Catholic Schools OfficeDiocese of Lismore

THIS STATEMENT• isaresponsetotheDiocesanStrategicPlansupportingPriorityActionAreas2and4andtheAccreditationtoWork,TeachandLeaddocument• alignswiththeContemporaryLearningFramework• recognisestheparticularprofessionalandlegislativedemandsofthoseemployedasteachersbutelementswillhaverelevancetoallemployees• reflectsasharedbeliefthatwithaparticipant’sgoodintent,diligentapplicationandsustainedefforts,professionallearningwillleadtoprofessionalgrowth.

A DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL GROWTH Professionalgrowthistheongoingprocessoflearninganddevelopment.Itinvolvesthestructuredandunstructuredopportunities,interactionsandexperienceswhichenhanceknowledge,practiceandengagement.(AITSL:AustralianCharterforProfessionalLearningofTeachersandSchoolLeaders,August2012.)

Forteachers,theAustralianInstituteofTeachingandLearning(AITSL)andtheAustralianProfessionalStandardsforTeachers(2011),providesavaluableframeworkandlanguagetodescribeateacher’sstagesofprofessionaldevelopment.Katzbelievesthatthequalityofclassroompracticeisthesinglebiggestpredictorofstudentachievement(2013)andgoesfurthertodefine“truelearning”asapermanentchangeinthinkingorbehaviour.Katzconcludesthatpermanentchangesinteacherpracticeonlyhappenwhentheteacheractivelyparticipatesinconstructingtheknowledge.Reflectiononhowthisnewinformationconfirmsorchallengespreviouslyexistingbeliefsandideasresultsinnewlearning.

Effective professional learning must be:• just in time• job embedded• needs based

Consider professional learning experiences that have addressed these needs for you?

“The tool is only as good as the need.”How do I as a presenter ensure that my presentation ‘tool’ is going to answer the needs of the participants?

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND TEACHER QUALITYIntheheartoftheprofessionalteacherisastrongdesiretolearnmore.Thispassiondrivesthequestforqualityandimprovement.Teachingisajourneyofpermanentformation(CongregationforCatholicEducation,2008,#43).

Improvingteachereffectivenessoutweighstheimpactofanyotherschooleducationprogramorpolicyinimprovingstudentperformance.Teachershavethegreatestimpactonstudentoutcomes.Thebestprofessionaldevelopmentteacherscanreceiveistodirectlyhelpthemteachtheirstudents(DrBenJensenintheGrattanInstituteReportofMarch2014‘MakingTimeforGreatTeaching’).

Howtheworld’sbest-performingschoolsystemscomeoutontop(McKinsey&Company,September2007)liststhelearningexperiencesofthetopschoolsystemsandsuggeststhatthreethingsmattermost:1.gettingtherightpeopletobecometeachers,2.developingthemintoeffectiveinstructorsand3.ensuringthatthesystemisabletodeliverthebestpossibleinstructionforeverychild.

ThisProfessionalLearningstatementisfocusedonpoints(2)and(3).

TheAustralianProfessionalStandardsforTeachers(APST)andtheContemporaryLearningFramework(2012)provideacommonlanguagetodescribequalityteachingandlearning.ThehigherlevelsoftheStandardsindicatetheattributesthatarerequiredofHighlyAccomplishedandLeadteachers.Hattie(2003)says‘Teacherscanandusuallydohavepositiveeffects,buttheymusthaveexceptionaleffects.Weneedtodirectattentionathigherqualityteaching,strongleadershipforlearningandhigherexpectationsthatstudentscanmeetappropriatechallenges’.

Discuss the impact the CLF and its associated resources have made and is making to your personal and school professional learning.

How do I use the domains of the APST;• Professional Learning• Professional Practice• Professional Engagement

to shape my professional learning

THE CONTEXT OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN THE DIOCESE OF LISMOREThe Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium Central Faith StatementThisisakeyChurchdocumentstressingtheplaceandimportanceofCatholicEducation.

TheCentralFaithStatementprovidesthefaithcontextfortheContemporaryLearningFramework.

Contemporary Learning Framework Australian Professional Standards for TeachersThesixdomainsintheCLFprovideacommonlanguagethatfacilitatesrichdiscussionsregardingtherequirementsforcontemporaryteachingandlearning.

Thiscomprehensivesetofnationalstandardssetsthebenchmarkforteachingprofessionals.

