Peter Muir and Rosanna Yeung, provided information about the core of being an IB World School and explored the positive impact of successful MYP implementation on our school’s programmes, structures, and curriculum development. The insights gained from this workshop will elevate our teaching practices and assist all staff in delivering the Middle Years Programme, which will be trialled with Years 7 and 8 in 2024. We look forward to sharing our learnings and progress with you as we continue our MYP journey.
The day was an excellent opportunity to spend time carefully applying our learning about the MYP to our current programmes. We were able to ask specific questions about the MYP framework that directly related to our teaching areas. Having time to work in our teaching teams was also a highlight. – Sarah Czarnota, Head of Department (Economics & Business)
It was great to have the opportunity to work with another department and get a feeling about where they are at with adopting MYP concepts. It made me look forward to working more closely with other departments. – Sarah Payne, Head of Department (Languages)
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Completing the MYP training day allowed the English Department to consolidate our current knowledge about the Programme. Under the workshop facilitator’s guidance, we ensured our teaching and learning programmes for 2024 aligned with the MYP philosophy. Our facilitator provided practical tools and documentation to guide us through this process. As a department, we are excited to embark on the MYP journey with our students and provide them with new opportunities to spark their curiosity and extend their creativity in the classroom. – Sarah Field, Head of Department (English)
It was great having someone with deep experience assessing candidate schools to review our draft programmes. Our facilitator was so encouraging about how far we had come in our understanding of inquiry-based pedagogy and concept-based learning. He had some great ideas about how we could ensure that what we want to do with History classes in Years 7-9 will support the whole senior school’s implementation of the MYP. – Alex Thompson, Head of Department (History)
It was great to be working with Mr Ashley Coats for this MYP Workshop. I was inspired by his online introductory presentation at the start of the school year, and it was rewarding to spend a day learning more from his extensive knowledge and experience as an MYP educator. Learning and planning collaboratively with the Music department for the day was productive. It was beneficial to share our ideas and further develop our understanding of the terminology and concepts of the MYP as a team. We have applied this knowledge during the term in our MYP planning. Andrea McNamara has been generous with her time since the Workshop, motivating us to continue our MYP journey enthusiastically! – Liz Furman, Assistant Head of Department (Music)
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PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
GROWTH COACHING INTERNATIONAL CPL By Sarah Dunn Associate Director of Academic Education (Primary Years Programme)
Most of my role as PYP Coordinator is working with the teachers and supporting them in the learning and teaching space. There are often many creative ideas and possibilities in such a large organisation and with large cohort teams. One of my challenges is to bring teams to an agreement so that we can work better together and to our strengths. As a leader in the School, the skills required to build capacity in others and problem-solve is something I have worked on for several years. I have discovered that most success comes through careful listening, exploring possible solutions and setting an agreed timeframe. The two day coaching course, run by Growth Coaching International, was a practical and useful opportunity, as it provided some key strategies and a very specific and targeted set of questions to use to support others in achieving goals. Backed by research and high success rates, the workshop provided multiple examples and opportunities through role play to explore ways to positively impact others through coaching conversations. Our facilitator, Kath Morwitch, was well informed and could answer our questions with ease. She created a friendly environment that allowed us to collaborate with each other. Having teachers from both Senior School and Primary School helped us build a shared language and understanding of the power of coaching in our contexts. My three takeaways from the course were: • Coaching conversations are specific and not just part of any conversation. • The key to coaching is identifying the next steps; what else can you do? What else? • The problems aren’t for me to identify but for me to guide my coaching partner to identify.
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G R O W T H
Much of the conversation was around using the GROWTH coaching model:
GOAL What specific goal are you trying to achieve? What outcome do you want to see? REALITY What is happening right now? Do you have the skills, capital, et., necessary to achieve this goal adequately? OPTIONS What could you do differently? What specifically will you change to achieve your goal?
WILL Exactly how committed are you to reaching your goal? How will you know when you have achieved your goal?
TACTICS How and when will you do it?
HABITS How will you sustain your success?
Implementing the ideas and strategies in my leadership role has been invaluable. I love the clarity and specificity of the questions. At first, it can feel unfamiliar and a little scripted, but it becomes much more natural over time. It has helped me enormously to default from the position of the ‘helper’ and try to solve the problems for people, which, in reality, achieves very little. I thoroughly recommend this CPL if the opportunity arises.
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BEING NEW AT CGS & MY PROFESSIONAL GROWTH CYCLE By Sophie Johnson Head of Student House (Guginyal) – Primary School Primary School Teacher
As a new staff member at CGS, I have found the structured support system, the Professional Growth Cycle, and the range of professional learning opportunities incredibly beneficial to my professional development. This year, I have been lucky to have Craig Newton (in Term 1) and Lisa Kaptein as my mentors, which has been a wonderful experience. Regular lesson observations in my classroom have provided targeted, specific feedback on my practice and how I deliver content. My mentors offered practical and nuanced suggestions, for example, on how to add additional formative assessment opportunities into lessons and have been incredibly supportive in pointing out the areas of my practice that they find particularly positive, for example, my creation of a classroom culture, and use of manipulatives to engage students. This has made the experience of receiving feedback both valuable and affirming, as I apply constructive feedback to my practice while also growing confidence in myself as a teacher. In addition, I have been aided by my Year 1 team, the Academic Team and the Students Team. Feeling like there is support everywhere I turn, from those dedicated to helping me solve problems and settle into the school, has made this new chapter very positive. This year, Mathematics was one of the primary focuses for my Professional Growth Cycle (aligning with our CGS-wide professional learning focus). The professional learning delivered by Peter Sullivan at the beginning of the year inspired me immensely, and the practical and simple techniques he gave us have been a regular part of my tool kit this year. Having the opportunity to work with Lisa closely during my planning for mathematics during our first unit of inquiry helped me get a feel for both the style of CGS and also allowed me to dive into applying what I had learned from Peter. When I had a lesson observation from my mentors, I was able to ask about my application of Peter’s strategies and my use of his pedagogy. I was able to continue to grow in this area based on their feedback. During my observation lesson, I focused on giving the students room to explore the concept of length without constraints, moving around the room and experimenting to construct their understanding of “good” measuring practice and appropriate use of materials. While this very hands-on and experimental lesson was somewhat nerve-wracking, it was an incredibly positive experience. It was very affirming for me to apply what I had learned. Overall, the professional learning I have been a part of at CGS has helped me grow immensely and is one of my favourite things about being part of the School. The presentation by Kath Murdoch at the end of last year, Peter Sullivan’s presentation this year, the chance to plan closely with Misty Adoniou, and my opportunities to join the Amplify group of New Teachers as part of AISACT and partake in the Making the PYP Happen Workshop have all been exciting and motivating. The inspiring professional learning opportunities prioritised and made available for staff allow us to grow and blossom as professionals. I feel that I have begun this journey this year, and I look forward to continuing to refine and grow in the years to come.
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INQUIRY UNITS By Sarah Gardiner Primary School Teacher
Collaborative. Problem-solvers. Transdisciplinary. This is how Year 5 wanted to approach our Inquiry units this year, particularly authentically embedding science and design into our teaching and learning. To start our journey, the Year 5 teaching team spent a day at the Questacon Education Centre as part of our ‘choose your own adventure’ professional development at the beginning of the year. The Questacon educators were excellent in provoking our thinking by immersing us in various activities we could easily use in our classroom. These included a practical design and build activity, brainstorming, charting our physical environment and solving a real-life problem using various loose parts. We also visited Questacon and explored the many areas and activities they offer for us and our students. It was great to spend the day collaborating, engaging with, and learning from professionals. Upon return to school, we were enthusiastic about our year ahead, ready to plan for fun, engaging, collaborative and relevant units for our students. We looked at many of our units where science and design could be incorporated, some of which were new to Year 5 due to changes in the Australian Curriculum. Whilst this seemed daunting, we relished starting afresh and thinking creatively. Whilst most of our units have a science or design component, I will focus on two units: How We Express Ourselves and How the World Works. We started the year with How We Express Ourselves. This is a great unit to start the year as we get to know our students. It is fun, based on stories and incorporates dramatic elements. This year, we tried something new – adding in the science component of light. This curriculum outcome has always been tricky to embed within our units authentically, so we thought How We Express Ourselves might be the answer for which we were looking. After all, drama has many aspects of light embedded into staging techniques, light and shadow of stories, shadow puppets, etc. Some were sceptical of this addition, but we were open-minded, and the gamble paid off. As we taught each dramatic element of stage techniques or storytelling, we also included the science of light. Students learned about colour, shadows, transparency, refraction, and transmission of light through various hands-on experiments. They then incorporated this knowledge into their drama performances. Another extension of this was to link with knowledge of First Nations Australians - who doesn’t love seeing the refraction of light by fishing for lollies? Reflecting on the unit, it was clear that students loved the hands-on experiences of drama and science; their knowledge of both improved, and they could see and understand the transdisciplinary links we were making. How the World Works also needed changing this year to fit in with our new Central Idea, ‘environmental patterns lead to the development of management systems’. Luckily, this is where our Questacon excursion came in very handy. As part of our day at the start of the year, we were put into groups and had to design and build a system to transfer water from a communal tub to our reservoir using various parts such as tubs, pipes, hosing, syringes, and funnels. We had a lot of fun and knew our students would, too. This became the provocation for our unit. As you can imagine, students + group work + outside + creating + loose parts + water = potential chaos, but in fact, our students were delighted with this task and produced some creative and collaborative solutions. Curiosity peaked, ‘Why are we doing this?’, ‘How could we improve our design?’, ‘Where would we use systems like this in real life?’. Each class looks forward to seeing where this unit goes next and using further science and design principles as we delve deeper into weather, patterns and management systems to solve problems. These are just two units where Year 5 has stepped outside the box and tried new and exciting ways to incorporate science and design in a collaborative and transdisciplinary way that encourages problemsolving and increased understanding. It has been a worthwhile, rewarding, and fun experience.
