The Best Teachers are Learners

Our dedication to continuous growth ensures that our educators are equipped to provide our students with a top-tier education in today’s ever-changing world. Well-trained and continuously evolving teachers are pivotal to delivering quality education.

At St Leonard’s College, we empower our teachers to stay updated with the latest teaching methodologies and subject knowledge. This ensures that they are not only highly qualified but also well-prepared to guide our students’ educational exploration.

We support our educators in pursuing advanced degrees, participating in relevant workshops, and engaging in research. This directly enriches our young peoples’ educational experience. Our teachers bring fresh perspectives, innovative strategies, and a true passion for teaching to the classroom, creating an engaging and nurturing environment.

Choosing St Leonard’s College means choosing an education where every teacher is dedicated to each child’s growth and success. One such example is Tracey Blunden who teaches Maths at St Leonard’s College. Tracey shares,

As a lifelong learner, I have consistently sought opportunities to deepen my understanding of best practices, such as the 8-week Adolescent Counselling course with Monash University that I completed as a Student Wellbeing Coordinator in my previous school. We learnt about the risk factors for students and more importantly the protective factors. One of the major protective factors for young people is having a trusted adult in their life, whether a parent, another family member or a teacher. The Adolescent Counselling course ignited a strong desire within me to embark on a Master of Education, which I commenced earlier this year with the University of Melbourne. A dual specialism in Student Wellbeing and Leadership and Management has enabled me to combine my passion for wellbeing while learning about leadership and management techniques. So I can not only influence the students I teach and those within my wellbeing group, but also extend my impact more broadly.

The first of two of my modules focused on Leadership and Management, which has focused on exploring diverse viewpoints around issues within educational institutions as well as exploring the research into what makes a great leader. Currently, I am studying my first wellbeing module on current approaches to wellbeing. It has been fascinating to read the research that supports what we already know in the classroom, such as the importance of relationships and how student wellbeing should take priority over academic success.

Additionally, it has been engaging to explore the evolution of wellbeing frameworks over time, as well as recognising the significance of enhancing student voices through active engagement in the explicit teaching of wellbeing programs. This includes ensuring that the frameworks are centred around the students themselves. 

Further modules I hope to explore are Personal and Interpersonal Leadership, which looks at understanding stress, conflict management and negotiation skills. As a reflective person, I am looking forward to understanding how to analyse the impact I have on other people.  Another couple of modules are Relationship Skills for Educators, which explores effective helping strategies in addressing young people’s wellbeing. Providing practical research based advice to the student in my care.

With a reflective and proactive approach, Tracey’s aspiration as an educator to enhance her impact on young minds is evident. By combining her newfound knowledge with years of experience, she is dedicated to being a teacher who can truly make a difference in our students’ lives. Through this comprehensive approach to education and wellbeing, our students not only receive quality academic instruction but also invaluable guidance and support that fosters personal growth and resilience.