Staff Professional Learning in schools is a crucial aspect of maintaining and enhancing the quality of education. The College Staff Professional Learning Day on Monday 22nd July 2024 encompassed a number of key focus areas. All Middle Leaders K-12 spent the day engaged in the Marist Middle Leaders program, facilitated by Br Tony Leon, from Marist Schools Australia. The Year 8 Home Room team, along with some staff from the Year 9 Home Room team spent the day immersed in “The Right Journey” program, in preparation for the commencement in Term 4 with the Year 8 Pastoral Care Program. The remaining 25 staff attended a Boys’ Educational Conference at De La Salle Caringbah. Several staff from the Junior School went offsite, completing their “Making the PYP happen” training, whilst the remaining staff completed “Our Living Marist Spiritual Heritage” online modules, as well as engaging in collaborative planning for PYP.
Developing middle leaders in schools is essential for creating a strong leadership pipeline and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Middle leaders, such as heads of departments, heads of year, academic care leaders, and other roles, play a crucial role in implementing school policies, leading teams, and driving student achievement. Developing leadership skills among middle leaders can prepare them for future leadership roles and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement within the school. By investing in the development of middle leaders, schools can ensure a robust leadership structure that supports effective teaching and learning, promotes innovation, and enhances student outcomes. The College is committed to ensuring all middle leaders have access to ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current with educational trends, policies, and best practices.
Targeted boys' education focuses on addressing the specific educational needs and challenges faced by boys to improve their academic performance, engagement, and overall well-being. By implementing targeted strategies and creating supportive learning environments, schools can help boys achieve their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally. The Boy’s Educational Conference provided sessions throughout the morning that included Keynote Speakers: Dr John Best, Chris Lawrence, Josh Reynolds, Aaron Woods and Renowned educators – David McInnes, Paul (Cotta) Leary and Gabrielle Rose, as well as Presentations by: Mrs Gemma Moore, Mr Paul Cooper. The latter part of the day comprised of a series of workshops, where staff from St Greg’s were able to choose and attend based on their own professional learning goals and interests. These workshops comprised:
- Leveraging AI to enhance learning in boy’s education.
- Exploring masculinity in boys through the lens of a broad liberal education.
- An Auspicious Life Wellbeing and Learning Framework (Be your own GENTLE man).
- Engaging boys in Creative and Performing Arts / Music.
- What does Cricket have to do with behaviour management strategies in boy’s education?
- Spiritual curiosity through social justice immersions (Street Retreat) in boy’s education.
- The future of boy’s education.
- My Life Design: Empowering young people to unlock their unique potential so that they can thrive in their wellbeing, learning and career.
Learnings from these workshops will be shared with all College Staff in staff meetings throughout term 3 and term 4. Creating a supportive environment where professional learning is valued and encouraged by school leadership can foster a culture of continuous learning and development.
Ms Judith Tolomeo
Director of Teaching and Learning