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APPROACHING INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING By Amy O’Donnell Senior School Teacher (English)
With the rollout of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme on the horizon, our English department is considering how we can meet the requirements of the MYP framework, one of which is interdisciplinary learning. According to the IB, interdisciplinary learning ‘supports students to understand bodies of knowledge from two or more disciplines or subject groups, to integrate them and create new understanding’ (International Baccalaureate, 2023). The rationale for interdisciplinary learning is obvious: The world is not siloed into subject areas, so why should our studies be? The research also points to increased critical thinking ability and motivation in the classroom (Vess, 2009; Baxter et al., 2004). However, integrating meaningful interdisciplinary experiences can be challenging as it requires communication and collaboration across departments, plenty of planning time, and an alignment of goals around teaching and learning. While a whole-school approach to interdisciplinary learning in the MYP is still taking shape, our department has been working to develop interdisciplinary-compatible units and provide opportunities in the English classroom to facilitate connections with other subject areas. For example, in a recent Year 9 study of Romeo and Juliet, students were required to design a costume and provide a rationale that connected their visual choices to symbols and motifs in the text, as well as produce a ‘Director’s Statement’ that outlined their vision for their stage adaptation of the play. While students were formally assessed against English content descriptors, they were able to make connections to knowledge and skills from Visual Arts, Drama, and Design and Technology. Many of our units and content descriptors also offer opportunities for rich connections with History, and we were able to take advantage of this in a recent study of the poetry of Wilfred Owen in Year 9. The unit was designed to run concurrently with Year 9 History’s study of World War One so that students could make connections between the context and events of the war and its depiction in the poetry. The unit was highly successful from the perspective of fostering students’ ability to make interdisciplinary connections: When surveyed, 72% of students agreed with the statement, “I feel like I now have a better understanding of how English and History are related as subjects.” Upon reflection, I feel the unit’s success was owed to several factors, each of which might provide useful learnings for other departments considering designing their interdisciplinary opportunities. Firstly, we ensured we drew on expertise beyond the English department in a manner that was visible to students. Former Acting Head of History Elizabeth Bowden was kind enough to deliver a presentation on World War One to the Year 9 cohort during a timetabled English lesson so that they would understand what contextual knowledge would be required to understand and interpret the poetry. Additionally, Renee Jones from the Senior School Library provided all students with a workshop on source identification and analysis, which allowed students to compare Owen’s representations of the war to other historical sources. Plenty of discussions and resource-sharing between English, History and the Library allowed classroom teachers to feel equipped to make connections between the disciplines.
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Another important factor in the unit’s success was developing a clear focus question: in this case, “How effectively has Wilfred Owen’s poetry captured the experiences of the ‘doomed youth’ of World War One?” Insofar as this was still an ‘English’ unit, we had to ensure that we did not find ourselves trying to assess knowledge and skills beyond the subject area. When history content made its way into the English classroom, it focused on exploring individuals’ war experiences through letters, diary entries and recounts, which complemented rather than cannibalised the content covered in the History classroom. With a clear focus question in mind, we were also able to ensure that our assessment was fair. This was particularly important as not all students studied History concurrently with the English Wilfred Owen unit. The cohort presentations from Elizabeth and Renee provided a clear delineation for students as to what History and source work knowledge and skills would be needed for their English assessment, and – as with the Romeo and Juliet unit – we assessed against English content descriptors only. When surveyed after the unit’s completion, 71% of non-history students felt that they had enough knowledge and support to complete the assessment task, even though they were not studying History at the time, and this sentiment was reflected in assessment results, where we saw parity between the achievement of History- and nonHistory students. It seems we achieved the best of both worlds, as 79% of the current History students agreed that the unit allowed them to connect with the knowledge and skills they were learning in History. Ultimately, we have seen the rollout of two successful Year 9 English units that have facilitated interdisciplinary thinking from students and would pair well with the work of other departments once a whole-school interdisciplinary framework has been developed. I want to thank the other Departments and the Senior School Library for their willingness to collaborate and create rich interdisciplinary experiences for our students. I would encourage all Senior School departments to consider how they might be able to develop meaningful interdisciplinary experiences within their programmes as we approach the MYP. References: Baxter Magolda, M.B., & King, P.M. (2004). Learning partnerships: Theory and models of practice to educate for self-authorship. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. International Baccalaureate. (2023). Interdisciplinary Learning. International Baccalaureate. https://www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-yearsprogramme/curriculum/interdisciplinary/ Vess, D. (2009). Explorations in interdisciplinary teaching and learning. www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/courseportfolios/front.htm
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BITES OF MINI BITES Over Terms 1 to 3, a range of teachers and psychologists across the Primary and Senior Schools have delivered 25-minute presentations on aspects of teaching that impact our classrooms. What follows is a snippet of some of these sessions, which show the diversity and richness of the work teachers are doing.
BERRY STREET EDUCATION MODEL By Ann Hamer – Director of Teaching Development – Senior School & Alison Jost – Head of Inclusive Learning – Senior School The Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) provides strategies that enable teachers to increase the engagement of students with complex, unmet learning needs and to successfully improve all students’ self-regulation, relationships, wellbeing, growth, and academic achievement.
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HOMESICKNESS By Darcy Harris School Counsellor
Homesickness is an emotional state of mind where an individual experiences intense feelings of longing due to separation from loved ones and a familiar home environment. It can be alleviated.
SELF-REGULATION By Sarah Maldon
Head of Individual Learning Team – Primary School Essentially, self-regulation means regulation of the self by the self. It is the ability to manage your own energy states, emotions, behaviours, and attention, in ways that are socially acceptable and help to achieve positive goals
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STRENGTHS-BASED LANGUAGE & BRAIN BREAKS By Karyn Nimac – Senior School Teacher (Individual Learning) & Lindsay Reid – Assistant Head of Department & Senior School Teacher (Economics)
Knowing your own strengths and using them consciously linked with higher happiness and lower rates of depression.
THE POWER OF ONENOTE By Charlotte Watt Assistant Head of Department (Mathematics) & Senior School Teacher Researchers have differing opinions on the effectiveness of digital notetaking and retention of information; some have found improvement in information retention in students who struggle to engage and those who have high academic potential.
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AI IN TEACHING By Donghee Nam Senior School Teacher (Mathematics) ChatGPT and other AI software can make your life easier. You can use it to generate quizzes (questionwell.org), write lesson plans and ideas (teachology.ai), make presentations (d-id.com), grade and provide feedback and general brainstorming and tinkering.
CLASSROOM ROUTINES & MATERIALS By Andrea McNamara Assistant Director of Academic Education – Senior School (IB Middle Years Programme Coordinator) Ask yourself: How do you want students to enter the room? What do you want students to do when they enter the room? Do you want a seating plan? How do you want students to behave during independent and group work?
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SUPPORTING OUR BOARDERS By Jenny Hunter & Lawson Waser Heads of Boarding Our boarders confront a range of challenges, including adapting to a new school environment with multiple changes, fostering independence and responsibility, living in a close-knit community, meeting academic expectations, navigating social changes, battling homesickness, coping with separation from home and familiar lifestyles, and, for some, adjusting to a new country and language.
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CGS ASPIRING LEADERS: A NEW INITIATIVE By Ann Hamer Director of Teaching Development – Senior School
In 2024, we will introduce a pilot of our CGS Aspiring Leaders programme. This programme is designed to support teachers who wish to develop their leadership skills and is open to teachers across the Primary and Senior Schools. It will be available to up to ten teachers in a cohort. There is a stream for teachers wishing to move to the Head of Department or Associate Director (primary) level and a stream for existing leaders wanting to move to the Director level. The programme will run for 18 months. Entry to the programme will be through an interview and open to teachers who have completed probation and are at a proficient level. The five key areas of focus are: • Development of curiosity through reading and reflecting on texts about educational leadership, including an indigenous perspective • Development of local and global perspectives through engagement with an ACT school and an international online forum • Development of compassion through building coaching skills • Development of creativity through designing and leading a project within an academic or pastoral space; and • Development of confidence through a final reflection piece that pulls together all aspects of learning about educational leadership. Although this programme does not guarantee that a leadership position will be granted to the teachers who have completed it, it will be instrumental in building the leadership capability of staff. It will allow teachers to engage in reflection and learning and practice their skills through developing a project relevant to their context. This programme supports teachers who may not wish to embark on external accreditation but enables teachers to grow their professional leadership capability. We look forward to trialling a pilot of our programme next year, and more details will follow for teachers interested in this scheme.
