Feedback after Collegial Coaching Program

This feedback was received from a participant in workshops on Collegial Coaching in a Western Queensland school

"I have learnt to not so much accept, but tolerate the things I cannot change.

I have seen what to do and what not to do within classrooms and whole school management.

I have become more resilient.

I have maintained high expectations for both myself and others.

I am more aware and responsive to the needs of adult learners."

Sandcastles Symphonies, Synergy

Broadbeach State School in Queensland, Australia is built on a prime piece of land across the road from the popular Gold Coast beach of the same name.
  
The following image represents the vision for the school  The sand castle represents the beach frontage; the concept of building something; the notion that no structure is ever without movement and change - and children build sand castles

 Children enter at the base because they are the foundation of the building.


Every teacher takes responsibly for the seven capabilities of the Australian Curriculum but every teacher is takes part in a capability team. The capabilities - the components of a 21st century curriculum - are the 2nd tier of the sand castle.


The 3rd tier shows what we value--building social and moral capital at the top; followed by intellectual capital; followed by leadership capital in both our teachers and students. Underpinning the values is financial capital because without this the whole school falls down.


Leadership capital means that each teacher leads a capability and many also have other roles as well. Every Year 7 student is a leader of something. We also have a student council


The vision- Broadbeach State School- Building Futures - for all - staff and students.


This school recently undertook a workshop entitled No-one can Whistle a Symphony.  As part of a team building exercise the staff completed an indicator to learn about their need strengths.  This led to forming groups of similar needs profiles and creating a 'perfect' staff room. This resulted in great hilarity as people found others who had similar need strengths.

EDUCATOR OBSERVATION DAY

An Educator Observation Day is where teachers and leadership teams are invited to observe the coaching process in action.  Mudgeeraba Special School is holding such a day on June 1st from 9.00 - 2.00 pm

Participants in this day will be involved in a workshop that provides information and a compelling rationale for coaching as a way to increase teacher morale and impact on learning outcomes.  Visitors then will be able to observe the coaching process in action in a number of settings.

One setting will be a coach negotiating observation criteria for a meeting to be conducted by Colleen Hope the principal of Mudgeeraba Special School.  This will be followed by a post conference session to provide the opportunity for Colleen to self evaluate and receive feedback at the end of the meeting.

Fifteen coaches were trained in October 2010 and a number of these coaches will demonstrate live the coaching process using video tapes of recent lessons in the school.

Yvana Jones (Assistant Director General Teaching& Learning) Mudgeeraba Special School “Principal for the Day” will open the day.

If you are interested in attending please contact me by email

An Excellent Teacher

 A teacher recently received an email from a student he had taught in Year Four and Year Six some 21 years ago.  It demonstrates the real power and influence of excellent teaching.

I think of my time in your class often, and I'm always amazed by the clarity of some of those memories. I remember how easy it was to retain so much of the content, and also how much I enjoyed so many of the topics we covered. Year 4 and 6 were definite highlights for me.  You sound as though you have done some remarkable work in recent years - though I must say your work in the classroom was remarkable enough.

It might amuse you to know I'm teaching now. And I think it is because of that I became absolutely compelled to contact you at this point. I was beginning my second day ever of teaching in March this year - relief teaching as it were - prepping for my day with a Year 4 class, when I was overcome.  After teaching Year 4 at the same school the previous day and thinking of what I was about to face with a diverse group of 30 students that day, I finally understood the magnitude of the world you had helped create during those years you taught me.  I always knew it was special, and that you were a special teacher, but WOW, I could actually see a glimpse of what it took to create the experiences you did. It humbled me. Thank you.  I want to have the chance to say it to you in person one day, but it really can't wait to be said. Thank you. :)   Klaire

Collegial Coaching in a Special School

Fifteen staff at Bundaberg Special School became Collegial Coaches recently.  This means that they undertook two days of workshops where they learned and practised the skills of coaching.  This was followed up by in-class practice where they both received and gave Type A feedback to each other in the 'real world' of the classroom.

In this photograh Jackie Rose (Teacher Aide) is pre-conferenced by Barb Atkinson (Early Years teacher)

Jackie commented that she now had a heightened awareness of her role in the learning process, something she hadn’t thought of before. All the little things are significant in the process - not separate but important in the learning process.

Collegial Coaching in Bundaberg

Collegial Coaching workshops are two days long.  During the workshops participants learn about the three part process of Collegial Coaching, the pre conference, the lesson observation and the post conference.

The process of coaching provides the opportunity for the coach to gather data relating to agreed to observation criteria and to give this information to the inviting teacher to self evaluate.

This positive process engages teachers in continuous improvement in classroom practice.

Fifteen people have participated in the two day workshop and we are about to go into classrooms where the trainee coaches will coach each other.  A coach trainer then gives feedback to ensure that the trainee coaches develop their skills and confidence in this complex yet powerful process.

Check out this link to find out more about this program.

Values on show

Peachgrove Intermediate School Foyer

Peachgrove Intermediate School is in Hamilton in New Zealand.  As a school the staff are working to create a school where the collaboratively generated set of values are displayed for all to see.  These delightful pottery letters spell out what is important at that school.