The focus of this one day course presented by Kathy Rushton and Joanne Rossbridge is to develop understandings and strategies for engaging secondary students in writing.
Participants will:
Develop strategies for teaching writing as the context in which grammar is taught.
Identify the language demands of texts commonly read and written in secondary schools.
Explore the differentiation between oral and written language and the grammatical features which identify each mode.
Develop deep understanding of a model of language and scaffolding, and practical strategies to explicitly teach relevant aspects of language across subjects.
Will focus on the teaching of writing as the context in which grammar is taught to support meaning
Be supported to recognise and analyse their students’ written work.
1 August 2025 at Club Blacktown, 40 Second Ave, Blacktown NSW 2148
$220 for one day
Secondary teachers especially teachers of all subjects requiring extended response writing such as HSIE, English, PDHPE and Science.
Teacher Librarians
Joanne Rossbridge is an independent language and literacy consultant working in both primary and secondary schools and with teachers across Australia. She has worked as a classroom teacher and literacy consultant with the DET (NSW). Her expertise and much of her experience is in working with students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Joanne is particularly interested in student and teacher talk and how talk about language can assist the development of language and literacy.
Kathy Rushton is interested in the development of language and literacy especially in disadvantaged communities. She has worked as a classroom teacher and literacy consultant and provides professional learning for teachers in the areas of language and literacy development. Her current research projects include a study of multilingual pre-service teachers and the impact that teacher professional learning has on the development of a creative pedagogical stance which supports translanguaging and student identity and wellbeing.
Completing Conversations about Texts in Secondary Schools will contribute 5 hours of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Accredited PD in the priority area of Delivery and assessment of NSW Curriculum/Early Years Learning Framework addressing Standard Descriptors 2.5.2 & 3.3.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher in NSW.
Margaret Gordon writes on the importance of quality PE programs in primary schools and offers practical suggestions for classroom teachers. . .
“Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) develops the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes important for students to take positive action to protect and enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing in varied and changing contexts. Physical education is fundamental to the acquisition of movement skills and concepts to enable students to participate in a range of physical activities – confidently, competently and creatively.” PDHPE K-10 NSW Syllabus Rationale 2018
Why is this important?
If we learned nothing else from the COVID years of lockdown/pandemic let it be the importance of health, safety and wellbeing, for ourselves and for the students we teach.
Ask yourself- “How effectively can we teach children who are unhealthy, unsafe or unwell?”
We simply cannot! Arguably, this makes PDHPE the most important subject of all! If the aim is that “PDHPE K–6 equips students with knowledge, understanding and skills to support their health, safety and wellbeing.” (Draft new syllabus. NESA, 2023) then the importance of quality teaching and learning in this Key Learning Area (KLA) cannot be underestimated.
Primary school teachers tend to cover Personal Development and Health (PDH) concepts well. The Department of Education requires that Drug Education, Road Safety and Child Protection concepts are taught in every stage of learning across Years K-10 and ample support materials are made available online. Extensive instruction regarding respectful relationships and anti-bullying is provided through the plethora of positive friendship and social skills programs employed in public schools across NSW. These have even been commercialised, with great financial reward for savvy businesspeople worldwide. Furthermore, individual teachers address social conflicts daily making it feel like we are constantly going back over positive friendship behaviours, respectful relationships etc.
But what about PE? Far too often, Physical Education (PE) is relegated to an afternoon treat or reward. Classes play another game of Bin-Ball or Capture the Flag because the students love them, and the games just run themselves.
This is not because teachers don’t understand the importance of PE, and it certainly is not because they don’t care. Instead, PE simply is often not prioritised because we are all so overworked, trying to meet the minimum requirements for each KLA. Ask yourself; what’s the first thing to be scratched from your day plan when school-life gets busy, or your maths lesson didn’t quite go to plan? How often do you resort to the same game outside because the kids have been begging you?
We must mandate and prioritise quality PE and provide our students with a wide variety of physical activity experiences. Students thrive when challenged by the physical activities in which they participate. Unless it truly is meeting the students at their point of need, Bin-Ball is not a PE lesson in and of itself. By all means, go outside and play a game for fun. But it is not a PE lesson. Quality and authentic PE lessons need to be planned just as carefully and strategically as any other KLA. The development of both fine- and gross- motor skills should be a priority. So should be the all-important skills of resilience, cooperation and sportsmanship, which are inherent within a quality PE lesson.
PDHPE deserves same time and attention as the other 5 KLAs. Use strategies such as the teaching/learning cycle and backwards mapping. Consider the outcomes towards which you are moving your students.
Ask yourself- what do these students need to learn? How can I plan a program to help them learn it? How will I know when they have learned it successfully? Differentiate, by considering the four key classroom elements; content/process/product/learning environment. These apply to PE just as much as they do in any other subjects! Not every student will be the next superstar, but they still should be given ample opportunity to enjoy being active.
What does a quality PHYSICAL EDUCATION program look like?
The program will be unique to your educational setting, but here is my advice:
-Plan for PE just as carefully and strategically as you would for any other KLA. Meet students at their point of need.
Incorporate the Game Sense pedagogy; have most kids moving, most of the time. “In the Game Sense approach, individuals learn within the context of the game and teachers employ questioning instead of direct instruction.” (Georgakis, Wilson & Evans, 2015, p. 73)I highly recommend this article as a starting point if Game Sense pedagogy is new to you
The School Sport Unit offers some valuable professional learning online via MyPL. Search MyPL for the following short courses; School Sport Unit: Thinking while Moving.
School Sport Unit: Game-based learning in sport and physical activity
School Sport Unit: Delivering engaging sport and physical activity programs in K-2
-Warm up with a quick start, run around game which gets everyone moving. Two of my favourites are ‘Infinity Tag’ or ‘Who’s Got Game’.1
-Cool down with questions, but, whilst doing so, incorporate movement. Walk and talk with students as you guide them to consider:
What worked during our main event today?
What was the key concept of the game?
How could we challenge ourselves more if we played this again?
How did we solve this movement challenge collaboratively?
-Avoid teaching formal sports in PE as this instantly will put off some students. Those who already play that sport will dominate; those who don’t will not even try. Rather than teaching Touch Football or Netball select the key skills and concepts of these sports and simplify them. These are both invasion games which focus on moving the ball from one side of the play space to the other, without losing possession to the opposing team.
Repeat the same simple games but vary the experience by changing:
the ball you use,
the size of the goal zone,
the number of passes required between teammates,
or the allocated time for play.
Simple tweaks can make the world of difference.
Introduce sport-specific rules, such as no-contact for netball or backwards passing in touch football, as the students’ skills progress.
-As much as possible, avoid teaching skills through drills. “Game-ify” the learning! Keep all students occupied rather than waiting in line for their turn. For example, when teaching dribbling in soccer or basketball, pair students up then give each pair a ball. One player is the dribbler, the other is the chaser. If the chaser can steal the ball, they swap roles.
