Director of Pedagogy

SEQTA Engage

New parents, and parents with an email address that have not yet been registered with SEQTA Engage, were sent through a link from SEQTA last week to allow them to register for access.

If anyone is having difficulty accessing the information, or has previously registered but forgotten their details, please contact the Business Office.

One of the more common issues is that without knowing your ‘username’ you can’t reset your password if you’ve forgotten it; we recommend using your email address as your username.

Comments from parents accessing SEQTA Engage have been positive as they have found they’re more connected with their child’s learning through reading course content material, feedback from teachers, notices and other information available through this portal.

Please don’t hesitate to get in contact with the College if there are any issues, as we see your ability to be a part of the learning picture as vital to improving student engagement and learning.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Don’t underestimate the power of reading; grab a book or two these holidays

Whilst it is tempting to put all thoughts of school out of our minds and allow our children to do the same, research tells us that students who make time for reading regularly over the break are going to be in a better position to continue their learning journey on their return. Interestingly, and something we can perhaps all apply to our lives is the correlation between the time parents spend reading in the home and young people’s reading habits.

As you head into this holiday period, I encourage everyone to find as many occasions as possible to read for yourself, read to your children and have your sons and daughters engage in reading activities; it is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve learning outcomes and engagement with learning.

If you are interested in reading some of the Australian research in this area, there are some good links here.

Happy reading!

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

The celebration of participation

Our assemblies in both the Junior and Senior Schools at St Mary’s College are usually filled with a variety of presentations for student participation in various events.

So many excellent activities and events are happening on a regular basis, with students finding time usually outside of the classroom to participate in extracurricular activities. From team sports to individual achievements, Science awards, camps and treks, Tournament of Minds, Future Problem Solving, Mathematics and Science competitions, History essays, writing awards, debating, Youth United Nations, language competitions and coding activities, the list goes on and varies over the course of the year.

The last few assemblies were so filled with examples of not only participation, but great achievements from the students themselves. This focus on acknowledgements got me to thinking about the amazing value these opportunities give our students. Often the discipline, self-sacrifice, determination, teamwork, collaboration, self-determined deadlines, meeting expectations, working under pressure, problem solving and creativity that these opportunities provide are the very skills we hear that employers look for in any field. These are the skills that are transferable, yet hard to learn without real opportunities.

Teachers know these things are important, and while there are many opportunities to create learning opportunities in the classroom that allow for their development, I believe that those students actively choosing to engage in such extracurricular optional activities are helping themselves become more flexible learners and citizens of the future. We can’t do everything, but involvement in even one thing beyond the classroom is a bonus.

Trying a new thing each year could be an achievable goal for any student in their high school years. Encourage your daughters to give something a go. Every activity or offering at SMC welcomes beginners, and everyone is a beginner at some point in their lives.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

We are learners leading learners

This week we had the privilege of officially blessing and naming the Learning Hub space for teachers: The Hughes-Warrington Learning Hub. 

On Monday Marnie Hughes-Warrington was able to take a break from her busy schedule and spend some time at St Mary’s to chat with staff, students and, most importantly, attend some formalities to celebrate the completion of a dedicated learning space for teachers. 

While we have had access to this space for a while, the formal naming marks an occasion of significance. 

We are so blessed at St Mary’s College to have developed a space that gives a dedicated place for teachers to engage with learning, collaborating and focusing on ways to enhance student learning for all. Having a ‘learning hub’ for teacher really proclaims the value placed on teachers’ ongoing development and learning in our College, and the importance of teachers in improving the learning outcomes for students in our care. 

Marnie is humbly delighted to have this learning space named in her honour. As a St Mary’s College Alumna, she was the first educator to be named a Rhodes Scholar, and the first St Mary’s student to have received this honour. She challenged us to think that it is not good to be the first and only – of anything, but that perhaps she may be the first of many.

As teachers, we can take encouragement from the reminder that there may be many more students in our midst pursuing excellence in their chosen fields who may one day, themselves, be awarded the opportunity for such a prestigious scholarship award.

