World Teacher's Day
The College leadership team recently heard from Valerie Hannon from Innovation Unit on the topic What is Learning for? During her presentation she contended that a teacher’s role was not as an imparter of content, but as a designer of learning experiences. In an interview earlier this year for a position at Wesley, an applicant said that a key skill for teachers these days was to be to ask the “unGoogleable” questions.
A recent article also appeared in Huffington Post where a teacher said that most of their day was spent dealing with matters that occurred outside of school (often in regard to social media). Each of these statements points to the changing nature of teaching and the breadth of skills and experience required by teachers.
At Wesley our staff teach on the sporting ovals, in classrooms, on the beach, in community settings, under a tree at one of our Outdoor Education sites, Clunes or Yiramalay or on a stage – to name just a few. All of them utilise a range of strategies and different approaches as they create meaningful, high-impact learning experiences for our students.
The impact our staff have on their students can be measured in many ways - by our academic results, the applause at any one of the many drama or musical performances, by the support on the sideline at a sporting event or the sight of someone mesmerised by one of the outstanding student artworks at an art show. It can also be measured in the interactions shared between students and teachers and the mutual respect so evident in all the celebrations to mark the end of formal schooling for our Year 12s, this week.
I think that Jacqui Kerr’s (OW2003) words below (one of our teaching staff from Glen Waverley), say so much about the wonderful connections that develop between the school, our students and the teaching staff.
'I love being a teacher because it's such a joy to watch young people develop their identities. It's a particular privilege to work with adolescents - these mini adults who are just trying to work out who they are and who they will become. It's humbling to think that we might have some hand in this, and that we have the power to open their minds to possibilities they've never thought of. It brings me great happiness to work with a sense of purpose and to be part of such a close-knit community.'
A number of events are being hosted by our campus parent associations throughout Term 4, to recognise our teaching staff. As Wesley College continues to deliver a true education to our students, on World Teacher’s Day we acknowledge our committed and wonderful teachers and, on behalf of the College, say thank you.
