QTU Education Leaders Conference 2024 - Workshops

1

Recruitment and selection – implementing the new directive

The release of the new Recruitment and Selection Directive (07/23) will have significant implications for recruitment and selection within the Department of Education.  This workshop will highlight the changes in the directive and examine what they mean for the recruitment and selection process for panellists on promotion panels.

Paige Bousen - Assistant Secretary – Education Leaders, QTU

Mel Covill - Manager – Teacher Mobility, DoE

2

If systems drive behaviour, then how do you manage a school as a QTU leader

This workshop will examine how to implement school based change while catering for the needs of teachers (especially in terms of role and process clarity, use of industrial instruments such as an LCC etc.). Participants will take away practical understandings of how other QTU members/leaders have purposely implemented change in a school setting while being collaborative and purposeful.

Sarah Holcombe and Noel Rawlins - Education Leaders Committee

Responding to evolving human behaviours – the modern school leader challenge

A contemporary perspective on understanding behaviour motivation, current factors influencing adolescents and teachers, and how to leverage shared values to impact behaviour change within an educational context. Peter draws on life and professional experiences from diverse educational settings from the Far North of Queensland through to his current role within the Sunshine Coast region.

Peter Fittler - Deputy Principal, Behaviour

HR 101 for school leaders

This workshop examines common human resource matters that occur in schools. This includes part-time requests by employees returning from parental leave, access to lactation breaks and facilities, keeping in touch days, domestic and family violence leave, and responding to allegations of sexual harassment.  The workshop will look at the industrial and legal obligations of the employer and how schools can facilitate these obligations.

Engaged classrooms through effective classroom management - practical guidance and tools to support teachers and school leaders

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) is developing practical guidance and tools to support teachers and school leaders to create safe and supportive learning environments by effectively managing classrooms. 

AERO’s Principal Teaching and Learning Specialist and Queensland state school principal Cate Whiting will share the evidence base behind the first suite of foundational classroom management resources and explain how they can support beginning teachers, teachers working in new environments, or experienced teachers who want to refine or refresh specific elements of their classroom management practice.  

Plans for further resources to be released this year, including resources to support school leaders, will also be shared and input sought from breakout session participants to ensure these resources best support the needs of teachers and school leaders in creating safe and supportive learning environments through effective classroom management.

Cate Whiting - Australian Education Research Organisation

6

Orientation of psychosocial hazards

This session will map out duties and responsibilities in the workplace under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. A legally enforceable Code of Practice on Managing Psychosocial Hazards came into effect in April 2023. This session will provide an overview of key parts of the act and explain what psychosocial hazards are and how they must be managed.

Scott Zackeresen - Queensland Council of Unions

7

Connectedness and culturally responsive leadership

This workshop aims to support attendees to further their knowledge of practical leadership values and principles and their alignment to First Nations ways of working and being.  Join Zan as he shares his story and lessons from his leadership journey, navigating life in two worlds.  He will explore how his cultural identity and values and have supported his work as a principal and school leader.   

Responding to evolving human behaviours – the modern school leader challenge

A contemporary perspective on understanding behaviour motivation, current factors influencing adolescents and teachers, and how to leverage shared values to impact behaviour change within an educational context. Peter draws on life and professional experiences from diverse educational settings from the Far North of Queensland through to his current role within the Sunshine Coast region.

Peter Fittler – Deputy Principal – Behaviour

A partnership of improvement

Chris Capra (school supervisor) and Frank Durante (Notre Dame High School, Calgary Catholic) provide a narrative of how their five year international partnership led to collaboration and learnings between two different educational jurisdictions (Queensland and Calgary Catholic).

Chris Capra and Frank Durante - Principal of Notre Dame High School

Gendered violence in schools; supporting staff and students

This workshop outlines important changes in WHS legislation, the IR Act and the new Sexual Harassment Public Service Directive released late last year from the Public Service Commission.  Participants will explore obligations for managers and the employer and what positive steps schools can be implemented to ensure that all students and staff feel safe and supported.  Please note, this is not a women-only space, and it is important that people of all genders engage in this work.