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PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT
PURSUING HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED TEACHER ACCREDITATION By Christopher Brain Assistant Director of Teaching Development – Senior School
This year, I’ve been challenging myself to complete the certification process to become accredited as a Highly Accomplished Teacher (HAT) with TQI. This accreditation is recognised nationwide and is directly connected to the AITSL standards and levels of proficiency. Having come about halfway through the process so far this year, it has been an excellent opportunity to reflect on and develop my practice in a rigorous and targeted way. Each state runs their accreditation process differently, but in the ACT, TQI has broken the process into 3 ‘Modules’ that can be done over three years. Each module focuses on 2-3 standards and requires a portfolio of documentary evidence and accompanying annotations. This portfolio aims to demonstrate precisely how you meet each descriptor under the relevant standards at the Highly Accomplished level. Module portfolios are submitted individually and can be submitted at the beginning of each term (except Term 1). There is great support available through CGS – I have a fortnightly meeting with the Director of Teaching Development and some other teachers going through the process, where we unpack the evidence that we are collecting, making sure that it is in line with the relevant descriptors and giving tips and feedback along the way. TQI also runs termly Module Workshops, which are focused on preparing candidates for each module and are an excellent opportunity to ask curly questions and discuss ideas for evidence you intend to use. At the start of the year, I was bright-eyed and ambitiously set the goal of getting through the entire process within the year. This was encouraged by CGS generously offering a professional allowance for 12 months if you are on salary Band 2. However, I have found that it is a very tall order to get it done in 12 months –possible, but in my case, it has required a fair amount of work during the term breaks. I advise anyone taking on the challenge to ensure you are disciplined about approaching it – a few hours each week collating (and de-identifying) evidence and ensuring it aligns with descriptors. This process is worth the investment. Also, meeting and connecting with other teachers undertaking the process is hugely valuable when you cannot comprehend another descriptor and need someone in the same boat to vent to. Despite the extra work required, going through the process has improved my teaching. I am much more cognisant of my strengths and areas for improvement, and collecting evidence for some descriptors has challenged me to grow in some areas of my practice. It has also been highly validating in allowing me to recognise the things I am already doing that demonstrate highly accomplished teaching. If you find yourself supporting other teachers or wanting to progress your career whilst staying in the classroom (or even moving into leadership), then I highly recommend looking at the process and having a chat with Ann Hamer, Lucy Garven or myself.
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ISTAA EXPERIENCED TEACHER ACCREDITATION By Rebecca Robinson, Jane Callahan, and Adam Guzowski Primary School Teachers
So often, we ask our students to reflect on their learning and understand how they can continue growing as learners. As teachers, this is often one of the first elements that fall to the wayside as we bounce from one task to another. This year, however, was different for some of us as we had the opportunity to engage in the ISTAA Experienced Teacher accreditation. Over 12 months, we unpacked 37 teaching standards, identifying areas where we excelled, had challenges, and areas for professional growth. The accreditation process allowed us the opportunity to look at our teaching practice through a range of different lenses. Each standard required either evidence, annotations, elaborations, or competency mark-offs. This meant diving deeper into our teaching practice, identifying student needs, planning, differentiation, communication, assessment and professionalism.
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We were each assigned a supervisor, who was a member of the Primary School Leadership Team. Having a supervisor observe you in the classroom and give you feedback enhances your teaching and guides you in improving and growing. Several of our standards were marked off by the Principal Attestation process, allowing us to reflect on our long-term teaching career. An essential part of the process was organising regular meetings with our supervisors and colleagues. This was exceptionally beneficial and valuable to keep us on track and provide the reassurance we needed during the process. ISTAA provided network meetings, allowing us to hear from others from different school settings. ISTAA was very supportive and hands-on in guiding us, as required. Although this process was arduous and challenging at times, it gave light to a range of ideals that we regularly discuss with our students: organisation is your friend, and asking for help will benefit you. There are always benefits to working independently and collaboratively; reflection will continually improve your practice. Suppose you are looking to challenge yourself professionally over the next few years. In that case, the Experienced Teacher accreditation is a beneficial and worthwhile process to enhance your daily teaching and career development. There is also a sneaky pay rise at the end!
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SAVING MINUTES IN A DAY By Erum Hamza Administrative Assistant – Executive Leadership Team
“Hi! Yes, the professional development session is for teachers, but you are welcome to attend if you would like.” I responded to a phone call while also typing the same response in return to an email with the same question. It is the most common question I get from operational staff when we organise professional learning sessions at our School. Teaching and Learning are, of course, the heart of a school. The focus is to equip teachers with the latest skills, knowledge and best current teaching practices. This, in turn, helps with attaining the learning goals set for our students. Rest assured, operational staff share the same vision as the teachers: student well-being and an excellent school experience for all those who are at CGS. It only makes sense to organise exclusive professional development training sessions for operational staff and continuously develop their skills to promote operational efficiency. Anna Hu and Russell Waldron welcomed the idea of running quick ongoing professional development sessions to upskill operational staff warmly. Ann Hamer approved this training to become part of the Mini Bites series organised at CGS, which are mini professional learning sessions for teaching staff. After a couple of planning sessions, we devised a schedule, flyer, course material, and an amazing and befitting name, ‘Saving Minutes in the Day’. Operational staff juggle quite a fair bit in a day and have multiple tasks and roles; knowing how to save their precious minutes in a day by equipping them with efficient methods has proven helpful. We had started using Microsoft Teams more broadly in Term 1 other than just for communications, so our first session, Microsoft Teams Overview, received an excellent response. The session broadened everyone’s understanding of how Microsoft Teams can be their one-stop shop to communicate, coordinate, meet, share and update their documents. This was followed by learning how to mail merge and create personalised emails from a list. I particularly enjoyed the SharePoint Fundamentals training, which was a short session about the different functions in SharePoint; the tip that stood out for me from this session was how to track the version history of documents and restore an earlier version.
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In Term 2, we did our first session on creating pivot tables, an almost magical way to summarise long lists into tables with groups and subtotals. This was followed by graphs and charts created in Excel sheets, but the training focused on making them look right in MS Word and PowerPoint. The last session for Term 2 was on keyboard shortcuts for almost anything we do with a mouse and making our own shortcuts for text that we type often. At the end of every session, we circulate a form to seek feedback to see if the session has proved to be helpful and if there are any suggestions and recommendations for topics for future sessions. The common response has been, “We don’t have a topic suggestion, but please continue the training.” This has reinforced that the training sessions are appreciated and add value to our work life at CGS. While I am typing this article, I have received a reminder notification of my planning meeting with Russell to discuss the theme and topics for next term, whether we should have longer training sessions, and if we should start liaising with staff in areas other than technology to run these sessions with us exclusively for operational staff. Once finalised, I will announce the Professional Development sessions on Connect. These sessions are for operational staff, and teaching staff are welcome to attend if they would like.
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THE POWER OF MUSIC By Christopher Retter Co-ordinator of Woodwind, Brass and Percussion
YAMAHA WIND ORCHESTRA 2022 The Yamaha Wind Orchestra, a professional development project, is an annual programme that allows conductors and music educators to rehearse and perform in a high-level ensemble. The programme also provides hands-on professional development run by Dr Rob McWilliams, focusing on conducting, rehearsal techniques and score preparation. Entry into this project is by audition. I was lucky to be selected to play the trombone and conduct a movement of Suite Provencale by Jan Van Der Roost in the concert on the 13th of November 2022 at Presbyterian Ladies’ College Melbourne. It was great to play in an ensemble and hear some new repertoire I look forward to bringing to CGS. Being part of the Yamaha Wind Orchestra was an excellent opportunity to perform challenging repertoire and practice what we preach in rehearsals at school. Working closely with Dr Rob was fantastic and has allowed me to continue developing how I conduct and run rehearsals at CGS. This professional development inspired me to improve my practice, so I signed up for some other courses in 2023.
2023 ABODA VICTORIA SUMMER CONDUCTING SCHOOL From 15 - 21 January, I also participated in the ABODA Victoria Summer conducting school. This was held at Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School in Melbourne. This was a much more intensive professional development with opportunities to conduct large and small ensembles. We also worked on score analysis, repertoire selection, rehearsal techniques, and even basic instrument repairs. It was great to be exposed to new ideas and explore the literature about band pedagogy and performance. The best part of this course was having our conducting filmed and then getting some individual time with the clinicians to work on specific focus areas in our conducting technique. The clinicians for the summer conducting school were Dr Joanne Heaton, Dr Rachel Howley and Dr Rob McWilliams. I found it beneficial to deepen my understanding of ideas introduced in the YWO by working with Dr Rob again and continuing to develop my technique and rehearsal approach.
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2023 ABODA NSW CONDUCTING COURSE ABODA NSW ran their annual Conducting course at Newington College in Sydney from 17-19 February. This course was run by Stephen Williams, exploring how we conduct music expressively. We explored what makes an effective conductor: score analysis, rehearsal environment, rehearsal techniques, and nonverbal communication. Participants were able to conduct the NSW Police Band on the final day. It was great to hear a professional ensemble and the impact small changes to conducting can make to the overall sound of an ensemble.
