About Me

In 2013 Boronia Primary school and Boronia Heights College will merge to form a new K-12 school on the current Boronia Priamary school site. In 2011 two staff from the Primary School (Chris Kors and Davina Ashworth)and two staff from the Secondary School (Sandy Johnstone and Rachel Gardiner) are investigating P-12 and K-12 schools around the state. We are looking at how the schools are structured and how they operate in the new style Open Learning Spaces. We have been given 50 days of Teacher Professional Leave (TPL) to help better understand the best way to work in this style of school environment. Our TPL enquiry question is; How can we as a group of new colleagues build a professional learning community which enables us to work collaboratively and develop shared norms for positive teaching strategies within a K-12 setting?

Sunday, 4 December 2011

Shared Norms

As a team we have been working together on a document of Shared Norms, Routines and Rituals. After the cross campus visits it became obvious to the TPL team and both staff groups how different the two school cultures are at the moment. In response to this we have worked with the staff to workshop ideas for strategies already used in classes. There were many suggestions and substantive conversations about what works and what doesn't and what is really important. From this the TPL group wrote a draft document which we have given to staff and asked for feedabck. We will finalise this in the next couple of weeks to present at the beginning of next year to a joint staff meeting.
Thanks for the valued feedback.

Furnishings for Flexible Learning Spaces

Over the last few weeks we have been researching and visiting various retailers to buy new furniture to be trialled in E-Space at BHC next year. We hope to see as many people as possible from both campuses visit or use this space.
The furniture we have purchased includes couches, cushions, lapdesks, high benches, ottomans, coffee tables and chairs and stools of varying heights. Many of the traditional chairs and tables will be removed in line with the teaching philosophies we have observed throughout the year. In all open learning spaces we visited this year there were not enough chairs and tables for the students in the room. All students have the choice to sit and work in a space and position they feel comfortable in.
Throughout the year we would like feedabck from students and teachers on the suitability and durability of all products. We need to know what works and what doesn't before we decide on furniture for the new school.

Post Cross Campus Visit Survey Results

It was quite disappointing to only have 16 people respond to this survey across the two campuses. However, here are some of the results.


It is good to see that most people enjoyed the cross campus visits and welcomed others into their classrooms, and the majority of staff (75%) found the TPL team's information useful.