A vision for learning enables school teachers and leaders to create a unified set of values and beliefs about education. This vision then drives actions that help to foster a high-calibre and high-performing learning culture for students and staff.
Sacred Heart College's Vision For Learning encompasses Catholic Church teachings on a Catholic school, Western Australian Bishop's Mandate for Catholic Schools, Catholic Education Western Australia Ltd strategic initiatives and Sacred Heart College’s RNDM Charism. The last layer of our vision brings us to the Sacred Heart Learner and Teacher Attributes. With student needs and Christ at the centre, we have unpacked our unique Sacred Heart flavour within these two concepts. A copy of our Vision For Learning is available HERE.
SACRED HEART LEARNER
"Inspired by Jesus, we are curious, compassionate, courageous and respectful lifelong learners, exploring our passions and facing challenges with strength and humility."
- Engagement
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This is when I am actively involved and show interest in my learning.
Behaviours:
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for learning and inquiry.
• Show willingness and motivation in class.
• Participate in class discussions and activities.
• Utilise time and manage workload efficiently.
• Complete set work to a good standard and on time.
• Stay focused on your task without distraction and know when and if to move on.
• Develop a plan of action and maintain that plan over a period of time.
• Reflect and evaluate your learning.
• Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions.
• Work on tasks because of the challenges they present rather than the results.
- Collaboration
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I work well with others, listen attentively and contribute respectfully.
Behaviours:
• Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with different personalities and abilities.
• Exercise active listening.
• Demonstrate respect for the teacher.
• Listen and accept constructive feedback.
vShow that you can decipher meaning in conversations, including knowledge, values, attitudes and possible intentions of people.
• Use communication effectively to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade.
• Exercise flexibility and show a willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal.
• Share responsibility for collaborative work without being domineering or relying too heavily on others.
• Use social skills in order to avoid conflict and maintain social cohesion.
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence when working with others.
• Show that you know when it is appropriate to speak and when to listen.
• Be sensitive to the needs of your peers and do what you can to help them.
• Show compassion and kindness to others. - Critical Thinking
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This is when I use my learning to analyse and evaluate concepts and situations in order to solve problems and make valid judgements.
Behaviours:
• Effectively analyse and evaluate evidence, information, arguments, beliefs and alternative points of view.
• Recognise similarities between past learning and current learning and draw from what was learned to broaden understanding.
• Synthesise and make connections between information and perspectives.
• Use inquiry skills, rather than ask for answers.
• Evaluate, reflect upon and summarise learning to apply in the future.
• Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis.
• Show that you know when risks are not worth taking, and do not take them.
• Identify similarities and differences in contexts and situations.
• Demonstrate awareness of reliable and unreliable sources of information.
• Respond rather than react to situations and people.
• Show an understanding of cause and effect in situations and relationships. - Independence
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This is when I take responsibility for my own learning and organisation.
Behaviours:
• Complete set work without prompts, be self-directed.
• Complete homework.
• Arrive to class on time.
• Prepare and follow a study timetable.
• Effectively utilise a diary or other organisational tool.
• Revise for assessments in a timely manner.
• Actively listen to teacher instructions.
• Follow teacher instructions without prompting, including the correct wearing of College uniform.
• Bring all required materials and resources to class.
• Attempt to be a problem solver, before seeking assistance.
• Monitor, define, prioritise and complete tasks without direct oversight.
• Prioritise, plan and manage school work to achieve the intended result.
• Show initiative.
• Set goals with tangible and intangible success criteria.
• Recognise and identify what you know and what you don’t know about a given task.
• Demonstrate initiative to advance your skill level.
• Utilise technology ethically and responsibly.
• Be proactive in developing your understanding of content by seeking assistance when necessary. - Innovation
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This is when I am adaptable and use my creativity and imagination to explore concepts and different approaches to my learning.
Behaviours:
• Adapt to varied tasks, requests, responsibilities, schedules and contexts.
• Develop solutions to problems after examining alternative possibilities.
• Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives.
• Demonstrate creativity by exploring options prior to settling on a final solution.
• Show an understanding of the real world limits when adopting new ideas.
• Generate a wide range of tangible, useful and original ideas and solutions.