– Emphasise personal challenges- kids love to achieve a high score, though this doesn’t mean they need to compete against anyone but themselves:
How many safe passes can you make before a dropped ball?
How many safe passes can you make in one minute / two minutes / before your classmate runs all the way around the court?
Can you beat your previous high score?
Increase / decrease the play zone or game space.
GET THEM THINKING:
Ask questions to prompt students’ own critical thinking throughout the lesson.
Allow time and space for the learners to solve problems on their own = cooperation, collaboration, relationship building
Ask the students- how could we make this harder/easier for you?
How would you teach this skill to younger students?
When or where might this skill be useful?
Common excuses not to teach PE.
The kids’ behaviour is out of control. We can’t trust them to play games and sports.
As is the case for all teaching and learning, if you hold high expectations in PE the students will rise to them. Just as you would for any other lesson, give explicit instructions, provide clear boundaries and always have a back-up plan. Follow your usual behaviour management procedures just as you would in the classroom and consider carefully how you will group students throughout the lesson.
Two Key Tips for PE:
Make sure you have a good quality whistle and establish clear, consistent whistle signals for outdoor PE lessons-: one whistle means freeze; two whistles means stop & drop, three whistles means game over etc.
Incorporate movement and games into the allocation of groups or teams and by all means, PLEASE avoid the practice of selecting two team captains who then take it in turns to select individual players, which can be seen as a humiliating experience for some students. For example, play ‘Would you rather?’ where students move to one side to indicate their preferences such as chocolate vs. ice-cream, Summer vs. Winter, Socceroos vs. Wallabies etc. These groups then become teams for the next game. OR Play tips where students hold hands to form a human caterpillar when tipped. These groups can then be used as teams for the next game. Remember, sport isn’t always fair, so groups don’t necessarily have to be ‘equal’ – use this as another element of challenge!
We don’t have time
It is essential to make time. PE is mandatory! The NSW Department of Education Sport and Physical Activity Policy states that “NSW Public Schools are required to provide a minimum of 150 minutes of planned physical activity for students in K-10 each week” (NSW Department of Education, 2018)
This, however, doesn’t have to all happen in one hit. Make it work best for you and the learners in your specific context. Short bursts of daily fitness activities can be a positive way to start the day. Some schools use RFF teachers to deliver quality, consistent PE lessons across the school. Others incorporate deliberate movement opportunities in mathematics lessons, which is just one way to embed PE concepts in a meaningful, relevant context. As the old saying goes, “work smarter, not harder,” by combining KLAs.
We don’t have space.
Not all PE lessons need to happen outdoors on a football field or basketball court. You will not always have access to the school hall.
Think creatively and flexibly:
How can you use your classroom space to get kids moving? Get the kids involved in finding a workable solution to this genuine ‘movement challenge.’
Come up with safe, simple routines to either move or incorporate classroom furniture into your PE lessons.
Speak with your colleagues about how you can work together to share space for the benefit of all students. Could you swap classrooms for a session each week?
Combining classes or even stage groups for a giant game provides ample opportunity for practising respectful relationships/getting on with others.
Don’t be afraid to combine Infants with Primary classes.; This can be a great opportunity for peer-support or buddy activities! The older kids will LOVE teaching and helping the younger ones to develop key movement skills.
It’s too cold, too windy, too wet, too hot.
Honestly, fair call! No-one loves standing in the freezing wind or sleeting rain, and running around during the peak of Summer can be downright dangerous in the Australian climate.
My favourite back up plan, for when the weather won’t play nice, is to combine and conquer…PDHPE combines beautifully with Creative Arts. Lots of drama games incorporate sophisticated physical movements.
Dance is both a creative art and a physical activity. Once again, don’t be afraid to ask the students to help solve movement challenges. As I’m sure you can appreciate, they will come up with remarkably creative, flexible ideas about how to be physically active within the confines of a classroom!
Final thoughts
PE deserves your professional attention, for the benefit of the students you teach and for their health, safety and wellbeing now and into the future. Mandate it; make it as fun for as many students as you can; keep them moving and keep them thinking. You never know, you might even have some fun too!
Helpful Resources
The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
This is the national professional association representing people who work in the areas of health education, physical education, recreation, sport, dance, community fitness or movement sciences. https://www.achpernsw.com.au/ accessed 21/07/2023
Sport Australia Playing for Life game cards.
These are a broad selection of ready to print, ready to use PE activities. There are examples of everything, from invasion games to ball-striking.
When a player is tagged, they must stand still with their hands on their head, to indicate to other players that they have been tagged. They are back in the game as soon as the player who tagged them gets tagged. If two players tag each other at the same time, they play a quick game of Scissors Paper Rock; winner keeps playing, loser stands still as though they have been tagged. Play continues infinitely, or until the teacher calls time.
(I am yet to meet a class where we reach the point of one player left but, theoretically, it could be done!)
Who’s Got Game H3 Similar to the classic playground games of ‘Bullrush’ or ‘Red Rover’.
Players stand at one side of the play zone. The aim is to cross to the other side without being tipped. One person or a small group stand in the middle of the zone. These are the tippers.
Tippers call out ‘Who’s Got Game?’
Players call out ‘We’ve Got Game!’
Tippers give a free pass; ‘You’ve got game if…you’re wearing white socks/have a brother/ate a banana with your breakfast’ Players cross safely to the other side if the free pass is true for them.
Other players wait for the tippers to call an action (run, skip, jump) then GO! Players and tippers have to move as per the action. If a player is tipped they swap teams and join the tippers. Play continues until one player remains. They are then ‘in’ for the start of the next game.
Light, R., & Georgakis, S. (2023). Teaching Physical Education for Happiness and Well-being. The International Journal of Sport and Society, 14(2), 41-50.
Margaret works as an Assistant Principal on the mid-north coast of NSW. She began teaching in 2015, leaving her hometown of Sydney to work in regional NSW.
Margaret has taught mainstream classes across all year groups, K-6. She worked for three years as a specialist PE teacher to cover RFF for all stages and loved every minute of it.
Despite making a return to classroom teaching in 2023, Margaret’s passion for quality physical education and wellbeing drives her classroom practice. She maintains active involvement in the local PSSA and seeks professional learning opportunities through the DoE’s School Support Unit. Margaret is also a member of the NSWTF’s Sport Special Interest Group (SIG). To be added to the Sport SIG’s mailing list, contact Federation on (02) 9217 2199.
Joanne Rossbridge & Kathy Rushton share a framework for improved extended response writing…
Introduction
Teacher knowledge about language and how it works is critical for not only developing dialogue around texts but can make explicit for students the strategies used by effective writers across subject areas. This requires understanding of the grammatical features of the common genres students commonly are asked to write in the secondary school.
This article looks at the extended response to support teachers to analyse student writing and examine both the language and literacy demands related to writing extended responses in secondary settings. The following outlines the approach and principles that are drawn upon in both a one-day and three-day CPL course entitled Conversations about Text in the Secondary School and Developing Dialogue about Text in the Secondary Schools respectively.
