The big achievements of 2020

Started a new role as a HOLA
Navigated Covid-19 and assisting staff use Connect and other technologies to deliver online content
Delivered another Year 12 Methods class, producing over 100 videos to support their learning.
Established transparent and regular streaming processes including explicit connections between grades and Pathways
Refined grading processes to align with grade descriptors and acceptance of consistent judgements.
Created connections between faculty knowledge and subject selection processes
Continued the after school homework club
Investigated the effectiveness of Mathspace and evaluated the effectiveness of implementation
Allocated rooms to teachers with an aim to create dynamic spaces in 2021 rather than existing bland shared classes
Navigated staffing changes and relief staff
Developed some apps in scratch to assist students learn their tables and basic numeracy
Implemented new BMIS and Performance Management procedures

Worked on repairing/managing faculty interpersonal issues
Implemented a concept of equity with course management, teaching and assessment writing allocations
Implemented a consistent comment bank and report comment framework (APAL)
Created connections between student services and Mathematics to support students
Implemented SEN reporting to support students at academic risk
Worked with at risk students in Year 9 (D/E students), resulting in returning a small group of students to the year level achievement standard and then gaining promotion to Pathway 2.
Established grading guidance documents to provide structure to the creation of assessment and desired outcomes.
Delivered Year 8 Pathway 3 (A/B/C students) with 65% average and 12% standard deviation - spot on the grading guidance across both Year 8 Pathway 3 classes resulting in at least 60 students currently in ATAR aspirant pathway
Managed development of new programmes designed by the team for each Pathway 7-10
Started embedding the idea of extension classes (with the Year 10 class established in 2021) and 90 students in the aspirant ATAR Year 10 pathway
Worked with Science to determine class composition, pathways and sizes for 2021 
Addressed issues where staff saw resources produced as personal property and ensured they were available for future years for all teachers

Surviving 2020

Interesting title given Covid-19, but in Perth the impact has been comparably minor to other cities.  Currently sitting here with no voice after some boisterous lessons to finish the year, as a teacher it's not unusual to get sick straight after school finishes and the adreniline wears off.

The year ended with classes known, classlists making sense and reports able to be explained.  Students were now able to be ranked and streams able to be examined and modified as required.  

New programmes are being rolled out to teach and assess Number and Algebra throughout the year, rather than just in Semester 1, a significant difference on existing programmes.

Pathways are now able to be communicated to parents, now that grades provide the reasoning for moving students. If you are a C/D student in Pathway 2, this leads to Essentials in Year 11 and TAFE or employment after school.  If you wish to change this, seek promotion by talking through what this means to your teacher.  Although promotional points have been moved to twice yearly (more than the four time yearly done this year and possibly beyond any "inspired" period able to be maintained by a student), it is able to be communicated to parents.

Using Connect to do this on day one will be great, with letters already written and approved by Admin.

I've watched teachers start to understand what has been done so far, how it connects with the business plan and an evidence based approach and the path forward.  Progress in a school is glacial and requires patience, outside of young staff it is rare to find colleagues that do change well.

Given that much of this was done in the last four weeks while wrapping up classes, it's not that surprising I'm a bit rundown.  Bring on the holidays and the rejuvenation to do the planning required to support SEN classes with large numbers of students on the NCCD list, create the videos required to support a new push in Year 10 to raise the ATAR participation rate and ensure that students that start Methods 11 navigate Semester 1 hell of a packed course and get into Calculus in Semester 2.

Get stuffed 2020, bring on 2021.