• Work effectively and feel comfortable in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities.
• Take educated risks and frequently push the boundaries of perceived limits.
• Elaborate, refine, analyse and evaluate own ideas in order to improve and maximise creative efforts.
• Show a willingness to take educated and reasonable risks, without being overly concerned with the success of the end result.
• Embrace mistakes as a learning opportunity. - Perseverance
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This is when I continue to engage with my learning, even when I encounter difficulty and do not succeed straight away. I understand that failure is an invitation to grow.
Behaviours:
• Stick to the task until it is completed.
• Respond appropriately to failure by bouncing back with a revised plan.
• Demonstrate your understanding that failure is a learning experience.
• Reflect critically on past experiences in order to inform future progress.
• Have a repertoire of strategies to solve problems if one isn’t working.
• Ask questions to fill in the gaps between what is known and what is unknown.
• Seeks knowledge until understanding is gained.
• Refine questions when understanding is not obtained.
• Evaluate and implement feedback as a part of learning.
• Set and meet goals, even in the face of obstacles and competing pressures.
• Demonstrate your belief that problems, situations, tensions, conflicts and circumstances are valuable opportunities to learn.
• Work on tasks because of the challenges they present as well as enjoying the rewards and results.
• Display intrinsic motivation.
• Demonstrate patience and show that you understand creativity and innovation are long-term, cyclical processes made up of small successes and frequent mistakes.
• Be courageous and stand up for what you believe in, even when it makes you unpopular.
• Demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong process.
SACRED HEART TEACHER
"Inspired by Jesus, we go beyond ourselves with zeal, striving for personal excellence and creating an environment that encourages all students to flourish."
- We Are Passionate About Teaching
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We are enthusiastic about teaching. We inspire curiosity and a love of learning in our students. We are committed to the holistic development of each student.
Behaviours:
• Demonstrates an infectious enthusiasm for, and love of, teaching.
• Delivers energetic lessons.
• Uses welcoming and approachable body language and expression.
• Exhibits a high level of motivation, and can motivate others.
• Displays a passion for their subject.
• Advocates for their subject.
• Appreciates students and enjoys teaching them.
• Works to raise students’ curiosity.
• Demonstrates a good sense of humour.
- We Commit To Wellbeing
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We understand the importance of effectively managing our own health and wellbeing. We are conscious of the demanding nature of our roles and actively work to maintain sustainable energy levels and wellness.
Behaviours:
• Develops and maintains positive and supportive relationships with colleagues.
• Asks for support when required.
• Engages in work practices that provide boundaries and are sustainable.
• Commits to behaviours that promote wellness; such as sleep, exercise and a balanced diet.
• Monitors the status of their own mental health and stress levels and acts accordingly.
• Prepares for busy periods at work and home by relaxing before and recouping afterwards.
• Pays attention to what and who provides energy and happiness, and commits to featuring this regularly in life.
• Is aware of their own stress triggers and takes responsibility to address and minimise these.
• Gives self and others permission to lean towards the area of life that requires immediate attention.
• Responds to colleagues in a supportive manner.
• Asks others ‘are you okay’ and prepares to actively listen and assist.
• Learns when and how to say ‘no’. - We Strive For Excellence
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We consistently set high goals and standards for our students and ourselves. These are achieved through targeted interventions for improvement and continual reflection.
Behaviours:
• Shows superior organisation and work ethic.
• Sets and communicates high goals and standards for student learning.
• Sets high goals and standards for own learning.
• Exercises consistency in holding self and others accountable to high standards.
• Demonstrates grit and perseverance.
• Models effective learning.
• Reflects on practice.
• Focuses on improvement.
• Sets and adheres to professional boundaries with students and colleagues.
• Models and articulates respectful behaviour and relationships.
• Exhibits a high standard of dress.
• Exhibits a high standard of communication.
• Meets administration and reporting deadlines.
• Shares and collaborates with colleagues to enhance collective teacher efficacy. - We Build Rapport With All Community Members
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We know our students and enjoy developing mutually respectful and professional connections both inside and outside of the classroom. We build and maintain positive relationships.
