Empowering Teacher Agency through Collective Inquiry

Empowering Teacher Agency through Collective Inquiry

Description:
How might we shift department culture from administrative compliance to generative teacher agency?

For classrooms to be cultures of thinking for students, schools must be cultures of thinking for teachers. This is grounded in the belief that if we support adults to inquire and take risks, they will mirror those conditions for students.
Using protocols, participants will engage in an interactive experience by bringing a personal “puzzle of practice” to uncover actionable next steps. A key focus of this workshop is the shift from individual to the collective reflective processes that fosters a culture where teachers are empowered to "fail forward" and grow together.

Goal of Workshop:
By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• understand that supporting and empowering adults to grow and take risks is the prerequisite for fostering student agency.

• unpack a personal "puzzle of practice" using structured protocols to move from individual reflection to actionable collective inquiry

Audience: All

Presenter: Elliot McGarry - Mt St Michael’s College, Ashgrove

Bio: 
Elliot McGarry is the Head of Department for Health and Physical Education at Mt St Michael’s College. He has held a variety of curriculum and pedagogy roles, including as a Cultures of Thinking coach and Inquiry Action facilitator.

 
Code: WS04

Beyond the Test: Teaching for Understanding

Beyond the Test: Teaching for Understanding

Description:
If “children grow into the intellectual life around them” (Vygotsky), then what kind of intellectual life are we providing to the students in our classrooms and schools? Teachers all over the world have had to accept the compromise of focusing more on delivering the prescribed curriculum than developing understanding – test-taking rather than learning. Superficial knowledge might get you through the test but it won’t prepare you for life. This workshop focuses on pushing beyond the accumulation of knowledge to applying, performing and adapting. We’ll engage in an interactive understanding experience (a core part of the annual Project Zero Classroom experience) and raise important questions about teaching and learning. What does it mean to understand? How does understanding develop?

Goals of workshop:
To help educators move past surface-level, test-focused teaching toward cultivating deep understanding in students.

Audience: All

Presenter: Cameron Paterson - Wesley College, Melbourne - Director of Learning

Bio: 
Cameron is Director of Learning at Wesley College, Melbourne and he also works for Harvard’s Project Zero. He is the co-editor of books on cultures of thinking and teacher agency.
 
Code: WS05

Developing a Culture of Thinking (CoT) is not a destination, but an ongoing leadership journey.

Developing a Culture of Thinking (CoT) is not a destination, but an ongoing leadership journey.

Description:
In this interactive 90-minute workshop, join two experienced school leaders as they pull back the curtain on several years of implementing Project Zero frameworks at a systemic level. This is not an introductory "how-to" on routines; rather, it is a candid exploration of the leadership moves required to sustain deep pedagogical change.

Through the lens of Nurturing Belonging and Agency, we will share the "Lessons Learned"—from the early wins to the complex hurdles of shifting staff mindsets. We will explore how leaders can leverage the 8 Cultural Forces to move beyond a "toolbox" approach and toward a genuine, shared language of thinking that empowers both teachers and students.

Whether you are leading a small faculty, a year group, or an entire school, you will leave with a realistic roadmap for fostering an environment where thinking is at the heart of every interaction.

Goals of workshop:
Participants will have the opportunity to explore and expand plans for implementing a culture of thinking where Belonging and Agency thrives. This workshop will translate the learning journey of a school as they have implemented a culture of thinking for all into practical actions that participants can apply

Audience: All

Presenter: Adam Dearness & Stellina Sim - Waverley Christian College

Bio: 
Adam has experience in education across independent, government, and international schools. He works as the Director of Teaching and Learning at Waverley Christian College. Adam is passionate about fostering learning environments that encourage a culture of thinking, supporting both staff and students in developing understanding, striving for excellence, and finding purpose.

Stellina Sim is an experienced educator known for her innovative teaching methods that challenge and inspire her students. As Head of Teaching and Learning (Primary -Wantirna South Campus), she actively supports teachers in cultivating a culture of thinking within their classrooms. Stellina excels in designing learning environments that foster creativity, utilising maker-centred approaches to empower young learners to become confident and capable problem solvers.

Code: WS06

Powerful learning opportunities connect students to the real world & involve them in ‘performances of understanding’

Powerful learning opportunities that connect students to the real world and involve them in ‘performances of understanding’

Description:
 In this workshop we will explore the qualities of powerful, purposeful learning opportunities with a focus on meaningful enquiry, perceived worth, novel application and effective communication. 

Participants will collaborate to complete an audit regarding their use of novel application, meaningful enquiry, effective communication and perceived worth to shape the design of ‘understanding performances’that lead to a deeper connection with learning.

Participants will be shown an example of ‘Claydo’s Cups’, a theoretical business that has formed the basis of the presenter’s Business Studies curriculum delivery as a method of empowering and engaging students. Student feedback and interviews will form part of the case study.

The group will be introduced to Generative Topics and how we can build learning around big ideas. 

The participants will then participate in a ‘Circle of Viewpoints’ routine with a focus on empowering students. We will then discuss the different perspectives of the stakeholders in the learning process in their classrooms.

Goals of workshop:
By the end of the workshop, participants will understand the importance of immersing students in purposeful activities that enable them to feel confident, safe and supported. Those attending the workshop will be connected with others to discuss strategies to create a culture of belonging to develop a classroom where meaningful enquiry leads to a deeper understanding.

