Written Submission Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning

Prepared By: Mr. John Joseph M.Ed. Focus Education

June 2008

Log on at: www.focuseducation.com.au

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 1 1: DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK UNDERTAKEN BY JOHN JOSEPH

Focus Education provides a professional learning consultancy service for educators across Australia and internationally. Director of Focus Education, Mr. John Joseph is an experienced classroom practitioner, Project Offer with the education department in South Australia, university lecturer in teacher-education and provider of conferences, seminars, workshops and on-line learning methodologies for practicing educators. His prime focus lies in the field of recent brain research and educational practices congruent with this.

The mission of Focus Education is to provide the most current information and quality advice possible, to educators and educational administrators, at the most competitive rate achievable.

In eleven years of operating, Mr Joseph has presented over 1,400 full days of Professional Learning to over 300,000 educators representing more than 3,500 schools across 18 countries. Additionally, he has provided full day workshops to more than 200,000 students. His websites attract over 1 million visitors and downloads annually. He has written 6 books, published 3 CD Roms, 6 DVDs and published over 100 articles.

Mr Joseph has presented over 50 international conference keynote addresses and works in schools across the globe as a visiting scholar, provider of professional learning services for staff, workshops for students and seminars for parents. He has also presented to all of Australia’s Supreme Court and Federal Court Judges on education issues and works regularly with health professionals, corporate organisations, public entities and community groups.

Services provided for the education industry by Focus Education include: • Face-to-face keynote and conference addresses • Follow-up longitudinal professional learning initiatives for school staffs • Tailor-made teacher resources for implementation of professional learning initiatives within classrooms • Train-the-trainer programs for individual or cluster sites • On-line professional learning hosted through The Learning Place (Education Queensland) • Video-conferencing • PowerPoint, CDRom or DVD based self-directed professional learning packages • Travelling Scholar Programs (ACEL, NSW Department of Education) • Workshops and seminars for students (all age groups from pre-school to senior secondary) • Seminars for parent groups • Subscription articles for dissemination across staff, student and parent stakeholders

Focus Education receives approximately 700 requests for educational services each school year. Mr Joseph is able to service about one-third of these requests and is currently training individuals to use his Intellectual Property and proprietary images and methodologies to supply the demand.

Focus Education can provide written referee statements, testimonials and a full outline of the range of services provided to clients (relevant to this submission).

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 2 2: Which factors will support high quality professional learning for teachers, including learning methods and environments for the development of professional knowledge, and the pedagogy relevant to professional development of teachers

1. clarify the difference between a speaker and a provider of professional development for teachers

A speaker is typically contracted to provide an interesting, challenging perspective on issues related to education. Good speakers tend to command high fees and rarely have any accountability to the school(s) or organisation(s) beyond the initial presentation. Delegates are often left enthused but without enough input and processing time to consider the implications of what the speaker addressed. Speakers are often approached for their delivery style or their fame rather than their substance and capacity to inspire teacher learning.

A provider of professional development is typically contracted to work with leadership teams in education institutions to develop models and frameworks for consideration and implementation over an extended period. Such projects are usually constructed within the frameworks of the organisation’s needs and the provider’s capacity. Regular audits and modifications are often made within such frameworks.

2. which is better: speaker or provider of professional development?

Given that many educators are somewhat cynical of professional learning, the speaker can provide the impetus for teaching staff to want to know more. If the speaker has the substance and style to provide professional learning as well as a motivational and professionally relevant address, then the combination of both is vastly better than either on their own.

Unfortunately, many speakers are unable or unwilling to provide sustained, relevant professional development with schools because they lack experience in current classroom environments, they are unwilling to lead by example by using actual classrooms to demonstrate their ideas, or they are more interested in plugging their publications for sale than in demonstrating how their publications could contribute to anticipated outcomes.

3. should teacher professional development be tailored to individual teachers?

Yes, although teachers tend to be classified and receive remuneration based on years of experience, vast differences in enthusiasm (willingness) and competencies (knowingness) occur across the spectrum and all education systems seem to carry underperforming teachers. The current professional development environment tends to provide en-masse with a one size fits all approach. The strength of this approach is efficiency. The weakness is that some teachers are unable or unwilling to engage in professional learning that shifts their practise.

4. what evidence supports that claim?

During 1996 and 1997 my role was Project officer, Retraining with the Department for Education and Children’s Services (DECS) in South Australia. The Project was a one-person role nestled with the Human Resources group of DECS. Part of my role involved providing professional development to the following groups:

• Teachers returning to the workforce after extended absence, such as child raising • Teachers returning to the classroom after extended secondments • Teachers returning to active classroom duty after stress leave • Teachers moving to more complex sites on transfer processes • Underperforming teachers, according to our criteria charts • Teachers from overseas or interstate who required significant induction • Beginning teachers • Underperforming leaders in schools

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 3

My budget line provided approximately eight teacher release days at each school for each person in the above categories. This enabled teacher release for tailored programs. An independent audit by Ernst and Young demonstrated significant cost savings to DECS through this proactive approach. Stress claims against DECS dropped and wellbeing amongst the participants reportedly increased.