If you want to read more about Marnie Hughes-Warrington, a copy of her biography, published as a part of our opening, is provided below.

St Mary’s College is rightly proud of its only Rhodes Scholar in the 113 years of the award. The name Marnie Hughes-Warrington is mentioned in various contexts within the College with respect and awe, because her academic achievements are outstanding: hers is a name used to encourage young students to achieve their potential, indeed to smash that potential and aim for the stars.

One of four siblings, Marnie Hughes was born in Hobart and started her education at St Mary’s College in 1983, in Year 8.

Marnie enrolled at UTAS in 1988, where she completed a Bachelor of Education with Honours. She was awarded the Tasmanian Rhodes Scholarship and in the months before leaving for Oxford, Marnie tutored at UTAS in English and Teaching. Marnie was to spend four years at Merton College, Oxford, first completing her Doctorate in Philosophy, History and Education, and in the final year, working as a research assistant.

Marnie met her future husband Bruce Warrington at Oxford, and together they moved to Seattle in 1996, where Marnie tutored in Philosophy at the University of Washington until 1998 saw their return to Australia. From 1998 -2009 Marnie lectured in History at Macquarie University, where she was the Associate Dean of Education.

The next step in her stellar career saw Marnie appointed Pro-Vice Chancellor of Monash University, a position she filled from 2009 until her appointment in 2012 as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at Australian National University.

It is unsurprising to learn that this academic of distinction has also written seven books in the field of History.

In 2013 Marnie was the Foundation UTAS Graduate of the Year. In 2008 she was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for University Teacher of the Year, as well as the Australian Learning and Teaching Council’s Teaching Excellence award in Humanities and the Arts.

Marnie and her husband Bruce enjoy family life in Canberra with their teenage daughter, Ari.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Teaching excellence awards – nominations now open

In last fortnight’s blog post I shone a light on three recent awards given as a part of an Educational Industry Awards evening. The reason I bring this up again is that I want to raise awareness of an opportunity for any community member to nominate educators for an Excellence in Teaching award; they close in a fortnight’s time. It is the ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards.

I know that many of your children would love to formally acknowledge an excellent teacher – or two – that is having a positive impact on their lives. I would like to strongly urge our parent community to think about the wonderful impact such a nomination can have on our teachers. I think it would be a fantastic vote of confidence for all staff at St Mary’s College to see St Mary’s teachers receive nominations for their commitment and passion in educating our young people.

To give you an example of the impact receiving such acknowledgement in a public sphere has, I asked Mark Stewart and Mellina Scavone (two of the recipients at the aforementioned ACEL TAS Awards) to summarise their reaction to receiving an award:

Mark: I was actually very embarrassed to receive an award for doing my job. However, it made me realise that in being nominated someone thought that what I was doing had assisted others, which was nice know.

Mellina: To be acknowledged for what I do felt really rewarding. It made me feel good that someone had noticed the effort I try to put in and had decided to acknowledge that.

I really do encourage everyone to take some time, and by nominating a teacher, you will be providing someone with that little bit of acknowledgement that what they do in the education of your children makes a difference.

The following is taken from the ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards’ web page:

‘If you know an exceptional teacher; if you’re being taught by someone dedicated and committed or if your children are learning from someone who cares deeply about their education and wellbeing – please nominate them NOW!’

To nominate a teacher/s, please visit: https://neita.awardsplatform.com/

Nominations close 13 September 2018.

Please consider the positive impact you can have on our school community in doing this. Thank you.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Celebrating teacher success

Worthy recipients Mark Stewart and Mellina Scavone at the TAS Branch ACEL (Australian Council of Educational Leaders) Early Career Excellene in Educational Leadership Awards. College Principal, Helen Spencer received a fellowship acknowledging the outstanding educational leadership and contributions influencing educational practice at a state and/or national level.

As a learning community, we know all too well the benefits of promoting and celebrating excellence in the lives of our students, and we love to see and reward the amazing efforts that go on each and every day in our classrooms. In this blog post, I would like to turn the camera on to three educators in our midst who were celebrated and acknowledged publicly at the ACEL (Australian Council for Educational Leaders) Awards evening on Tuesday 14 August.