ACT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS BAND FESTIVAL & COMMUNITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Due to participating in these courses, I invited Dr Rob McWilliams to attend CGS this year and conduct the ACT Independent Schools Band Festival. Through his guidance, we allowed students from CGS, CGGS, Radford, and Marist to perform as a massed ensemble. We ended up with over 140 students and performed two pieces at the festival. Sharing the Snow Concert Hall with the broader school community and seeing students performing together has been one of my highlights as a teacher and conductor. Through the Yamaha Corporation, I also booked Dr Rob to run two professional development sessions at CGS for our Music team and Band/Orchestra directors from the Canberra community. In these sessions, we worked on “Conducting Technique Basics”. This included:
1. POSTURE 2. THE “SETUP” 3. THE BREATH 4. QUALITY OF MOTION & ARTICULATION 5. GRAVITY AND PREDICTABILITY 6. FACIAL EXPRESSION 7. CONDUCTING “HINGES” 8. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE GESTURES 9. WRIST CLICK AND REBOUND. It was an invaluable opportunity for our staff and a rewarding experience working alongside music educators across Canberra.w
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EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY By Alexis Tancred Senior School Teacher (English)
What does the latest research tell us about how to best embed effective pedagogy? With over 30 years of teaching and curriculum planning experience, Jodie Davey of Powerful Partnerships delivered an insightful and entertaining CPL on the many possible answers to this question. First and foremost, visible learning should focus not on how well teachers think they have taught (perceived efficacy) but on teachers’ impact on their learners. It is not just strategy focused but revolves around when to use key strategies. An eye-opening activity involved participants (including me) in small groups, arranging the factors impacting student learning in what we perceived to be the most, to the least, important. Results were surprising, with Hattie’s research demonstrating that teacher credibility, for instance, scored very highly. Background music and the use of technology were much lower on the scale. However, it must be noted that these factors are measured in isolation. Therefore, we are comparing these on their own. Implementing them in collaboration with other high impact factors would cause them to work together more powerfully. Marzano’s top strategies for effective learning included multiple exposures to content, high expectations, collaborative learning and effective feedback. Regarding feedback, there are four key elements: • Structure: what the student has done and what they could do • Content: a judgement on the student’s work, never personal • Amount: Too much can be overwhelming; choose one key area of focus and tailor the amount to the student • Timing: Give the student time to implement the feedback while they still care (i.e., not weeks after the task submission) and use the ‘power of yet’ as in ‘you haven’t learnt how to do that yet.’ Hattie emphasises that learning intentions have a dual purpose and should always be phrased with the ‘because’ included. For instance, ‘we are learning about X because of Y’. Embedding real world links into the ‘because’ has proven even more effective in adding purpose to the learning. Jodie recommended the Ted Talk ‘Every Child Needs a Champion’ by Rita Pearson. Having viewed this speech, I second her recommendation, especially when you need motivation! Another key text Jodie drew upon for her research was ‘Visible Learning for Literacy’ by Fisher, Hattie and Frey. Reducing teacher-talk time from 80-90% to 50% should be a common goal across educational institutions. One effective strategy is to use peer feedback, the most underused form of feedback (and I know I am guilty of this!). Another method is through group work. I am often uncomfortable with this, given the challenges of social dynamics. However, it was pointed out that ability grouping has its place, but it shouldn’t be the only grouping measure we employ.
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Here are some other effective types of groupings: • Pre-Test the class, then group students based on what they need to know • Keep the groups fluid so that once a concept is mastered, the students can shift into another group, decreasing the stigma • Mix up the top 10 ability students into two groups and so on; and • Group students according to their choice of topics. This also helps reduce stigmatisation. So, what are the key takeaways for us as busy teachers? Of course, we usually leave these events buzzing and inspired to implement as many measures as possible for our eager students. However, the truth is that the best way is to choose one or two practical strategies to try at a time. Therefore, I found Jodie’s approach and real-world experiences helpful as she provided numerous ready-to-use takeaway strategies with research-backed effectiveness in the classroom. Seeing two other Canberra Grammar School teachers present at the event was pleasing. We were the most heavily represented school in attendance. Furthermore, I humbly thank the school for sending me as I learnt many valuable strategies. I would put my hand up to attend another Powerful Partnership course.
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COACHING & MENTORING By Elizabeth Pfingst Head of Performing Arts – Primary School Primary School Teacher (Music)
In March, Lisa Kaptein and I were privileged to attend a Coaching and Mentoring workshop run by Jodie Davey from Powerful Partnerships. As leaders within the school, we were attracted to this workshop to consolidate and refine our skills in coaching and mentoring and improve our leadership practice. Jodie Davey defined coaching as a peer relationship, where the relationship is reciprocal, and goals are driven by the ‘coachee’ rather than the coach. On the other hand, mentoring is defined as a relationship with a power differential where goals are collaboratively set and specific feedback and adjustments are advised by the mentor to assist in the growth and development of the mentee. For example, a coaching relationship between two senior leaders may exist, while a mentoring relationship may exist between an experienced teacher and a graduate teacher. The success of both coaching and mentoring relationships was discussed as dependent on building trust, actively listening, being open-minded and asking rather than telling. The latter was explored in more depth, with effective questioning essential to facilitating the ‘coachee’ or mentee’s self-reflection and growth. Jodie provided a ‘ROID’ scaffold for questioning to assist in this process: Reflective – i.e. ‘How has your day been?’ Objective ‒ i.e. ‘How are you finding it trying to meet the needs of all your students?’ Interpretive - i.e. ‘Tell me more about how you think your current strategies for student x are working?’ Decisional ‒ i.e. ‘What would you like to focus on now? What strategies will you try tomorrow?’ A highlight from this workshop was an analogy Jodie used at the conclusion of the day to outline the importance of influence and relationships within the workplace - Walnuts vs Marigolds. Marigolds are wonderful flowers to plant near a garden as they attract the pests away and allow the garden to thrive. tOn the other hand, walnuts are poisonous near gardens and will contaminate the soil and prohibit the garden from growing. She spoke about the importance of surrounding beginning teachers with ‘marigold’ teachers to enable them to develop a positive mindset and approach to their career and to limit the walnuts. My reflection was that we all need more marigolds in our lives, not just beginning teachers. Are you a walnut or a marigold?
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BE THAT TEACHER! By Lori Gray Senior School Teacher (Drama)
Taking steps towards achieving my goal of further embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture into my teaching practice, I recently completed the Be That Teacher Masterclass, an Aboriginal Education and Curriculum Professional Learning course led by Kylie Captain and Dr Cathie Burgess. Kylie Captain is a proud Aboriginal woman with over 22 years of experience in education, wellbeing, and community service. She is the President of the Aboriginal Studies Association, a published author, and a sought-after speaker who founded Dream Big Education Wellbeing & Consulting, a specialist education service that inspires positive change and supports cultural inclusion. Associate Professor Cathie Burgess brings over 40 years of experience in education, research, and curriculum. Kylie’s lived experience as an Aboriginal woman and Cathie’s experience living and teaching in Aboriginal communities enables them to lead participants on a thought-provoking journey of change and to work towards a more united country with improved outcomes for Aboriginal students, families, and communities. The purpose of the masterclass is to support educators to reflect on their pedagogy and work towards leading Aboriginal Education with passion and purpose. The course has been developed to inform educators how to locate and analyse appropriate resources and then embed authentic Aboriginal content into teaching through a lens of best practice. For example, Kylie and Cathie advise educators to understand protocols for engaging with Aboriginal communities, the importance of listening to Aboriginal voices, and inclusive language and terminology. Facilitation of learning throughout the course is focused on empowerment to encourage educators to be a part of positive change in education and eliminate hesitancy associated with the integration of Aboriginal teaching and learning. During the course, we identified curriculum-specific resources and then used certified strategies to critically analyse and evaluate their efficacy and relevance from an Aboriginal perspective. We then directly related this information to the development of syllabus content. I am developing an excursion for students to connect with Ngunnawal Country in association with a local Aboriginal cultural service, Thunderstone. We collected evaluation and planning tools to assist us as we progress towards more inclusive teaching. The time spent discussing our ideas with fellow teachers was informative and inspiring. Overall, I left each session feeling motivated with improved knowledge and skills to enhance connections between our schools, my practice, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture.
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EMBRACING AI IN EDUCATION: MAXIMISING BENEFITS WHILE ENSURING STUDENT LEARNING By Fabian Lopez-Gibson Senior School Teacher (Languages)
We stand at the dawn of a new era, witnessing a technological leap similar to the invention of computers and the advent of the Internet. This advancement holds tremendous potential for humankind, enabling unprecedented assistance in various fields of work and education. While concerns about this new technology are understandable, like any tool, its responsible and appropriate use is crucial to harness its full potential. Just as a skilled artist wields a chisel to create masterpieces, improper use can lead to destruction. However, the positive effects of this technology far outweigh the potential negatives. AI rapidly transforms how we operate in the educational sphere, facilitating teachers’ work and enhancing student learning. As teachers, we face multifaceted and complex roles, often juggling numerous responsibilities simultaneously. The introduction of AI has already begun to automate certain tasks, granting us more time to focus on what we do best and our core duty of teaching students. A student’s contact with their teacher is invaluable, and this will not likely be replaced for a while. However, AI already assists with other aspects of a teacher’s job in many ways. I recently attended a conference on education and AI attended by many important people in the sphere of education, including the CEO of ACARA, Mr David de Carvalho. In the conference, he expressed the hope for reduced teacher workload through AI integration, as it has been estimated that up to 25% of current tasks can be automated. Possible areas for AI assistance could include marking attendance, which can consume valuable time, and generating Individual Learning Plans based on student data. However, privacy concerns must be addressed before full-scale integration can occur. Overall, I believe AI has the potential to ease teacher workload and enhance effectiveness, all while preserving the core values of education. On the other hand, the increasing use of AI in school assessments and assignments has posed a challenge for teachers and students. Outright bans on AI usage are impractical solutions. Instead, we must adapt our assessment methods and redefine the fundamental role of education. When AI performs exceptionally well on an assessment, we may need to reassess our criteria and ensure that students are not simply asked to do tasks that a robot can do. Emphasising critical thinking and empathy as assessment criteria could be a way to solve this problem and foster a more holistic approach to education. Restricting assignments solely to in-class settings is not the answer; instead, we should strive to coexist harmoniously with AI, just as we do with computers and the internet. To achieve this, we must clarify our goals and expectations regarding AI’s role in education.
