Category Archives: Teaching

young people’s anger – here’s one thought.

I’m fortunate as a school leader that my teachers share their ideas and thoughts with me. This is one teachers share last week that resonates so strongly with me – how does one promote young people’s conversations about dealing with … Continue reading

Posted in curriculum, school, Teaching, Uncategorized, Video Clips | 1 Comment

identifying teacher itches to scratch

Schools in Victoria have many standardised data sets about student learning, student attitudes to school, parent opinion surveys and finally staff opinion surveys. This post focuses on this last data set, staff opinion. There was industrial action for the 3 … Continue reading

Posted in Data Wise Program, Harvard, Observation, teacher efficacy, Teaching, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Is the metaphor a leader is like a parent valid?

I have been contemplating a leadership metaphor used by Simon Sinek on a recent Ted Talk: “great leaders are like parents wanting to give their children (employees) opportunities to try and fail in safe ways and to discipline when necessary”. … Continue reading

Posted in Assessment, school administration, Teaching | 1 Comment

Teaching Writing? (part 1)

I’m sitting on the back porch of a small lodge at the base of Mt Buller listening to the babbling sound of rushing water on the Delatite River. As I gaze up from this iPad I see many differing shades … Continue reading

Posted in Creativity, Instruction, Teaching, writing | 1 Comment

Do we teach handwriting skills to young writers – OK – when and why?

Recently I was in team meeting where teachers were discussing when to teach 5 year olds handwriting. It got me to thinking about why of my age and the old pen licences which we scrapped at least 10 years ago. In … Continue reading

Posted in Assessment, Instruction, Teaching, Uncategorized, writing | 5 Comments

The pendulum conundrum of strategic planning.

Over the past 18 months we as a school having been reviewing our performance as a school through the student, teacher and parent lenses. There was lots to celebrate which we have. However human nature is a curious things for … Continue reading

Posted in Instruction, Leadership, school, Teaching, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Growth mindsets and school wide learning cultures – a perfect mix!

I’ve written before on growth mindsets and this year teachers were keen to include young people developing growth mindsets as a key principle in the new strategic plan. A few teachers are now mentioning this to some parents who have … Continue reading

Posted in Assessment, Instruction, Teaching | 1 Comment

Provoking student interest in learning

I say again I’m in a fortunate role as principal to see some amazing products and processes of learning and I’m guilty of not sharing these as often as I should. So here goes: the first two photos show an … Continue reading

Posted in curriculum, differentiation, Instruction, Teaching, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Student feedback to teachers – just ask them we did!

We were working with Kath Murdoch this afternoon on using our student feedback to adjust the 2015 curriculum plans. Our students provided the followed recommendations to teachers which I thought were worth sharing: less teacher talk: which we are thinking … Continue reading

Posted in Feedback, Instruction, school, teacher efficacy, Teaching | 2 Comments

The Power of Ummmmmm!

  This is a video of Kath Murdoch, an educator we have a long association with at EPS, taken in at a Ted X talk in Canada recently. Her presentation features young people from my school. I must say hearing … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching, Uncategorized, Video Clips | 1 Comment

Shirley Clarke says tell students the truth if their work needs work.

  I’m re-reading Shirley Clarke’s book first published in 2008 on active learning and formative assessment. One of the points she makes in the book is the link between higher self-esteem and a growth mindset. We need to show enthusiasm … Continue reading

Posted in Feedback, parenting, Teaching, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

School timetables are factors in lesson structures!

I have a wondering whether a school timetable influences the way instruction is planned in classrooms? Now I know the answer is obviously yes from a practical perspective but the deeper question I’m pondering is do those timetable influenced instructional decisions … Continue reading

Posted in Instruction, school, school structures, Teaching, Video Clips | 1 Comment

A twist on parent teacher interviews

This week we completed our 2nd round of parent teacher interviews. They were held in August, which is just over half way through the academic school year. So what’s different you might ask? The students 1/2 year written reports were … Continue reading

Posted in Assessment, school, Teaching, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

What might Benjamin Franklin have to say to our young students?

  At Monday’s school assembly I used Benjamin Franklin’s story to talk about the importance of effort and persistence as we strive for personal excellence. “energy and persistence conquer all things” Benjamin Franklin I talked about his childhood days in … Continue reading

Posted in history, Leadership, Reading, school, Teaching, Video Clips | 1 Comment

“I am eleven” a tremendous resource to explore intercultural understandings.

I just had to share this resource which I have just ordered for my school. I and I should say we are really just starting to get immersed into the intercultural understanding space in schools. It’s an really interesting space … Continue reading

Posted in China, Sister School, Teaching, Video Clips | 7 Comments