A second significant role undertaken through the Retraining Project was for the Project Officer to work at all three South Australian teacher training universities to identify and coach graduates to help staff rural, remote or other difficult to staff schools. Students undertook a credited subject during their final semester at university. Titled, Teaching in Rural and Remote Communities and written by myself, it was a practical subject where groups of identified student teachers undertook an additional non-graded practicum for two weeks in a school such as Coober Pedy, Roxby Downs, Port Lincoln, Port Augusta, Ceduna… During their visit (I drove the bus as well!), I provided professional learning for the student teachers, professional learning for staff at the rural and remote sites, parent seminars and demonstration lessons with children.

Student teachers who demonstrated enthusiasm and competency, and who met the expectations of the school communities for the sites they visited were offered permanent placements pending the successful completion of their pre-service course.

This significant project enabled DECS to staff numerous difficult sites and provided unparalleled face-to- face professional development for teachers who due to location were often unable to access quality learning for themselves. The beginning teachers had already received induction to their new placements, were confident in the capacity to teach in such locations and received the equivalent of several weeks of high quality professional development before they even began teaching. Many of these graduates still teach in the communities they visited as student teachers and some have won principal positions.

Testimony to the success of the Project is that is still operates today, ten years on.

5. how might providers differentiate professional development for teachers?

As well as the targeted groups for the Teacher Retraining Project, my work in teacher training as a departmental employee and as a private provider enabled me to categorise teachers according to two main criteria:

1. the degree of willingness that teachers have for their work 2. the degree of knowingness that teachers have for their work

Willingness encompasses elements around enthusiasm: • enthusiasm for working with young people • enthusiasm for creating healthy learning environments for young people • enthusiasm for teaching and providing feedback to learners • enthusiasm, hope and faith for the future for young people • enthusiasm for developing healthy inter-relationships with young people

Knowingness encompasses all the elements around knowledge and skills: • knowing what to teach • knowing how and when to teach • knowing how to assess, report and plan for academic growth • knowing how to establish and maintain emotionally healthy classrooms • knowing what affects young people’s motivations and dispositions

The Willingness and Knowingness Graph I define Willingness as the degree of passion a teacher has for the job of teaching young people. I define Knowingness as the degree of knowledge and skill a teacher has for the job of teaching young people. Both Willingness and knowingness occur on continuums ranging from very low through to very high. Both Willingness and Knowingness may be plotted on a graph to indicate individual performance and subsequently, ways to tailor professional learning and follow-up support for individual staff members.

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 4 The graph highlights five teacher types that I have identified according to their levels of willingness and knowingness. Descriptions of the five major types follows.

1 2

3

4 5 Willingness

Knowingness

1. high willingness, low knowingness The Anxious teacher 2. high willingness, high knowingness The High Flier teacher 3. average willingness, average knowingness The Competent teacher 4. low willingness, low knowingness The Struggling teacher 5. low willingness, high knowingness The Cynical teacher

6. what are the defining characteristics of each group?

The ‘Anxious’ teacher is high in willingness but low in knowingness. They seek explanations; need to learn the systems and protocols associated with the site, and constantly seek feedback on strategies and performance. Fear of loss of classroom control is a major inhibiting factor for the Anxious teacher so well structured induction programs are essential. The ‘Anxious’ are typically beginning teachers or those who transferred into a more complex location or a new year-level. The ‘Anxious’ teacher hopes that attendance at professional development sessions will help them in seeking explanations for why their strategies are not effective for some kids, and secondly, they seek some new strategies to try out as soon as they possibly can.

Peer coaching is most probably the best strategy for this group. They seek and use other’s expertise and grow accordingly. Keeping this group away from the destructive influence of the Cynics is difficult yet imperative. Cynics gain the power by recruiting Anxious teachers into their ranks. This is especially evident to me in secondary schools and in the faculties of mathematics, science and physical education.

‘High Flyers’, are those people with a passion for working with children and adolescents and talented in their approaches and strategies. They are the gems of the education industry and the teachers who constantly seek improvement. One could list many platitudes to describe their worth to our industry and to society but the list would still be inadequate. They are teachers of great quality and our systems must take extreme care not to burn them with accountability, nor to overly pressure them with the most difficult classes. The ‘High Flyer’ teacher enjoys professional learning that challenges their thinking. They appear equally comfortable with speaker and trainer sessions and willingly contribute to make professional development rewarding. ‘High Flyers’ are our ‘Anxious teacher’ mentors.

‘High Flyers’ are often involved in subject associations; university accredited learning programs, on-line courses, system-initiated projects and other personal growth courses such as clubs and hub networks. These teachers make excellent peer coaches and occasionally win positions where they provide training to groups of teachers across their local networks. Unfortunately, this strategy rarely reaches desired outcomes as teachers undertaking the training do not listen readily to higher status peers. As a result, many ‘High Flyers’ return to classroom somewhat dismayed at the professionalism of some of their colleagues.

Many teachers describe themselves as ‘Competent.’ They view their work more as a job than a career and they usually report that they enjoy teaching and contributing to the development of young people. However, ‘Competent’ teachers typically do not enjoy working with troubled students or those with learning difficulties and often become frustrated when the methods that work for most have no impact on Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 5 the few. The ‘Competent’ teacher enjoys professional learning that provides some new strategies (something to do on Monday, for example) but they are typically not that interested in rocking the boat too much. In my experience, the majority of ‘Competent’ teachers remain at or about that level for the majority of their working lives in classrooms. They reluctantly take on systemic initiatives, complaining about the workload and paying lip service to change. However, they are unable to articulate their opposition to the initiatives they reject and have no intention of gaining further qualifications or advancement in their professional knowledge.