Making appropriate choices – Field, Tenor and Mode Framework for writing
Texts can be discussed using a framework developed by Michael Halliday (Halliday & Hasan, 1985) in which the three critical aspects of the register of the text, field, tenor and mode are utilised to analyse and understand how successful texts are constructed to reflect their context and purpose:
Field refers to the subject matter of the text and this of course will differ across and within subjects;
Tenor is the relationship established between the reader and writer;
Mode addresses the nature of the text itself and the role language plays within it.
When viewed together, all students can be supported to understand the range of language choices which need to be made to successfully realise the purpose of a text for the audience it is addressing.
For further explanation see Halliday & Hasan, 1985 and Rossbridge & Rushton, 2015.
This helps students to realise that careful reading and note-taking may address field but to meet the challenges of engaging an audience and establishing a clear purpose for their text a range of other language choices need to be made.
The following framework provides teachers with a time-saving and focussed way to provide the support that developing writers may need at all levels of text from word, clause, group and sentence to paragraph and text levels (Derewianka, 2011).
Choices in context: a case study from the ancients
The context for writing in secondary schools is provided by the subject areas. Students may be involved in field building through the focus on teaching content around a topic such as an example of The Ancient World in History. In addition to acquiring the field knowledge we also need to be explicit about who the audience may be that they are writing for as well as the relationship between the writer and reader.
The following examples show how the field of the writing may be similar but the tenor and mode differ. This can be seen by the more personal connection with the audience in Text 1 while Text 2 seems to convey more authority on the topic. In addition, the mode of the texts may differ in that the writing may be more spoken or written-like as evident in Text 2, which sounds more written-like or academic in the way the ideas have been packaged and organised.
Text 1
Have you ever wondered what life was like for women in Ancient Sparta? They had lots of power and could think for themselves more than some of the other women in other places in Greece.
Text 2
Spartan women had a reputation for strength and independence. They enjoyed greater freedom and power than women in other city-states in Ancient Greece.
This framework for considering and talking about language choices in context can provide the basis of a strong scaffold (Hammond, 2001; Vygotsky, 1986) for adolescent writers.
Writing pedagogy
The genre based pedagogy known as the Teaching Learning Cycle was originally developed by Sydney School genre theorists… [it] has proved a powerful resource for scaffolding literacy development, with numerous published units of work documenting and/or guiding its implementation. (Humphrey & Macnaught, 2011, p. 99)
The Teaching Learning Cycle includes building the field, text deconstruction, joint construction and independent construction. Our focus is on supporting teachers to undertake the more challenging text deconstruction and joint construction.
We consider that the critical dialogue about text occurs during text deconstruction and joint construction (Rossbridge & Rushton, 2014). In many classrooms, texts are modelled but the rich language about language, metalanguage, can only be developed when the teacher and students talk together about the language features of the texts they are reading or writing (Lemke, 1989).
For this reason, one of the courses involves the conversations about text that teachers can develop to support writing development (Rossbridge & Rushton, 2010 & 2011). By using the field, tenor, mode framework for writing, not just the field (content) but also the tenor (relationship) and mode (nature) can easily be the focus of these conversations.
What a conversation might lead to
The following transcript provides an example of the conversations which might occur between a teacher and students. In this example from a whole class joint construction the notion of perspective in History texts is explored by considering the development of the noun group to name participants in events.
Student: Dan would say he’s like a visitor because he wouldn’t say he is trespassing or doing anything wrong. He’d say he’s visiting and helping out his country.
Student: You probably know that their settling there as a new country.
Teacher: So are you saying he’s a settler?
Student: Yeah. Like saying he would know he’s not really going to be going anywhere.
Teacher: So, is he a visitor or a settler?
Students: Settler.
Teacher: What have we built? Dan, who was a young British settler. What have we just built?
Student: Noun group.
Teacher: Yes, we’ve built a whole noun group with an adjectival clause.
(See Rossbridge & Rushton, 2014 & 2015)
Key principles for developing a critical dialogue about text
The key principles for developing the critical dialogue about text are, in our view, language, the learner and the support or scaffold provided for the student. The teacher needs to be very clear about the language needed to write target texts as well as having a clear view of the purpose of talk in the classroom.
The dialogue can be supported by questioning, Think Alouds (when the teacher verbalises their thinking as they read for meaning to model the thinking skills required for comprehension) and other strategies which provide opportunities for talk and substantive communication.
The learner needs to be both engaged and supported to undertake risks (Hammond, 2001) if they are to master the challenges of writing an extended response in an academic context. The support needed is not just modelling but the ability to hand over the tasks to the students (Gibbons, 2002 & 2006) at the right point, the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Hammond, 2001; Vygotsky, 1986). This may require both micro and macro scaffolding when programming and teaching.
One of the most important understandings about language development is that it can be viewed on a continuum from spoken-like to written-like language, the mode continuum. At one end of the continuum is oral language which differs from written language mainly in its density. Written language is lexically dense in the sense that more meaning is carried in fewer words (Halliday, 1985). The challenge teachers face is to support students to develop the lexically dense texts which are valued in our education system.Written language is lexically dense in the sense that more meaning is carried in fewer words
Nominalisation and theme
Using the framework of field, tenor and mode two very useful tools for writing can be drawn upon. These are the features of nominalisation and theme which can be identified in texts. Students can be taught how to use them to make their texts more effective. Nominalisation is a resource that allows writers to change verbs, conjunctions and adjectives into nouns.
Making language more powerful
We should reduce mining near the coastline.
The reduction of mining near the coastlinewill result in greater preservation of coastal ecosystems.
In the example the verb group in the first clause has been turned into a noun group (nominalised) and placed at the front of the second clause in theme position. By doing this the main focus of the writing can be put up front, the writing sounds more written-like and by repackaging the first clause into a noun group the writer is able to add additional information.
Such conversation and dialogue around text enables students to take on knowledge about language in the context of texts and apply it to their own writing.
The use of these features relates to the genre of the target text (Macken & Slade, 1993; Martin & White, 2005; Martin & Rose, 2008). While unfamiliarity may initially challenge students, when teachers become adept at deconstructing both modelled and student texts even very young students are able to grasp the concepts and begin to utilise them in their writing.
Our CPL courses demonstrate a range of strategies for developing extended responses which include the effective use of these features and support students to master them.
