The Teach the Teacher Program is designed to develop students’ personal leadership, communication and problem solving skills. Students have the opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer teaching and learning and build on their strengths to develop:

• an understanding of student voice and representation
• an greater understanding of teaching and learning
• their potential to be leaders through a student-led professional learning session
• their own unique approach to leadership
• an increased understanding of their personal strengths and skills
• effective communication skills
• a willingness to create a more inclusive school culture

Students had meetings throughout the year where they worked on data collected from last year and information gathered from teachers at the Teach the Teacher staff professional development undertaken last year and made decisions on what their focus would be moving forward.

Students found that the issue of approachability was an important one to raise with students and staff. In an effort to find out more around this issue, students conducted staff and student surveys to look into student-teacher rapport. All teachers who completed the survey said they felt they were approachable but our students thought differently and gave ideas on how they feel their teachers could become more approachable. The Teach the Teacher group then did their own research and found that students value authentic teachers. Research told them that authentic teachers were seen as approachable, passionate, attentive, capable, and knowledgeable, while inauthentic teachers were viewed as unapproachable, lacking passion, inattentive, incapable.

Students then presented their data and research to the staff this year at a Professional Development afternoon and discussed ways teachers can become more approachable to reduce the gap between students and teachers. Students not only organised this afternoon, they worked collaboratively to bring their work together and all took an equal part in presenting and facilitating table group discussions with teachers. The event was highly successful with both teachers and students feeling more connected and students particularly feeling better developed in their public speaking skills and confidence.

Through the Teach the Teacher program we have recognised the importance of listening to the students and their thoughts on how to continue to develop positive relationships within the school community. Students not only feel that their voices are being heard but that action is being taken. The Teach the Teacher program will continue next year and we hope to involve more students in the conversation.