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Students are eager to learn how to effectively utilise AI in their educational journey. ACARA is actively developing a national framework for AI integration in schools, but a comprehensive approach is also necessary within individual institutions. Schools should update their acceptable use of technology policies to include AI guidelines. A great initiative could be establishing an interdisciplinary digital literacy and AI working group similar to the one we have running at school. This would allow for the gathering and study of exemplary AI applications from various subjects, thereby enhancing assessment practices. Additionally, providing students with a platform for open dialogue and conducting a digital technology course at the start of each year can promote responsible AI usage. Parents should also be informed about the changes implemented, and consent sought for using different AI software. Teaching students to reference AI properly and fostering discussions on data sovereignty and ownership is also vital. Like referencing internet sources, students should understand the ethical dimensions of using AIgenerated data. Developing a collaborative risk management plan that involves students and teachers from various departments allows for clear expectations and an understanding of risks related to equity, privacy, and learning outcomes. Rather than succumbing to knee-jerk concerns about cheating, we must focus on identifying and mitigating the risks associated with AI integration. As we embrace AI in education, balancing maximising its benefits and safeguarding student learning is essential. Through comprehensive approaches encompassing policy updates, collaboration, digital literacy courses, and ethical discussions, we can equip students to effectively leverage AI in enhancing their education and teachers in facilitating their work.
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THE MESSY MIDDLE By Dan Wetherall Associate Director of Students – Primary School
As a classroom teacher for seven years (within CGS) starting a leadership role, I wondered how to navigate the transition and find my space as a link between classroom teachers and Primary School Leadership at CGS. How would I find a place to add value within the “Messy Middle” leadership position where I am now? Luckily for me, I was advised by a colleague to enrol in the AIS NSW Middle Leadership course, run over three days in Term 3, which provided not only some clarity around my professional purpose at CGS but also allowed for needed collaboration with colleagues in the profession as they navigate a similar path. The Middle Leaders programme was an excellent opportunity to reflect on my practice and challenge my approach to how I viewed myself as a leader within our school community. This CPL was an opportunity to see how my values and vision align with our School’s and to build a practice that will provide ongoing support to whom it matters most – our students. Knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate educators delivered the course seminars. As someone who can sometimes find remaining attentive through an entire CPL challenging, this was not the case. Each session had lightbulb moments and practical strategies to start integrating within my systems or a pivot in my current approach. We worked in small and large groups to collaborate on ideas that led to a shared understanding of what best practices may look like moving forward. We helped each other establish our shared and individual vision and values that will provide the base of our decisions in our different roles within our respective schools. The key takeaway was simple: I do not or will not have all the answers to pastoral issues that come my way. However, I now feel more comfortable slowing down, considering challenges by viewing them from a range of perspectives and gathering the information required to make a knowledgeable decision. I am now asking myself what questions I should be asking rather than searching for an answer and how to find the courage to be vulnerable within my decision-making, taking a risk to isolate myself to stand behind what I know matters. As I enact my new learning back onto the Primary School campus, I have set myself a few goals, which, as ever, will be a work in progress. I have immediately begun connecting with colleagues to share what I have learned on the course and, more importantly, to learn about them professionally. The aim is twofold: to build upon authentic connections and gain insights into their strengths and challenges faced at School, and to work on forming a level of trust so that when we make decisions that impact our students’ wellbeing, we can do so with an understanding of our perspectives towards a common goal.
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MANAGING THE EXTENDED ESSAY CATEGORY 3 IB COURSE By Phyllis Lynch Senior School Teacher (History)
This three-day virtual workshop centred on consolidating the IB’s philosophy within the Extended Essay (EE) context. We unpacked different writing and researching skills, often reflecting on where we are as educators and then thinking about how students are taught and supported to develop these skills within our school. We considered the IB Learner Profile and how students can demonstrate some of these characteristics through the EE process. In particular, reflecting was highlighted as an essential skill to help inform the other areas of thinking and communicating. This was discussed as a tool for students to identify their strengths and weaknesses and then to set goals to overcome challenges they were having or anticipating. It was also seen as a chance to celebrate the journey of the EE, primarily through the Viva Voce, and to be able to document the progress of the student’s understanding and skills. As each school had its procedures, it was a great sharing space to brainstorm new ways of approaching the EE. A heavy emphasis was placed on the role of the librarian and supervisors in supporting students through the large scale research and writing they needed to conduct. With the recent appointment of our Head of Library, Renee Jones, it was great timing to consider the wealth of knowledge and skills she brings to the role. Citing sources was a significant concern at many schools, and the librarian often plays a fundamental role in upskilling this area and streamlining the best platforms for teaching referencing styles. Finally, one of the highlights of the course was having a chance to understand World Studies essays better. As this is not a common subject selected for our EEs here at CGS, it was eye-opening to see how schools introduced students to combine their passions for different subjects. It also allowed students to delve deeply into more globally focused research and perspectives. Another critical area of enhancing and supporting the student experience was to interview them at the end and ask students how their knowledge could be transferred into their other subjects and beyond the diploma course.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN BOARDING By Lawson Waser Head of Boys’ Boarding, Senior School Teacher (PDHPE)
Throughout Semester One, I undertook a range of professional development courses focusing on boarding and improving my practice within this space. Although we see professional development in education, ranging from teaching practice to content knowledge and work within the pastoral area, the offerings available with a specific lens of practice in the boarding environment have significantly progressed within the past few years. This progression has been facilitated through the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA), Australia’s leading organisation. I completed two certificate courses: Behaviour Management Pillars within Boarding and Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing in Boarding Schools. Both courses comprised four one-hour online workshops and course pre-reading. When discussing behaviour management within boarding, staff are posed with a myriad of situations in which behaviour management, particularly positive behaviour management, can ensure the smooth operation of the boarding house along with meeting child protection and safety requirements. This could be seen through the daily room inspection that a boarder will undertake through to displaying appropriate and positive communication and interactions while living in a community of students from twelve to eighteen years of age. With boarding at CGS seeing a co-educational environment of approximately 130 boarders and over 20 staff, the behaviour management within the House must be undertaken in a way that students can meet the standards and expectations set while also learning and developing through their formative years of adolescence while living away from home for 38 weeks of the year. This course had four main objectives, as seen below: 1. Appreciate the interpersonal value of providing empathy before problem-solving and demonstrate the appropriate use of compassion to nurture adult-child relationships 2. Understand the four essential parenting and leadership styles and demonstrate how to balance control and warmth in the boarding setting 3. Review the tenets of positive psychology and practice putting principles into action in high-conflict or low-achievement scenarios; and 4. Describe and demonstrate the transcendent constructs that permit adults to respond with poise and sensitivity to unexpected confrontations.
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Undertaking this course has allowed me to reflect on my practice within boarding and how behaviour management is approached within Boarding at CGS with the aspect of developing interpersonal relationships and then using this as a foundation for positive behaviour management to occur. Following this, the Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing within Boarding addressed a growing concern within schools and boarding schools across Australia and internationally. It has been observed that the complex needs of students within our care have progressed in recent years, with academic, social, and societal pressures mounting for adolescents. This has accelerated during COVID-19, when boarding students faced the turbulence of online learning and being disconnected from the school setting. Additionally, boarders at CGS faced the challenges of living interstate and being restricted from returning to school, limited access to online resources due to connection issues and being separated from family members living interstate or overseas. Working within a Boarding environment can deliver a range of challenging situations, with staff having a duty of care of the students within their care for 24 hours a day. Situations can range from assisting a student through a poor exam result, homesickness, various social situations or dealing with family illness from a distance. As staff, you aim to provide the utmost care and create a support team of boarding staff, teachers within the school, school nurses and psychologists to ensure each student’s needs are met and supported. There were three key features of the course, which are seen below: 1. To empower boarding house staff with the vital skills to navigate the critical mental health challenges facing young people in their care 2. To increase knowledge and literacy and decrease stigma around Mental Health conditions; and 3. To empower boarding house staff with the vital skills of managing their mental wellbeing. Through the workshops, I developed and improved my communication skills through simulations, enhanced my knowledge base around common mental health conditions faced by young people and developed strategies for creating practical and achievable mental wellness plans for boarders and those around them. It has been great to further my practice within these areas, and I thank CGS for allowing me to better my practice within the Boarding environment.
