Navigating the new normal

Navigating the new normal

Teaching is rocket science! Getting the learning right for every child every day is hard, but add a pandemic, and that challenge escalates. Now more than ever, teachers are putting aside their own fears and challenges to ensure they stay connected in some way, every school day, to every child in their care.

Educators are stretching themselves and the length of their days to learn new technologies and pedagogical approaches to see and hear every child they teach. COVID-19 is putting a spotlight on inequities that exist in our education system.

Teachers are stepping up and taking responsibility to do whatever they can to support the learning, health, and wellbeing of their students whatever their circumstances.

Across Australia, there are 70 schools implementing the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) system. AVID was introduced to Australia in 2011 through Victoria University (VU). AVID is the longest running, not-for-profit school improvement system in the USA, with over three million AVID students in more than 7000 schools.

AVID addresses the need for all young people to be in educational environments that support high-engagement and high-achievement. AVID delivers professional learning programs for school leaders, teachers, students, parents, and VU’s First Year College facilitators to:

• Increase students’ academic and social-emotional skills
• Improve teachers’ aspirations and teaching quality, and;
• Set and achieve high expectations for students, teachers and school leaders, regardless of students’ postcodes or levels of disadvantage.

AVID students graduate as articulate, determined and skilled learners. They complete year 12 and graduate into post-secondary education at higher rates than comparable groups. AVID was highlighted as a case study of excellence in the OECD report (2012): Excellence and Quality in Education (p.141).

The system uses a lot of Carol Dweck’s (2006) growth mindset theory. Reframing a challenging day from “I can’t do this anymore!!” to “What else can I do? / Who can I call to clarify my thinking?” has been helpful. It is encouraging to be around teachers and leaders who empathise and support each other. Most of all, coping with our circumstances is about being gentle with ourselves. There are good days and harder days. Above everything, we have to keep our dignity, allow others to keep theirs, be kind to ourselves, and others.

For further information about AVID Australia’s professional learning programs, contact avid.australia@vu.edu.au.

This article is contributed by ACHPER Victoria partner Victoria University.