Peer coaching and cluster training are almost useless with this group. They require the pressure of individual accountability. For example, to run a staff development session based on their latest learning; to open their class to walk-troughs by leadership; to present their philosophies and practices to parents of the students they teach; to be held accountable for individual and pod group planning and documentation. Because they make up the majority of the teaching force, good speakers and providers of professional development should work with leadership in schools to identify strategies for the professional growth of this group.

A ‘Struggling’ teacher does not like working with children and has little idea when it comes to teaching. One might ask the question, ‘Why are these people still teaching kids?’ Probably for the money and the prestige; probably because the vast majority of education systems world-wide do not know how to move them on with dignity; and partly because they actually hold a teaching qualification. and in times of teacher shortages, they are arguably better than a non-trained alternative. Typically, such teachers rely on past lessons plans, heavy use of the school photocopier, busy work and the goodwill of children to manage the classroom atmosphere. Many of these teachers are on various performance management plans which have little impact. These teachers look forward to professional development days because they do not have to teach kids! It’s highly unlikely that they will actually learn anything but do they care!!

Performance management plans which include retraining into other fields of work are probably the best options. Several such programs exist world-wide but they somewhat expensive to set-up. No amount of professional development turns a ‘Struggling’ into a ‘High Flyer.’ It is like trying to make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear.

The ‘Cynics’ are usually frustrated ‘High Flyers.’ These teachers once held a passion for teaching kids and considering systemic initiatives but have lost it over the years, sometimes with good reason. They claim they are fed-up with systemic demands and accountability structures that, in their opinions do not contribute to quality teaching and learning. The ‘Cynics’ are often good teachers and often hold powerful positions on a teaching staff. They can sway opinions and know how to make their voices heard. The trouble is, they tend to speak about all but the ‘High Flyer’ students in derogatory terms. They have no time for troubled students and typically care more about their subject specialisations than the young people they teach. You’ll hear them in staff rooms. Just make sure you do not mistakenly sit in their allocated chair. They whinge about the kids, the leadership, the duties, the car parking situation, the latest system initiatives, the kids’ parents and so on.

When ‘Cynics’ rev up their enthusiasm they leap back into ‘High Flyer’ status like a bolt of lightening. Most experienced teachers have a degree of cynicism and I think that is healthy. Too much and it grows like a cancer.

The ‘Cynics’ do not enjoy professional learning days. In their minds, they know everything there is to know about teaching and learning and they have already implemented every structure that ever existed. They talk about the past and lament the good old days. These teachers take their marking to professional learning days in case the topic or speaker is boring!

It is the speaker first and the provider second that reignites the passion for this group. They want to hear someone who has recent classroom experience, high credibility though a strong research and publication base, and a presentation style that engages their intellects rather than a speaker that asks them to play silly games or take turns reporting notes written on butcher paper.

The ‘Cynics’ are a speaker’s measure of engagement with the topic at hand. They not only make their opinions public, they applaud the sessions that challenge and ignite passion. It is the ‘Cynics’ that request Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 6 follow-up professional development from speakers. Despite their reluctance to get involved in much of what counts as professional development, the ‘Cynics’ who come on board ensure that rest of the staff follow suit.

Once convinced, the ‘Cynics’ enjoy coaching, role modelling, joint publications of their ideas and methodologies (typically to staff of other schools), opening their practise to peer scrutiny, part-time lecturing at teacher training universities…

When a speaker or provider engages the ‘Cynic’ the atmosphere of the organisation takes a remarkable turn for the better. Sadly, it takes a very talented presenter to reach the ‘Cynic.’

When presenting this graph to teachers I ask the following questions: • Where do you think the students that you teach would rate you on the graph? • What questions arise for you and colleagues? • What category of teacher would you want teaching your own children? • Which category of teacher would students seek for questions and explanations? • What is the likely outcome of placing students with unhealthy concepts and associated poor behaviour with Struggling or Cynical teachers? • How might Cynical teachers rebuild their passion for working with young people? • Do you think the students that you teach would benefit from examining the qualities of teachers? • How might the category of teacher influence the attitudes of students? • How might an Anxious Teacher become a High Flyer? • Who could and who should assist in that process? • What category of teacher is most likely to be uplifting for the spirit? • When considering professional development, how might we groups teachers to maximise our expected outcomes?

7. how might teachers know where their professional competencies lay in relation to their colleagues?

Most Australian Education systems have documents such as ‘Teachers Work’ (DETE SA) that enable leadership and teachers to plot performance. However the documents are often vague, lack clarity in demonstrable targets and judgements, and therefore remain opinionated or speculative.

Focus Education is currently developing Rubrics based on teachers’ work for use by some international schools for recruitment, deployment, salary levels and training. This follows the highly successful development and deployment of Rubrics created by John Joseph for the corporate world of work.

The word rubric has its origins in a Latin word meaning red chalk or red ink. Supposedly, the red ink represented important words, passages or meaning in the scriptures. Those who sought to reach high levels in their chosen fields followed the words or inferences written in red ink as their guide. Today, the meaning of rubric remains the same – essentially a rubric is a statement of quality with defined steps to provide guidance in one’s attempt to reach the highest level.