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PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION CONNECTIONS By Lisa Smith Assistant Head of Student House (Eddison) – Senior School Senior School Teacher
In the teaching profession, many disciplines have Teacher Professional organisations at a state or national level, allowing teachers to engage and interact with colleagues from various school types and situations. This year, I set aside concerns about imposter syndrome and joined the Legal Studies Association Committee. I have been a fan of these fantastic teachers since my early days in the profession, attending great professional learning events and benefiting from their resources. Thanks to the COVID-era impacts on our profession, whilst many meetings and events have been held in Sydney, attending many events via Zoom has been a great benefit. Since joining, I have assisted and gained greater experience through participation and leadership in various events. The annual two-day conference is the year’s big teacher-professional learning event. Held in Sydney in Term One this year, it returned to pre-COVID attendance levels with renowned speakers such as former NSW DPP Nicholas Cowdery, revolutionary restorative justice advocate, and Drug Court Judge Roger Dive. Many other online and in-person events for teachers start again in Term Four with presentations for first-time HSC teachers through to building skills for out-of-subject area teachers that I will contribute to. For students, the annual HSC lecture series is the largest student event, expanding over the years to be in Sydney and Newcastle, with almost 700 students in attendance in the July break this year. Student and presenting staff gave up a Saturday to benefit from key Senior Markers and my fellow Legal Studies Association committee members. This is the first time I have attended in person for over five years, and I was encouraged by how far I had personally progressed in teaching Legal Studies. One of our students who attended in Sydney said that she felt confident as the lecturers echoed everything I had been saying in the classroom, and this reassured her going into Trial Examinations. Apart from committee meetings, I will soon attend our annual planning day. I plan to be involved in various projects next year, such as becoming a lecturer and working on the esteemed Legal Studies Association trial and preliminary examinations. I have been mentoring colleagues at other schools for some time, and it has been great to do this officially as a Legal Studies Association committee member. As our syllabus comes up for review, I will also participate on the review committee for NESA on behalf of the Legal Studies Association. As you can see, the opportunities are incredible. So, if you aren’t already, get involved with your subject area professional association. It is the most amazing and rewarding professional learning experience.
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AUTISM AWARENESS AN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM By Liam Hannan Primary School Learning Assistant CGS Care Educator Sports Camps Coach
Inclusion is more than differentiation, quiet spaces, or sensory-based fidget toys. Inclusion is not only about making everyone feel welcome and safe or ensuring participation in every event, school-wide. Inclusion is knowing the capabilities of individual children, understanding that sometimes, less is more and providing opportunities for each child to feel challenged and successful. A lot of my role entails working individually with neuro-diverse children, which means inclusion is a reality I am constantly learning about day to day. In her presentation, ‘Autism Awareness’, Sue Larkey speaks about what inclusivity looks like. A part of this is ensuring that everyone understands specific children’s needs and limitations. The significance of this comes from the value of reciprocal relationships. Throughout her presentation, Sue’s strongest belief, as with us as educators, is the importance of relationships with children. The value of relationships is often spoken about, as the benefits of strong and trusting relationships often relate to behaviour and classroom management. However, the strength of genuine relationships with neuro-diverse children will be displayed by actions towards people within their “circle of trust” and people in their wider community. Using a technique Sue calls “I am a GPS,” children can begin to process both new environments and interactions with individuals with minimal assistance. Starting with strategies such as essential information being visual, allowing pre-warning or processing time, calm redirection, and monotone-regulated volume of voice, we become a GPS for children. Modelling behaviour and interactions with others enables neuro-diverse children to predict responses and reactions, which, in time, provides security for children in their community. Providing choices and familiar routines is vital to developing autonomy within children and strong and understanding relationships. However, neuro-diverse children can struggle with choosing, often leading to uncertainty and concern over being wrong. Sometimes, within individual circumstances, limiting choices or making decisions for these children fosters their autonomy and independence. Much like when we, as adults, need someone to tell us what to do, Sue highlights how children with neurodiversity often need this level of direction. Again, this strategy relates to us as educators needing to be the child’s GPS. Additionally, and just as important as decision-making, is having a predictable routine. This routine does not always have to be the same learning experience at the same time every day, but what it does need to be is clear and structured. At the heart of this is transitions. Change, such as physical space, environments, people, and experiences, is known to be unsettling and cause anxiety. This can be for all kids, even for adults. Change, mainly unknown change, can be daunting. To combat this, again echoing the strategies that have been confirmed by Sue Larkey, strategies like timing, counting down, concise language and prewarning are all recommended.
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Interestingly, even a small physical object or sensory toy, such as a weighted stuffed animal, can be comforting during transition times. It is essential to recognise that these toys used for transitions are just that, for transitions; that way, children can identify the meaning of that specific object and prepare themselves for what will occur. This extra step in thinking not only helps children process their day but also helps them feel safe. This information is the tip of the iceberg regarding awareness and inclusiveness for neuro-diverse children. However, amongst this information, the key takeaways are: • Inclusion is a complex and thought-provoking concept that continues to build and develop each day • Reciprocal relationships benefit the child and those interacting with the child • We, as educators, need to be a child’s GPS • Narrow the number of choices and options (less is more) • Certain decision-making fosters children’s autonomy • Routines need to be predictable • Allow processing time for transitions; and • Use sensory-based or weighted toys to assist with transitions and change. If this has piqued your interest, or you are searching for quick and easy resources, I recommend searching for Sue Larkey’s ‘Tip Sheets.’ These quick and easy reads are incredibly helpful for many different situations and behaviours.
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THE BERRY STREET EDUCATION MODEL: UNPACKING THE DOMAINS & THEIR USE IN PASTORAL CARE By Sophie Dimarhos – Senior School Head of Student House (Jones) & Senior School Teacher
& Liz Morris – Senior School Head of Student House (Burgess) & Senior School Teacher
Over four days, we attended a Professional Development programme with The Berry Street Education Model. The BSEM is designed to help “educators gain new perspectives, strategies and skills to build safer, healthier and more engaging classrooms for all students”. Founded on the belief that every lesson can teach academic content and psychoeducation, the BSEM focuses on a holistic approach to educating young people. The structure is based on 5 Domains: Body, Relationship, Stamina, Engagement and Character. Within these Domains are strategies and activities designed to foster positive classroom environments to promote effective learning. Our goal for this experience was to determine how these Domains align with the CGS Pastoral Programme and what new strategies could improve our care for all students.
DOMAIN 1: BODY The first Domain centres around the physical considerations of our bodies and the importance of this in our classroom interventions and care. Learning involves risk-taking, so students’ awareness of their bodies and reactions is essential to the learning process. The three questions that underpin this Domain are: am I safe? Am I loved? Can I learn? When we establish security and rapport in our classrooms, students will be ready to learn, and this Domain considers what the unmet need of each child is when they are not in a position to learn. These include physical, emotional, cognitive, energetic and spiritual needs. This Domain asks, “Is it misbehaviour or a stress behaviour?” The first day of the workshop unpacked ways to guide students with self-regulation, de-escalation strategies, mindfulness through ‘brain breaks’ and Ready to Learn plans. In Practice (Liz): I have used this Domain recently to teach two students about how stress manifests in their bodies. Student A had several reactions to their teachers and peers, usually seeing anger and frustration develop. Through looking at this Domain, Student A has started to see that their body reacts before they respond in frustration, and they are working through noticing these physical changes and leaning into the strategies available to them for de-escalation. Student B has completed a handout on ‘what makes me stressed’, which has become the starting point of conversations with this student to identify how we can support them in the classroom. This was fundamental as a part of the student’s voice when looking into specific learning and action plans for Student B.
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DOMAIN 2: RELATIONSHIP The second Domain focuses on developing meaningful relationships built on trust, respect and patience. This Domain is positioned at the centre of the BSEM structure as the core element feeding into the other Domains. As educators, we know that forming strong relationships with our students creates opportunities for them to access learning and also provides a foundation for behavioural management. The BSEM observes relationships with students as a key element in supporting classroom engagement with 7 main concepts: Attachment, Unconditional Positive Regard, Redefining Power, Empathy and Zen Mindset, Golden Statements, Process versus Person Praise and Active Constructive. These concepts consider the impact of daily interactions with students and how small adjustments in perspective and approach can create a positive and inclusive learning environment. The implementation of these strategies is reliant on predictable, consistent variables, ensuring teachers are predictable and consistent in their interactions with students. In Practice (Sophie): Domain 2 is implemented in the pastoral care system through our role as an advocate for students through the House system. My role as Head of Student House heavily relies on this Domain to initiate a positive foundation with students, to create a supportive environment and to be utilised when behavioural issues arise. I often use Domain 2 when approaching complex behavioural matters by initiating difficult conversations from a positive point of view. In recent interactions, using specific strategies such as ‘Unconditional Positive Regard’ and ‘Process Praise’ has allowed me to reconnect with particularly challenging students, leaving the students feeling more appreciated and open to feedback. The aim of these strategies is to approach each situation without any underlying bias or preconceived ideas of the students and the potential outcome and to promote positive associations and interactions with all students.
DOMAIN 3: STAMINA The third Domain is of particular interest to us as our School moves to the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate, fitting directly into the IB Learner Profile attributes for MYP candidates. This Domain stresses the importance of sustained effort, and not just tapping into resilience when needed, but to be consistent in the presentation of grit. Although often conditioned to look at how to improve and what is going wrong, this Domain supports reflecting upon what is working well. A focus on understanding emotional intelligence is emphasised with three key skills covered: emotional awareness, emotional regulation and social awareness. Many of the pastoral care concerns dealt with through Heads of Student House are a result of the fundamental disconnect that our young people have with understanding their own emotions. Although they can be quick to show emotions, the BSEM strategies in this area support emotional literacy and thereby gaining skills in “acknowledging, labelling, and working through different and difficult emotions and feelings”. In Practice (Liz): In the upcoming Tutee Reflections for Burgess House, I have asked students to use a worksheet from this Domain called ‘Growth Mindset Self-Assessment’. This works through students’ views on literacy, Maths, sports, social skills, art and creativity and an area of their choice to identify their mindset on each area. Students then set a challenge to help grow this aspect of their life. This was introduced in a House Meeting and was used as the starting point for planning Tutee Reflections in Term 3. This framing of a growth mindset for establishing goals helps students to consider the sustained effort and its results rather than giving up when encountering challenges in their academic and co-curricular lives.
