Teacher+Projects

=Teacher Projects=

RATIONALE for Professional Learning at SPS

A friend once told me that learning is a continuous journey we all share in and our roles in this endeavour are constantly changing, often as the teacher but always as the student. Over recent years effective pedagogical practices have continued to undergo significant change. This is evidenced by the Blueprint Initiative where successful schools build a performance and development culture that enhances the effectiveness of it’s teachers to improve learning opportunities and outcomes for students. Such schools collect rich data to develop a deep understanding of __individual teacher and student learning needs__ which leads to supporting ongoing teacher development. Hence, continuous Professional Development through learning from each other as a teacher is pivotal to growth and progression not //only for teachers but students as well//.

Teaching is more than content based, it is a developmental process which is continuous. It is about creating relationships with colleagues and students in which, we all continue to learn from each other, regardless of our experience or backgrounds. The practice of teaching and learning is changing both for teachers and students, education is becoming personalised, not merely in terms of choices but experience ‘education should be an experience, not a menu of choices. Each experience must be truly effective for each individual’ (Waugh, David. Workshop Papers, 19-20/9/2005, ‘Personalised Learning the future of learning.)

Successful professional development does not only mean external programs but also entails support among staff teams from the leadership team. Teacher expertise, interests and areas of strength and weakness that staff wish to develop, along with school needs as priorities in the Annual Implementation and Strategic Plans should be addressed in a positive and professional manner including thorough planning and sequential implementation. In order for Professional Development to be effective it needs to translate to a change of practise in the classroom, Robin Fogarty reminds us: “The most expensive PD is the one that teachers do not apply in the classroom” Pivotal to school improvement and student outcomes is high staff morale.

High staff morale includes supporting staff in their work, including them in shared decision making, the provision of training and development of staff and the organisation of clear operating structures. An understanding of shared goals within a framework of individual styles enables staff to support each other and encourages innovation and school improvement. Working effectively in a team to develop strategic programs involves recognising the benefit of supporting and valuing staff. This includes showing an authentic interest in teachers work, focussing on strengths of staff, acknowledging effort, modelling respect and being pro-active and able to give support to a team or individual when required. This is a Powerpoint showed to our staff to explain the process of how teacher projects would work in relation to their PoLT data.