Learning Specialist - Numeracy (5 year tenure) in Colac

The Colac Otway Shire is a richly diverse area located two hours west of Melbourne. Colac Otway is one of the most picturesque municipalities in Victoria, covering a diverse area from volcanic lakes, craters and plains in the north, through the hinterland forests of the Otway Ranges to the Great Ocean Road coastline. Colac is the key industrial, commercial and service center for the shire and surrounding region with a population of 22,370. Colac Secondary College is the largest state secondary school in the shire and an important educational hub for the Colac township and surrounds.

Our core business at Colac Secondary College is student learning, and we have an unrelenting focus on achieving 12 months learning growth in 12 months for every student. We empower our students to aim and aspire for success and to achieve their individual educational pathways. We promote the development of emotional intelligence for every student so that our students are equipped to become respectful and responsible members of the community.

The College is committed to a school improvement focus that extends and transforms teaching and learning to promote high levels of academic achievement. Our teachers provide an inclusive and personalised program to meet the diverse range of student learning needs. A differentiating curriculum approach supports students in their learning growth.

We are committed to building students’ potential for success and wellbeing through strong partnerships that emphasise all aspects of life that relate to the holistic development of a student’s talents, interests, and goals. We pride ourselves in providing an environment that is conducive to each child achieving their personal potential. Student wellbeing is seen as critical in empowering students with the social and emotional competencies to experience success and happiness in their lives. A comprehensive student wellbeing structure is in place throughout the College that focuses on student care. These teams coordinate a series of inclusive programs that build student self-worth, personal identity and relationships of mutual respect. We effectively monitor and compassionately support students at all levels of the College regarding their individual and collective wellbeing needs.

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to model exemplary teaching practice, including the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, and implement school priorities.
• Demonstrated expertise in the implementation and modelling of high impact teaching strategies that respond to student learning needs. Demonstrated ability to support teachers to evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.
• Demonstrated exemplary ability to model the monitoring and assessment of student learning. Demonstrated ability to support others in using data to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
• Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated ability to engage in collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated ability to support others to reflect on their practice and facilitate school-based professional learning.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead whole school improvement in numeracy, including coaching and supporting teachers to strengthen evidence based instructional practice and improve student learning outcomes.

Role

Learning Specialists will be highly skilled classroom practitioners who continue to spend the majority of their time in the classroom delivering high-quality teaching and learning and have a range of responsibilities related to their expertise, including teaching demonstration lessons, observing and providing feedback to other teachers and facilitating school-based professional learning. Learning Specialists are expected to have deep knowledge and expertise in high quality teaching and learning in delivering improved achievement, engagement and wellbeing for students. The role of the Learning Specialist will be to model excellence in teaching and learning through demonstration lessons and mentoring and coaching teachers in improving the skill, knowledge and effectiveness of the teaching workforce.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrating high-level expertise in teaching and learning practice.
• Modelling exemplary classroom practice including through teaching demonstration lessons.
• Working with the school leadership team to develop a shared view of highly effective teacher practice.
• Leading and modelling the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery.
• Playing a key role in the provision of professional learning, including through developing processes and protocols for observation and feedback of teacher practice and peer collaboration.
• Modelling effective learning practice and supporting teachers to seek, analyse and act on feedback and on their practice.
• Providing evidence-based feedback to teaching staff to inform their effectiveness and development.
• Providing expert advice about the context, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning.
• Supervising and training one or more student teachers and mentoring and/or coaching teachers.
• Modelling exemplary use of student data to inform teaching approaches.
• Developing and promoting school-wide professional learning structures, processes and protocols through Professional Learning Communities.
• Modelling exemplary professional learning practice included through seeking feedback from other teachers and leaders on their own classroom practice as part of critical reflection and inquiry to improve practice.

Who May Apply

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

Diversity and Inclusion

The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability.

Child Safe Standards

Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards.

DE Values

The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools.

Other Information

All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements. Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check. A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.

Qualification Requirements

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class: The person must have provisional or full registration approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching; and if the person completed an Australian postgraduate level initial teaching program or course of study on or after 1 January 2024, they must demonstrate that they have satisfactorily completed a postgraduate level accredited initial teacher education program that has been accredited by an Australian State or Territory Teacher Regulatory Authority as satisfying the requirements of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 'Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures'; and a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program after 1 July 2016 must also demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements.