Transforming Teaching: Essential Strategies for Curriculum Success
Jul 20, 2024
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Anna Hackett, Curriculum and Professional Learning Lead for Focus Trust, shares her wealth of experience in primary education. She discusses the crucial role of feedback from teachers and students in curriculum development. Anna explores effective strategies for supporting teachers in curriculum delivery, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and meaningful connections. The conversation touches on rethinking assessment to prioritize teaching processes over data, and the transformative impact of digital tools in enhancing educational collaboration.
Establishing strong connections with teachers fosters a collaborative environment, emphasizing their expertise and promoting professional growth.
Prioritizing a process-oriented approach over traditional data measurements enhances meaningful learning experiences for both teachers and students.
Deep dives
The Importance of Connection in Education
Establishing a strong connection with teachers and leaders is crucial for effective school improvement. The speaker emphasizes that they do not consider themselves the expert in any school; rather, the teachers and leaders are the true experts. This perspective promotes a collaborative environment where understanding and respecting each school's unique context are prioritized. Connecting with the staff builds trust and helps to foster a more supportive atmosphere for professional growth.
Autonomy in Curriculum Development
The speaker discusses the significance of allowing schools autonomy over their curricular decisions, recognizing that each community has distinct needs and contexts. This approach encourages schools to take ownership of their curriculum while also seeking shared principles for curriculum design. By doing so, schools can align with a common framework while tailoring content to suit their specific contexts. This balance between autonomy and shared understanding is viewed as essential for fostering effective educational practices across the trust.
Honesty and Vulnerability in Leadership
Being honest and transparent in leadership is highlighted as a vital principle for success in education. The speaker acknowledges the challenges of imposter syndrome and the reality that no one has all the answers. Emphasizing vulnerability, they affirm the importance of sharing experiences, whether they are successes or failures, which can resonate with other educators facing similar challenges. Creating an open dialogue allows for continuous learning and improvement within the educational setting.
Focus on Process Rather than Data
A significant insight is the prioritization of the learning process over traditional outcome-focused data measurements. The speaker believes that understanding the needs within classrooms and fostering a process-oriented approach leads to better outcomes in education. By emphasizing formative actions and ongoing teacher support, schools can create environments that allow for more meaningful learning experiences. This strategy aims to shift the focus from merely meeting data expectations to enriching the educational journey of both teachers and students.
Episode 186: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Curriculum and Professional Learning Lead, Anna Hackett, guides us through an exploration of the relationship between curriculum and professional development.
We explore Anna's experience in developing and implementing curricula, discuss methods for incorporating teacher and student feedback, and delve into strategies for supporting teachers in curriculum delivery. This episode offers valuable insights for anyone involved in educational planning and execution.
As part of the chat we discuss...
Since taking on your role, what are some of the principles that have guided you and things you've learnt along the way? (02:28)
Can you describe your experience with developing and implementing curriculum? (12:54)
How do you incorporate feedback from teachers and students into curriculum development? (24:13)
What strategies do you use to support teachers in effectively delivering the curriculum? (33:54)
...and much, much more.
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If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at thinkingdeeplyinfo@gmail.com or join our Discord server, where we have a special channel for unseen question submission.
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