Berry Street Web Docs Berry Street School Practice Approach | Page 10

DOMAIN 4
Ensuring and supporting high quality
staffing and leadership
Key Concepts
x

To build relationships, and engage students through stimulating curricula, staff need
to:
o have high level knowledge of teaching and learning practices that are
engaging and facilitate students’ skills and knowledge development
o believe that students can achieve
o be empathic and youth friendly
o be reliable and consistent
o be team players
o be able to manage conflict situations appropriately, and
o be fully conversant with and committed to a proactive, trauma-informed,
positive approach to education.

x

Teachers are provided with ongoing and intensive professional development and
training.

x

Strong emphasis is placed on staff supervision, support, and appraisal, which provide
opportunities for formal and informal debriefing and strategies for teacher self-care
and wellbeing.

x

Strengths of teachers are visible and modelled for students.

x

Whole school and campus leadership teams are provided with professional
development to increase leadership capabilities.

x

Teachers are given opportunities to become teacher-leaders within their own
classroom and beyond.

Theory/Rationale
x

High quality instruction and support staffing are key ingredients of effective
alternative educational programming (Aron, 2009).

x

Success in relationship building and engaging students through relevant and
stimulating curricula depend on staff being:
o youth friendly
o team players