This annual event receives nominations from its members for any educator or educational leader in any area of education.

Tim Bullard, Secretary of the Department of Education, spoke on behalf of the Deputy Premier, Minister for Education Jeremy Rockcliff, highlighting the Tasmanian Government’s recognition and ongoing support for improving teachers and teacher quality and acknowledging the work and skill of educators such as those receiving this year’s awards.

Four Early Career Teacher Awards for Educational Leadership were awarded on the evening, and two of them went to St Mary’s College teachers. Mark Stewart (Year 6 teacher) and Mellina Scavone (Year 5 teacher). These awards provide teachers who are in the early stages on their career, generally in their first five years, with recognition for the excellent contribution to education in Tasmania.

The essential criteria for this award was the improvement of student outcomes through: 

• exemplary teaching practice.
• a contribution to leading the professional learning of others.
• building purposeful internal and external relationships. 

Their full nominations and citations may be worthy of a longer article at some time, but suffice to say they are both very worthy recipients in this category, and we are very proud of them.

Of the nine awards presented on the evening, the most prestigious award given is that of a Fellowship. This award recognises those who have made outstanding educational leadership contributions to ACEL and/or whose work has influenced educational practice at a state and/or national level.

It also looks for excellence in the following five AITSL Principal Standard areas:

• leading teaching and learning,
• leading improvement, innovation and change,
• leading the management of an organisation, engaging and
• working with the educational, wider community. 

The only Fellowship awarded this year, was awarded to Helen Spencer whose citation and nomination specifics detail an impressive history of educational contributions that extend beyond St Mary’s College. Again, I think it may warrant a longer article for those wanting to read more about this.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

The siren blows – we glance at the scoreboard

With the mid-year mark now upon us, the formality of that snapshot of progress that we are so familiar with, otherwise known as ‘reports’, flashes to the top of the pile of information coming parents’ way in these final weeks of term.

However, as you have been made aware, St Mary’s College is trying to ease away from the term ‘report’ and towards what it more truly reflects. Hence the name change: ‘Mid-year Assessment Statement’.

I think this round of statements marks an important pedagogical shift in the terrain of home/school communication about learning. It is like the siren at the half-way mark, where we look at the scoreboard, yet the best part has been watching the game to this point. I am thinking it is like the sport our children play when they first begin in the Junior School, where the emphasis is on coaching the children as they learn the game (in some early games the score is not even kept. Similarly, we don’t give A–E overall ratings in the early years at St Mary’s College).

In our situation, the feedback teachers have been giving along the way to students, or the snapshots of learning to parents of our early years students, have been the important ways of finding out how your child is doing so far. This has removed the need for another summary of student achievement from the subject teacher. Hence, you will not find any subject comments on this statement.

It is our hope that you will keep all this in mind as you look at the Assessment Statement. This should be a quick look at how your child is going in line with the overarching Australian Curriculum. But for the real depth of information, the feedback that has been given along the way provides a much richer source of information.

Learning conferences will also provide families with an import opportunity to engage further with their child’s teacher(s) early in Term 3 to establish further goals and areas for focus in the latter part of the year.

So, as you possibly pause and seek the information statement that can be accessed through your SEQTA Engage account, I hope the break at this half-way point gives you a chance to reflect with your child around their progress, their goals and their moving forward towards continual improvement and learning. We look forward to continuing the learning journey with you and your children in the second half of the year.

Please contact our office staff if you have any issues with accessing your SEQTA Engage account.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Easy is boring – challenging is interesting

This was one of the key messages James Nottingham, international educator, author and influencer in education, had to share with St Mary’s College staff on our recent staff Professional Learning Day.

James was talking about the concept of ‘student choice’. In life, and particularly in the classroom, we give our students a lot of choice. It may be about how to demonstrate something, what topic to investigate, who to work with, or any number of other factors. However, research tells us that giving students choices does not necessarily equate to better learning outcomes. Because what can tend to happen, according to James, is that, given a choice, students pick the familiar, or safe options.

