QUALITY TRAINING FOR COMMUNITY LANGUAGES SCHOOLS

Our courses are written especially for Community Language Schools - teachers, managers and committees.

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Would you like our Education Officer to deliver one of these courses for your school?

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YOUR CLASSROOM CULTURE

Activities to create a culture of safety and belonging to optimise learning

BEHAVIOUR:  MAKE A GROUP AGREEMENT WITH YOUR CLASS

120 - 180 minutes

Do you wish your students would behave well and let you do your job?

Wouldn't it be more fun if everyone would co-operate!

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Scenario 1: the teacher makes a list of rules and tells students how to behave. If they don't behave they are threatened or punished.

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Scenario 2: the teacher and students make a Group Agreement together - they agree on how they want everyone to behave and what will happen if someone brakes the agreement.

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Scenario 2 creates a culture of safety - openness, transparency and belonging. This is what we want in CLSs. 

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OUTCOMES

At the end of this course, teachers will:

  • be able to work with students to write a positive and effective Group Agreement

  • know how to use it for classroom management

  • are better able to create a Quality Learning Environment to maximise student engagement - a school and system priority, as identified in the Quality Teaching Framework (Department of Education, 2008).


*Research shows the importance of establishing and teaching expected behaviour in the classroom (J. Greenberg, H Putman and K Walsh 2014, Training our future teachers: Classroom management, National Council on Teacher Quality).

Based on NSW Department of Education's Positive Behaviour for Learning Guidelines, this approach to classroom management supports the development of emotional intelligence and mental health.

 

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Plan and deliver great lessons

PLANNING - MAKE A TEACHING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, THE TERM, THE WEEKS, EACH LESSON

4 - 6 hours

OUTCOMES

At the end of this course teachers will have written:

  • a scope and sequence for each term;

  • a Unit of Work;

  • a lesson plan.

Teachers will be familiar with:

  • NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and their model planning documents, including language syllabuses

  • The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and their resources

  • The General Capabilities and Cross-curriculum Priorities

PLANNING - LANGUAGE LESSON STRUCTURE

2-3 hours

OUTCOMES

At the end of this course teachers will:

  • have written a lesson plan using a template that identifies the 3 main parts of a language lesson

  • have shared and received feedback on the parts of a lesson

  • understand the importance of modelling and scaffolding before independent practice

  • have had fun with Kara modelling use of various activities for a language lesson

ENGAGING - MIXED AGES / MIXED ABILITIES AND DIFFERENTIATION

3 hours

OUTCOMES

At the end of this course teachers will:

  • understand the principles of Universal Design

  • practice planning games for their class using Universal Design

  • use the 3 different approaches to differentiation

  • design a differentiated activity for their class and receive feedback

ENGAGING - POWERFUL FEEDBACK

90 minutes

OUTCOMES

At the end of this course teachers will know how to give feedback that is:

  • timely

  • effective

  • appropriate 

  • and helps students to take action to improve their learning

ENGAGING - POWERFUL QUESTIONS 

90 minutes

OUTCOMES

At the end of this course teachers will:

  • be aware of and able to use Content Questions to assess learners’ knowledge and skills

  • be aware of and able to use Essential Questions to engage learners in higher order thinking (critical and creative thinking)

  • have the language to invite students to share and to expand on their ideas and experience

ENGAGING - BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS

2 - 6 hours

This course can be a 'taster' 2hr session or it can be run as a full day experience.

This course can change the way your students feel about attending their CL School, it can profoundly change and improve the way you relate to your students.

The outcomes will be different, depending on the length of the course.

EXAMPLE OUTCOMES

Develop skills in:

  • deep listening

  • empathic conversations

  • emotional literacy

  • relating behaviour to one's values

  • making do-able requests

  • collaboration

 

ASSOCIATION GOVERNANCE

Courses to help you to run your association using good governance practices.

Also see the publications on our Resources page

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

60 minute webinar

A quick overview of NSW Department of Fair Trading requirments for reporting, and suggestions on how to organise your association's finances for smooth grant aquittals

STRATEGIC PLANNING

60 minute webinar

Learn how to do a simple strategic plan for your organisation. This can be a powerful way to look at how you want to grow or strengthen your community language school

RISK MANAGEMENT

60 minute webinar

Learn how to do a risk management plan for your school. Whether for grants, for child safety, or for COVID-19, risk assessment and management is an important skill for any organisation