Kirstin works with English Departments to build capacity in their teaching teams

Teachers are under enormous pressure to deliver results, and face a range of challenges to do that; from under-resourcing, to challenges in student literacy, and a lack of time to work together as teams to create and deliver great curriculum.

Having worked as a Head of English, Director of Curriculum, and as a VCE marker, I understand these challenges all too well, and now work with English Departments to build teacher capacity, effectiveness and resilience, so that English Departments can enjoy teaching their subject again.

“The English team came away so inspired yesterday from your presentation. Thank you again for everything you have put together for us. I feel change is on the horizon for us. It is very exciting.”

English Learning Leader, Melbourne

Offerings

Building capacity in teaching English skills

Is your school seeking to improve the English performance of its students in their work and in external tests?

Kirstin will review the data on your schools English performance, including additional data you may wish to share with her (ie PAT or other on demand testing), and will customise a workshop to build capacity in your teaching teams from 7 - 12.

These workshops can be half to full day, and delivered in person or online.

Reinvigorate your curriculum

Is your curriculum feeling tired and in need of a refresh?

In this half day workshop, Kirstin will bring in a selection of texts to explore all kinds of teaching possibilities.

At the end of this workshop, teachers are either inspired to go away and rework their curriculum, or Kirstin can be engaged to develop schemes of work or units of work that you would like to teach.

Dig into your data

Unsure of how to interpret your schools testing data?

Kirstin runs a half day workshop, supporting you and your team to use GAT, NAPLAN, PAT and other on-demand testing data, to understand your students performance, to determine areas of focus, and to set targets for improvement.

VCE Success

Are you seeking to improve your VCE results?

I am a highly experienced VCE examination marker and teacher. I work with VCE English teachers to:

Understand the elements of the VCE units 1 - 4;
Consider strategic text choices;
Develop SACs and tasks that will benefit students;
Explore how to give effective feedback and use a range of ways of giving that feedback;
Effective and efficient benchmarking and moderation; and
Strategic preparation for the exam.

This is delivered as a full day, or 2 x half day, workshop. Contact me to discuss the possibility of delivering this workshop online.

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2. Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 2.jpeg

Papertalk Greene and Kinsella, False Claims of Colonial Thieves.jpeg

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VCE English Revision Screencasts

We can provide a (digital) revision screencast for all of the current VCE English texts. Screencasts include:

Plot, themes, characters;
Effective ways of answering questions;
Different interpretations of the text;
Tips and advice for SACs and examinations;
Extracts of sample answers; and
Student handouts.

$700 + GST

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Shakespeare, William, The Winter’s Tale.jpeg

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Father Comes Home from the Wars- Parts 1, 2 & 3.jpeg

Chiang, Ted, Stories of Your Life and Others.jpeg

Yeats, WB, Poems Selected by Seamus Heaney.jpeg

Ishiguro, Kazuo, The Remains of the Day.jpeg

Bovell, Andrew, Speaking in Tongues.jpeg

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Munro, Alice, Dance of the Happy Shades.jpeg

Seacole, Mary, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands.jpeg

Winton, Tim, The Boy Behind the Curtain.jpeg

VCE Literature Revision Screencasts

We can provide a (digital) revision screencast for all of the current VCE Literature texts. Screencasts include:

Plot, themes, characters;
Effective ways of answering questions;
Different interpretations of the text;
Tips and advice for SACs and examinations;
Extracts of sample answers; and
Student handouts.

$700 + GST

English Schemes of Work from 7-12

We can produce bespoke schemes of work to support the teaching of any texts/units that you are currently using with students from 7 - 12.

Struggling to engage your students, and stuck for ideas on how to revamp your English courses? We can suggest options for units of work, texts, and themes.

These schemes of work include the following:

Course rationale
Options for assessment (formative and summative)
Creative ways of assessing
Weekly planners, including teaching and learning activities
Wider reading/viewing recommendations
Individual lesson plans are also available
All content is also linked to the Victorian curriculum

Schemes of work are provided digitally.

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Testimonials

“Kirstin facilitated two half day sessions of Professional Learning for our Middle School English teachers. The sessions were tailored to address specific areas of need including but not limited to using data to inform teaching, study design, assessment and modelling answers. She created and shared bespoke teaching resources that our teachers used with great success in the weeks immediately following the sessions and which we used as exemplars for developing further resources. Kirstin is an engaging and generous presenter who inspired us with her expertise and practical, purposeful resources. Kirstin, thank-you for your dynamic and thought-provoking PD.”
English Learning Leader
“Kirstin provides exceptional professional development for teachers, particularly text and skills-based learning…. As a person who also possesses strong analytical skills, Kirstin is a very valuable resource in her ability to interpret data meaningfully.”
English Co-ordinator
“We have been fortunate enough to have worked with Kirstin on a number of occasions now. With a wealth of experience teaching and marking the VCE examination papers, she has provided our students with clear insight into both content knowledge as well as targeted strategies that support their progress towards their final examinations. She inspires confidence through her professional manner and clear expertise. Similarly, she has helped facilitate workshops with our staff designed to promote consistent feedback processes that enable student growth. Her friendly, collaborative and again, professional approach, to this process has been engaging and supportive.”
Chair of English Faculty