We then spent a couple of hours looking at how we can set up learning environments that entice students to want to choose the ‘challenging’ path. How can we make the risk associated with failing the ‘challenge’ a more interesting and hence desirable path to choose in the first place?

Which path would you choose?

As a school, we are continuing to focus on resilience in our learning. We are working on challenging the unstated norms that result in students choosing the easy path because it’s easier to succeed and fit in with others’ expectations.

James left us inspired and keen to promote ‘challenging learning’ to our students. For learning how to fail, how to persevere and hopefully, ultimately succeed at something challenging, is a far more interesting approach to life-long learning.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

The future, inspired from the past

As our founding narrative story at St Mary’s is being echoed and celebrated throughout the life of the College, it is hard not to look through the lens of the founding Sisters, and celebrate their vision, and obedience to God’s call on their life, resulting in the amazing community and place of learning here today. 

I think it is impossible to think of learning today, and our purpose for educating in this setting, without seeing how our present is intertwined with the past seeds that have been planted by the many that have gone before us. Not just the founding Sisters, but the past teachers, principals and students, who collectively shape the outworking of the school’s Vision.

As we keenly anticipate the international speaker James Nottingham working with all staff this Friday (I’ll give an update in the next Fountain) about how we improve the learning for all students, this focus on the past gives us pause and appreciation for all we have to build on.

Our College’s Vision Statement spans change and contexts, and allows for us to grow and develop as an educational institution, aiming for the best possible outcomes for our students.

It states: ‘In a world of constant change, we the community strive to live the teachings of Jesus Christ within the Tradition of the Catholic Church, developing just and compassionate people who are resilient, responsible and informed, and ready to commit to society.’

So much of this Vision can be seen through the life of Nano Nagle and her legacy through the works of the Presentation Order.

The poet Raphael Consedine pens it eloquently with these words:

Woman of Hope:
In the face of fear, she chose to be daring,
In the face of anxiety, she chose to trust,
In the face of impossibility, she chose to begin.
To universal misery, she proposed ministry to persons;
To ignorance, knowledge;
To disillusionment, tenacity of purpose;
And to multiple vexations, singleness of heart.
Faced with failure, she held fast to hope;
Faced with death, she believed in a living future;
A programme for the future she gave in one word:
Love.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

There’s more to ‘giftedness’ than a high IQ score

Having a number is easy. It makes for easy comparisons of its value. The only trouble with measuring giftedness is that there has been a century or more of changing and challenging views on what we can identify as concrete skills to test for, and how we test for them. IQ as a measure of giftedness is but a poor measure on its own.

The concept of giftedness is broader than just a score on an IQ test. Researchers such as Gardner, Sternberg, Torrance or Renzulli have challenged and exposed the many possibilities for categorising and identifying giftedness, illuminating concepts of intelligence around specific domains or involving creativity. Another academic, Tannenbaum, presents the concept of giftedness being a measure of what is valued by a culture in its own context.

Even if there were such a test for these widening views of giftedness, there are also other contributing factors to consider, such as motivation and opportunity for development.

Giftedness is more than just a number; if only it could be that simple. Humans connect and interact with this world, managing a diverse mix of multiple contexts, relationships and variables that constantly demand flexibility in the way we adopt, create and explore further. Expecting a score to define those that can excel in this world is an unrealistic and unfair construct akin to judging a top chef on only one particular type of dish without any consideration for his/her specialty areas of cuisine, or the kitchen and equipment at hand.

There is definitely a lot more to giftedness than just the score on an IQ test.

References:

Sternberg, R. J., Jarvin, L., & Grigorenko, E. (2011). Explorations in giftedness. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Subotnik, R. F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F. C. (2018). Talent development as the most promising focus of giftedness and gifted education: American Psychological Association.

