From the Principal 

Being delta blow 

We talk often about how repeated lockdowns are having a very great toll on our students, their continuity of learning and their sense of purpose and connection. We know that for many students their sense of wellbeing drops as they repeatedly reassess their preparedness to be hopeful for the days and weeks ahead.

We say, often, how grateful we are to our parents who are supporting their children through these times, stepping in to be proxy teachers and keeping the routines and expectations of school alive at home. I’m happy to say it again; “Thank You”. 

But I want to take this moment to encourage you to consider our teachers, the amazing team that they are, because unlike anywhere else, teaching at Preshil is an investment. 

In a school where relationships are so central, our teachers make a huge investment in each of the students in their care. This connection is central to all that they do, and part of the greatest reward of teaching at Preshil. Sharing the community in this way is warm, connected and occasionally surprising. But when we go to online school, our teachers lose much of this; they are disenfranchised just as the students are, and I know they are just a tiny bit heartbroken. 

Our teachers are invested in their teaching colleagues, and those professional relationships which support and invigorate each day. They miss each other, and the way that they can share a look or a concern or a strategy in the moment when it is needed. When we move to online learning, the welcome distraction of colleagues is all but lost.

Our teachers invest in the transaction of learning. Our classrooms are lively, filled with conversation and the sharing of ideas. In a classroom, giving feedback in the moment, and responding to a question when it is raised, is efficient and joyful, and a student’s response is confirming and gives teachers the spark of knowing that a job has been well done. This transaction provides the motivation and reward to keep giving. Online, this transaction takes longer, has little spontaneity, and happens without the knowing smile and nod. 

And our teachers invest in the beautiful creative and challenging learning experiences they design for our students. Taking time to curate and to offer learning which meets the interests and needs of our students is time-consuming, but much more so when you lose the spontaneity of creating and adapting that learning in a space together with the students' input. When we move to online learning, the co-creation of the learning experience is much diminished.

When we move to online learning, all of the positive feedback loops for our teachers are broken, and are replaced with a sense of uncertainty that arises from the very situation. They work tirelessly to create opportunities to connect with the students, but cameras are off and the students are not seen. They create and finesse learning tasks, and sometimes some are not attempted. They are present, and sometimes very few students are online to greet them. In a time of unending uncertainty, they are carrying the uncertainty for the students, the program and our families. And that’s a lot.

Preshil is what it is because of the teachers. They believe in our vision and they share our purpose. 

With 3-Way Conferences underway, I hope you find a moment to let our teachers know what an amazing job they are doing, and if you want to help make the online learning just that little bit more Preshil, maybe suggest that cameras are on. If only just to say, “Hi, I’m here.”

Cressida Batterham-Wilson

 Interim Principal 

cressida.batterham-wilson@preshil.vic.edu.au