Especially
for Co-ordinators - Supervision
Co-ordinating Professional Learning
Important
Principles
Running
Workshops
Professional Association Programs
Educational
Leaders’ Institute Programs
Important
Principles
Organising professional
learning for teachers is an essential role of the English co-ordinator.
Professional learning occurs through engagement in professional discourse,
familiarity with texts appropriate for use in English, involvement
in individual and collaborative action-learning and reflection, and
participation in a range of courses and workshops. The following principles
are important:
- plan for professional learning to
occur throughout the year, keeping in mind what is necessary and
reasonable;
- get to know the teachers in the
English team, so that professional learning can be tailored to
individual needs;
- ensure that there are regular opportunities
for school-based professional learning as well as professional
learning through outside sources, such as visiting speakers, system
providers and professional associations;
- identify the requirements of the
Department of Education and ensure that meeting these needs is
balanced with meeting the needs of the school and individual teachers;
- support the school’s priorities
(this will enable you to access funds);
- recognise, value and use the expertise
of teachers and encourage them to offer workshops and model strategies/ideas/approaches;
- have a long-term view of professional
learning - know what you would like to achieve over three years;
- develop your own skills in leading
professional learning by attendance at workshops and through professional
reading;
- balance subject specific professional
learning, such as the teaching of poetry with more generic teaching
and learning strategies, such as the use of co-operative
learning
- invite senior administrative people
in your school to professional learning sessions in English;
- be seen to value professional learning
and ensure that the administration allocates time and resources
for you to attend workshops, conferences, seminars, and meetings
- this is particularly important for co-ordinators in small or
isolated schools.