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DOMAIN 4: ENGAGEMENT This Domain considers knowledge retention through effective cognitive stimulation and maintaining student engagement. Domain 4 aims to “highlight the importance of providing learning experiences that trigger interest”. In applying focus areas such as Positive Emotions, Positive Priming, Flow Motivation and Willingness, this section of the BSEM aims to develop student engagement in class content through strategies designed around cognitive progression. As a starting point, students are asked ‘How do I feel? Am I interested? Is this important? Can I do this?’. These stimulus questions place importance on student efficiency and perception of classroom learning in relation to their own ambitions and personal context. In Practice (Sophie): I will frequently use Positive Primers and Motivation and Willingness to initiate a positive association with practical tasks. Often students associate practical subjects such as Visual Arts with natural ability, which is not the case. This can lead to students losing their confidence in the subject or approaching the practical components with a negative association. My approach centres around fostering the understanding that learning practical skills in a Visual Arts context is comparable to learning practical skills in a sports-based context. We go through the same motions of demonstration, practice and application when developing a new skill. This can serve as motivation for students who lack confidence in their ability to view the task from an alternative perspective. I also incorporate Positive Primers by starting each skill-based task with an achievable activity that utilises the skill level of the class but can also be built upon to create depth for student understanding.
DOMAIN 5: CHARACTER The final Domain is key to all other areas of the BSEM. The goal of this area is to help all students “articulate, develop, and employ their signature strengths both now and in the future”. Education goes beyond classroom content and is fundamental in training our youth in the ways they should continue in their life outside CGS. We take pride in fostering students who are ‘Ready for the World’, and character is the defining aspect that must underpin this. This is our philosophy as a pastoral team, looking for what is right with the student rather than focusing on weaknesses. Character Strengths-based pastoral care is something the Year 7 HoSH team has implemented this year, with the beginning of the School year starting with introducing the VIA Character Strengths survey to all Year 7 Tutor Groups. Many of our pastoral conversations are centred around the strengths displayed in the child before considering where their strengths might also be key to understanding how they are presenting in class. This is something for us to embed in our pastoral practice further in future and a worthwhile pursuit to reframe conversations towards seeing the strengths first. In Practice (Liz): As pastoral care has the dual purpose of advocating and discipline, this Domain is central in how I balance these for those in my care. Having led the introduction of this Domain to Year 7 on their Orientation Day, students completed the VIA Survey in Tutor Groups, and this has underpinned my reflective discussions with students as needs arise. It has meant I keep compassion as the focus, and I centre discussions around the understanding of their strengths and ways to lean into areas that require growth. This has pushed me to have greater creativity in the ways I deal with situations in this role, and I have seen the benefits of giving literacy to students about their strengths and helping them to see where their strengths can sometimes be a little overplayed or underutilised. In my teaching capacity, I have brought this into how I help students analyse characters in texts so that they can see this in a literary sense before applying it to themselves, linking academics and pastoral care. The Berry Street Education Model training boosted our approach to classroom and pastoral practices and reinforced what we are already doing as a School. This Professional Development gave us the tangible resources for what we are doing naturally, but in a way that structures the presentation and building of emotional literacy for our students and staff.
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STAFF PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE FUND (SPEF) INITIATIVES Staff from across the school can access SPEF to help them develop and grow professionally. Outlined here are some of the initiatives undertaken this year, showcasing the range of opportunities our staff enjoy.
THE OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP MENTOR PROGRAMME By Kevin Archibold Outdoor Education Assistant – Senior School One of the main highlights of participating in the Outdoor Leadership Mentor Programme has been learning about the Outdoor Ed community in Canberra. Each of the High schools and colleges within the ACT has internal OE departments that actively seek to share resources. Since taking part in the programme, we have partnered with other schools to share knowledge, staff and equipment. This gives our students greater options now in terms of the trips and programmes that we can offer.
SERVICE DOGS COURSE By Nerida Bennett Assistant Head of Individual Learning – Primary School The main highlight from all the learning during the course is that I have a clear plan moving forward. I know what needs to be done and how to approach this, I can train with the dog to ensure we pass the obedience and temperament assessments. All aspects will ensure that we are putting in place best practices when bringing a Therapy Dog onsite in the Primary School.
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NAVIGATION COURSE By Olivia Gurney Assistant Head of Girls’ Boarding Senior School Teacher (PDHPE) As I reflect on my navigation course experience, I realise how profoundly it shaped me both as an outdoor enthusiast and as an aspiring educator. The challenges I faced pushed me beyond my comfort zone with other teachers and encouraged personal growth in a new subject of teaching. I developed a heightened sense of self-confidence, acquired invaluable problem-solving skills, and found a new understanding of the preparation needed for outdoor education excursions.
IB GLOBAL CONFERENCE Priya Sangani Head of Student House (Mulleun) – Primary School Primary School Teacher This conference has served to reiterate for me the importance of inclusion in classrooms and highlighted to me the number of different ways I can help build a sense of belonging amongst all students. To effectively support students with diverse needs, I need to continuously engage in professional development and collaborate with other colleagues and professionals to provide individualised instruction and support.
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MASTER OF EDUCATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE By Sarah Gardiner – Primary School Teacher This unit, although thoroughly enjoyable, has come with a couple of challenges. Being self-paced means there are no deadlines. Whilst this has its benefits, and I can study when I choose to, work, family, health, and other commitments can easily get in the way, and study can be pushed to the side. I have needed to ensure I am disciplined in my time to gradually work through the unit. As some of the readings have been very long and scientific- which is not surprising given the nature of the course, I have had to think back to my university days to unpack and think differently about what I am reading, as well as conduct extra research to help my understanding.
ICTENSW WRITERS WORKSHOP By Andrew Gray – Academic Tracking and Administration & Senior School Teacher (Mathematics)
NESA has introduced new Stage 6 Computing courses which take effect from Year 11, 2024. The new Software Engineering course replaces Software Design and Development and is very different to SDD. ICTENSW (Information and Communication Technology Educators’ NSW) recently hosted a Writer’s Workshop at the ACARA offices in Sydney. It brought together Computing teachers from across NSW to develop resources for the new courses. At the workshop, we heard from senior DET and AIS staff about the resources they are developing to support teachers. We had the opportunity to work in groups to discuss all aspects of the new courses, including topic sequencing, assessment and resources. These resources will help CGS to be in a better position to implement Software Engineering next year.
THE GIFT OF DYSLEXIA PROGRAMME Cate Spence – Primary School Learning Assistant The five-day course was inspiring for me. I have been working with struggling readers and writers for the 6+ years at CGS and have been searching for a way to help them learn smarter and easier, not harder. I have always felt that literacy acquisition is not just content but ability and application. The Davis Dyslexia Association focuses on training the brain to focus on communication skills when they are needed to enable literacy learning.
ANGLICAN CONFERENCE Libby Gale – Associate Chaplain The Anglican Schools Australia conference is an annual event that brings together leadership teams and Chaplains working in Anglican schools across Australia. I was challenged in my informal conversations with other Chaplains to take a step back from the way we do Chapel each week at CGS and think again about each element, why it is included, how it could be better included and what we might like to try to do differently. I will take these thoughts to Fr James in our Chaplaincy meetings as we plan for Term 4 2024 with the hope that I might be able to try out some things I have learnt from other schools. In particular, I would like to consider the way students can develop greater agency in the way they participate in the service and our current music selection.
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POST GRADUATE BACHELOR OF TEACHING Peta MacKinnon Primary School Teacher At the beginning of 2021, I became a Learning Assistant in the Primary PE department at Canberra Grammar School (CGS). Initially, I had planned to stay in this role only briefly as I transitioned between jobs. However, I soon came to recognise the profound influence that teachers have on the lives of young individuals. It became evident that a career in education aligned with my interests, passions, and previous experiences, offering me the opportunity to positively impact students’ educational journeys. Within just six months, I made the decision to enrol in a postgraduate teaching programme with the aim of becoming a certified Primary Teacher. Despite my background in sports coaching and working with children, I understood that I needed further development of my knowledge and skills tailored to an educational environment. This course provided me with insights into the school context and how I could contribute to children’s growth through education. I am excited about putting into practice the extensive skills and knowledge I have acquired over the past two years of my teacher training journey. My plans for professional growth involve continuous learning in the field of Health and Physical Education, as well as striving to achieve the next career milestone by progressing from the Graduate to Proficient Teacher qualification.