References:
Derewianka, B. (2011) A new grammar companion for primary teachers. Newtown: PETAA
Gibbons, P. (2006) Bridging discourses in the ESL classroom: Students, teachers and researchers (pp.59-70). London: Continuum
Gibbons, P. (2002) Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom (pp.77-101). Portsmouth: Heinemann:
Halliday, M.A.K.(1985) Spoken and written language (pp.61-67). Victoria: Deakin University Press
Halliday, M.A.K. & Hasan, R. (1976) Cohesion in English (pp.238-245). London: Longman
Halliday, M.A.K. & Hasan, R. (1985) Language, context, and text: Aspects of language in a social-semiotic perspective (pp.238-245). Victoria: Deakin University Press
Hammond, J. (Ed.) (2001) What is scaffolding? Scaffolding teaching and learning in language and literacy education (pp.1-14). Newtown:PETAA
Humphrey S., Droga, L. & Feez, S. (2012) Grammar and meaning: New Edition. Newtown: PETAA
Humphrey, S. & Macnaught S. (2011) Revisiting joint construction in the tertiary context. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. 34(1), 98-116
Lemke, J. (1989) Making text talk: Theory into practice. Columbus, Ohio: College of Education Ohio State University
Macken, M. & Slade, D. (1993) Assessment: A foundation for effective learning in the school context. In Cope. B & Kalantzis, M. (1993) The powers of literacy: A genre approach to teaching writing. (pp.203-222) Bristol, P.A.: The Falmer Press
Martin, J. & Rose, D. (2008) Genre relations: Mapping culture London: Equinox Publishing
Martin, J. & White, R. (2005) The language of evaluation: Appraisal in English. (pp.26-38) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Rossbridge, J. & Rushton, K. (2015) Put it in writing. Newtown: PETAA
Rossbridge, J. & Rushton, K. (2010) Conversations about text: Teaching grammar with literary texts. Newtown: PETAA
Rossbridge, J. & Rushton, K. (2011) Conversations about text: Teaching grammar with factual texts. Newtown: PETAA
Vygotsky, L. (1986) Thought and Language. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press pp.xi-xliii
About the authors
Dr Kathy Rushton is interested in the development of literacy, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged communities with students learning English as an additional language or dialect. She has worked as a literacy consultant, EAL/D and classroom teacher with the DOE (NSW), and in a range of other educational institutions. Kathy is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney.
Joanne Rossbridge is an independent English, language, literacy and EAL/D consultant working in both primary and secondary schools across Sydney and Australia. She has worked as a classroom and ESL teacher, literacy consultant and lecturer in universities. Much of her experience has involved working with students with language backgrounds other than English. Joanne is particularly interested in student and teacher talk and how talk about language can assist in the development of language and literacy skills.
Amy Harriman explores some strategies for developing collegial and collaborative leadership both within a PDHPE faculty and at a whole school level . . .
As I write this, amidst the chaos of COVID-19, there is a persistent air of uncertainty in our homes and schools. I watch, as my colleagues navigate this period of unrest, in awe at the resilience and comradery that our profession has shown. I scroll through various social media platforms and take note of the very public acknowledgment from our wider community; resounding echoes of support and respect for teachers, branded ‘essential’ during this pandemic. It has catapulted us into a steep learning curve, richer for the professional learning. The online PDHPE networking space is flooded with professional learning ideas, reviews and messages of support. Led by some of our most ardent public educators, the collective message that ‘we are not alone’ is reassuring. The authentic leadership displayed is unquestionable.
No doubt, what has emerged from this time is not only a renewed trust and belief in our teachers, but the emergence of a new thinking around the definition of effective school leadership.
In many ways, some out of practical necessity, our teachers have stepped up as educational leaders. We have had to be resilient, agile and reflective. We have assessed each step, mindful of our decisions, and their wider impact. Our clear goal: to effectively support quality teaching and learning in an unpredictable time.
It is important we don’t lose sight of the invaluable learnings this period has provided us. We need to cultivate these insights, taking forward what has worked and can be applied to great effect in the future. What shifts in thinking and pedagogical practice have occurred? What can we learn from other teams’ success? Taking the time to reflect on our experiences should ensure we sustain the momentum we need to continue to make our profession stronger and more effective in driving improvement in our schools beyond 2020.
We are part of a system – not a single faculty.
The last few months have affirmed the importance of relationships and connectedness. We are stronger, better practitioners when we connect, share and learn. Effective schools are built on strong relationships within, and beyond, the school gates. This makes two-way communication and meaningful dialogue with your colleagues critically important. The best leaders encourage an open flow of ideas, throughout the school, to harness creativity in exploring and devising solutions and improving practice. Furthermore, such cross-faculty interaction creates a culture that assists in breaking down the walls that separate teachers from one another, freeing teachers from the silos we can see emerge.
Joining your PDHPE professional associations, such as Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER), and engaging meaningfully in what they offer, is a good start in establishing links with wider networks. This is just the foundation. Consider exploring opportunities for cross-faculty initiatives within your school and make genuine efforts to connect with schools, both within your network, and beyond, to develop reciprocal and sustainable relationships. Reaching out with a healthy curiosity can spark some of the most innovative, impactful initiatives and supports the notion of ‘working smarter, not harder’, by way of collective efficacy.
Connect the day to day to the big picture.
Take the time every day to acknowledge that what you do is part of something bigger. Schools are busy places, and with so many competing demands, it is easy to lose sight of our real purpose. Contextualising your teaching is essential if you want your work to connect with your students and the vision of the school.
As we approach the end of a second year of NSW PDHPE syllabus implementation, it is critical to establish time to reflect on, and thoroughly evaluate, the success of your programs with your team. As part of your evaluation, consider the practices you have embedded to support genuine connections with your students and with broader school priorities. Are your colleagues speaking the same language when promoting the PDHPE propositions that underpin our syllabus? Consider the extent to which you and your colleagues are engaging with goals set to improve literacy, numeracy or in promoting holistic wellbeing. How well do the central themes, scope and intentions of your programs align with wider school practices and priorities? What role does authentic student agency play in your decision making?
As a faculty leader, I need to ensure, before we undertake any new or revised initiative, that we know how we are going to measure our success. Student voice plays an integral part in this process. So knowing the questions we want to ask our students and knowing what we want to measure are key to ensuring our work is having impact and connecting with our students.
PDHPE teachers are well placed to meaningfully connect curriculum with broader school wellbeing programs and initiatives. Aligning wellbeing initiatives, such as your school’s wellbeing policy and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) targeted programs including Be You, with your work in the classroom is rewarding for everyone. It reinforces important messages, yielding greater impact and reminds students you are part of a team on the same page, collectively invested in improving their sense of connectedness and personal wellbeing.
Walk your talk
Modelling the behaviour you want to see is powerful in influencing positive change, practices and in building strong relationships. Effective school teams are built on trust, which is developed by nurturing honesty and demonstrating integrity in the classroom and in staff communication. Cultures with high trust can see comradery and staff wellbeing improve, even in the most challenging of times, due to relationships forged in adversity.
Belonging to a PDHPE faculty often means being heavily invested in whole school projects including sporting programs and other wellbeing initiatives that demand your time and energy, often leaving you feeling drained. This can leave us vulnerable to poor health and, potentially, burnout. Think about the initiatives in place to genuinely nurture staff wellbeing and promote a sense of team. My faculty currently lead a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session for our staff one afternoon each week. It is 45 minutes of weight training and cardio but the time spent together, and the relationships formed, have strengthened our sense of team and role modelled our commitment to staff wellbeing.