I cannot think of a better description for what we ask of teachers as they develop the willingness and knowingness competencies required by the employer within a schooling context.

Such a Rubric would state demonstrable competencies and behaviour within a context of ongoing professional development across a range of methodologies differentiated to individual needs. The value lays in clarity, steps to achieve specified goals, rewards for the high flyers and sanctions for the consistent underperformers.

The intended uses for a professional development rubric are: • to identify the range of competencies and behaviour that reflect teaching practice at a number of Target levels (for example, Anxious, High Flyer, Competent…) • to develop exemplars of teaching codes • to promote clarity of expectations by defining terms Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 7 • to guide professional development based on a needs and competencies audit • to determine precisely the impact of various training methodologies on teacher performance • to construct a feedback and reporting tool that focuses on identified professional growth • to eliminate punitive practices in favour of coaching practices • to guide salary levels if/when performance pay becomes a reality for teachers

The intended audiences for the behaviour rubric are: • Teachers – as an identification, planning, coaching, feedback and reporting tool • Whole Staff – as a site tool for planning professional development and reflecting on practice • School Leadership – as a reporting and analysis tool fro individuals, faculties and the system • The System – as a framework for identifying the skills base of those in the profession and the need for funding systemic initiatives to reach systemic outcomes

Summary of this Section Education systems, including those in Victoria tend to place large amounts of resources including time allocations and targeted funds into teacher professional development. It seems that some schools reallocate the funds and time. Some schools I contacted said they use two of their four designated pupil- free days each year for student report writing. Some educators I spoke with claimed their site had not undertaken any purposeful professional development for at least 5 years. Tragically, some of these teachers were quite proud of this situation.

Many claimed that the recent development of the VIT to insist on a certain amount of professional development over a five year period to maintain registration smacks of volume rather than quality and will force compliance rather than professional growth. Creating the conditions for teachers to want to undertake professional learning is preferable to mandates.

More recently, teachers said the drop in cluster funds due to the abolition of 'innovations and excellence' funded positions meant that schools could not afford to pay for teachers to attend beyond school professional learning initiatives. Colleagues tell me that numbers attending full day conferences and seminars in Victoria during 2008 dropped significantly. Whether this is perception or reality is questionable.

In my opinion, high quality professional learning for teachers is best constructed through identifying individual competencies within a framework of the site’s and the system’s needs. Teachers should have access to methodologies that reflect where they are at according to designated Rubrics and they should be held accountable against those Rubrics by their classroom practise and peer reviews.

If it were up to me, I would also move to align teacher salaries against those Rubrics and remove the ridiculous situation where an underperforming teacher receives the same salary as a high flyer.

Australia trails behind some other countries I work in with regard to professional development. I can walk into Australian schools with no more that a one paragraph invitation from a leadership member who has ‘heard great things about me’ and provide a wonderful day for staff with no expectation of outcomes (other than enjoyment of the presentation) and no explicit expectation of follow-up.

This is rarely the case for me when working overseas. I am currently working in 17 countries and in the vast majority of cases I am required to provide a written submission, including a long-term plan, expected outcomes, how we will work together to achieve those outcomes, a range of methodologies for staff to select from, benchmarks and targets along the way and an overall indication of cost.

The professionalism generated by these methods removes the ‘cowboys’ from the industry and places due accountability on the provider and recipient alike.

I thank the Committee for the invitation to contribute to the Inquiry and trust that my comments be useful.

John Joseph Curriculum Vitae – John Joseph Director: Focus Education Australia Pty Ltd

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 8

John Joseph M Ed B Ed Dip T Business Address 34 York Drive, Flagstaff Hill, South Australia, Australia 5159 Telephone: +61 8 8358 6993 (Work) 0410 536 993 (Mobile) Fax: +61 8 8358 6763 Web Address 1 www.focuseducation.com.au Web Address 2: www.mindwebs.com.au Email Address: [email protected]

Academic and Trade Qualifications Master of Education, (Mathematics and Science Education) University of South Australia, 1994 Bachelor of Education, (Middle Childhood) SACAE Underdale, 1984 Diploma of Teaching, (Middle Childhood) SACAE Underdale, 1983 Solid Plasterer: (apprenticeship 1969 – 1973)

Countries of Paid Speaking and Training Experience Australia, Malaysia, South Africa, Tonga, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, Turkey, Germany, The Netherlands, Thailand, UAE, Korea, Hong Kong, Wales, England

Professional Experience Jan 1998 – Present: Director, Focus Education Australia Pty Ltd Director, Mind Webs Pty Ltd Jan 1996– Dec 1997: Project Officer: Retraining, Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE) South Australia • Manage state-wide retraining/in service training needs for 22,000 employees • Conduct training needs analysis and implementation across DETE system • Design and deliver on-the-job in-service/retraining programs according to systematic needs • Produce educational support materials for teachers’ professional training Feb 1992– Dec 1995: Lecturer, School of Education, University of South Australia Course Coordinator, Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary), 1983 – 1992: Teacher, Reception (5-year-olds) – to Year 12; General Classroom Teaching, Social Science, General Science, Biology, Environmental Studies, Mathematics, Photography

