Teaching and Learning in the Senior School
In our Classrooms
2020 promises to be a year of change and challenge in teaching and learning, as we move in to forging some new directions that will reinforce our educational mission with young people. In our strategic priority for ‘A Learning-Centred College’, we undertake that by 2022:
Learning and teaching will be the core focus of the College. Learning opportunities for students will be built on a contemporary, student-centred and evidence-based learning framework which equips students to be aspirational, independent in their learning, and to strive for excellence. Teaching will be built on collaborative, contemporary practices which engage and inspire students, further developing them to be graduates ready to successfully take their place in a changing world.
This all requires our students to be focused on their learning here and now, but with an eye to the possibilities of the future. Our teachers take seriously this responsibility to help our students prepare for whatever may be ahead and we are looking forward to the opportunity to further reflect on how we can best achieve this.
At the same time, it is important to recognise and continue the many great things we already do to enrich the lives of our students. For the next few newsletters, I’d like to turn our attention to the great work of our teachers, with a focus on some prominent successes in the 2019 HSC class.
This week I’d like to introduce you to Mrs Michelle Gardiner:
Michelle has been the English Coordinator at St Greg’s for 5 years now. Under her care, and supported by a great English faculty, our English students have consistently performed strongly against the state in HSC examinations. More importantly, as an English teacher Michelle has inspired and engaged our young men in the classroom. One such young man was our 2019 College Captain and Dux, Marcus Bombardiere.
With Michelle’s guidance, Marcus was able to capitalise on his abilities and achieve HSC results in Advanced English that warrant significant recognition; out of 25,277 NSW students who sat the Advanced English HSC paper, Marcus ranked 19th! In the wee hours of HSC results morning, Michelle received a jubilant message from Marcus, through which he recognised her contribution to helping him reach such success.
When I asked Marcus to jot down a couple of ‘dot-points’ to summarise what he most valued about Michelle’s teaching, he ignored me and wrote a few paragraphs instead! He was feeling what he said Michelle created for everyone in her classes; valued and respected. He went on to describe how much effort she put into her students:
The amount of additional marking, emailing, reading and feedback she completed and provided ensured that those students who sought to push themselves were provided the opportunity to do so. Not only would I send her essay responses, but poetry for competitions, creative pieces, and all manner of writing, which she happily received. Her passion for fostering the artist within those students willing to open up that side of themselves was crucial in our development as English students and as people. Additionally, she sought out students requiring extra support regularly, ensuring they too could maintain the pace and achieve their best.
Marcus further identified how Michelle created a “dynamic learning environment” for her students as she delivered lessons that engaged them in a range of modes. Marcus described a teacher who loves her subject, loves her students and works hard for their benefit.
Michelle told me a bit about why she became a teacher and what it means to her, and her comments resonate very nicely with what Marcus said of her. Michelle had LOVED English at school and university, and knew she wanted to do more; “more reading, more writing, and more engaging with literature”. Importantly, she was inspired by her own English teachers, who made her enjoy the subject and challenged her to work harder to extend herself. She particularly recognises the influence of her Senior English teacher, Miss Thomas, who “lived and breathed” English. Michelle continued:
I thought that would be an honourable way to spend my life as well. A day spent reading and writing is a good one – as an English teacher you get to do that every day! [I’ve continued teaching because] I feel that I am able to use my own skills to develop the skills of others. I enjoy the positive relationships I am able to foster with the young people in my care. I love seeing my students learn new things. The best affirmation is when they also come to appreciate the value of English as a subject.
Marcus was fortunate to have had Michelle guide him on his HSC English journey, and I know Michelle in turn felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Marcus and his peers in her classroom.
I look forward to sharing many more stories of successful teacher and student collaborations in future newsletters.
Mrs Louise Millar
Director of Teaching and Learning