Tannenbaum, A. J. (2009). Defining, determining, discovering and developing excellence. In J. Renzulli, E. Gubbins, K. McMillen, R. Eckert, & C. Little (Eds.), Systems and models for developing programs for the gifted and talented. Mansfield Centre, CT: Creative Learning Press.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Changes ahead in the way students receive feedback about their learning

Professor John Hattie’s meta-analysis of more than 1000 education research studies highlights the single most important strategy a teacher can use to enhance student achievement is to provide effective feedback.

Beginning this year, St Mary’s College will be utilising a system of providing timely feedback to students and parents in Year 3 to 12 through ‘Parent Engage’ (and ‘Student Learn’ for students). Parents of Prep-Year 2 students will also receive feedback through the program ‘SeeSaw’.

In Year 3-12, the information for your daughter is live and added to by subject teachers with each successive assessment task. This provides a comprehensive view of an individual student’s learning, achievements and areas to be addressed across an academic year for parents, students and teachers to view.

Information about how this will work for parents, and the changes you will see reflected in the school reports, will be explained as a part of the relevant Parent Information Evenings being run in the first few weeks of the school year (as mentioned in the newsletter).

Follow-up sessions and tutorials will be run each term. Information about future events will be promoted in the school newsletter.

I look forward to seeing parents at each respective session and explaining how St Mary’s College will be implementing this process. I expect and hope it will enable parents to become more connected and aware about the learning their child is experiencing and be in an even stronger partnership with their child’s teachers to help facilitate learning.

I am keen to see the positive impact that improved feedback processes are going to have on student learning at St Mary’s College, and will welcome your insights on how it impacts the development of your child’s learning in the years to come.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Going ‘One pace beyond’

Do you know a staff member (any teacher, support staff, office staff or maintenance staff) of St Mary’s that epitomises our tag line of ‘One pace beyond’?

Would you like to contribute to encouraging that person by letting them know that you do notice the way they are supporting your child?

I am collecting short examples from students, staff and parents on any staff member at our College, and intend to display these excerpts in our Teachers’ Learning Hub as a wall of people going ‘One pace beyond’.

If you have an example of a St Mary’s College employee who goes above and beyond in their duty, I would love to have your contribution added to our collection. The writers will remain anonymous.

Please send it to me via email at tgrist@smc.tas.edu.au

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Learning, by itself, is not education

Learning, by itself, is not education.

I read this recently in the book ‘Education to Better Their World’ by Marc Prensky. He is questioning the oft held notion, that ‘learning to learn’ is the most important skill students can develop. Promoting instead, that the primary skill to build in our students is ‘accomplishing’. Not just to ‘learn how’ to accomplish something, but rather to actually do it.

Everyone learns as they go through life, however, not everyone accomplishes. Prensky states, ‘the primary goal of education should be real, world-improving accomplishment, with learning as an enabling skill’ (p.19).

I think this view resonates well with teachers at St Mary’s College. We are challenged as educators, not to focus solely on learning as the goal of our students’ educational experiences, but to foster opportunities for real-world accomplishments, where hopefully, one day their accomplishments will be aiming towards improving their world.

In terms of what this looks like at school, it might be the persuasive writing, that is presented as a speech to the class, or the presentation skills developed through a multimedia resource, or an expression of an individual point of view through artistic forms.

There are many accomplishment opportunities teachers work towards facilitating for students at St Mary’s, aiming to produce autonomous and confident individuals who will one day take to a stage beyond the safe walls of the classroom or home.

We look forward to seeing and hearing about their accomplishments and watching the world our young people will shape for themselves in the future.

The following text was referenced in the preparation of this article:

Prenksky, M. (2017) Education to Better Their World. Moorabbin: Hawker Brownlow

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Learning how to learn

Teachers working together in the ‘Learning Hub’

Proving is good, but improving is better

This was a phrase I picked up at a recent conference by international educator, James Nottingham. What James was talking about is how we measure learning. There is no point praising the student for great results or 10/10 on a spelling test if that student could already easily attain that type of result. Otherwise we continue to reinforce the idea that getting the right answer is all that matters. In doing so, we reduce the need or desire for that child to stretch, struggle, take risks, or experience potential failure as they try something new.