Essentially, the PDHPE syllabus aims to provide opportunities for students to “value and appreciate influences on personal health practices and demonstrate a commitment to lead and promote healthy, safe and active lives for themselves, others and communities” (NESA, 2018, p.13). We want to practise what we champion in our classrooms. For this reason, we need to prioritise self-care so we can maintain our health and wellbeing. So too, ‘walking your talk’ with your colleagues is critical in supporting and promoting healthy practices. If you insist on colleagues maintaining a work-life balance, exemplify this behaviour through your own actions – particularly after work hours.
Cultivate an intellectually humble mindset
‘We don’t know what we don’t know’. This often-repeated reassurance, offered to early career teachers as they navigate their first years of teaching, remains invaluable advice for all of us, regardless of our experience. Maintaining a healthy self-awareness of our cognitive limitations supports us to engage more constructively with our colleagues.
Resnick (2018) describes intellectual humility as “being actively curious about your blind spots”. Being responsive to reason, and remaining honest about our development opportunities, allows us to be open-minded and receptive to a multitude of possibilities.
Role-modelling a humble open-mindedness will set the tone for a safe learning space in our classrooms and our staffrooms. This is particularly the case when teaching sensitive content in PDHPE. These lessons rely on teachers creating safe, supportive spaces where students are comfortable sharing varying points of view, values and beliefs. By way of modelling a humble mindset, teachers set the tone in making these lessons a success.
Remember, people matter most.
Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”
Our capacity to lead is dependent on the relationships we build around us. Getting to know people, their strengths, and what gives them purpose, is essential in becoming a leader people want to follow. What makes you an even more effective leader is both knowing how to leverage people’s strengths and providing guidance with a mindful heart. Listening to my team’s concerns through the COVID-19 period has been a window into more than the anxiety we have experienced in ensuring continuity for learning for our students. It has been an insightful revelation of the strengths we possess in adapting to an unpredictable series of changes and challenges. Although we have been physically distanced, ironically, by way of consistent communication and support, this period has brought us closer.
Being part of a PDHPE team offers real opportunities to lead faculty, whole school and systemic initiatives. Synonymous with high energy, the PDHPE team is one of the more visible faculties in a school. We need to make sure that leadership is distributed among teachers, enabling opportunities to develop valuable skills. Where there is resistance, carefully consider how to better organise teams to allow teachers to lead in more fulfilling roles or tasks. Approach this from the position that everyone has a strength they can contribute. Validating the unique qualities and experiences teachers offer is powerful in making people feel valued and knowing that their contributions matter.
In times like these, we have the chance to seize the opportunity to grow as leaders and professionals. We have a once in a generation opportunity to reimagine the way we teach and lead. By taking time to learn from each other, self-reflect and grow, we have a chance to authentically lead, and build, stronger teams, classrooms and communities together. In the end, the degree to which you build, and inspire, your people to optimise personal growth is the best measure you have to judge your success as an authentic leader.
References:
NSW Education Standards Authority (2018). ‘Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K–10 Syllabus’. Sydney.NSW Education Standards Authority. p13.
Amy Harriman has 14 years’ experience as a curriculum Head Teacher in NSW Public Schools. She is currently Head Teacher PDHPE at East Hills Girls Technology High School in Sydney. In her former role, she led the NSW K-10 PDHPE syllabus development project as Senior Curriculum Officer with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).
David Lubans, Angus Leahy, Jordan Smith and Narelle Eather make the case for continuing physical activity into the senior school years…
Introduction
You may not be surprised to read that physical activity declines dramatically during adolescence (Dumith et al., 2011) and less than 10% of senior school students are sufficiently active (Schranz et al., 2014). However, you may not know that evidence suggests low levels of physical activity among senior school students may contribute to poor mental health (North, 2015; Suetani et al., 2017).
These findings are particularly relevant to schools as 43% of young Australians report at least moderate levels of psychological distress (15% report high to very high levels of distress) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018), and some suggest increasing time demands and pressure to excel in senior years as a reason for sacrificing time usually spent being active.
We conclude that there is a need for effective physical activity programs that are also time efficient. This is important because, although the NSW Department of Education policy recommends that students in Year 11 and 12 are provided with weekly access to a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity each week (New South Wales Department of Education, 2017), very few senior school students actually receive this dose.
This is partly due to the misconception that allocating more time for study skills or revision over physical activity will improve academic performance. We argue that this view is ill-informed as there is a growing body of evidence that suggests students with higher levels of physical activity and aerobic fitness perform better on standardised academic tests and measures of cognitive function (Donnelly et al., 2016; Álvarez-Bueno et al., 2017).
What might we do?
Many teachers may be experiencing the benefits of high intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise through their out-of-school lives. Such approaches to exercise at school could also benefit your students at school and would fit within existing Departmental guidelines.
HIIT is a potent and time efficient method for improving physical health and mental health (Costigan et al., 2015; Logan et al., 2014) which typically consists of short, but intense bouts of activity interspersed with brief periods of rest or light activity. The main appeal of HIIT is that it can be completed in a shorter period of time in comparison to traditional moderate intensity aerobic exercise, whilst achieving similar and in some cases superior results. In our recent systematic review and meta-analysis (Costigan et al., 2015), we demonstrated that HIIT can improve cardio-respiratory fitness and reduce body mass index (BMI) in adolescents.
Although few studies have been conducted with adolescents, there is some evidence to suggest participation in HIIT can improve young people’s cognitive and mental health (Costigan et al., 2016; Moreau et al., 2017; Leahy et al., 2019). For example, in one of our earlier studies (Costigan et al., 2016), we demonstrated that engaging in weekly HIIT sessions had a consistently positive effect on students’ mood (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Mean feeling state scores reported by students before and after participating in HIIT (higher values represent better mood and the graphic represents difference in mood responses over 24 sessions)
Less than 100% effort can be good too
Many people associate HIIT with the ‘all out’ maximal (such as 100% of heart rate maximum) type of exercise tested by Michael Mosley in the BBC documentary ‘The Truth About Exercise’. This type of activity is unlikely to be palatable for adolescents or appropriate for delivery in the school setting. Alternatively, there is emerging evidence for the efficacy of less demanding HIIT protocols (for instance, 85% of heart rate maximum) that are still relatively brief (for example, 10 minutes) (Costigan et al., 2015).
Our Burn 2 Learn program
In partnership with the NSW Department of Education School Sport Unit, we developed the Burn 2 Learn (B2L) program for senior school students. Unlike previous HIIT programs that require complicated equipment, facilities and expert instructors, B2L has been designed to be ‘student-directed’ under the supervision of secondary school teachers using minimal resources. Our team has developed a full day professional learning workshop for teachers, which is accredited with the NSW Education Standards Authority at the ‘Highly Accomplished’ level. We have also designed curricular materials for teachers, HIIT task (Figure 2) and technique cards and a smartphone app to enhance participation among students.
