- A note from Michelle
- The QT Academy catches up with Cessnock High School
- Meeting new teaching students at the University of Newcastle’s orientation week
- Free exclusive access: Higher-order Thinking webinar
- School stories revisited: Peregian Springs State School
- Share your QT journey at QTiP24
- Upcoming workshops and webinars
- Recent publications and media
A note from Michelle
Welcome to the March QT Academy newsletter!
We trust the school year is progressing well as we launch into Autumn, albeit with some pretty unpredictable weather! Please stay safe in the storms, heatwaves, floods and fires that are peppering much of Australia and beyond at the moment.
The QT Academy has been a hive of activity since the last newsletter, with QTR Advisers travelling far and wide to deliver school and conference presentations on the QT Model, QTR and QT Assessment. Our professional development workshops continue to spark fresh thinking about classroom, assessment and programming practice – perfect timing for many as they create new material to support major changes to curriculum content.
Ten schools will embark on a pilot research project investigating Quality Teaching Assessment Rounds. This new Teachers and Teaching Research Centre project will explore the impact of Quality Teaching Assessment Rounds on the quality of tasks and student responses. We will report back later this year on the findings.
We also have an exciting new video to support implementation of QTR in schools coming soon. Based on member requests, this latest resource will provide guidance on how to conduct effective, rich PLC discussions during your QT Rounds. Keep an eye on your emails for an announcement as soon as the PLC discussion video is available in the Members area.
Finally, our Quality Teaching in Practice conference on 3-4 June at the Novotel Olympic Park, is shaping up to be another excellent opportunity to mingle with link-minded educators, be inspired by innovative approaches to embedding the QT Model and hear from outstanding researchers and educational leaders. Interested in telling your QT story as part of the conference? Contact us here.
Until next time, all the best and as always, we’re here to support you in all things QT and QTR.
Michelle Ware
QTR Adviser
The QT Academy catches up with Cessnock High School
Teachers at Cessnock High School recently participated in an evening staff development session on the QT Model, led by QTR Adviser Rob Barter, while new teaching staff also participated in a one-day QTR workshop as part of their school on-boarding.
During our visit to Cessnock High, we teamed up with local production company, Bones Collective, to interview Principal, Peter Riley and Head of Middle School, Kelsey Kisina about how their long term engagement with QTR and the QT Model has changed their school and community for the better.
Stay tuned for our video on Cessnock’s QT journey. In the meantime, you can watch a short behind the scenes recap by clicking the button below.
Meeting new teaching students at the University of Newcastle’s orientation week
The University of Newcastle hosted “Welcome Week” for all new students starting university in late February.
During Welcome Week, the QT Academy provided our new Education students with an overview of the QT Model. QTR Adviser Beth spoke to students at the Callaghan Campus, while Rob travelled to the Ourimbah campus to present to Central Coast students. They both discussed how the QT Model can support beginning teachers on their journey throughout university, and beyond.
It was wonderful to meet with the next generation of enthusiastic students who are embarking on such valuable and rewarding teaching careers.
Free exclusive access: 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.
The next webinar in this series will unpack the element Higher-order Thinking. Our QTR Advisers will share their extensive knowledge and provide guidance on how you can enhance classroom practice and assessments to promote and sustain higher-order thinking effectively.
You will gain a deeper understanding of the critical role higher-order thinking plays in nurturing academic excellence.
If you missed any of our previous Unpacking QT elements webinar series, you’ll find them in the members area of our website.
Below, we’ve linked the Knowledge Integration webinar which was recorded last year.
School stories revisited: Peregian Springs State School
According to Tamsin Watson, building trust and deeper connections with her colleagues are two immediate benefits she’s experienced since participating in Quality Teaching Rounds. It’s led to a sense of affirmation of her capacity as a teacher.
“It was quite reassuring – it was nice to have your colleagues say that was a really good lesson.”
Tamsin is a Year 5 teacher at Peregian Springs State School, which is located in a rapidly growing suburb of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. In only 11 years, the school has grown to more than 1,400 students.
Like all schools, especially big ones, it’s incredibly busy and getting to know your colleagues and build strong relationships with them takes time, but it is something Tamsin believes the QTR process enables.
“As teachers we always see the value in seeing what someone else is doing. But what the QTR structure does is give you a chance to talk it all through, which is something you don’t get when you just pop into someone’s class. This gives you the opportunity to really pull it apart and look at every aspect of the lesson.”
“It was so much easier to talk in the QTR environment. Everyone felt like they could speak.”
Share your QT journey at QTiP24
A key feature of the QTiP conference each year is the inclusion of school story presentations. Attendees tell us how much they value hearing firsthand the experiences of other teachers and schools, implementing and evaluating QT in their own unique contexts.
We’re interested in hearing presentation ideas about any aspect of working with the QT Model in your school.
This can include QTR, using QT in assessment practice, program design, or other innovative ways of engaging with the Model.
If you are interested in presenting at QTiP24, click the button below to register your details.
Your contribution will help enrich the dialogue around evidence-based practice and its impact on teaching and learning.
Plus, presenters get access to the early bird registration price up until ticket sales close!
Upcoming workshops and webinars
Recent publications and media
Publications
- Building middle leading practice through pedagogy-focused professional development – Jess Harris, Felicia Jaremus, and Jennifer Gore; Sage Journals
Media
- Universities Accord: the final report mentions ‘equity’ 200 times, but can it boost access for underrepresented groups? – Sally Patfield; The Conversation