What we need to be remembering is that learning anything is a continuum for everyone. We need to know where we are, not where we are in contrast to our friend, or the rest of the class, or even the rest of the year group across our state or nation. It doesn’t matter whether I know more or less than you, what does matter is that I am learning.

Praise the progress your child is making, look back at work done earlier in the year, look at how their understanding has improved and praise that progress. The measure or ‘grade’ assigned at the end of the process does not give the true indication of learning. Hence, ‘proving is good, but improving is better’.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

What did you learn today?

Have you ever considered nominating a teacher for a teaching award?

Teaching is such a multifaceted job. There is always so much to consider, from knowing the subject matter to be covered, the expectations for meeting standards, how to sequence learning, ways to make the content relevant, how to cater for those students who are already confident, or those that need support, understanding different dynamics of learning, who will benefit from scaffolding and support for work, maintaining a good pace and giving reminders, through to special events, excursions, reports, displays, notices, helping students manage conflict or stress, and so it goes on.

I know that we have amazing and talented teachers at St Mary’s College doing a fantastic job balancing all these things and more. One way parents can show their appreciation for the work teachers are doing in their children’s lives is to consider nominating a teacher for a teaching award.

Currently, ASG is promoting its annual ‘National Excellence in Teaching Awards’, offering an opportunity for parents to show their support for any teaching staff. If you are interested in nominating a teacher or finding out more about this particular award, visit https://neita.awardsplatform.com/

The feeling of encouragement by just receiving a nomination cannot be underestimated, and can really build confidence and promote the teaching and learning across a whole school.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

Teachers as learners

As a College community, we place a high value on providing a broad and varied range of learning opportunities for our students. We are a vibrant learning community, and each and every day we are facilitating a huge range of activities for our students to participate in. Not only do we actively promote a Growth Mindset for our students, our teachers also see themselves as continual learners; they always seek new ways to learn and to grow as professionals and as practitioners.

A Student Free Day was held last Tuesday that provided all staff with a variety of targeted opportunities for this kind of development. These included moderation meetings for teachers of Senior Secondary classes across all subject areas, enabling them to meet with teachers from other schools in order to exchange ideas, as well as compare and align student work expectations and evaluation standards in preparation for the external marking that will occur later in the year.

We also welcomed a guest speaker, Doug Williams, who presented mathematics sessions throughout the day for our teachers from K-12, and our teacher assistants to Year 6. These sessions focused on how we can teach in a way that will meet the requirements of the mathematics curriculum while at the same time also bringing our students to a point where they can themselves adopt the thinking patterns and work approaches of a mathematician. 

Days like last Tuesday also provide the opportunity for teacher reflection, and for shared conversations around planning, evaluation and other aspects of student learning. Whether it be in an informal, five-minute discussion between two members of staff, or in a formal presentation, our aspirations of ‘teachers as learners’ are being lived out – and that commitment to lifelong learning is the reason we are all here.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)

What is Pedagogy?

Pedagogy is a term not so commonly used outside of the education sphere; although it is very relevant to the way schools develop and operate, parents may not have come across the word before. A dictionary definition will tell you that pedagogy is the method and practice of teaching. I like to think of pedagogy as how we lead or guide someone to a place where they can learn something for themselves.

Research on student learning shows that when teachers focus collaboratively on improving their pedagogy, student outcomes improve. My role focuses on this as I endeavour to work with all the teachers across the College; helping them focus on being reflective teachers through the use of resources such as the National Professional Standards for Teachers, encouraging participation in quality professional development, facilitating teacher review processes and looking for ways to improve the teaching and learning experiences at SMC, with the aim to improve student outcomes.

Something I recently read about was Ubuntu, which is a traditional African philosophy that gives an understanding of us as human beings in relation to the rest of the world. It is sometimes summarised to mean ‘I am who I am, because of who we all are’. For me this has quite powerful connotations when thinking about how we as educators at SMC are all connected; together we can support each other in improving our practice. We are all committed to improving the way we lead the young people in our College to learn and engage meaningfully with the world around them.

Tameika Grist
Director of Pedagogy (K-12)