From our Principal

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your messages of support since my appointment as Principal on Friday. Since my appointment in an acting capacity, I have received much encouragement to pursue this position in an ongoing manner, particularly from the staff. This has been appreciated.  

As a Principal, the enormous responsibility of leading is something not foreign to me. However, the opportunity to work with our community to enhance the College, to create and work towards a compelling vision, is extremely exciting. The positive impact our College can have historically and in the future; locally, regionally and beyond is something that provides me with inspiration, motivation and energy.  

In this Star, I would like to take the opportunity to share some of my personal thinking in relation to some leadership concepts that come to mind as I look into the future. 

Visionary, Innovative, Creative and Future-Focused Leadership  

In every member of the community, I see a unique and individual gift. I believe that everyone has something to offer at our College.  We all have a shared responsibility to search for the contribution we can make, whether it be from our students, staff and community.  

I enjoy working with teams of people who can identify preferred futures, and have the mindset, attitudes, beliefs, energy, creativity and skillset to bring a vision to life. It is important for our leaders to establish opportunities where everyone can shape our direction, be heard and positively contribute.  

Our College is entering a phase where we will begin to revise and reimage our strategic direction. How might this direction be formed? How might we determine the direction required? What are our considerations? Where are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the College? How do we know these? How might local, regional and national trends inform our thinking?  

In my leadership, I have a strong motivation to ensure we have young people who are well-equipped to contribute positively in our state, nationally and even to transform the world!  

The following link may be of interest: OEDC 2030 Education 

Instructional Leadership  

An aspect of my educational philosophy is that learning needs to be visible and clear for all. Staff need to be very deliberate in what they want their students to know and what “success looks like” for each child.  

If this is achieved, feedback can be readily sought from teacher to student, student to staff, student to student, as well as self-assessment. Learning needs to be measurable and students need to be involved in the assessment process. Here, this is where student self-efficacy (see link) can be grown.  

Furthermore, when collaborative teams of teachers work together to measure their impact, teacher collective efficacy (see link) has been proven to be the single biggest influence on positive student learning outcomes.  

Our College “middle leaders” have been exploring new models of working together and how our professional learning teams might look in the future.  

Leading Leadership and Quality Culture  

What is foundational to leadership is to understand who you are. This involves high degrees of self, social and emotional awareness. Many key staff have been learning about effective thought patterns for high performance. When our thought patterns translate to constructive behaviours, and these behaviours become the norm, this is where positive culture is evident.  

In time, we will be asking our staff for feedback in relation to what we see through an Organisational Culture Inventory to measure our culture and overall effectiveness. This should then translate to enhanced interactions and outcomes between staff, students and the community.  

Spiritual and Pastoral Leadership  

This is absolutely core to who we are – our beliefs, purpose and actions. I have often reflected on the higher levels of anxiety and emotional distress in the world. The solace we can find in a genuine relationship with our maker is lost in many parts of society for differing reasons. I can understand why some people have turned away, but I also recognise the power of prayer, meditation and engagement in the rich, ancient traditions of our Church. 

Pastorally, people are at the core of our business. A mantra of Catholic Education Tasmania is that we are Student Focused and Christ Centered. Our schools and colleges have business-like elements. However, we are unlike many other organisations. We nurture and bring life to others by living out our values of responsibility, respect, hospitality, justice and service.  

Last year, my son had his tonsils and adenoids removed at St Luke’s Launceston. I remember spending time in the waiting room and reflecting on the ethos of the hospital. See: link  

I love the spirit in which their work is undertaken and how similar it is to our own Catholic educational tradition in Tasmania.  

Again, thank you for your well-wishes in our pursuit of bringing life to every member of our College community. 

In partnership  

Mr Gregg Sharman 

Principal