Focus Education Consultancies – January 1998 – 2008 • Over 1,400 part or full-day workshops and seminars across all Australian states and 15 other countries for more than 230,000 education and parent delegates • Over 400 workshops for more than 120,000 student delegates • Over 100 corporate seminars for more than 5,000 delegates • Educational papers and ministerial briefings for Education Departments in South Australia, Victoria and ACT • Over 200 Conference Keynote Addresses for principals’ associations, subject associations, Independent, Lutheran and Catholic schooling systems across the world

Corporate clients include: Australian Federal Court and Supreme Court Judges, Boeing Australia, SENTIS, Adelaide Children’s Hospital, Spina Bifida Association, Edwards Marshall (accountants) Gibson Green (accountants) Relationships Australia, AUSNet (Real Estate) Stoma Nurses Association, S. Kidman, Mr Rentals, Crippled Children’s Association, Focus Events, Acquired Brain Injury Association of Australia, Department of Health, Disabilities Services, The Executive Connection (40+ TEC groups comprising more than 600 company CEO’s across Australia)

Major Keynote addresses and Conferences in 2007: Combined Isolated Schools, Katherine (275 delegates)) Combined Catholic Colleges, Brisbane (175 delegates) Special Educators Conference, Darwin (85 delegates) Independent and Catholic School Combined Annual Conference, Darwin (136 delegates) Middle Years Relationship and Integration Conference, Darwin (150 delegates) International Baccalaureate Organisation, Istanbul, Turkey (370 delegates) School of Isolated and Distance Education, Perth (125 delegates) Seventh Day Adventist Annual Conference, Melbourne (170 delegates)

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 9 Annual ACT Principals’ Conference, Canberra (80 delegates) Yooralla’s Society for Disabilities, Melbourne (183 delegates) Junior School Heads’ Association of Australia, (154 delegates) Western Sydney Primary Principals’ Association Annual Conference, Sydney (71 delegates) Anglican Church Ministers’ Annual Conference, Adelaide (171 delegates) Special Educators’ Conference, Darwin (61 delegates) Leadership Conference – Transforming Schools, Canberra (168 delegates) Catholic Education Office Annual Conference, Perth (350 delegates) Boys in Education, Hunter Valley (156 delegates) Muster Cluster Annual Conference on Student Learning, Gympie (612 delegates) Western Sydney Principals’’ Association Combined Annual Conference (262 delegates) Hong Kong International School Staff Conference, Hong Kong (102 delegates) KORCOS and DoDDS Annual Conference, Korea (890 delegates) Tools for a Backpack – Conference for Educators from the Middle East, Dubai (700 delegates) School Culture and Pathways to Manhood, Melbourne (255 delegates) Mind Your Brain, Atlantic College, Wales (340 delegates) Student Welfare Consultants, Central Coast NSW (185 delegates)

Major Statistics for 2007: 207 paid speaking engagements 27,200 combined delegates Facilitated conferences for 139 schools Facilitated conferences for 16 individual corporate events Worked in 6 countries

Major Products by John Joseph: *Joseph, John (2004) Model Brain (High quality 8-piece kit including life-size skull with removable cranium and beautifully illustrated full-colour booklet). Housed in a strong aluminium case. Adelaide, Focus Education. *Joseph, John (2004) Plastic moulds for building and painting model plaster brains. (Available in class sets). Adelaide, Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2007) Mind Your Brain on DVD (Teacher level with accompanying workshop notes and teacher guide, all of John’s remarkable brain images. For classroom use ONLY). Adelaide, Focus Education *Joseph, John (2006) What’s Your Style? Discover Your Learning Styles on CD Rom Adelaide, Focus Education Australia *Joseph, John (2002) Brainy Parents – Brainy Kids 2nd Edition. Adelaide, Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2001) Journey into the Vulnerable Brain. Adelaide, Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2006 2nd Edition) Learning in the Emotional Rooms: How to Create Classrooms that are Uplifting for the Spirit. Adelaide, Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2006) Learning in the Emotional Rooms – A1 POSTER. Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2006) Your Amazing Brain – A1 POSTER. Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2008) Information Processing Model – A1 POSTER. Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2008) Brain Thinking Cap. Focus Education Australia. *Joseph, John (2008) Emotional Room Stress Ball Brain. Focus Education Australia.

For all Brain Related Products ,log onto www.mindwebs.com.au

• +61 8 8358 6993 Email: [email protected] • +61 410 536 993 Web: www.focuseducation.com.au Fax: +61 8 8358 6993 Postal: PO Box 402 Flagstaff Hill South Australia 5159

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 10 Selection of Testimonials

Dear Mr Joseph, In November of last year you held “Absolutely fantastic! Enlightening and enjoyable with over 800 teachers enthralled by your keynote practical information to relate to the family.” speech at KORCOS in Seoul. In fact, the teachers Parent, ACT, attending a Parenting evening with John have been clamouring to have you back (isn't it great Joseph to be wanted!). John, you are a superstar: keynoter and presenter That being so, on behalf of the KORCOS extraordinaire. Our teachers cannot get enough of you. You Conference Committee, can I formally invite you for must come back! You have certainly earned yourself a place a return visit to Seoul for our 2008 KORCOS in our NESA Hall of Fame. Conference in October 2008. Continuance of this year's topic would be gratefully appreciated. David Chojnacki The NESA Center, Aghia Paraskevi Timothy Gray- Head-teacher, British School, 15342, GREECE, Keynote and workshops for 750 Seoul Foreign School. delegates in Seoul.

