102098 Contemporary Teacher Leadership – Assignment 2

Assignment 2 – Part 1: Group Task Video Showcase

YouTube URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD7HU5-yqxA&feature=youtu.be
Group: Tuesday 6PM Team A
Tutor: Troy Neale
Assignment 2 – Part 2: Individual Critical Reflection

This critical reflection will outline my understanding of the unit and the role of a teacher. It

will reference two main ideas: The importance of change and group collaboration. The

positive and negative aspects of the group work will also be discussed. Reference will be

made to relevant literature that was viewed throughout the unit and how it impacted my

understanding of the professional nature of teaching.

One of the main ideas that I have taken away from this unit is the need for constant change

within the teaching profession and beyond. The quote: “Things do not change; we change”,

which was provided in the first week of the unit gives a great overview of why change is

necessary within the world of teaching (Thoreau, n.d.). It was furthered by the work of

Taylor & Klein (2015), who wrote about teachers as being ‘change agents’ within a school.

That is, not prescribing to the thought process that: “…I’m just a teacher” and only the

administration within a school can advocate for change (Colucci, 2013).

This is an extremely poignant point, as I believe it is vital that teachers remain aware that

they themselves can implement change. This idea is not only vital in a general sense but is

also a professional requirement of teachers. This is outlined in the Australian Professional

Standards for Teachers, with standard 6.4 requiring teachers to: “Apply professional

learning and improve student learning (Australian Institute for Teaching and School

Leadership, n.d.).

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102098 Contemporary Teacher Leadership – Assignment 2

A specific example of change within a classroom that stood out to me was the Lesson Study

article written by Hurd & Licciardo-Musso (2005). This article provided a specific example of

teachers reviewing and adapting their lessons to make improvements for the future. This

struck me, as it had been something that I had been doing without thinking whilst on past

professional practices. Within those we are encouraged to use a lesson plan template,

which allows us to reflect on past lessons and make appropriate changes.

It is important to note however that whilst teachers should focus on reflection and change

to improve the outcomes of students, this is not their only focus. Broemmel et al., (2015)

raised the concern that teachers should not be caught up with various forms of

management and that we should also consider our role as teacher leaders. The idea of

teachers being both reflexive practitioners and leaders seems like a daunting endeavour,

but it is essential to remember that this is part and parcel of the professional nature of

teaching.

Change and reflection are ideas that have been present throughout most of my experiences

on professional practice. Its importance is something that I will carry through with me upon

entering the professional world of teaching.

The ideas of change and reflection as discussed throughout the unit were put into practice

within the group task that was completed. Within this task, our group took an existing

program that was present in Crestwood high school and redesigned it to have a greater

emphasis on Social and Emotional Learning. This was targeted given the significant changes

high school students go through and the requirement for students to be given a strong

understanding of empathy, along with critical and creative thinking (Pink, 2005). The

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102098 Contemporary Teacher Leadership – Assignment 2

proposed changes were outlined to provide students with a greater array of skills to manage

the stresses of high school.

To signify its importance, the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (2015) identified

collaborative practices as a key component in high-performing schooling systems around

the world. Group collaboration and contribution was also central to the work of Broemmel

et al., (2015). They posit that for mentorships and professional organisation are key to

becoming a successful teacher leader. This is something that we actively participated in

within the group assessment, as we were constantly helping not only the project improve,

but also our own skills and knowledge. Like the way we experienced it within our group

project, Conway & Andrews (2016) stress the importance of community in establishing and

environment conducive of pedagogical enhancement. If we were to be successful as a

group, we must work in a collaborative manner with clear goals in mind.

The group project itself provided me with the opportunity to engage with my peers in a

professional manner, in a similar way that would occur within a school staffroom.

Collaboration was needed to create and improve upon the groups project, with clear

communication being needed to: organise meeting times, voice concerns for various

elements, share out opinions of other people’s work. One of the main challenges we faced

as a group was organising times to meet and discuss our progress. This was alleviated

however with the help of digital forms of communication, using Zoom, a collaborative

Google Document and messaging apps. Despite the challenges, it provided me with a great

insight of what is needed to work collaboratively within a professional environment, like

that of a school staffroom.

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Yet another challenge we faced initially was in deciding which year group we would target

first. This problem was caused by a lack of information we had access to. As such, we had to

rely on the My School Website to provide all our information and statistics and whilst

helpful, it was quite limited in what it did share (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and

Reporting Authority, n.d.). As part of the ongoing process of change, having access to more

information would provide a clearer understanding of the needs of students and as such,

would influence the project greatly.

My own personal understanding of group collaboration was greatly influence by this

assessment. One of the main things that I have personally taken away from the group

assessment is the need to play to your own strengths within a group setting. Being flexible

and having an open mind are also key skills to have to ensure the success of any project.

Overall, this unit has given me a great insight into the world of teaching that is sometimes

overlooked. Change and reflection were a key focus of the unit, with the idea of teachers

being change agents central. Further, group collaboration and its importance in a

professional teaching environment was yet another. Both aspects and the group assessment

have given me a great insight into what is a required of teachers and the roles they play

which can sometimes be misunderstood. This will provide a great influence in forming my

own practice once I am immersed in the teaching profession.

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References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). My School. Retrieved

from https://www.myschool.edu.au/school/41839

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (n.d.). Australian Professional

Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Broemmel, A. D., Jordan, J., & Whitsett, B. M. (2015). Learning to be teacher leaders: A

framework for assessment, planning, and instruction. Routledge.

Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation. (2015). What works best: Evidence-Based

practices to help improve NSW student performance. Retrieved from

https://www.cese.nsw.gov.au/images/stories/PDF/What-works-best_FA-

2015_AA.pdf

Colucci, A. (2013). Five Beliefs That Hold Teachers Back From Leading. Education Week

Teacher. Retrieved from

https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/09/10/ctq_colucci_leaders.html

Conway, J., & Andrews, M. (2016). A school wide approach to leading pedagogical

enhancement: An Australian perspective. Journal of Educational Change, 17(1), 115-

139.

Hurd, J., & Licciardo-Musso, L. (2005). Lesson Study: Teacher-Led Professional Development

in Literacy Instruction. Language Arts, 82(5), 388–395. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/stable/41483503

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Pink, D. H. (2005). A whole new mind: Moving from the information age to the conceptual

age. New York: Riverhead Books.

Taylor, M., & Klein, E. J. (2015). A Year in the Life of a Third Space Urban Teacher Residency.

In A Year in the Life of a Third Space Urban Teacher Residency (pp. 1-21).

SensePublishers, Rotterdam.

Thoreau, H. (n.d.) Retrieved from

https://vuws.westernsydney.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?c

ourse_id=_24382_1&content_id=_3145201_1

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