Embedded Files
A Galilee School student chalk artwork focusing on "gratitude" during Gratitude Week in 2020
Background: My journey as an educator
I am a dedicated and passionate teacher with fourteen years experience across the primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. I began my teaching career in rural Western Australia teaching at St Luke’s High School in Karratha (far north) followed by Woodthorpe School in Cunderdin (wheatbelt region). Both of these schools had unusual student demographics and challenging social contexts that existed within the local communities. I then returned to Perth, WA where I taught English and Art at the Australian Islamic College before moving into tertiary education and alternative pathway program support with Canning College, Curtin University and Swinburne University. In 2014, I relocated to Canberra where I initially worked in learning support at the University of Canberra before teaching a variety of Tertiary, Accredited and Modified courses at UCSSC Lake Ginninderra. In 2017, I moved into a teaching / transitions and curriculum coordination role at Communities@Work Galilee School before successfully applying for a promotion to Senior Secondary College Coordinator in November 2019. I returned to a teaching focused role at the end of 2020.
Galilee School is a Year 7-12 school (the first cohort of Year 11 commenced in 2021) that offers a supportive and flexible learning program that aims to meet the individual needs of each student. The school is the only special assistance school currently in the ACT region and employs a team of skilled teachers, youth workers and other support staff who are able to support students (current enrolment numbers are at approximately 65 students in Years 7-11) presenting with a diverse range of learning abilities and social-emotional needs. Teaching staff successfully deliver a quality education that is aligned with the Australian Curriculum and ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies and is modified to meet the needs of the individual as outlined in each student’s Individualised Learning Plan - the school strongly supports a ‘stage not age’ curriculum approach.
My varied teaching experience has allowed me to teach across a variety of subject areas and ages leading me to develop a strong understanding of the need to be flexible and adaptive in contemporary education. It has also enabled me to work with a wide variety of learners, providing me with the opportunity to develop an extensive repertoire of strategies for developing and delivering a meaningful and engaging program which was accessible to all the learners in my classroom. Through these experiences I found that I particularly connected with disengaged and vulnerable young people; this resulted in the development of my passionate commitment to support this specific demographic to access education in a supportive and trauma-informed environment. The unique learning environment that exists at Galilee School provides a range of opportunities for students to engage with their learning and to explore individual interests and passions while improving social and emotional capabilities. To increase the education and employment opportunities for students, the school also provides training, skill development and job ready support for students transitioning to the workforce or to further educational opportunities. Students leave the school with a heightened sense of respect for themselves and for others as well as having increased levels of self-confidence. The school seeks to inspire young people to realise their full potential by developing and utilising their unique talents and capabilities and by aiding students to find a sense of purpose and value in themselves as productive and worthwhile members of our community. This portfolio consists of evidence collected since 2017 in my various teaching, leading and executive roles at Galilee School.
Professional Knowledge: Standards 1 and 2
Since commencing at Galilee School, I have taught a variety of learning areas across Years 7-11 including English, Digital Technologies, Work Studies, Science, STEM and Connected Learning. I introduced a low stakes writing program at the Year 10 campus which is now incorporated into practice with Year 7-10 and led staff support for the use of different ICT tools in their learning programs. In addition to this, I developed a successful work experience program for Year 10 students as well as worked with the school executive to develop an overarching transition program model that encompasses all stages of each student’s journey into, through, and out of the school. As a dedicated teacher I am passionate about teaching and learning; I set high expectations of both behaviour and engagement in learning for all students and visitors in my classroom (see lesson observations, performance reviews). Visitors to my classroom can expect to see a range of differentiated teaching and learning strategies in place that cater to the significant variety of needs and academic levels evident within the Galilee School student cohort. Alongside the innovative learning taking place in my classroom, I am constantly looking for ways to improve student engagement whether it be through attending professional learning, collaboration with my peers or seeking feedback from other specialists within my classroom including youth workers and external networks (Artefacts 1, 4, 5, 12).
Students work on differentiated and individualised learning materials with a teacher or support worker in small classes. The school aims to maintain a staffing ratio of 1:5 during classes.
A significant part of my role at Galilee School from 2017-2019 included working with families, students and external organisations to transition students after their completion of Year 10 into further education, training or employment pathways. From the start of 2020, transition planning for Year 10 students took a slightly different shape as I worked with the young people and their support networks to determine if the potential curriculum offerings from Galilee School Senior Secondary College were likely to be a good fit for them or if another pathway was more appropriate. The individual education needs of all students at the school are met via a flexible support model that is learner centred, strengths based, relationship driven, culturally responsive and restorative. The program provided by Galilee School builds and develops long-term resilience and resourcefulness in the young people attending the school while also meeting the student at their level. The educational programs I have delivered in Years 7-11 often see young people experiencing success in education in ways that they have not previously experienced within the mainstream education system (lesson observations, Artefacts 1, 4-6, 9-13).