To promote variety and enjoyment, we designed 11 different styles of HIIT workouts for students to choose from: Gym, Sport, Class, Quick, Hip-Hop, Combat, Brain, Rumble, Custom, Beach and Park.
Figure 2: Example Burn 2 Learn HIIT task card
The B2L program was designed using self-determination theory and is focused on enhancing students’ autonomous motivation for vigorous physical activity by satisfying their basic psychological needs for autonomy (feeling in control), competence (feeling capable) and relatedness (feeling connected with others) (Deci and Ryan, 1985). Teachers learn to facilitate the delivery of the B2L sessions using the SAAFE (Supportive, Active, Autonomous, Fair and Enjoyable) principles (Lubans et al., 2017) (Figure 3). Students’ need for autonomy is satisfied by providing them with opportunities for choice within sessions (e.g., type of activity, music playing, and training partner) and explaining the rationale for the program in an information seminar.
The introductory seminar reinforces the importance of exercise for cognitive health and academic performance. Competence is satisfied using positive and specific feedback from teachers, an explicit focus on effort over absolute performance (via heart rate feedback) and through the provision of resources designed to support the development of exercise skills. Finally, teachers are encouraged to adopt practices that support relatedness and group cohesion during HIIT sessions (for example, encouraging supportive behaviour among students such as ‘high fives’ and partner work) (Owen et al., 2014).
Figure 3: SAAFE principles for Burn 2 Learn session delivery
Positive results for teachers and students
In 2017, we conducted a pilot study to evaluate the B2L program in two high schools in the Hunter region (Leahy et al., 2019). We found that 2-3 HIIT sessions/week, each lasting ~10 minutes, increased students’ fitness and improved their well-being. Overall satisfaction of the program was high among students (4.0/5) and teachers (4.0/5). Students enjoyed the practical HIIT sessions, with ‘Sport HIIT’, ‘Class HIIT’ and ‘Gym HIIT’ the most popular types.
Teachers also expressed high levels of satisfaction with the professional development workshop (5.0/5) and were highly confident in their ability to facilitate the delivery of the program (5.0/5). Anecdotal discussions with teachers involved in B2L also highlighted the potential impact of HIIT on students’ behaviour in the classroom.
Today we had our best B2L session where all the students got in and had a go and that translated into the classroom immediately after, where I had my best theory lesson with that class. We were doing a textbook heavy lesson and the students appeared to be more focused providing me with quality answers. Even the students who normally muck up a bit were more on task today.
(Teacher responsible for delivering B2L)
Although our pilot study results were promising, it is important to replicate our findings in a larger cohort of students before making the B2L program available to all schools in NSW. We are currently conducting a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluation of the program in 20 secondary schools in NSW (~800 Grade 11 students). In this study we will test the effects of the B2L program on students’ cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, cognition and mental health. In addition, a subsample of students will: (i) provide hair samples to determine their accumulated exposure to chronic stress using cortisol testing and (ii) undergo multi-modal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine changes in brain structure and function.
Next steps
A common criticism of school-based physical activity interventions is that they are rarely adopted and implemented by schools (Milat et al., 2013). With this in mind, we have designed the B2L program in partnership with the NSW Department of Education School Sport Unit and see support for ongoing provision of professional learning as essential to the success of such a statewide program.
Conclusions
Driven by pressures to perform well academically, students may choose to sacrifice physical activity for additional study time. Unfortunately, this may be having the opposite effect to that which they intended, as physical activity supports cognitive functioning and is a useful strategy for coping with stress generally.
Further, chronic stress undermines learning and can impair performance in high stakes examinations. Consequently, the senior school years would appear to be a particularly important time for adolescents to stay physically active. Programs such as B2L have the potential to bring physical and mental health benefits for young Australians. Importantly, such programs are achievable and can be delivered within existing school structures in the interests of all of your students’ health, well-being and learning.
References:
Álvarez-Bueno C, Pesce C, Cavero-Redondo I, et al. (2017) Academic achievement and physical activity: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics 140: e20171498. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2018) National health survey: First results, 2017–18, Catelogue No. 4364.0.55.001. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Costigan SA, Eather N, Plotnikoff RC, et al. (2015) High intensity interval training for improving health-related fitness in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine 49: 1253-1261. Costigan SA, Eather N, Plotnikoff RC, et al. (2016) High intensity interval training for cognitive and mental health in adolescents. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 48: 1985-1993. Deci EL and Ryan RM. (1985) Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour, New York: Plenum. Donnelly JE, Hillman CH, Castelli D, et al. (2016) Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: A systematic review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 48: 1223-1224. Dumith SC, Gigante DP, Domingues MR, et al. (2011) Physical activity change during adolescence: A systematic review and a pooled analysis. International Journal of Epidemiology 40: 685-698. Leahy AA, Eather N, Smith JJ, et al. (2019) Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a teacher-facilitated high-intensity interval training intervention for older adolescents. Pediatric Exercise Science 31: 107-117. Logan GR, Harris N, Duncan S, et al. (2014) A review of adolescent high-intensity interval training. Sports Medicine 44: 1071-1085. Lubans DR, Lonsdale C, Cohen K, et al. (2017) Framework for the design and delivery of organized physical activity sessions for children and adolescents: Rationale and description of the ‘SAAFE’ teaching principles. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 14. Milat AJ, King L, Bauman AE, et al. (2013) The concept of scalability: Increasing the scale and potential adoption of health promotion interventions into policy and practice. Health Promotion International 28: 285-298. Moreau D, Kirk IJ and Waldie KE. (2017) High-intensity training enhances executive function in children in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Elife 6: e25062. New South Wales Department of Education. (2017) Sport and Physical Activity Policy. Available at:https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/sport-and-physical-activity-policy. North BW. (2015) Under pressure: Senior students in high stakes assessment. School of Education, Faculty of Education and Arts. Sydney: University of New South Wales. Owen KB, Smith J, Lubans DR, et al. (2014) Self-determined motivation and physical activity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine 67: 270-279. Schranz N, Olds T, Cliff D, et al. (2014) Results from Australia’s 2014 report card on physical activity for children and youth. Journal of Physical Activity and Health 11: S21-S25. Suetani S, Mamun A, Williams GM, et al. (2017) Longitudinal association between physical activity engagement during adolescence and mental health outcomes in young adults: A 21-year birth cohort study. Journal of Psychiatric Research 94: 116-123.
David Lubans is a National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellow, Professor in the School of Education, and leads the ‘School-based Research’ theme within the Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Newcastle. He is internationally recognised for his expertise in school-based physical activity research.
Angus Leahy is a PhD student in the School of Education and Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Newcastle. His research focus is on physical activity, fitness, mental health, and cognition in the school setting.
Jordan Smith is a Lecturer in the School of Education, and co-deputy lead of the ‘School-based Research’ theme within the Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Newcastle.
Narelle Eather is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in the School of Education, Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Newcastle. Narelle’s research primary focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of physical activity, fitness and sport interventions in school and community settings.
