13 May 2022
As part of our culture of ensuring every member of the School is on a personal path to growth, we have a variety of approaches. One of these is starting each term with Professional Development days. This creates an opportunity for members of the School to have dedicated time to further their own learning.
At the start of Term 2, the Junior School focused on sharing the many capabilities that we have within the faculty. Members of the Junior School offered to lead workshops in areas they are passionate and knowledgeable about, to support collegial learning. This was also an opportunity for individual personal growth as many relished their first opportunity to lead a professional development workshop.
Having such breadth and depth of expertise within our staff body meant that teachers were given a wide range of learning experiences to choose from. As teachers, we frequently consider a student’s individual agency over their learning but do not always apply this same high-quality practice to adult learning; however, our teachers were able to choose a learning experience that suited their interests and individual path of growth. The result was a powerful professional development day where teachers were invigorated and excited to be learning from their colleagues.
This approach to professional development is focused on raising the collective efficacy of all teachers within the Junior School. Collective efficacy supports a team of individuals in developing a shared belief that, through their unified efforts, they can overcome challenges and be more effective. Team members’ confidence in each other’s abilities and their belief in the impact of the team’s work are key elements that raise collective efficacy and set successful school teams apart. Furthermore, Hattie’s Visible Learning research indicates that collective teacher efficacy is the most influential outcome on student achievement.
I’d like to thank the following members of the Junior School for leading workshops, and I am looking forward to reporting further on collegial learning that supports growth in collective efficacy.
- Julian Burke – Grammar for Writing
- Sarah Leyson – Talk for Writing
- Colin Becker – Introduction to Coding with Spike Prime
- Natalie Pearce and Belinda Radbone – Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom
Jon Gelsthorpe
Deputy Head of Junior School – Teaching and Learning