This short course is designed for primary and secondary school teachers and leaders  who want to create engaging and positive learning environments and maximise student outcomes.

Effective classroom management is key to happy and successful students and research shows that well-managed classrooms can dramatically improve student outcomes and teachers’ job satisfaction. By mastering practical classroom management teachers and educators can not only provide immediate benefit to themselves and their students, but become invaluable leaders and policy-makers within their school or organisation.

This four-week program provides best-practice knowledge and the most contemporary tools to help manage a variety of student needs and alleviate the challenges of behaviour management.

During the weekly 1.5-hour class, you’ll learn from respected education experts from the Crowther Centre including:

• Ollie Lovell, producer of the popular Education Research Reading Room podcast.
• Dr. Mark Dowley, instructional coach and Behaviour Management specialist.

Ollie and Mark are also practicing classroom teachers with experience across multiple sectors and settings. Through real-life examples they’re able to offer more than what a textbook can provide – practical advice and actionable strategies that you can implement immediately.

Course content

You’ll learn practical tools to use in the classroom. Study in a supportive learning environment, mentored by our experienced and dedicated facilitators.

Each week will build on the last, with the 1.5-hour classes introducing you to an evidence-based framework for managing student behaviour and establishing a productive classroom environment. From the classroom to school-wide approaches, you’ll explore a variety of principles, techniques, and strategies that can help you better support students as they learn.

 

You’ll learn:

• Week 1: Explore the underlying principles of classroom management. Including practical advice on entry routines, defusing debates with students and how to self-regulate as a teacher.
• Week 2: Practical routines for gaining attention, transitioning between activities and having difficult conversations with students.
• Week 3: Effective instruction with checks for understanding. How to monitor behaviour efficiently during independent work phases of the lesson
• Week 4: Challenging behaviour. Explore how to work with challenging behaviours both inside and outside the classroom. Learn how to establish a school-wide support system for behaviour management.

Your study experience

All sessions will be presented live, with the sessions recorded for participants who are unable to attend.

Over the four weeks, you’ll be encouraged to engage with our academics and your peers through a range of materials and learning forums.

Your study commitment will be approximately 1.5 hours per week of online-class engagement, plus an additional hour of independent work.

To receive a Certificate of Completion to submit towards your annual CPD hours you will be required to meet activity and participation requirements.

Your facilitators

Dr Mark Dowley

Dr Mark Dowley is an Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Education at La Trobe University and is Associate Head – Staff Development and Instruction at the Crowther Centre.

Through his research role in the Crowther Centre, he explores how research can be used to build capacity throughout an organisation and improve outcomes for students and staff. He also facilitates an Instructional Coaching Network and has been acknowledged for his contributions to multiple books on coaching and staff development.

Mark has received awards for his teaching from VCAA and The Educator Magazine. His professional learning program was also the inaugural recipient of the international ‘Gold Award’ for professional learning and mentoring from Leeds Beckett University and received an excellence award the Australian Education Awards.

Mark completed his Doctor of Education and Master’s degree in Education Policy (International) at the University of Melbourne.