Hands on subjects are very popular with students including Timber Products, Construction and Hospitality.
Professional Practice: Standards 3, 4 and 5
My ability to build strong and respectful relationships with students and manage challenging behaviour is an area that I have been commended on by executive staff and colleagues (lesson observations, performance management, artefact 6). I have successfully taught and differentiated for students with a range of physical, social and intellectual needs who come from diverse and varied backgrounds (artefact 1). Since commencing at Galilee School, I have welcomed and supported students into my classes who have various diagnosed and imputed disabilities including cerebral palsy, cognitive dysfunction, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, dissociative identity disorder, mental illness and backgrounds of significant trauma. I am successful in building immediate and ongoing rapport with students which enables them to experience individual success and a feeling of belonging within my classroom. I developed detailed risk management plans and implement a variety of approaches in my classroom to ensure at risk students are supported to engage and participate in an inclusive environment (lesson observations, artefacts 1, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15). I also successfully support students to engage in their learning using a variety of verbal and non-verbal classroom management approaches and am constantly modelling and sharing these approaches - the successes and the challenges - with other staff (lesson observations, artefacts 1, 9, 11, 14, 15). As a result of the range of educational strategies I have at my disposal, I am able to differentiate my lessons to be both engaging and accessible to each student regardless of the complex outside factors that may be impacting on their education or well-being at any given time (artefacts 2, 9, lesson observations).
Although accurate data collection in a trauma informed context can be challenging, I assess student learning consistently using a variety of methods including ACER Progress Achievement Testing (PAT), WARP, class discussions, portfolio assessment, self-evaluations, learning journals and goal tracking (lesson observations, artefacts 1-3, 5, 6, 9, 13). I regularly provide personalised and targeted feedback to students on their learning and this feedback assists students to both engage in further learning and create small and achievable learning goals to work towards. I work with my colleagues to provide support around different ways to interpret student data and use this information alongside formative assessment to make consistent and comparable judgements within a differentiated learning program (artefacts 1-9, 12-15). This means that when writing reports and sharing information with parents, I assist my colleagues to make objective and fair statements based on evidence and share information in accessible ways (artefacts 1, 4, 5, 7-9, 12, 13).
Professional Engagement: Standards 6 and 7
In my role as Senior College Coordinator, I worked with the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS), the school executive and the Communities@Work Board to develop a boutique selection of curriculum offerings for prospective college students as well as developing the necessary policies and procedures to support the registration of a senior college within the school (artefacts 7, 8). As an experienced teacher and mentor to staff, I actively seek opportunities to collaborate with my colleagues and model effective methods of programming, assessing and teaching and support engagement in professional learning to support individual growth (artefacts 1, 4-6, 9-15). This collaboration ensures teaching programs and assessments are of the highest quality, new research-based initiatives are welcomed and supported and that our professional practice continues to model best practice within a trauma informed environment.
Students develop strong friendships over their time at the school and often demonstrate strong peer learning support during classes
I use planning meetings, informal ‘corridor conversations’, digital resource development, formal presentations and email discussions to mentor and support less experienced teachers (as well as pre-service teachers) and to assist them with their planning, assessment, classroom practice and interactions with families (artefacts 1, 4-6, 9-15). Within team meetings, the teaching and learning team regularly discuss problems of practice and brainstorm possible solutions; I am a confident contributor within these discussions and model appropriate critical and constructive feedback methods (artefact 4). I have also supported the school executive team, along with all other members of the school staff, to build their understanding around Years 11-12 in the ACT as the school begins to deliver education at these year levels (artefacts 7,8,12,13). Across my varying roles within the school, I have worked extensively with outside organisations, community groups, parents/carers and other networks (lesson observations, artefacts 5, 9-11).
Prior to working at Galilee School, I lectured in MTeach and BEd programs at Swinburne University and I was also the coordinator for pre-service teacher placements at UCSSC Lake Ginninderra. I have always had a deep commitment to supporting the next generation of educators to flourish in their practice. Galilee School is a challenging environment for even the most experienced educators, therefore it is not common practice for the school to take on pre-service teachers, however we do take on youth and social worker students who I engage with in a professional support role. I also actively work with the Head of Teaching and Learning to reach out to schools and support their pre-service teachers with developing a better understanding of how trauma-informed teaching can improve their professional practice.
Galilee School's Kambah campus for Years 7-9 is based at the Westwood Farm (run by Lions Youth Haven) and students often use the open areas and visiting with the animals to help self-regulate. During 2022, the Senior Secondary building will also be completed at this campus.
Concluding statement
My work with vulnerable youth is enriched through working with my colleagues, learning from them and contributing to their practice. I recognise that young people learn in different ways and at different rates; I have a strong personal and professional commitment to helping them grow their capacity as learners and become positive members of the community.
Further information about Communities@Work Galilee School can be found at the website: https://www.commsatwork.org/services/community/galilee-school/
And at the school Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/GalileeSchool/
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