11

Digging deeper into reassessment for learning

12

Recruitment and selection – implementing the new directive

The release of the new Recruitment and Selection Directive (07/23) will have significant implications for recruitment and selection within the Department of Education.  This workshop will highlight the changes in the directive and examine what they mean for the recruitment and selection process for panellists on promotion panels.

Paige Bousen - Assistant Secretary – Education Leaders, QTU

Mel Covill - Manager – Teacher Mobility, DoE

Education Futures Institute – empowering professional expertise

This session is all about the Education Futures Institute (EFI) and what’s on offer to empower your ongoing professional learning, and that of your colleagues, staff and teams. The Education Futures Institute is a key pillar of Queensland’s education strategy, Equity and Excellence, and it brings together and elevates professional learning for all staff, teachers and leaders in Queensland state schools. In this session we will provide an overview of the EFI and opportunities for ongoing development of teaching expertise and educational leadership.

Bernadette Hanna - Executive Director, Education Futures Institute, Schools and Student Support Division

Project is Me

Project is Me is an experiential 18-month learning process, incorporating a range of approaches and tools to build your skills in leading self and leading others. As the title suggests, the “project” is you … it is about refining the “how” of your leadership in your school-work setting. This is about the WHO and HOW of leading. Self-awareness and an understanding of the impact of your leadership behaviours on others are critical to the development of highly credible leaders who will leave a legacy of empowered communities.

Deb Spanner - Principal, Indooroopilly State School

Ross McNichol - Principal, Mount Gravatt High

Strengthening safe systems to meet WHS duties

Schools are workplaces - this workshop will explore existing structures or processes that can be used to strengthen safe systems of work in schools, and will look at practical examples. It will focus on existing requirements such as timetabling protocols, active school CARA processes, and opportunities provided in staff and curriculum area meetings.

Kevina O’Neill - Assistant Secretary - Services, QTU

16

Managing unreasonable conduct of parents and community members

Increasingly, school leaders are having to deal with unreasonable complainant conduct of parents and community members.  This unreasonable conduct not only impacts on the effective running of the school but also the health and wellbeing of school leaders and teachers.  This workshop will look at ways of dealing with this issue through departmental processes as well as industrial and legislative processes.  

Caleb Rook - QTU Organiser

17

Trust us – building trust as a leader

The ability to build trust is the foundation of being a successful leader in any organisation, including schools.  Without trust, schools cannot thrive and carry out the important work they do. Trust is not something that automatically comes with being a leader, it is something that as leaders we have to build and cultivate with our teams.  This workshop will look at some of the theoretical aspects of building trust and then provide real life and current examples of how to do this in Queensland schools. 

Heather Murry - Executive Principal | Administration, Kirwin SHS  

Education Futures Institute - developing middle leadership

Join us for a conversation about the crucial role of middle leaders in schools. The Queensland Department of Education is working in partnership with AITSL to develop new professional standards for middle leaders, and these will be previewed in this session. We will discuss the key factors and considerations underpinning the new professional standards to help guide middle leaders and empower their ongoing professional development.

Bernadette Hanna - Executive Director, Education Futures Institute, Schools and Student Support Division

Conversations are the work of leaders and the workhorses of our schools/organisations

This is a workshop and course that all leaders should undertake because of its relevance to the roles we play in our schools. During this workshop, participants will learn about the foundation objectives and principles of engaging in fierce conversations. They will learn that the simplest definition of a fierce conversation is one in which “We come out from behind ourselves, into the conversation and make it real.” While many may fear “real”, it is the “unreal” conversations that should concern us, because they are incredibly expensive when it comes to time and resources.

Participants will be provided with an overview of the two-day course and the conversational models presented: The team/beach ball, coaching/mineral rights, delegation/decision tree, and the confrontational conversation.

Philip Carleton - Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP)

School resourcing landscapes – what does the picture look like within and beyond the Queensland context?

This interactive session unpacks detailed feedback from the field through QTU consultations and broader Department of Education stakeholder engagement relating to the Comprehensive Review of School Resourcing. Quotes from school leaders and teachers highlight the climate of fatigue and frustration currently across our system. We will share some related publications across national and global contexts and provide an opportunity for you to contribute to the conversation on resourcing priorities.

Cindy Frier - QTU Project Officer Review of School Resourcing

Chris Capra - DoE School Supervisor