Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Emmaleen Oakley
Assistant Principal
2020 - A year of learning innovation.
It's hard to believe the school year is coming to an end. Although 2020 has not been a traditional school year, it has truly been a time of innovation and inspiration, with teachers being forced to think outside the box in regards to their practice. Delivering almost half of the school year online is not something we would ever have conceived we would need to do when we were training to be teachers. Nor would we have thought we would have the resources or the ability to switch from one mode of learning to the other so quickly.
But we did it, and we did it well. Thanks to amazing software programs like SeeSaw, Google and WebEx, our children were able to still engage in their education in spite of a world wide pandemic. As educators and parents we discovered talents and expertise in ourselves and in our students in the world of ICT. As adults we muddled through online meetings, forgot to unmute ourselves and forgot to turn our cameras off during some unflattering moments. Our children saw us laugh at some of these embarrassing moments, be vulnerable in front of our colleagues, learn from our mistakes and try again next time.
These mistakes we made, and the way we dealt with them were really important lessons for our children to see. Some children come to school and are afraid to make mistakes. However, good learners NEED to make mistakes. We don't learn much when we get things perfect the first time. Usually the most valuable lessons are the ones that are the most painful (metaphorically), so when students have to try and fail a few times before they get something right they will learn the most. This process builds emotional resilience in learners, empowers them to try more challenging tasks, and pushes themselves to learn more.
VCAL Mock Interviews
Every year our VCAL students participate in Mock job interviews as part of their VCAL Work Related Skills outcomes. The students must dress for a job interview and prepare as if they were applying for employment with a real employer. The Principal Class Team, Michelle Zammit, Mark Taylor and Karen Glare were privileged with the task of interviewing the students.
It was lovely to see the students in their best clothes including some very sharp suits and ties. There was no hand shaking due to social distancing but we managed with some elbow tapping! All of the VCAL students had excellent eye contact and had prepared and rehearsed their answers to the questions we asked. It was a great opportunity to get to know the students better and help them prepare for life after school.
2021 Tutor Initiative
We know that the remote learning experience was different for every student. While some students thrived, some students may not have engaged as fully with remote learning. For most of our students, regular high-quality teaching in 2021 will be enough to help them progress to the expected level of learning. Some students will benefit from additional intensive learning support in 2021.
As you may be aware, in response to this, the Victorian Government is investing $250 million in the Tutor Learning Initiative to enable schools across Victoria to engage around 4,100 teachers as tutors in 2021 to support students who need extra assistance with their learning. Schools will determine how this initiative is best implemented for their students and will ensure that students will get this support in a way that minimises disruptions to other learning or school activities.
By engaging additional teachers to support children with intensive learning, classroom teachers will have greater capacity to ensure that all other students’ achievement, engagement and wellbeing needs are met, so that all students receive the support they need in 2021.
Further information about the Tutor Learning Initiative, and how it will be implemented for students who need individual learning support in our school, will be issued before students begin tutoring in 2021.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I hope you all have the relaxing break you deserve after a chaotic and unpredictable 2020. I am looking forward to working with all of the JSA families and getting to know you better next year, now restrictions are easing and we can have people back on site.