Testimonials
Each staff member at our school is provided with an innovative teachers’ companion. The whole of school emphasis on pedagogical reform aligns strongly with those approaches and strategies found throughout the companion. The ‘daily’ strategies are useful in keeping learning at the centre of our always busy day.
In addition, the companion features at each staff meeting with one of the elements profiled by a staff member. This does much to remind us that our core business is teaching and learning. On a daily basis the DIARY reminds us that we are teachers and helps us reflect even for a moment teaching strategies.
Essentially, the innovative tachers' companion provides a framework for us to maintain the momentum in foregrounding discussions on pedagogy.
Mike Kearney
Head of Department, Teaching and Learning
Cairns State High School
I have used the innovative teachers' companion for the past four years and find it an excellent and organised daily planner for my own teaching. The Companion is a source filled with inspirational teaching ideas and strategies that I use, in my role as Humanities Facilitator, when planning curriculum units.
Kim Beevers
Domain Facilitator Humanities
Catholic College Bendigo
Having the innovative teachers’ companion in our school makes my job easier every day. Not only it is a quick and easy reference for my classroom use but the school now has a common language with which to discuss effective learning strategies.
The Strategy Outlines and Thinking Framework are packed with information. This information is easily adaptable to different KLAs and straightforward to follow.
As I journey around our school I find that the ideas and strategies are being constantly used.
Ms Louise Rowley
Head Teacher Teaching and Learning/ Creative Arts
Dungog High School
I have been a secondary teacher for four years and during the last two years I have been using the innovative teachers’ companion or ‘the thinking teacher’s diary.’ This is not just a diary to help plan the weeks of teaching to come but it contains original and engaging lessons at the beginning of every week.
Not being a naturally organised person, this diary has helped me to plan and to use strategies in my teaching that I had previously not used. The diary contains not only the standard features of a diary but themes and ideas specific that help me, as a teacher, meet the requirements of the job. I feel the use of the diary has made me a better teacher and has helped me to think about teaching my students in a different light.
Alison Jennings
Teacher
Eastern Hills Senior High School
In my experience, the diffusion of innovation in schools is too often blocked or retarded by a welter of desultory commitments that tend to distract teachers from their ‘main game’. The designers of the innovative teachers’ companion have realised this and have responded with a ‘just in time’ approach which reminds practitioners, on a daily basis, of an interesting technique (e.g. a SWOT analysis, Tournament Prioritiser or Y chart) that may well fertilise their next lesson …. or may be applicable tomorrow or later in the week. In my view, such a strategy works effectively for most teachers.
In association with an attractive classroom poster on the subject, I’ve no doubt that the innovative teachers’ companion has been largely responsible for the transfer of higher order thinking skills at this school and I commend the authors on the stimulating range of material (e.g. Bloom, Habits of Mind, Brain Compatible Learning) embedded in such an inviting, usable format. I’d strongly recommend its rapid diffusion!
Alan Hill
Director of Studies
Toowoomba Grammar School
