Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2007

IN Focus

Sharing Professional Wisdom Conversational Spaces and Professional Learning

Sharing professional wisdom has epitomised the operation of the Centre for Professional Practice (CPP) this year in a range of collaborative engagements between academic staff, our pre-service teachers and our university partners. Instituted in 2005 from the School’s Strategic Design, the Centre has formalised our long-standing commitment to nurturing the professional growth of our teachers as well as pre-service teachers.

Dr Kay Kimber

for our senior students. The Pathways and Passions Series showcase the expertise and interests of our own staff presenters. Teacher Talk has helped to enhance staff collegiality, support our new and beginning teachers, and improve the learning experiences for our students. State and Federal education authorities have in recent years prioritized investigations into ways of promoting teacher quality. Professional standards for teachers have been developed in each sphere and rightful concerns have been expressed about the untimely attrition of beginning teachers. Key recommendations in the 2007 report from the national inquiry into the multitude of teacher education systems operating across the country include the promotion of pre-service practicum partnerships, the training of school staff as mentors, and career-long, professional learning for teachers. Our Centre for Professional Practice has been addressing these issues in advance of the national agenda.

The Centre seeks to develop quality practicum experiences for our pre-service teachers by promoting empathetic mentorship and offering weekly support seminars featuring professional focus topics led by our own staff experts. Traditional mentorship practices are enhanced in our cross-faculty Learning Innovation Groups (LIG), facilitated by our first collaborative partner, Queensland University of Technology. LIG members seek to expand their knowledge of cutting-edge pedagogies and quality mentorship in a programme of professional learning tailored to their “sharing professional wisdom, sparking innovation” emerged from the 2006 LIG’s recommendation for expanding the circle of professional conversations occurring within the School. To facilitate the Provocations Series of conversations, we forged our newest collaborative partnership with Griffith University who also offer tertiary learning opportunities interests throughout the year. Teacher Talk, with its purpose of

The recent appointment of Mr A Dale, Dean of School and architect of the CPP concept, as Chair of the Promoting the Profession Advisory Group of the Queensland College of Teachers, affirms the value placed on his professional wisdom and the vision of the Principal and Board of Trustees in instituting this Centre. Dr Kay Kimber, Director Centre for Profession Practice

grammar gazette spring 2007 15