Teacher Excellence
TEACHER EXCELLENCE – PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Quality teaching is the key to our students’ success.
At Knox, we are unwavering in our commitment to fostering staff excellence by offering a multitude of opportunities for professional growth and career development. We firmly believe that the quality of our teachers is the cornerstone of student success, and our dedicated staff make a profound impact on the lives of our boys.
The ‘Knox Effect’ encapsulates the synergy of evidence-informed pedagogy and wellbeing science that cultivates thriving classroom environments. Our approach ensures that students not only excel academically but also grow holistically.
Through our comprehensive professional learning programs and robust support for external educational opportunities, we strive to empower our staff to continually enhance and refine their teaching practices. Our ultimate goal is to equip our students with the skills and knowledge they need to become confident, capable learners prepared for the challenges and opportunities that lie beyond Knox.
Knox Teaching and Learning FrameworkAbout our approach
We are committed to supporting our teachers to continually strive to improve their teaching practice and content knowledge.
To achieve this aim, we have invested energy and resources into an innovative approach to professional learning. We have fostered a transparent, collaborative and supportive culture where teacher observations, annual faculty teaching initiatives, and celebrating successes are integral to what we do as educators.
Our Professional Learning (Growth and Career Development) Program includes:
ACCREDITATION
- Accreditation Support: We provide high-level, personalised professional support for teachers undertaking accreditation processes at all levels. At Knox, we have a dedicated role to assist staff in achieving Proficient Teacher, Experienced Teacher, Highly Accomplished Teacher, and Lead Teacher accreditation. Over the past decade, we have successfully supported more than 100 staff members in their accreditation journey.
LEADERSHIP
- The Knox Leadership Development Program: In partnership with the Association of Independent Schools NSW, we offer 25 current leaders the opportunity to complete the leadership program annually. The program is designed to empower Knox leaders to build high-performing teams and inspire excellence in education by focusing on cultures of high performance, collaboration, capacity building, trust, and values-based leadership. Coaching is also provided for participants.
- The Knox Aspiring Leaders Program: In partnership with Dynamic Leadership Programs Australia, we provide 25 aspiring leaders with the opportunity to complete this leadership course annually. The course aims to prepare aspiring leaders to understand leadership within the school setting and to prepare them for the next role or step in their career development. The course focuses on communication, collaboration, team building, innovation, accountability, self-awareness, and alignment with school values. Coaching is also available for participants.
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
- Professional Growth Plans: Staff engage in an annual goal-setting process in areas of classroom practice and broader educational impact. The goals are aligned with the Knox Teaching and Learning Framework, which is linked to a rich evidence base, the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, and AITSL's Teacher Performance and Development Framework.
- Friday Morning Professional Learning: Dedicated time on Friday mornings is allocated for department/staff meetings and professional learning. These hour-long sessions typically involve teachers working in small professional learning communities to develop insights, practice, and embed techniques or plan strategic interventions that enhance teaching practice and subject content knowledge. This time allows staff to share ideas and resources, supporting high-quality teaching and learning for all students.
- Lesson observation: Classroom observation fosters a culture of ongoing professional growth and collaboration, resulting in improved practice and student learning outcomes. Every Knox teacher has lessons observed, filmed, analysed and collaboratively reviewed with a director of Teaching and Learning over their maintenance cycle. Observations are linked to the teacher’s Professional Growth Plan and The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
- Learning Walks: Teachers are also invited to watch their colleagues to further enhance their own practice. This process aims to foster conversation about teaching and learning and develop a shared vision of high-quality practice that impact meaningfully on student outcomes.
- Action Research Projects: Our Directors work with staff interested in conducting on-site research aligned with the Knox Teaching and Learning Framework. We support the design, implementation, and publication of research findings and consider the implications for our practice at Knox.
- Book Club: We facilitate a book club for teaching staff, where they read books related to teaching and learning and meet fortnightly to discuss the content and enhance a shared vision of excellent practice.
- Micro PD Sessions: We encourage the sharing of excellent practice by facilitating staff-led micro-PD sessions. These sessions become a playbook of excellent practice demonstrated by the facilitator to interested colleagues, providing opportunities for leadership, learning, and shared practice.
- Student/teacher perception surveys: Student feedback helps teachers understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Twice a year, we enable shared reflection on classroom practice between teachers and students, allowing staff to map student responses to their own and reflect on their practice. Individual teacher data is kept private, although aggregated school data is used to obtain a broader understanding of patterns across the campus.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information about Teacher Excellence at Knox, please contact Mr Matthew Robertson, Deputy Headmaster 7-12 - Academics.