“Your passionate and enthusiastic delivery inspired “Your talk has been the subject of a great deal of discussion us all and teachers have returned to school with around the Centre with the unanimous view being one of many ideas and strategies from the retreat.” wonder sparked and mysteries unravelled. From those who Linda Weetra, SA, school counsellor at a 2-day didn’t attend there has been a unanimous expression of residential conference for rural . regret.” Jo Freeman, SA, Community Childcare Centre

“The workshop was an outstanding success and set “Many thanks for such an inspirational day. You kept us the tone for our school’s year. The material was glued to the content and gave us a new insight into our extremely realistic to our classrooms and personal students and the ways in which they learn. We have come life situation. The workshop has given the school a away with many seeds of new ideas and ways in which we unified approach to learning.” could restructure what has become traditional. You gave Cathie Wilson, SA, primary school principal-7 much food for thought, information which has the potential hour brain-compatible workshop for 57 staff. for radical changes.” Sandra Jesshope, SA, Craigmore Christian School

“Your workshop squarely addressed the traumas of “Thank you for facilitating another challenging, inspirational our past. I was really overwhelmed by your choice of and motivating ‘Learning to Learn’ T and D workshop for our topics. Please never forsake us.” Tille – 2-day high school staff. We are so fortunate to have you working workshop in Eastern Cape Province, South with us. Africa. Ian Tooley, SA, high school principal

“I started the evening ‘nodding off’ and John’s “This was quite simply the best presentation I can ever presentation soon had me alert and attentive. Thank remember attending. I learnt more today than in any other you very, very much for your gift to us and our PD conferences in 20 years of teaching.” I will follow your children.” work and website with great interest.” -Myles Pearce, Real Estate Agent at Parents and Deputy principal, SA, full-day conference for 110 Learning workshop. teachers

“I have never seen a staff so invigorated by a “We greatly appreciated your open and relaxed manner speaker before. There has been a constant buzz in which created a dynamic learning environment. Their the staff room ever since and many teachers thinking enthusiasm is illustrated through the following quote, “John of ways to utilise what they have learnt.” Joseph is inspirational, and left me feeling motivated in terms Sally Ferguson, Full-day Lutheran Education of reflecting on my own practise, and considering future Conference for 440 delegates, pre-school to year directions.” 12. Staff Development Officer, ACT DET

“The juvenile Justice System staff were so “What a catalyst your workshops have proven to be! Tassie impressed that they are proposing to their Training Catholic Schools are buzzing with enthusiasm and and Development Committee to ask you to present excitement. Individual teachers have literally taken up the the same workshop to their personnel.” ideas and run with them.” -Gerri Walker, Principal, Youth Training Centre. Denise Frost, Tas, Co-ordinator Professional Development

“Thank you for sharing your expertise with us today. “As a result of your 6 ½ hour seminar all staff are now All of the Cabra Dominican College have been reviewing their classroom practice. I have not seen a day of inspired by your passion and knowledge.”-7 hour adult learning that has had such a positive impact.” brain-compatible workshop for 80 secondary Tim McLeod SA, primary school principal school staff.

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 11 “It has been utterly glorious to work with you and “As the local counterpart for AusAID’s educational learn from you. You have been an inspiration to me development in the South Pacific I would like to say how and to our staff. I now look forward to the 3rd day of much I enjoyed and appreciated working with Mr John workshops.” Joseph. Mr Joseph is caring, considerate, compassionate, Debbie, primary school in northern Queensland approachable, firm but kind-hearted. He has both substance and style. He is very sensitive to culture and personal “Professional development has never been so differences and yet he continually upholds the quality and relaxed and real. I wish I had all your ‘stuff’ in my essence of his work. To me, he is ‘one of a kind.’ Mr Joseph brain so it could flow out so easily. What you have was seen and received as just the right person to answer our opened up to us all will help us to make a real questions and even those we never really dreamed existed. difference to the lives we touch. What a joy to be encouraged after years of defeated effort in Kate, primary school in northern Queensland a system where most students fail.” Mele’ana Puloka Kingdom of Tonga, Chief Education Officer

I don’t know what to say except thank you very “Thankyou for conducting an outstanding conference, much! Namir speaks so highly of you and I can see ‘Assessment with the Brain in Mind’ for 65 educators from 13 why! small schools. Your ability to read the needs and energy of Hadi Khatib Managing Editor The Middle East the audience is outstanding.” Educator, Dubai Janet Gifford, SA primary school principal

“I believe people leave your workshops anxious for “District Leaders, whether from preschool, primary or more John, because you have presented information secondary sites have found your presentation relevant, to them which they are innately interested. The thought-provoking, interesting, stimulating and challenging. content and pace of your workshops, the pitch of Just as significant as the immediate feedback has been the your delivery, the latest ICT images, the relevant range of incidental conversations between District Leaders handouts and readings all combine to result in highly since the 2-day conference. Your presentation continues to successful outcomes. You make personal provoke learning conversations between colleagues and is a connections to new learning. You make significant part of their consideration as they work with students at their impacts.” sites.” Dale Gathercole SA primary school principal Catherine Nikkerud, SA, District Coordinator