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ORTON GILLINGHAM APPROACH TO READING By Alexis Tancred Senior School Teacher (English)
In the Term 2 holidays, thanks to the granting of my SPEF, I was privileged to be able to attend a week long OrtonGillingham training course in Christchurch, New Zealand. We were lucky to be led by experienced presenter Kate Watt, whose passion for qualifying as a Yoshimoto OrtonGillingham master trainer has been fuelled by her personal experiences. Kate’s son was diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age, and this inspired her to equip herself with the tools necessary to support him in his learning journey. With the Orton-Gillingham approach and appropriate additional support during assessments, he was able to top his English class last year. Her experiences of the impacts of reading and writing difficulties on a person’s self-esteem are, to an extent, mirrored in those of the creator of the resources we were using, Ron Yoshimoto. His brother had dyslexia, and the resulting impacts on his self-esteem and life path were tragic. This inspired Ron to create teachable resources based on the Orton-Gillingham methodology, the resources used in the course I attended. The Orton-Gillingham system focuses on rule-based learning for spelling and reading. This addresses the issue at the core of dyslexia: the inability to orthographically map words to spell correctly. For instance, we all know that milk is spelt M-I-L-K, not M-I-L-C-K or M-I-L-C. However, can we justify our choice? Teaching the students the ‘why’ as a school-wide approach poses no harm to the students who do not have dyslexia, whilst those who do require much less intervention in later years. The impacts on their self-esteem are also significant. It became clear that this data-driven, evidence-based practice was the best way to deliver a reading programme to primary students. Since adopting a school-wide, consistent Orton-Gillingham approach to structured literacy, Bentleigh West Primary School in Victoria is now in the top 100 schools in Victoria in its NAPLAN results, number 30, to be precise. As high school teachers, literacy is all our responsibility. It may appear that the programme is only applicable in the primary years. That is not the case. This programme can be used to assist students with dyslexia at any age. One would condense the earlier parts of the scope and sequence provided by Ron Yoshimoto and move on to the more complex morphological elements, such as the etymology and roots of words, for older students or adults. Resources from this course are available upon request from the English Department in the Senior School and the Inclusive Learning Departments In both the Senior and Primary schools.
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We were privileged to receive instruction from an engaging, lively, and humorous presenter who ensured there was never a dull moment. With many opportunities in practical application with our partners, we learnt the foundations of the Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham approach to delivering a programme of reading and writing for all aged students. I enjoyed every minute of the course. Redwood Primary School hosted us and was generous enough to put on a lovely spread for recess and lunch every day. Several staff from their school participated in the course with us. It was great to liaise with all the primary teachers present and consider the education continuum. I want to thank Redwood Primary School for their generous hosting sincerely. In addition, I want to thank Canberra Grammar School for the wonderful opportunity that SPEF afforded me. I have never been offered such a grant in any other school. The other teachers on the course were amazed when I explained that I had been funded to attend by my employer. They had all paid their way and were very impressed with the forward-thinking nature of the SPEF initiative. I encourage anyone interested in undertaking further research on the Orton-Gillingham system to do so.
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UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA FACULTY OF EDUCATION GRADUATION ADDRESS 27 MARCH 2023 Justin Garrick Head of School
Good evening, Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Dean and members of Faculty, friends and family of those graduating tonight, and of course the graduates themselves, to whom I offer my sincerest congratulations. I acknowledge, with gratitude, that we are here on Ngunnawal country. I honour elders and all First People who have carried the knowledge and care of this place, as educators and leaders of community, through countless generations, and I affirm our duty to respect that heritage and hear their voice, in all that we do in living, working and teaching on this land. It is an honour to share this occasion with you, and a great pleasure to see the pride on the faces of all here. I am not sure what it has been like for the University in having occasions like this restricted over the past few years, but I know from my School’s equivalent ceremonies just how wonderful it is to enjoy them again so freely. They are celebrations, not just of achievement, but of togetherness; one last opportunity before you all go your separate ways to savour the journey that you have shared and the friendships formed along the way. Whatever you may learn at university, just as at school, it’s actually the people and relationships that matter most. Enjoy that fellowship tonight. For me, this is actually a chance to feel the same in being back with friends after the pandemic years. I thank Professor Ting Wang, in particular, for the invitation. Before COVID it was my privilege to travel with her on numerous occasions, to present together at conferences and universities in Beijing and Hangzhou, building friendships abroad in our shared belief in the power of international education. Let’s hope that all may soon return. It’s a also pleasure to reconnect with colleagues from the University more generally. Our institutions share not only the name of our city but a fundamental commitment to its character and prosperity. In seeking continually to reinvigorate Canberra Grammar School, I have often admired the University for its vitality, its creativity, and its integrity to community. I am proud that so many students from my School attend the University across a broad range of faculties, including this one. Indeed, one of my proudest moments at the School was listening recently to a speech by one of our first CGS Indigenous Scholarship graduates, a proud Yuin woman, who went on to study Primary Education at the University of Canberra. At risk of appropriating her story, and with absolute admiration and respect, I can scarcely tell you how moving it was to hear her speak with candour and authority of how her education had expanded her horizons and lifted her aspirations to transform the lives of others through teaching. I’ve seen first-hand how she and her peers reshaped the school around them, building relationships, challenging assumptions, enriching culture, and I know what she will do to open the world for children, Indigenous and otherwise, who will one day be fortunate enough to have her as their teacher, showing them the power and potential of their education. That is the awesome opportunity and responsibility that we, as educators, have and must never forget. We change lives. No matter what we teach, no matter what age we teach, no matter in which kind of school we teach, the bottom line is that we teach people: children, adolescents, adults, individuals every one of them, with complex identity, needs and hopes and challenges, and all of them on the journey to who they might yet be. Our privilege is that we don’t just help them on that journey, we influence its destination. We open opportunities, whole new domains of thought, and entire plains of aspiration that our students didn’t have before. 54 | Canberra Grammar School
A while ago my then 9 year old daughter was selected to take part in an educational activity called the da Vinci Decathlon, which is a thinking and problem solving competition between schools. She was incredibly nervous ahead of it, and not at all sure why her teacher had selected her, but when she came home and I asked her what it was like, she said, “Dad, if my brain was a book, I wrote a whole new chapter just today.” What a phenomenal gift that teacher gave her; not just the experience of a day, but the enduring realisation of her own capacity, greater than she ever knew before. As I am sure we all can, because I suspect it’s why we’ve all chosen this career, I remember moments of my own like that, when my understanding and the horizon of my possibility suddenly expanded: when my Year 11 Maths teacher gave me just 20 minutes one morning before school and at last unlocked the mystery of calculus that I’d be struggling with for months; when my Year 8 English teacher introduced me to the novel that would set my lifelong code of what it is to be a decent man, “To Kill a Mockingbird”; when a rare international tour led by a passionate Geography teacher revealed the size of the world beyond my suburban imaginings, and altered my life’s trajectory, such that I’ve spent a quarter of it living, teaching and studying overseas. It’s seeing that happen in my own students that has always made the daily tribulations of being a teacher worthwhile; and there are many of those tribulations. I’m sorry it’s a bit late to tell you this now, if nobody has already, but it’s hard work. Marking can be tedious; reports time is gruelling; parents can be unreasonably demanding; some of your colleagues should have given up sucking the energy out of a room a long time ago; you’ll never get on top of all there is to do; students face more heartbreaking dysfunction in their home lives than you ever knew happened in the world; and sometimes they just do dumb stuff. But then the frustrations and the fulfilment come together. I shouldn’t admit it, but I once had to break up an altercation between two of my students at the end of a class. I’d worked hard with them all year, and I was appalled that they’d let me down like that, but when I’d finally calmed them, I couldn’t have been secretly more delighted to find what they’d been tussling over: the interpretation of a line in a poem that we’d just been studying. I’m not sure it was the best measure of teacher effectiveness, and I can’t say that I mentioned it in my annual appraisal, but that they cared so much was the triumph! The point is that students care when you care: when you go over the edge abseiling with them on camp; when you watch their match on the weekend; when you find that moment before school to help them past a block; when they’re homesick and you’re the one they can talk to on duty in the boarding house; when they need a person they can trust because life at home is hard; and when they see in you the model of someone who truly loves the work that they do. That’s almost all that matters. Teaching isn’t just a job. It’s a calling, and I’m going to seem very curmudgeonly in saying that I believe that something of that truth has been diminished in the determination to professionalise, standardise, register, incentivise, accredit and higher accredit the whole endeavour. In the quest to make people take teaching seriously, we’ve placed hurdle after hurdle in front of teachers, and we wonder why so many walk away. The trouble, which it’s up to you and me to fix, is that we tell the wrong story about teaching in Australia; that it’s hard work, devalued, in crisis, that our PISA results are falling (like any actual human being cares about that), and that we can solve it if we just quote Hattie enough, or reflect long enough on our five teacher identified hours. We go to Finland looking for the silver bullet; Singapore might have the answer; maybe the secret is in Shanghai; but the truth is closer to home. Nations get the education that they care about and talk about. What those countries have in common, and we perhaps don’t, is a culture that fundamentally values teachers, because they are known and admired as custodians of the life transforming power of education. The magic of teaching isn’t in the AITSL standards, sensible though they may be; it’s in the story of the life trajectories that you alter in the whole human engagement that is the true joy of teaching, not just in the classroom, but in the playground, on camp, on stage, on the sports fields, and in the countless conversations that young people need at just the right time with someone who cares. Our job, your job, is to tell that story: the story I began with of a determined Aboriginal woman who seized her education to take charge of her future and to change the future of the generations to follow her; of my grandparents, none of whom got past the age of 14 at school, but all of whom gave everything they had to get their children to university and then paid for their grandson to travel overseas on that school trip that opened my eyes to the world; of boys unashamed to argue over a line of Keats; and of my daughter’s teacher who saw a quiet little girl just waiting to realise she could write a richer story of herself than she ever knew she could. You will all have such stories to tell already; it’s why you’re here, but the gift of being a teacher is that you will add to them every single day. Let that be the loud and proud and constant narrative of our profession; our calling. I congratulate you, and I wish you every happiness and fulfilment in all that lies ahead. Enjoy it. Thank you. CGS Aspire – The Professional development journal at CGS | 55
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