The Burn 2 Learn study is funded by the NHMRC and the NSW Department of Education. We would like to acknowledge Ross Morrison and James Boyer from the School Sport Unit and the other chief investigators on this study: Charles Hillman, Philip Morgan, Ronald Plotnikoff, Michael Nilsson and Chris Lonsdale.
Khya Brooks suggests an approach to the HSC which can reduce everyone’s anxiety…
On the day my first HSC classes’ results were released, I was nervous and excited. However, I did not expect the reactions that I witnessed.
Many people turned to me and said “Congratulations. You did so well”, as though I had just sat the tests myself. Meanwhile, some of my colleagues were sitting with their head in their hands saying “I didn’t even get one band 6. What happened?” The rest of the day was spent listening to colleagues criticise their own practice and try to justify their classes’ outcomes to themselves; “Oh, I should have focused more on this area in the syllabus…” and “If only I had thought to revise this case study more thoroughly”.
What I learnt that day was to internalise the HSC results as though they were my own. I learned that my classes’ success somehow translated into how valuable I was as a teacher. The day was not spent celebrating, it was spent critically reflecting. Sure, this is great practice for long-term improvement, but what I have found is that it has also increased the pressure experienced by teachers. I have noticed that this pressure is then often transferred onto students, resulting in unnecessarily increased anxiety throughout the school.
I argue that this approach is reflective of a growing individualistic and negative culture within society and therefore teaching; which positions individual teachers rather than school systems or society more widely as solely responsible for student outcomes. This anxiety is reinforced by constant questions from the school executive, such as “Did you differentiate enough?”, “Are you providing enough scaffolds?”, “How many band 6s will you get this year?”
There is often too much pressure on many of the adults and, subsequently, many of the children at school.
I thought school was supposed to be joyful!
What to do?
So, I decided to actively address this cultural shift. I wanted students to own their own learning, rather than assuming it was all my responsibility. I began to reshape my programs, assessments and my overall practice. The more confident and successful my students became with their skills, the more confident and successful I felt within my practice. Our collective anxiety melted away and school days became more positive.
I found this new approach enabled me to have a better range of measures to gauge my success as a teacher. Rather than relying on quantitative numbers at the end of the HSC, I established a clearer set of procedures that allowed me, and the students themselves, to better measure our progress.
Below are some practical strategies that have helped me in achieving this cultural shift in my classroom, with a view to empower learners and improve their confidence, and ultimately, their success. I will focus prominently on the strategies utilised with my Society and Culture classes, but they are strategies that are easily transferrable to other subjects.
Please note, I work in a partially-selective public school in South-West Sydney. This means I have a large range of students; from high to lower ability, from advantaged to disadvantaged backgrounds, and from the disengaged through to some ‘over workers’. I have found that these strategies have assisted all of my students. For this reason, they should be applicable in almost any school context.
Strategies to develop a culture of student-driven learning
No summary, no marks
A strategy I have implemented is to withhold marks from students after they initially receive their assessments back. I encourage students to read through their feedback, and write a summary outlining what they need to work on, and how they intend to improve a particular skill in future assessments.
Once they do this, I provide them with their mark. This is a way to maximise student engagement with feedback. Also, students tend to keep these summaries and read over them before submitting future drafts.
Specific student-led feedback
I no longer accept copies of drafts from students seeking copious feedback. I found that quite often I would have read a draft several times before it came to marking it, and it was exhausting, time consuming and students generally still made similar mistakes in later assessments (indicating it was not as effective as I wanted it to be).
As a result, I developed a feedback matrix to use with my classes. The matrix outlines a three-step feedback system where I give specific feedback at set times and students are required to actively engage with it. The steps are outlined in Image below or click here to view.
Image 1 – Feebdack Matrix
There can be many benefits to using the matrix. As students use the marking criteria to develop specific questions for their feedback, they self-identify areas they thought they were not as strong in. For teachers, this means no longer spending copious time fixing tiny issues. Instead, we are able to provide wider feedback that students then identify in their own work. Also, students can easily see if their ‘limitation’ was someone else’s strength, and they can seek more help from one another.
Grouped feedback activities
Following the submission of a formal assessment task, I allocate each student a shape based on the marking criteria. Each shape is representative of a skill they should aim to actively improve. I then dedicate a lesson to improving those skills by grouping students by shape around the room, and each ‘shape group’ completes an activity dedicated to improving that skill. For example, I gave a student a triangle to indicate that they needed to better synthesise their research. I then had a triangle station, where all students that received the triangle worked on an activity where they ‘blended’ primary and secondary information together to identify conclusions. Students then practised writing these conclusions into paragraphs, to improve this skill further.
Strategies to develop specific skills
Writing
To improve student writing, I developed an acronym (shown in Image 2 below) focussed on sentence starters. Whilst there are many popular paragraph structures around, this approach focusses on the sentence level and students tend to find this more visible. Over the course, students begin using different sentence starters, eventually utilising the acronym as an editing checklist rather than a structure. It has been hugely successful across all stages and courses and has also been adopted by various other faculties and schools.
Image 2 – Writing Acronym
Once this acronym is introduced, I often develop an activity where students read various responses and highlight the different elements using different colours. The responses are usually related to course content, so that students actively learn relevant information through the process. We then discuss which responses were better and why, and students rewrite one of the poorer examples using the structure themselves. Often, I will then have students ‘highlight’ one another’s responses to begin to foster a peer marking culture.
I also use the highlighting activity as self-guided feedback through the course. Students learn to highlight their responses and identify whether they have used too much description, or if they need to embed more examples.
Applying concepts
In many subjects, applying concepts is integral. I scaffold this skill in a multitude of ways.
The concepts are colour coded in my classroom, and are all displayed on the wall.
Each lesson, I have students identify the various concepts that were discussed in class. Through this, students learn that a lesson can cover elements of a concept without the teacher explicitly stating it, and so they begin to look for opportunities to make these connections themselves.
I provide students with paragraphs from previous responses. Students identify two concepts that would enhance the paragraph, and rewrite the paragraphs with the concepts applied. They then peer mark one another’s responses.
Randomly, I will pass each student three cards, one with a ‘fundamental’ concept, one with an ‘additional’ concept and one with a ‘related’ concept. Students are then given one minute to prepare, and then discuss a key point of the case study using all three concepts. It helps to revise content, and enhances students’ ability to apply concepts appropriately.
Strategies to build a culture of success in the subject
One of my biggest successes has been developing a good rapport between cohorts. This has enhanced the mentorship my Year 11 students receive each year, and has also contributed to the growing profile and number of Stage 6 classes in my school.
Year 11 markers
Each year, one week before the Personal Interest Project (PIP) major work is due, I spend a day with my Year 11 students deconstructing exemplar PIPs and marking them collectively. This is a positive and voluntary experience, and the focus is about building up each other rather than putting pressure on Year 11 to produce Year 12 level work, or, of criticising older students.