Principal Professional Standards AITSL Charter for Professional Learning

TheStandardsprovideareferencepointforallleadershippositions. ThekeyprofessionallearningthemesfromtheAITSLcharterarereflectedinthisProfessionalLearningStatement.

What is my preferred learning style?

Do I actively seek my own learning or do I wait for it to come to me?

What do I need to do to embed new learning into my work?

EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WithintheDiocesetherearemanydifferentcontexts(school,CSOorinvitedpresenterdelivered),opportunitiesandstructuresforlearning(facetoface,online,inter-schoolvisits).Evenwithinaparticularcontext,forexampleschoolbasedprofessionallearning,anumberofdifferentlearningformatscanoperate:wholestaff,smallcohort(forexampleaPLT)orone-to-oneprofessionalconversations.Itmustbeemphasisedthatregardlessofthetimeortheevent,anumberofprinciplesforeffectivelearningarecommonacrossallsituations:

Inordertodeepentheirlearningabouttheirvocation,theirrolesandresponsibilities,allemployeesdeserveprofessionallearningopportunitiesthatarerelevant,wellpreparedandprofessionallydelivered.

WithinandacrossschoolsthereisanincreasingemphasisonthedevelopmentofProfessionalLearningCommunities(PLC).ThisisbasedontheresearchofDuFour,DuFour,EakerandMany(2010)andsupportstheContemporaryLearningFrameworkdimension,ALearningCommunity.Thesecommunitiesshareacommonvisionandarebuiltonstrongcollegialitythatconnects,challengesandrequirescollaboration.WithinthePLC/PLTthereisafocusonhighexpectationsofstudentlearningthroughacommitmenttoaunitedefforttofocusonstudentdatathatfurtherinformsandimprovesprofessionalpracticeandstudentoutcomes.TheLeaderofPedagogyplaysavitalroleinassistingtheschool’sleadershipteamtodevelopthePLC/PLT.

STRATEGIES AND STRUCTURES SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

SRD mentoring coaching On-boarding Cycles of Improvement Observing others networks Principal Professional Growth conferences REFLECTION Teacher Placement INTER-SCHOOL university partnerships STUDENT DATA INQUIRY LEARNING INSTRUCTIONAL WALKS STUDENT WORK GOAL- SETTING ACTION RESEARCH STUDENT SURVEYS

THE IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ON STUDENT LEARNINGThedioceseseekstodevelopacultureofcontinuousimprovementandresearch-basedinnovationthatwillcontributetoimprovedstudentoutcomes.Thiscultureofexcellenceunderpinsallprofessionallearningopportunitiesprovidedbythediocese.

Today’slearningenvironmentsshouldreflecttheContemporarylearningFrameworkwhichpromotesde-privatisedpracticeenablingteachersandancillarystafftomoreeasilycollaborate,sharestrategies,challengeexistingpracticesandproposechangesthatwillbettercontributetoeffectiveteachingandlearning.Thediocesepromotesprofessionallearningforteachersthatleadstoanenrichedpedagogy–apedagogythatcombinesmultimodalapproachesandprovenmethodologiesinsuchawaythatlearningispersonalisedtomeettheneedsofallstudents.

Helen Timperley poses two questions:

“What are my students’ learning needs, hence what are my learning needs?”

“How do I measure the impact of my professional learning on student outcomes?”

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND LEADERSHIPTheroleofschoolleadersiscriticalintheschool’sprofessionallearningplan.Strongleaderssethighexpectationsthatfocusonprocessaswellasonresults.Theybuildmotivation,promotewholestaffownershipofprofessionallearningdecisionsandnurturethecapacityofthecommunityofadultlearnersthroughthedevelopmentofsharedgoalsandaspirations.Systemleaderstooareexpectedtohaveastrongsharedvisionanddirection–demonstratinghighstandards,showingapassionforlearning,havingsoundknowledgeofcurrentresearchandpromotingtheconceptthatcontinuousimprovementneedstobedrivenbyprofessionalpracticesacrossallaspectsoftheCSO’soperations.

“Professional learning can be a mile wide and an inch deep or an inch wide and a mile deep.”How do we ensure the right approach will reap the most lasting effects?

How can high quality professional learning promote innovation in teacher and school leader practice?

Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Lismore3DawsonStreet,POBox158,LismoreNSW2480•Phone(02)66248131•Fax(02)66220990www.lism.catholic.edu.au©Catholic Schools Office, Lismore, 2014.