Audience: Secondary

Presenter:  Ollie Claydon - Albion Park High School

Bio: 
Ollie leads Cultures of Thinking at Albion Park High School as   Head Teacher of Teaching and Learning. As an experienced HSIE teacher, Ollie focuses on providing powerful learning experiences through authentic learning with a focus on the Cultural Force of Opportunities to provide a sense of purpose and belonging in the classroom.

 
Code: WS07

How might our language moves shape classrooms where students experience genuine belonging and agency as thinkers?

How might our language moves shape classrooms where students experience genuine belonging and agency as thinkers?

Description:
How do the everyday language choices we make as educators shape who feels seen, valued and capable of thinking in our classrooms?

In this interactive workshop, we will explore language as a powerful driver of belonging and agency within cultures of thinking. Drawing on our work in a secondary Intensive Learning Support Unit, we will invite participants to consider a central question: what messages do our words send about who gets to think, contribute and belong?

Together, we will examine how subtle shifts in teacher language might open or close opportunities for students to participate, take ownership and see themselves as thinkers. Using visible thinking routines such as Chalk Talk and collaborative meaning-making, participants will explore eight key language moves and reflect on their possible influence on student identity, participation and independence.

As a group, we will grapple with some key tensions. Are some language moves more powerful than others in fostering belonging and agency? Does impact come from consistency, intentionality, or something else entirely? And how aware are we of the patterns in our own language?

Participants will leave with a deeper awareness of their own language choices, along with a practical language audit and a developing theory of action to explore in their own context.

Goal of Workshop:
Participants to understand the power of language moves as a tool for promoting agency and belonging within their learning places.  

Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own settings/practice and work towards the development of a ‘theory of action’ that they can take away and explore…

Audience: All

Presenter: Marc Hawker & Tegan Ross- Albion Park High School

Bio: 
Marc Hawker is a classroom teacher in the Parkside Intensive Learning Support Unit, supporting Stage 4–6 students with significant emotional and behavioural needs. He is a Cultures of Thinking coach, working alongside staff across multiple faculties to embed thinking-rich practices in their classrooms.

Tegan Ross is Head Teacher of Parkside, the Intensive Learning Support Unit at Albion Park High School, where she leads trauma-informed and Neurosequential Model of Education (NME) practices. She works alongside staff to build cultures of belonging, regulation and thinking for students with complex needs.
 
Code: WS08

Agency via Analysis: How might independent thinking be fostered through routinely being analytical?

Agency via Analysis: How might independent thinking be fostered through routinely being analytical?

Description:
This workshop explores agency via analysis—the idea that students develop genuine independence when analytical thinking becomes a routine expectation of learning. When students are regularly asked to examine items, identify parts and determine their role and importance, they move beyond compliance toward ownership of thinking and learning.

Participants will engage with practical, classroom-ready strategies and visible thinking routines that promote analytical habits and support students to make informed decisions independently. The workshop will investigate how teachers can intentionally shift cognitive responsibility from teacher to learner, considering which conditions support students to be increasingly independent in their thinking and learning. 

Through collaborative and applied examples, participants will dive into how analysis supports agency by strengthening confidence, voice, and understanding. Time will be provided for participants to reflect on their own contexts and adapt strategies that make analytical thinking visible, valued, and habitual—supporting learners to act with purpose rather than simply follow instruction.

Goals of workshop:
Participants will explore how routinely engaging in analytical thinking may support the development of learner agency and consider ways students can gradually take greater ownership of their learning, decisions and viewpoints.

Audience: Secondary

Presenter: Ross Graham - Calderwood Christian School

Bio: 
Ross Graham is a Leader of Teacher Innovation and Learning who supports teachers to continue thinking and growing as they engage in Professional Learning and apply their learning to classrooms. A PDHPE teacher at heart, his work has recently been focused on developing a Cultures of Thinking guided approach across K-12 curriculum areas within the school.
 

Code: WS09

How might we design literacy experiences that build belonging and agency?

How might we design literacy experiences that build belonging and agency by blending thinking routines, collaboration, and explicit instruction within authentic reading and writing?

Description:
This workshop explores how belonging and agency can be developed in upper primary classrooms through the integration of Cultures of Thinking routines, collaborative learning, and explicit instruction at the point of need. Participants will experience a model literacy sequence that moves from deep reading to grammatical exploration and purposeful writing, using authentic texts and mentor sentences.

The session demonstrates how thinking routines can structure student inquiry, make thinking visible, and foster collective meaning-making, while targeted explicit teaching strengthens students’ control over language. Participants will engage in reading, annotating, discussing, and transforming texts, experiencing how cognitive responsibility can be shifted and shared from teacher to learner.

Drawing on classroom practice, the workshop highlights how students build confidence, voice, and independence when they are supported to analyse, interpret, and create. Time will be provided for reflection and adaptation, enabling participants to translate strategies into their own contexts.

Goal of workshop:
This workshop explores how belonging and agency can be fostered in upper primary classrooms in language and literacy through thinking routines, collaboration, and explicit instruction at the point of need. Participants will experience a practical literacy sequence that supports students to think deeply, contribute confidently, and take increasing ownership of their learning.

Audience: Primary

Presenter: Michelle Tickle - The Glennie School

Bio: 
Michelle is Head of Department – English and Languages at The Glennie School. She is a facilitator of Cultures of Thinking within Glennie’s professional learning program and, drawing on her Master’s in Educational Neuroscience, is particularly interested in the intersection of brain-informed pedagogy, Cultures of Thinking, and the strategic use of cultural forces to build student thinking, belonging, and agency.

Code: WS10