Once students feel more confident in their understanding of the requirements of each section in the PIP, I then have them ‘mark’ draft Year 12 PIPs. This provides an array of advantages, such as my Year 12 students are provided with additional feedback, my Year 11 students have a better understanding of the skills required of them to achieve higher results, and I use the opportunity as a checkpoint to ensure all students have finalised their PIP at least a week prior to submission day.
Q&As
Each year I ask a number of my previous Year 12 students to come and speak to my new Year 12 students. The new group develop questions they want answered and my older group provide hints, tips and pieces of advice. Often, the older students offer to assist with PIP topics or research too.
Student developed questions
Lastly, following each topic, I have students map past HSC questions to the syllabus dot points and concepts. Students then develop a question for the topic, by mixing two dot points and adding a verb or integrating a concept. Finally, students add their question to a shared document and everyone selects three questions to respond to for practise.
This empowers students to develop their own resources for revision (I also get a bank of new question ideas). Often students will then show the question designer their response, and this suggests more collegiality between the students, as the class becomes more focussed on achieving great marks for everyone rather than personal or individual success alone.
Building up each other
It is important to note that I am very explicit with my students about the skills they learn, and how each of these strategies empowers them as learners. What I have noticed after integrating the strategies listed above is that students become less reliant on me to feed them information and are much more active about their own development. This allows each of them to feel confident and ultimately enables them to succeed as a class. It also makes it easier for me to measure how well they develop essential skills. It is this development that I value most in my teaching, knowing my students have come so far, and guiding them to continue to learn and grow more confident even when they are no longer in my classroom.
Khya Brooks currently teaches in Social Sciences at Elizabeth Macarthur High School. She has conducted workshops at the Australian Geography Annual Conference, worked in collaboration with local schools to develop higher-order-programs for the Australian Geography Curriculum, conducted research and had it published on behalf of the Western Sydney University EPIC (Educational Pathways in the 21st Century) program and contributed to educational podcasts. Khya’s students have received awards from the Society and Culture Association for their outstanding accomplishments in examination and PIP components of the HSC course. She has also contributed to the sustained growth and success of Stage 6 classes in her school. Khya is currently refining her approach to higher-order-learning strategies, and is guiding a research cycle of inquiry within her school.
Michelle Maher introduces you to the new K-10 syllabus which is mandatory for Years 7 and 9 in 2019…
As we begin implementation of the new syllabus, this article outlines key aspects and suggests some approaches to ensuring the new design and content are relevant for your school context.
Important dates
It is important to note that you may continue to use existing programs for K-6 and Year 8 and Year 10 cohorts in 2019. Whilst implementation of the syllabus across these cohorts is not mandatory before 2020, designing a clear path for content and skill development can ensure the sequential development of effective teaching and learning programs over the next two years. With implementation of Year 7 and Year 9 programs in 2019, professional development time needs to be invested in the development of authentic programs which integrate the new strands and skill domains.
Same, same but different
Whilst there are clear instructions around syllabus implementation, this syllabus encourages schools to mould the delivery of strands, skills and content to provide authentic learning for individual school contexts. Each strand must be addressed each year, but schools have the autonomy to manage course delivery in the way that best suits their students and the resources that are available to them to address the syllabus outcomes.
The refinement of the K-10 PDHPE syllabus from four to three strands significantly increases the opportunity to integrate content and impart greater relevance to students. The new syllabus strands: Health, Wellbeing and Relationships; Movement Skill and Performance and Healthy, Safe and Active Lifestyles, reinforce the importance of lifelong physical activity and positive health habits, equipping students with the skills to manage their health in an informed and purposeful manner. The content is organised around five propositions, the most notable being the move to a strengths-based approach. The propositions are:
Take a strengths-based approach;
Value movement;
Focus on educative purposes;
Include a critical inquiry approach; and
Develop health literacy.
When combined with the integrated Learning Across the Curriculum and Skills Domains, the content and syllabus structure promotes connection to “real-life” issues. This focus is particularly strengthened by three skill domains, Self-management Skills, Interpersonal Skills and Movement Skills (SIM), which are embedded within the outcomes and content of the syllabus. It is important to note that each domain, not every skill, must be addressed across each year of learning.
Another new development is the nine key inquiry questions which shape content, map outcomes and drive the focus of learning in each stage. Content is no longer directed by ‘learn about’ and ‘learn to’ statements but is organised under the key inquiry questions. All topics in Stages 4 and 5 are mandatory and schools have the freedom to decide on the degree of focus on each dot point in line with the needs and interests of their students.
New topics
In a world where we see a growing reliance on technology and engagement with social media, the inclusion of specific content to assist students to maintain personal safety online is important. A strong focus on the ethical use of technology and the development of strategies to manage online conflict will allow students to interact with relevant content and develop necessary skills to navigate their changing world. As students progress to Stage 5, the syllabus introduces more “real-life” experiences such as: create and evaluate health campaigns, programs or mobile applications that aim to promote fitness or participation in a lifetime of physical activity. This inclusion excites me as it opens prospects to analyse personal fitness devices such as FitBits or Apple watches, develop code for their own fitness app or implement a school-based fitness program. If you need further support embedding technology into your lessons, check out the handy links for integrating technology into PDHPE (PDHPE Curriculum Directorate).
Unlike previous models, the new syllabus directs the use of feedback in movement activities on a continuum from responding to reviewing, proposing and implementing alterative responses based on past performance or feedback. The Australian Council for Health Physical Education and Recreation offer workshops on assessment in NSW tailored to the new syllabus, and if you are looking for easy and effective ways to integrate technology into practical settings visit The PE Geek. The shift in the new syllabus away from traditional assessment methods also creates opportunity to increase enjoyment and engagement in learning for teachers and students alike.
To assist teachers to assess the value and appropriateness of new resources before using these as part of a teaching program, the Department has developed the Teacher Resource Flowchart.
Where you can access support
The most important thing for teachers moving towards implementation is to engage in the wide range of face-to-face and online professional learning experiences on offer. There are ten online PDHPE NESA-registered professional learning courses available through MyPL, and the NSW PDHPE Curriculum website features substantive links to support planning and implementation of the new syllabus. The Centre for Professional Learning also offers courses to support syllabus implementation. Participation in these professional learning opportunities can provide an opportunity to engage in professional networks, share ideas and resources and build confidence in the delivery of a new and engaging K-10 PDHPE syllabus.
Michelle Maher has 31 years of experience as a PDHPE teacher in NSW public schools and has been heavily involved in the professional development of teachers. Michelle has written textbooks for Stage 4, 5 and 6 PDHPE courses and has engaged in the development of syllabus documents and curriculum support resources for PDHPE and PASS syllabuses. Michelle is an experienced Stage 6 PDHPE Senior Marker and Head Teacher who currently convenes the Hunter HT PDHPE Network.
Figure 2: Example Burn 2 Learn HIIT task card
Figure 3: SAAFE principles for Burn 2 Learn session delivery
