August 2024 Members Newsletter

A note from Beth

Term 3 has started with a bang! Hopefully you had a restful break and the first couple of weeks have been kind.

We have had a change to our job titles this month. It’s a small change, but an important one. We are now Quality Teaching Advisers, rather than Quality Teaching Rounds Advisers.

While the Adviser role started with a specific focus on Rounds, we now have the wonderful privilege of working with teachers and schools on all things QT-related – from using the QT Model to support enhanced assessment and programming practice, to providing tailored advice for schools on implementing QTR in light of budget and staffing challenges.

On the travel front, we have continued to deliver workshops far and wide. Jenny presented recently in Perth and Michelle had the wonderful opportunity to work with the Yiramalay Studio school in remote Western Australia (see her story below). Kate and I travelled to Wollongong for a Staff Development Day, and our usual face-to-face and online workshops continue to run.

As you’ll read below, we also delivered two QT workshops for University of Newcastle fourth year students who are about to head into their ten-week internships. It is a joy to work with our early career teachers and to equip them with the powerful shared language of the Model for discussing quality teaching.

The Strengthening induction through Quality Teaching Rounds project continues to enable more and more schools to access our two-day QTR Foundational workshop and support their early career teachers to feel confident and support all staff to provide quality teaching and improved outcomes for students. If you haven’t yet signed up, you can learn more at one of two upcoming information sessions.

We hope you have a wonderful Term 3 ahead!

Beth Filipo
QT Adviser

QT and QTR meet Yiramalay Studio School

Last month, QT Adviser Michelle Ware had the great privilege of spending time at Yiramalay Studio School, supporting teachers with Quality Teaching Rounds PD and learning how this school works in partnership with community to make a difference for Indigenous students from Years 10-12. The school operates a residential, on-country model and for many students, it is their only chance to complete secondary schooling.

Speaking to a 2023 graduate of the school, who was back as a mentor during an induction program for 20 Wesley College students from Melbourne, it’s clear how profoundly the school has supported her aspirations to work in education. The Yiramalay graduate starts a job as an Aboriginal Education Assistant at a Broome school next month and is a finalist in the WA Youth Awards 2024.

From the spectacular welcoming moonrise to the smoking ceremony by the Yiramalay spring, to working with the teachers and spending time with the students, it was a rich and thought provoking experience. A huge shout out to everyone at Yiramalay for making me so welcome and for sharing your vision of a stronger future for our Indigenous young people.

Initial Teacher Education

During the semester break, our QT Advisers delivered a pair of two-day QT workshops for our Initial Teacher Education students as they prepared for their final school internships. Beth and Rob delivered a face-to-face workshop on the University’s Callaghan Campus, and Rob and Michelle delivered a workshop online the following week.

The workshops provided opportunities for students to engage in the QTR process as well as assessment planning, and reflection on how the QT Model can help provide a valuable tool when planning for classroom practice.

“I liked that we were guided through how to use the Quality Teaching Model and everything along with it. Made me feel so much more confident about going into teaching as well, knowing that my teaching is the thing being coded and not me as the teacher also makes me feel so much more comfortable to be observed and coded.”

“The presenters communicated the essential information in a way which was well understood to pre-service teachers. I appreciated the resources as I can refer to them at any point to refresh my memory.”

CONASTA conference recap

Despite endless jokes about Michelle going to play cards for three days in Melbourne, the Australian Science Teachers’ Association’s 71st annual conference held at the University of Melbourne provided so many opportunities to catch up with friends of the Academy and make many new connections.

The QT Academy sponsored the CONASTA conference breakfast, which was attended by 80 delegates, many of whom commented on the impressiveness of the QTR research findings. We also presented a short session on the QT Model for delegates and met many wonderful science teachers at our exhibitor stand. Congratulations to all involved for delivering a powerful and inspiring conference.

We want to hear your school’s story

Have you ever read our news stories and thought, “my school should be featured”?

Nominating a school to be featured is a simple process:

1. Complete the form by clicking the link below.
2. Our team will contact you or your nominated contact person for a quick interview / discussion via phone or email.
3. We will draft your story and allow you to review and provide feedback. You will have final approval on the finished product.
4. Your story will be published on the QT Academy website, shared with our members and the whole QT community.

If you’re after some inspiration, check out our previous school stories in the news section of our website.

Upcoming workshops and webinars