“Your workshop had a profound impact on staff. “John Joseph worked with 257 students from Yrs 3 – 7. His Many teachers are now seeking ways to include the presentation was of high quality, very successfully adapted material in classroom programs. Thus the outcome to a level of understanding of children. All teachers and couldn’t have been better. The graphics were myself were delighted with the outcomes of the day as it absolutely brilliant and a marvelous innovation. I demonstrated and reinforced the skills and strategies John have never witnessed pictures of this quality before.” presented at a full-day conference to 530 teachers from 26 Robert Cussel ACT, primary school conference local schools last week.” Graham Dixon, Sunshine Coast, Qld, primary school principal

“I feel that a presenter such as yourself, typifies the “Staff found your presentation engaging in the extreme. Not excellence in education that was displayed at the only was the content of great interest but your delivery style conference. Your keynote address set the tone for was entertaining, refreshing and appropriate for our office – the wonderful conference.” you pick your style perfectly!” Natalie Rudd, WA Curriculum Officer Kerri Crisanti, HR Coordinator, Funds SA

“I'm stuffed but I had the BEST day today and what a “Your presentation at our conference last Friday was wonderful high to leave teaching with ... after 33 outstanding! The material, especially the 3-D images of brain years! Thank you so much for all that you do - we cells, has made such an impact on everyone who was there. will build on it at Palmerston and make it a true Informal feedback was received by all of the committee learning community. My head is just a-buzzing with throughout the day and it was not uncommon to find groups ideas!” analysing situations at their breaks.” Retiring teacher-librarian after a student Louise Mason, SA, Lutheran Schools Association workshop

“The content for our 89 staff was diverse, “More than 540 teachers from 17 state schools attended challenging, interesting, adapted to the needs of John’s full-day presentation at Townsville. His ability to each individual sector and appropriately sequenced. present in a clear and precise manner captivated his Staff were virtually unanimous in their approval and audience. Secondly, John worked with a range of schools were keen to hear more from John. The sentiment modelling excellent pedagogy and engaging pupils in commonly expressed was ‘The best PD session we learning about their brains, its functions, learning styles, have ever had.’ And this was from a relatively emotions, diet, nutrition and memory. The success of these challenging audience!” programs is clearly evident from pupil enthusiasm and Bev Saegenschnitter, SA, Director of Staff teacher excitement. There are numerous requests for his Development, Westminster School return.” Derek Hedgcock, Qld, principal of Staff College Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 12

“On behalf of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching I “Your workshop gave us all an insight into many aspects of want to thank you for your significant contribution to student behaviour and lack of learning that we were the journal “CLASS.” Without the time you have obviously not taking into account in our normal practices. To given and your considerable expertise “CLASS” provide a full day of enlightened work to a high school staff of would not have had the impact that we understand it over 70 is a huge feat and your presentation and has had on the education community. professionalism was outstanding and excellent value for Steve Stanley, WA, Director Centre for money.” Excellence Cathy Cameron, SA, secondary school principal

“Met you at the amazing Leading Learning “Thank you for your stimulating and entertaining conference at the King's School earlier this week. I presentation. The issues you raised were relevant and have heard nothing but your name on people's lips addressed the needs of the school staff. Many teachers ever since.... THANK you for your inspiring work - commented it was the best development day they have ever and your incredible gift for passing it on to people.” attended.” Teacher of Chinese, National Conference, George Gifford, NSW, principal Matraville High School Australia

“Your professional, humorous address was both motivational “I just wanted to again say thank you so very much and practical, with real strategies and knowledge that could for your presentation yesterday. We didn't even be applied immediately in day-to- life. One staff have to read the feedback sheets to know that you member claimed ‘It was the best PD day I’ve had in 18 were extremely well received. Many people have years.” asked that you come back again next year!” Michelle Bentley, SA, Annesley College-Learning with Organiser of Special Ed Conference for 250 the Brain in Mind Workshop for 80 staff delegates.

“John Joseph, affectionately known as “the brain “Hi John, I attended all your sessions at the recent Catholic man’, is one of the very few Educational Consultants Education Conference in Perth. I was fascinated with your I have heard that is able to captivate his audience delivery at all of the workshops; and I was amazed at how but also presents with the credibility of actually you managed to present such humorous anecdotes on what getting his hands dirty in the classroom doing action must have been some incredibly difficult, personal and research projects with schools and teaching students traumatic, previous experiences. Thank goodness people in the ‘classroom’. He presents knowledge about the such as yourself can share intimate encounters in an effort to brain through hands-on practical activities like cutting improve the 'lot' of teachers and students alike. I will up a brain, designing a brain out of plasticine, endeavour to embrace some of your suggestions with my looking at incredible graphics and listening to real life more 'trying' students in the future. Your book will hopefully stories allowing for a very wide range of learning be a useful tool to this end.” Sincere thanks, Mary Pat styles to be connected to real life experiences. Charlton, 1 of 350 delegates

John has journeyed to Katherine in the Northern “Hi John, I just wanted to email and say thank-you for coming Territory three times over the last 12 months working and working with our students last week. They had a with students, parents and teachers in our urban fantastic day and the experiences and learning you provided town, remote schools and school of the air. Each for our students was second to none. Our students were so visit he has left us wanting to know more and with a excited about what they had learnt and went home and told new level of understanding of ‘how the brain works’ their parents all about it and we received very positive and thus an increased capacity to achieve the core feedback from our parents. We appreciate the effort you put business of education – the teaching and learning of in to our kids and look forward to working with you again in ALL kids in our classroom. the future.” Fiona Arnold, Mildura, 343 students