Behaviours:
• Collaborates effectively and respectfully with students, colleagues and community members.
• Actively listens during conversations.
• Demonstrates cooperation and compromises when necessary.
• Spends time getting to know students, colleagues and community members.
• Creates a nurturing and inclusive classroom learning environment.
• Fosters prides in and adherence to the College values.
• Promotes and maintains healthy, professional and appropriate boundaries with students, colleagues and community members.
• Consistently exercises fairness and respect.
• Focuses on positive connections and similarities.
• Acknowledges that differences are part of being human, and acts respectfully. - We Are Collegial, Collaborative and Community Minded
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We work collaboratively with colleagues, parents and students by sharing our knowledge, resources and time. We actively support those in need whilst adhering to appropriate boundaries in order to create a supportive environment where all can flourish.
Behaviours:
• Shares resources and knowledge with colleagues.
• Engages in non-competitive collaborative teaching.
• Is a team player.
• Exercises humility.
• Commences and maintains professional learning communities.
• Supports colleagues.
• Promotes and maintains healthy, professional and appropriate boundaries with students, colleagues and community members.
• Develops community connections.
• Supports College initiatives.
• Displays loyalty to colleagues and the College.
• Addresses issues with colleagues in an upfront and respectful manner.
• Speaks about others as if they were present.
• Takes new teachers under their wings.
• Makes everyone feel welcome.
• Steps outside the silos of learning areas and makes connections.
• Builds empathy by listening and accepting others’ perspectives.
• Particularly responds to those students, staff and community members on the margins.
• Accepts and respects the roles different people play within the community. - We Know Our Subject
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We are experts in our subject areas and enjoy sharing our professional capital. We are committed to being lifelong learners by engaging in professional development in order to further our expertise.
Behaviours:
• Cognisant of current developments and trends in specialist teaching area.
• Clearly understands relevant skills, key concepts, curriculum and knowledge within the Western Australian Curriculum.
• Embraces professional learning opportunities.
• Commits to lifelong learning.
• Shares knowledge with the community.
• Searches for opportunities to be involved in relevant committees, advocacy groups and WACE marking.
• Looks for ways to engage in cross-curricular learning.
• Displays a passion for their subject.
• Advocates for their subject. - Use Data Analytics To Improve Effectiveness
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We use data to measure student achievement, to target and implement improvement practices and to inform our teaching and learning strategies.
Behaviours:
• Utilises MYAT, NAPLAN and other data sources to inform teaching practice.
• Works collaboratively with colleagues to collect and provide data on student performance and plan for improvement.
• Uses data to accurately measure the growth and improvement in student learning (e.g. pre-test, post-test).
• Uses data from previous years and all subjects to track student progress and plan for interventions. - We Are Innovative
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We are reflective practitioners who recognise the need to continually evolve and adapt in order to meet the changing needs of students and society at large.
Behaviours:
• Shares and collaborates to investigate problems and generate solutions.
• Learns about new technologies.
• Uses technologies to enhance and accelerate learning.
• Engages in big picture thinking.
• Commits to adopting a growth mindset thinking.
• Recognises and minimises fixed mindset thinking.
• Reflective and responsive.
• At the forefront of change.
• Takes calculated risks.
• Tries new methods.
• Shares and scales up new and effective methods.
• Lets students take educated risks.
• Lets students fail.
• Embraces failure and displays resilience.
• Flexible and willing to teach new subjects. - We Use Effective Feedback
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We provide timely information to our students on their learning, achievement and attitude. We provide direction on how to reduce the gap between where the students are and where their potential lies. We seek feedback regarding our own teaching practices in order to continually improve.
Behaviours:
• Provides ongoing formative and summative learning feedback to students in a timely manner.
• Answers the following questions with students.
• Where are you currently at in your learning?
• Where do you need to go in your learning?
• What steps can you take to get yourself there?
• Provides feedback on student behaviour and attitude.
• Communicates with parents when students experience difficulty.
• Communicates with parents when students experience a success.
• Provides students and colleagues with both constructive criticism and praise in equal measures.
• Welcomes feedback from peers on own teaching practices, behaviours and resources.
• Uses feedback to continually improve as a teacher.