Principal's Desk
Learning from the Best — Reflections from the Principals' Conference
One of the things I genuinely look forward to each year is the chance to step away from the daily rhythm of school life and spend time thinking deeply about teaching and learning alongside school leaders from across the state. This year's Principals' Conference in Melbourne did not disappoint, and Brendan and I came away feeling energised, inspired, and more excited than ever about the direction we are heading at Park Ridge Primary School.
I wanted to share a little about three of the speakers who really stood out for me, because their ideas connect directly to what we are doing in our classrooms every day and what your children experience as learners.
Dr Carl Hendrick — What Really Works in the Classroom
Dr Carl Hendrick is a former classroom teacher who has spent years studying the gap between what popular teaching trends tell us to do and what the research actually shows works for students. He is a widely respected author and speaker whose thinking has influenced educators across Australia and beyond.
What struck me most about his session was how practical and honest it was. Dr Hendrick talks about things like how students actually store and retrieve information, why keeping kids busy does not always mean they are learning, and how good teaching is far more deliberate and purposeful than it might look from the outside. As a parent myself, I found it reassuring to hear that the approaches underpinning great teaching are grounded in decades of research into how the brain learns and not passing fads or trends.
Dr Nathaniel Swain — Explicit Teaching and What It Means for Your Child
Dr Nathaniel Swain is a Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University and one of Victoria's leading voices on evidence informed teaching. He has been working closely with the Department of Education on what is known as the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0, which is essentially the state's framework for what great teaching looks like in every classroom.
The heart of this model is something called explicit teaching and despite the technical name, the idea is simple. It means teachers clearly explain what students are going to learn and why, show them how to do it, check regularly that students understand, and give them supported practice before expecting them to work independently.
For us at Park Ridge, this is not new territory. Explicit teaching is already at the core of what our teachers do, and it was wonderful to have that approach validated so strongly at a state level.
Dr Simon Breakspear — Leading Schools Well
Dr Simon Breakspear is one of those speakers who manages to leave a room full of school principals both challenged and motivated at the same time. He holds a PhD from Cambridge and has worked with school leaders and education systems across the world, but what makes him stand out is that he never loses sight of the human side of schools.
His session focused on what it really takes to lead meaningful, lasting improvement in a school and his message was clear. The schools that keep getting better are not the ones with the most elaborate plans. They are the ones with strong cultures, clear priorities, and leaders who are genuinely committed to supporting their teachers to grow. He talked about the importance of creating the right conditions for learning, not just for students, but for the adults in a school community too.
Bringing it Back to Park Ridge
I share all of this not to overwhelm you with education theory, but because I think it matters for you to know that the approaches shaping your child's learning are backed by genuine research and are being championed by some of the brightest minds in education right now.
We are not standing still at Park Ridge. We are always learning, always refining, and always looking for ways to do better by our students and our community.
Please feel free to pop in for a chat with either Carrie, Brendan or I, should you wish to discuss anything.
Our doors are always open!
Take care,
Mr. Dale Blythman