I recommend John to you as someone who will “I attended your parent seminar on Monday night at make a significant impact to your learning and I look Sandgate State High School. It was brilliant and very forward to working with him in the future.” Bryan entertaining after I had sat through Professional Hughes, Principal, Clyde Fenton School, Development all day as a teacher. Thanks for the inspiration Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia to keep on teaching. “ Christine. Sandgate District High School, 160 teachers, April 2008

“Thanks for a great on-line course. A wealth of “Hi John, Thanks so much for the fantastic work you did with fantastic information that I am hoping to merge more both our staff and students. Feedback from the kids was that into my teaching as I cooperatively plan with it was one of the best experiences they’d ever had at school. teachers. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and “ inspiration.” Libby Sansome, St Pauls College, Julie Nixon, Plenty Park PS, Melbourne, staff day for 77 participant in 8-week on-line course teachers and student workshops for 205 students

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 13 “I just wanted to let you know that you completely “When Spence spoke at "The Brain Expo Down Under," I exceeded our expectations with your presentation on had the pleasure of sitting in on John Joseph's presentation Friday. I imagine you are fairly used to this sort of in which he overviewed the Emotional Rooms....I think you feedback but take into account comments such as “I will find the book intriguing, thought-provoking and an just want to sit down and hear it all again - right invaluable guide in your quest for high school redesign now” which was said to me by a teacher reluctantly ideas. (It is also loaded with brain research, full-color exiting the theatre. 100% of staff want you to return graphics, and a wealth of information not often obtained here to work with staff and students and parents. Many in the states.) I know I am not doing this resource justice in commented it was the best pupil free day they had my description and I hope John will forgive me for that.” ever experienced. Many thanks for all that you do. Roz Rogers, USA Much appreciated.” JOY Ganter Principal, Glenmore High, Rockhampton, 200 delegates “Hi John, Let me express my sincere gratitude for your seminar yesterday. It was literally thrilling and I was deeply Good evening John, I was one of the lucky ones that absorbed (even during my down-time!!) Thank you again for went to the Glenfield Conference in Sydney in late your time and best wishes. Rob Colaiacovo, Assistant January and participated in your workshop. I am Head of Mathematics, Prince Alfred College, South trialing some of what I learnt with my class and we’re Australia, 89 delegates, full day conf. all learning so much. The kids love it! Thanking you so much.” Liz Hutton

“Hi John, this is Sarah Raheel from Karachi “Dear John (The Brain Man), I’d like to thank you for the Pakistan. We met in NESA 2008 in Bangkok. I excellent conference I attended on Tuesday 13th May 2008, invited you to come to my Foundation Public School at Canterbury High School in England. In fact because your and share the remarkable knowledge you have for research is so thorough, I actually would have liked longer to the professional development of our teachers. That discuss this, possibly even including ‘some hands-on work’, knowledge you have shouldn't be kept within you but even though I was a little bit squeamish at the thought, I should be shared across the boundaries. I am really believe that the young people given the opportunity to waiting to see you soon in my beloved country do this, benefited greatly from it. You certainly proved to be PAKISTAN.” Delegate from NESA, Bangkok, 2008 an excellent speaker/performer/facilitator and really kept your audience captivated. Your delivery was just right, mixing a Thank you for such fantastic presentations to the range of different styles. As a qualified Careers Adviser I was parents/Southern Highlands community members particularly interested in the information regarding the ‘Four and the boys at Tudor House. The feedback from Worlds’ and also the learning styles software; and found the both days has been phenomenal. It has generated a way that it was linked to career ideas was very good. After lot of heavy-duty reflection amongst the adults & a reading the course notes, I found myself using the checklist lot of excitement for the boys. One Year 6 lad sought ’50 Bran-Compatible Strategies’, I now have some hard me out to tell me that the your workshop on the 20th evidence for strategies that I already use. I truly feel very May was, “ the most I have ever learned during my privileged to have attended this presentation and will entire school-life”. No wonder you have called it the certainly discuss this further with my colleagues.” Paul ‘Amazing Brain Workshop’! Phyll McLaughlin Grant, Associate Head of School – Foundation Studies, Director of Enrichment, Tudor House School for North West Kent College Boys John is a truly amazing facilitator, a huge amount of I really enjoyed the day - John made complex concepts information was covered and although I learnt a lot, I incredibly easy to follow. The space for discussion was left yearning for more! The interactive presentation excellent. I have been interested in brain based learning for was innovative and the experiences and stories that a while, and have looked at various models, but this is John shared with us were memorable and amusing. I definitely the most accessible and opened up lots of new have informed my Head of School how useful this ideas for me. Resources are excellent and I will be course would be for students and teachers. I also recommending them to schools. I'm sure that this would go hope that we will be able to purchase some of the down really well at the A S K training days for Advisory resources and I look forward to further training with Service staff, and I will pass on recommendation to our John. Principal Adviser for CPD. Michele Gregson, Teacher Barbara Lines, Teacher, UK Adviser - Art & Design, Advisory Service Kent UK – CFE

www.focuseducation.com.au

Parliamentary inquiry into effective strategies for teacher professional learning John Joseph June 2008 Page 14