Jason Egan

Curriculum and Staff Development

Qatar Academy Doha - Middle School I&S Lead Teacher

In 2017 I attained the Head of Middle School Individuals and Societies. This

small faculty included myself and 3 new members to the MYP I&S. These

staff require guidance and support to ensure implementation of the IBO

curriculum. In particular, the beginning teacher who had acquired employment

after a short internship at the school. 

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Analysis and Planning – As Lead Teacher I am responsible for:

• Ascertaining where the new staff need curriculum support and training.

• Lobbying Administration to provide professional training for staff.

• Consulting and creating partnerships in the faculty to further develop staff.

 

Implementation and Review – As Lead Teacher I am leading the Department by:

• Leading meetings and internal training and development.

• Developing a culture of support, trust, collaboration, reflection and improvement around curriculum development and classroom practice.

• Modeling appropriate behaviours for the classroom, planning and professional conduct.

 

Results 

• Winner of the Qatar Foundation Outstanding Practitioner Award 

• Developing and more confident staff.

• Unit plans completed for future staff, including reflections for further improvement.

• More engaged students in I&S classes.

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Developing School Systems

Qatar Academy Doha - Grade 7 Manager: New Behaviour

Management System

In 2015, after my first year at an IBO school, I attained this position. This position

previously at the school had GMs with no teaching load to allow them to oversee

behaviour management, but in 2015 the school sought teachers capable of teaching

full time but fulfilling the GM responsibilities. Consequently, the school needed to

amend its behaviour management system. With my previous experience I was able

to outline a new cross classing system which resulted in staff being able to isolate

students in a supervised space when GM and Administration were not available. 

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Analysis and Planning – As Grade Manager I was responsible for:

• Analysing and devising a system for teacher support.

• Explaining to Administration how the system worked.

• Creating documentation and digital records for the system.

 

Implementation and Review – As Grade Manager I implemented the system by:

• Assisting the Deputy Principal to train staff on implementation.

• Model how the system worked, and mentor teachers with management issues on how and when to use the system, including contacting parents.

 

Results

• Better and safer classrooms with more students on task.

• Fewer unsupervised students who required isolation from their class.

• Improved staff morale of those who used the system.

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Event Organisation

Bundaberg SHS Grade 12 Leavers: Road Accident Simulation

In 2013, as Head of the Student Services Faculty, I was charged with organising the 

Grade 12 Accident Simulation Event to inform and better prepare students for life

beyond school and potential dangers in the immediate celebrations post graduation.

The event involves a mock accident with Grade 11 students being the actors but with

police, ambulance service, rescue services (fire and helicopter), lawyers, undertakers,

school counsellors and local hospital and health services.

 

Analysis and Planning – As Student Services HOD I was responsible for:

• Co-ordinating numerous community organisations.

• Seeking support from Administration to deliver the event.

 

Implementation and Review – As Leader of the faculty I implemented the program by:

• Contacting, co-ordinating and organising multiple organisations.

• Leading discussions with the committee to review our approach, and collaborating with them to improve the delivery of the program.

 

Results

• Successful delivery of the event.

• New interactive activities implemented following the accident simulation.

• No major accidents or deaths of students the following summer.

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Developing a Culture of Reflection and Improvement

Rosedale SS - Junior Secondary HOD Curriculum

In 2013 I attained the Head of Middle School Curriculum position. I was charged with improving student results across the curriculum. To successfully achieve this goal I implemented a new system of devising targets for teachers and students.

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Analysis and Planning – As Head of Department I was responsible for:

• Identifying areas requiring improvement.

• Determining key staff to help implement new procedures and practice.

• Develop a method to train staff on how to deliver and formalise this practice.

• Create documentation for implementation.

 

Implementation and Review – As Head of Department I implemented the new practice by:

• Leading meetings and training of all staff.

• Model using my own students to show staff the target practice.

• Review progress with staff to refine, improve and develop professional practice.

 

Results

• Improved student results.

• Better relationships between staff, students and parents.

• Improved staff morale.

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Program Development

Bundaberg North SHS Better Buddies Anti Bullying Program

In 2008 the Student Services Faculty recognised the need to change the culture of

the student body’s attitude to bullying to ensure a safe and supportive environment;

I led the creation of the Better Buddies anti bullying program, embedding socially just practices into daily school life.

 

Analysis and Planning – As Student Services HOD I was responsible for:

• Recruiting a working party of students and staff to address this issue.

• Seeking support from Administration to implement a program.

• Devising, with the committee, strategies to promote cultural change.

 

Implementation and Review – As Leader of the program I implemented the program by:

• Inspiring students to take ownership of the issue and drive change, through meetings and discussions with key student leaders, and then co-ordinating these students to run pastoral care lessons, theme days and parade presentations. Through these events and lessons we have been creating a culture where students move from being bystanders to allies and saying ‘no’ to bullying.

• Leading discussions with the committee to review our approach, and collaborating with them to alter the implementation of the program.

 

Results

• Shift in student and staff attitudes to bullying with greater student responsibility for this issue. Surveys indicated a 14% increase in the number of students feeling safe at school.

• In March 2013 Bundaberg North SHS won The Queensland Secondary Schools prize in the Australian Safe Schools Competition to address school bullying.

 

Mentoring Beginning Teachers

Bundaberg North SHS Senior Mentoring Role

In 2009 the Bundaberg North SHS administration approached me to be a senior mentor

of beginning teachers who were having behaviour management and pedagogy concerns

in their classrooms. Focussing on achievements of every student, I undertook to embed

high standards for student and staff performance.

 

Analysis and Planning – As a Senior Mentor I was responsible for:

• Developing trust with my beginning teachers through informal discussions with a ‘no blame’ attitude, to enable the identification of teacher needs and to create an open and candid relationship to enable development to occur.

• Working with Administration who recognised the value of my pedagogical skills and expertise, to establish a culture of reflection where evaluation of practice leads to change and improvement.

 

Implementation – As mentor I implemented the program by:

• Developing a consistent model for the school, based on the research of Productive Pedagogies and Stepping Out strategies, in collaboration with other School leaders.

• Observing the practices of the beginning teachers to note areas of teaching practice that required development.

• Team teaching and modelling lessons to exemplify best practice.

• Developing and guiding teachers about expectations and the roles of teachers in our community, to ensure improved classroom practices, and establishing high standards for staff and student performance.

• Keeping data of good and poor practice to use with teachers in professional conversations providing feedback on progress and development; acknowledging successes and difficulties in a supportive environment.

• Collaborating regularly with fellow senior teachers to review and improve procedures for working with beginning teachers, including data collection, delivering common behaviour management practices, the establishment of classroom routine and crisis strategies.

 

Results

• Greater learning outcomes for our students.

• Beginning teachers have moved past probation successfully with a solid research based pedagogical framework on which to base their practices. Hence, the school continued to use me as a pedagogical leader in the teacher induction program.

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