Preparing for Rapid Change

The title appears to be an oxymoron - how can we prepare for rapid change? The answer: RAPIDLY. The pace at which government restrictions changed our everyday life due to COVID-19 were unprecedented. Measures were implemented in such a short time frame that there was not a lot of time in which to prepare for such a massive shift in our educational models, structures and mindset.

Victorian schools found themselves with a three week window of opportunity. An opportunity to rethink and reimagine what education might look like when operating remotely or a three week opportunity to batten down the hatches and steel themselves against the change that was being thrust upon them.

Thankfully, I found myself in a team of educators who were willing to look at education through new lenses, leaders who weren't afraid to imagine themselves operating differently. Here is how we used our three weeks at Kilbreda College (Mentone) to prepare and build enthusiasm and community support for our adventure into remote learning.

WEEK ONE - I will be the first two admit that the first few days we were thinking on our feet, it was all about upskilling staff and ensuring that our technology worked. Could our system handle the volume of remote access? Could our students login to all the required systems from home and access all of the resources they needed to continue their learning? Were staff able to utilise the different platforms to provide the necessary materials to our students? At the end of this week we were confident that we had the basics covered and we could 'manage' if we needed to be off-site for a couple of weeks.

WEEK TWO - News from around the world was indicating that school closures might last for more than just a couple of weeks. Victorian schools were on a holiday break and the temptation was to actually have a break after what had been a very busy and unusual term. We could bury our heads in the sand and ignore the problem for a while longer, or use this time away from work to prepare for the massive changes that were peeking over the horizon. And so the research began, in real earnest. Scouring LinkedIn articles and research papers, finding and reading all that we could about remote learning models. What was working? What wasn't? The generosity of the education community around the world provided unprecedented access to webinars with inspirational educators and attendance at these continued to build our capacity to help us rethink and reframe our immediate future and perhaps what our future might include when we return to 'normal'.

WEEK THREE - The team met together to bring all of their new learning to the table and to draft a model of remote learning that would work for our community. The discussions were lively, collegial and long! The team demonstrated a united and focused goal 'to do the best by our community'. Central to our planning was the wellbeing of students and staff, with the underpinning concepts of 'continuity of learning' and 'continuity of community'. We needed to get this combination right in order to best serve our students, families and teachers. By the end of day two we had the outline of a model we thought could work. This model had been largely influenced by the work of Havergal College in Toronto and the 'Continuous Learning Toolkit' published by #GameChangers. Day three we met with staff leaders of domains and student wellbeing coordinators to gather further insight and feedback on our proposal. With tweaks completed by the end of Wednesday the time had come to begin creating the supporting documentation that would bring our model to life. Student and staff handbooks were developed over the next few days to provide rationale, structure and guidelines for our community.

WEEK FOUR - Implementation of the model began. A student-free day provided an opportunity to present to staff the rationale behind the model and the research that had influenced our thinking and planning. Staff were generally enthusiastic about the plan, although I'm sure we all still held some inner fears about the model working in reality (it looked good on paper). Time was provided for teachers to work together (albeit remotely) in groups to plan for the term ahead and the changes they would need to make to their pedagogical practices. There was also time to attend workshops to continue to upskill in the technology platforms that we would be using to engage in live connections with students. I will be the first to admit that not a lot of sleep was had the night before we went live with students, there was a lot of questions that I wanted answered. Would the students login? Would the teachers feel confident in their use of the technology? Would this work? At the end of that first day the community response was overwhelming - calls and messages of support and thanks were like music to our ears.

WEEK FIVE - As we reach the end of this week, we have been encouraged by the agility, bravery and courage that has been demonstrated by our staff. They have all dared to reimagine a different way of being and doing. They have done it with style and compassion. They have demonstrated grace and forgiveness with each other and with themselves. We have been encouraged by the support of our parents and community. They have blessed us with kind words, and messages of affirmation that have brightened the day and lifted the spirits of tired educators. They have supported students in their learning at home and provided a stable environment and followed our recommended guidelines so that their children can continue to learn and grow. We have been motivated by the engagement of our students and their ability to adapt and accept their changed circumstances with strength and kindliness. Our students have reached out to each other, to their teachers and to the wider community and demonstrated hope, courage and compassion.

FUTURE WEEKS - I am sure that we will continue to tweak our model as the weeks unfold, as we learn more about ourselves and our community. But for now we can rest in the knowledge that as a united team of leaders, educators and support staff we have done our very best to provide for the wellbeing of students and staff whilst providing continuity of learning and continuity of community during this period of remote learning. I am certain that the lessons we are learning now, about ourselves and each other, will hold us in good stead for future innovations in education.

Thank you for reading about our journey.