A note from Beth
This term I have been challenged to think about applying the QT Model to schools’ wrap around care providers, working with focus groups and developing professional development for this context. This has been interesting work, and I have met some inspiring and passionate educators. It is a real joy to see how sharing what we do inspires others to consider how the QT Model can be applied to teaching beyond schools.
I have also really enjoyed catching up with schools where I have delivered staff development day presentations, and heard how their journey with QT is progressing. We don’t always get to hear how schools have continued embedding the Model after our workshops, but we always love hearing about your journey. The perfect opportunity to share your story, of course, is at our upcoming QTiP24 conference in June.
School stories are a key feature of the conference each year. Our teacher, school leader, researcher and policymaker delegates love to hear the experiences of other teachers and schools, and how they are implementing and evaluating QT in unique ways for their contexts. If you would like to present at QTiP24, please complete this expression of interest form. Every school has an interesting story to share!
We are slowly wrapping up Term 1 and preparing for a massive Term 2. The QTR Advisers are off to Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, Geelong and Sydney, as well as working with initial teacher education students here at the University of Newcastle and supporting wonderful schools through our many projects. Phew, I’m exhausted just thinking about it!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday break and enjoy a well-earned rest.
Beth Filipo
QTR Adviser
Tune in to the ABC’s 7.30 Report on Sunday, 14 April for a very special story
In last month’s newsletter, we shared a behind-the-scenes video of some filming we did at Cessnock High School. We can’t share much at the moment, but we’d love it if you would watch the 7.30 Report on the ABC on Sunday, 14 April.
QTiP24 invited speaker line-up
When you attend QTiP24: Evidence for impact, you’ll hear from a diverse range of education experts and leaders.
Last week we announced a stellar line-up of speakers for next term’s conference. In case you missed it, we’ve included our invited speakers below.
As a Director, Educational Leadership, Meg has a key strategic role to play in supporting the continuous improvement of principals in NSW public schools. She provides differentiated line management support to principals in their pivotal responsibility for leading and managing their school. Meg implements effective performance and development processes, and provides ongoing constructive feedback to support principals in their continual development. She coaches and mentors principals to build their instructional leadership skills and management practices. As an experienced educational leader, Meg contributes to principals’ professional learning, supporting the development of effective and sustainable leadership practices.
Dr James Curran is the CEO of Grok Academy, an Australian ed-tech charity with a mission to educate all learners in transformative computing skills. James was a writer on the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies (version 8 and 9) and the Digital Literacy capability (version 9) and was named ICT Leader of the Year by the ICT Educators of NSW and the Australian Council for Computers in Education.
James completed a PhD in computational linguistics at the University of Edinburgh and was an Associate Professor and Director of the Australian Computing Academy (ACA) at the University of Sydney.
Mark Grant PSM is the Deputy Secretary, Chief Operating Officer for the NSW Department of Education.
Prior to taking up this new role, Mark was CEO of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) for five years, and before that had a 30-year career with the NSW Department of Education as a teacher, principal, and senior executive.
Professor Holmes’ academic and research interests focus on student educational and career aspirations, gender equity, STEM education and student wellbeing. She is a Distinguished Professor of Education (Science, Mathematics and Technology) in the School of Education at Western Sydney University.
In her role of Director, Educational Leadership, Linda provides leadership and direction to principals ensuring high standards of student progress and achievement. She leads professional learning to develop principals and aspiring school leaders through enhanced collaborative practices, ensuring quality teaching, learning and management decisions lead to school improvement. This reflects Linda’s holistic approach to education developed from her teaching experiences across sectors, states and countries. Linda’s commitment to lifelong learning is evident in her higher education studies (MIL, MBA) and ongoing professional development.
Kate’s recap of her first solo workshop in Parramatta
This month I travelled to Parramatta to present my first solo – and sold out – face-to-face QTR workshop! My lovely fellow QTR Adviser, Beth Filipo, was present to support me with set up and ensure that we could touch base with the sizeable number of PLCs during the coding discussions. As is always the case, it was a real buzz to meet and work closely with teachers from a diverse cross-section of schools and experience levels, in this instance 33 teachers from all around Sydney.
Over the course of the two days, I was energised by the questions, meaningful conversations, and collective commitment to quality teaching in the room. It was affirming to receive positive feedback on my presentation of the QT Model, in particular the extent to which practical examples of the elements resonated with teachers. A highlight was the key insights on Day 2, including one teacher who beautifully articulated the following:
“[The QTR] process treats us as professionals with substantial expertise who deserve to be heard rather than talked at. It is less about talking at each other and more about talking with each other”.
We love that QTR honours the complexity of teaching, offers the gift of sustained time for rich collegial discussion, and respects us as professionals.
In addition to the workshop sessions, I valued the many incidental interactions I had with teachers during the breaks and the opportunity to learn more about their teaching context and their school’s engagement with QT. I will touch base with the schools in attendance over the coming months to offer ongoing support and am excited to hear about the next stage of their QTR journey.
I look forward to presenting the next Parramatta workshop in June!
Did you miss the Higher-order Thinking webinar?
As a QT Academy member, you receive exclusive access to a range of free and informative resources, including our Unpacking QT elements webinar series.
Our latest webinar, Unpacking QT elements: Higher-order Thinking is now available in the members area of our website. Alternatively, you may watch the webinar recording below.
School stories revisited: Woongarrah Public School
Enhanced school culture, improved teaching quality and better student results – these are the key reasons Woongarrah Public School adopted Quality Teaching Rounds as a major initiative to achieve school improvement.
Woongarrah first implemented QTR through participation in the Building Capacity research project in 2019. Principal Leonie Clarkson said the school had used classroom observations before, yet they lacked the power of QTR.
“We’ve tried different types of observation, but it’s not as explicit as QTR, so this gives us a really good structure that’s tried, proven, tested, evidence-based, research informed. It ticks all those boxes.”
The initiative was so successful, they continued to ripple Rounds across the school.
Leonie said the staff valued that QTR is a collaborative approach with a “high level of trust and safety. Everyone wants to be a part of it now, I’ve got a waiting list,” she said.
It is deeply embedded in the school’s Strategic Improvement Plan, and Leonie has plans for every staff member to participate over the next two years.
Upcoming workshops and webinars
Recent publications and media
Publications
- Critical Studies and the International Field of Indigenous Education Research – Sally Patfield, Jennifer Gore, Leanne Fray, and Maree Gruppetta; Routledge
Media
- Our most and least educated politicians, in six charts – Sally Patfield (quoted); Australian Financial Review
- Early Entry Thoughts – Sally Patfield (quoted); Pondering Careers
