Good Shepherd Lutheran College - case study

Case study – Good Shepherd Lutheran College Elsabe Bott, Deputy Principal, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - Right from the very first interview with staff, we talk with them about the schools mission statement, and the values of the school and through that I guess imply or talk explicitly about what we’re looking for in a staff member. We also talk at that point as well about professional learning, professional learning plans, about our expectations around teachers in terms of that as well. Rachel Boyce, Principal, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - A challenge that we face here is definitely around staffing and it’s about getting high quality staff with experience to come in. We are very good here at forming teachers and giving them the opportunity to grow and develop. Elsabe Bott, Deputy Principal, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - So often for me it starts with a conversation and that conversation might be also about have you thought about applying for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher. Darren Boyce, Head of Positive Education, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - Coaching has become a real lynch pin and a real tool in how we build staff capacity for wellbeing. We have a very distinctly strengths-based approach which recognizes that everyone has abilities that they are most effective at using, and so we seek out what those strengths are and provide opportunities for people to use them. We spend a lot of time talking about social, emotional learning and constructing social learning environments for kids, the exact same applies for staff and that the culture we create as an organization is going to be the one that they reflect in the classroom. Dean Cummins, Head of Senior Years, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - For this cross country race we’re going to make it into a health expo so, we’re going to actually involve and invite in physios, we’re going to invite in people that work in mental health to put on a bit of a showcase of what they offer. So, any little thing that like a school might normally do, we try and actually put a little more emphasis on the community. Lynne Pokela, Head of Junior School, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - I try and meet with our staff, the teachers, about once a term just to see how they’re travelling, any concerns in their classrooms and things that I can be doing to support them so that’s a time to be having one on one feedback with the staff as well. Elsabe Bott, Deputy Principal, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - In terms of HALT I’m often the person who taps people on the shoulder and makes the suggestion to them that they might consider looking at it. People have often come to talk to me about the fact that they would like to be involved in HALT and talk it through. Rachel Scott, Learning Area Coordinator and HALT, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - One of the main things I got out of it was identifying my philosophy for teaching so, what I deem as important and why I do what I do. And it was really useful going through the process to see that, whilst in my own practice not everything has gone to plan and has been perfect along the road, it didn’t take away the capabilities that I had. My ambitions and my goals of wanting to achieve as a professional had sort of gone under the radar, going through the HALT process now has actually grown me professionally to be seen as somebody that's capable of supporting and leading staff. Elsabe Bott, Deputy Principal, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - People are often really unaware of their own abilities and their own potential and they’ll get surprised if you tap them on the shoulder and say, have you thought about applying for a Highly Accomplished. For me, the HALT has been more about nurturing potential. Sarah Davis, HALT Preschool Teacher, Good Shepherd Lutheran College - I would say that it’s made me feel a lot more confident in my level because its proving to me, as I find the evidence, that yes this is the level that I am working at.