Transforming Pedagogy Project with Professor Alma Fleet

The Transforming Pedagogy Project with Professor Alma Fleet is open to all educators in the Olympic Dam region. This practitioner enquiry based project supports educators to engage with educational change to improve outcomes for their site and/or classroom and to support the development of critically reflective practice. It will engage you in consideration of the principles associated with pedagogical content and practices that value the learner's perspective in decision-making and the educator as co-researcher with children/students.

Participants will pursue site-specific projects associated with topics being investigated (or foreshadowed) locally. These are to be determined by the participant in consultation with site leadership. Opportunities exist to pursue partnerships such as that with Arid Recovery and BHP and to imagine broad directions that can be developed with relevance for diverse groups of learners such as STEM based enquiry. The project offers the opportunity to become part of a professional learning community, overcoming classroom isolation and providing time for grappling with issues of professional practice.

Initially it will introduce participants to the practitioner enquiry cycle and its potential as a component of educational change.

It will cover areas such as:

• The development of a learning community
• Persisting with challenging processes
• Methods of research and strategies for data collection
• How to research content relating to your practices  
• Approaches to collaborative analysis
• Trialling and reflecting on ideas
• Celebrating the learning and starting the cycle again

As part of this program participants will be required to undertake a site based project with a focus on transforming pedagogy. Participants will be provided with ongoing coaching in regard to their projects of least 2 hours. 

Delivery:

• Associate Professor Alma Fleet
• One session per term in terms 1, 2 and 3 are to be delivered from 4pm to 8pm
• Local ongoing coaching of participants with at least 2 hours coaching at a time suitable for participants


Coaching and Mentoring Project

with Lorraine Madden and Colin Slattery

Develop localised coaching skills to support educational and community change initiatives:

• Embed coaching theories into practice 

• Enhance local leadership skills 

• Provide individualised coaching mentoring to participants 


Session One

• Definitions of coaching and coaching comparisons
• Exploring models of change / determining readiness for change
• Introducing core coaching skills - building rapport and active listening
• Working with strengths - identifying and using strengths in self and others
• Practical application - practicing key skills

Session Two

• Goals, goal setting and motivation - the evidence base and relevance in coaching
• Using a solution focused approach
• Introducing core coaching skills - asking ‘powerful’ questions
• Practical application - practicing key skills

Session Three

• Using the GROW model to structure a coaching conversation
• Exploring thoughts and feelings - exploring the impact on behaviour
• Coaching pitfalls - exploring common coaching derailers
• Practical application - practicing key skills

Session Four

• Measuring the success of coaching - who decides?
• Maintaining positive well-being - practical positive psychology interventions
• Practical application skill - practicing key skills
• Action planning - where to from here?

One-on-one coaching

Coaching is described as a goal focused conversation. Accordingly, individual coaching sessions will be facilitated using Whitmore’s (1992) GROW model to structure the coaching conversation and inform the action steps participants will take to make continued progress towards their identified goals (Greene & Grant, 2003). Action steps will be completed in between coaching sessions, with participants asked to reflect on and share what happened (i.e. what worked well, what didn’t work so well, and what they might do differently) to inform subsequent conversations and determine the best next steps. Coaching sessions may be conducted virtually or face to face. Coaching will be provided by Lorraine Madden and Colin Slattery, who both possess a Master degree qualification in evidence based coaching. 

Delivery

• Term 1 Week 11 Session 1: Monday 9th April 4.00pm – 8.00pm
• Term 1 Week 11 Session 2: Tuesday 10th April 4.00pm – 8.00pm
• Term 2 Week 8 Session 3: Monday 25th June 4.00pm – 8.00pm
• Term 2 Week 8 Session 4: Tuesday 26th June  4.00pm – 8.00pm
• 2 x 1 hour coaching sessions per participant either face to face with Lorraine Madden or virtually with Colin Slattery

Leadership Project with Colin Slattery

Working in a school setting and leading in this space is different to leading elsewhere. Effective site based leadership requires new and experiences leaders to understand both the context in which they are leading as well as a detailed understanding of their own leadership strengths and challenges. This three days program will focus on the following: 

Day 1 - Developing people - The aim of this module is to build the capability of school leaders to develop a strong positive, professional culture that fosters ongoing learning and development. 

Day 2 - Developing relationships - The aim of this module is to equip leaders with understandings and strategies that can be used to reinforce a constructive culture so that everyday conversations and interactions are positive, collaborative and generative. 

Day 3 - Developing self - The aim of this module is to develop school leaders’ personal capacity for sustained, impactful leadership through increased self-awareness and greater understanding of their impact on others. 

As part of this program site based leaders will be required to undertake a site based project with a focus on enhancing their leadership skills. Participants will be provided with ongoing coaching in regard to their projects of least 2 hours.

Delivery: Colin Slattery

• 3 sessions delivered across terms 2 and 3 delivered 4pm to 8pm
• Local coaching at a time suitable for participants

Student Leadership Summit

with Lorraine Madden

This year the Student Leadership Summit will be run as 3 half day events for students across all schools in the region. Please register below if you will be one of the teacher's accompanying student's to the Summit. This project is designed to develop student voice, student leadership and student wellbeing. There is no cap on registrations, please direct any questions you may have to Angela Thompson or Hayley Scrivens of Mining Minds at the Community Hub via email, phone or in person.

Consultations with students highlighted the need to make learning more interesting, enjoyable and inspiring and to provide teachers who “make learning fun”. They also requested supported study lessons and tutoring and mentoring programs. With regard to wellbeing, students asked that we try to understand how they feel: “What hurts us and what makes us feel great”. They also wanted us to listen to their ideas and give them an “opportunity to imagine”.

Current research suggests that student voice, when it involves students having a genuine say in their learning, has served as a catalyst for change in schools. Positive outcomes include: helping to improve teaching and learning; improving teacher-student relationships; increasing student engagement with their learning; and raising student self- esteem and efficacy (Fielding 2001; Mitra 2003, 2004, 1995; Rudduck & Flutter 2000).

Delivery: Lorraine Madden

Each Student Leadership Summit will run as follows:

• Session 1: 9.00am - 10.30am
• Morning tea (provided) 10.30am - 11am
• Session 2: 11am - 12.30pm
• Lunch (provided) 12.30pm - 1pm
• Return to school at 1pm
• The Student Leadership Summit will be held at the Community Youth Centre
• The link below will allow you to register your site and Hayley Scrivens will contact you using the contact details you provide in order to confirm the numbers of students and accompanying teachers for these events