KOOWEERUP+SECINDARY+COLLEGE

Kooweerup Secondary College is located on the rapidly approaching outskirts of south east Melbourne, 18kms south of Pakenham and just off the South Gippsland Highway. We currently have over 950 students. We have been growing rapidly in the last few years and expect to have over 1000 students next year. The majority of our students come to school on buses from a wide area including Pakenham, Pearcedale, Grantville and Tooradin. Hence we have a wide number of feeder Primary Schools.

Well it's 2011 and we are waiting for confirmation of census but it appears that we now have enrollment over 1100, so we continue to rapidly expand.

There is such an eclectic mix of old and new at this school. After arriving last year near the end of Term 1 as part of the 'new' as a National Partnerships Teaching and Learning Coach, I have learnt an incredible amount in such a short space of time. My learning ranges through areas of leadership, new school administration and daily running, secondary/primary school differences, coaching and English/Literacy.

Here are some thoughts as our course nears its completion.


 * I used to think **..of coaching in terms of a consultant/coaching role and felt competent that the years of my experience and the depth of my knowledge would enable me to work well in such a role. I also used to think that ‘coaching’ was a role that fit neatly into a bag. Now I see how multifaceted and flexible the role needs to be and that bag needs to carry many tools. Just as Mary Poppins was able to pull many tricks of the trade from her bag, I’ll need to do the same. I’ll need to be well resourced and practical, but not necessarily perfect!!

Coaching is about keeping a line of vision to the students but knowing the context of not only those learners but the context of my colleagues and the context of the school. It’s about knowing a teacher’s entry point in the context of their journey but also in the whole school context. When change is necessary, it’s about having the evidence to enable a cognitive shift and a move forward. Evidence is so crucial as a motivator and comes in many different formats, from data to research. To facilitate change, coaches need to position their teachers to ‘buy in’ with their own ‘agency’ and to see that the reason for change is genuine and will make a real difference, rather than just being another government initiative or mandate.
 * Now I think... ** a lot in terms of Gordan’s Skill Ladder, from being unconsciously unskilled to unconsciously skilled. Being at the top rung where you are unconsciously skilled is not enough, you need to be able to articulate your knowledge and skills in order utilise them in any role of coaching. Coaching is a lot about your leadership capacity and about being the ‘change agent’. There are many models for this and for me, it’s about that steep learning curve where you constantly reflect upon what works for you.

A reflective Journal will follow...

PS- Can anyone help me work out how to edit my typo on my school name on the left side?