Tara Burtenshaw

Deception Bay State High School, QLD
2020 – Present

• Teach Senior General and Essential English with strong knowledge of the QCAA syllabus
• Completed multiple QCAA online training modules for professional development
• Taught Senior Literature (QCAA syllabus) and marked/moderated Year 12 Essential English Common Internal Assessments (CIAs)
• Extensive experience teaching Junior English with a comprehensive understanding of the Australian Curriculum P-10
• Planned, created, taught, assessed, and reported on Individual Curriculum Plans (ICPs) for Year 2-7 during two years of Junior Immersion English

Leadership in Curriculum Development:

• Led as Acting Head of Department (HOD) for Learning Support, developing a whole-school reading initiative across three tiers: Tier 1: Implemented whole-school literacy strategies across all faculties, ensuring a common language and approach
  Tier 2: Focused on reading lessons for junior students in immersion classes and Year 7
  Tier 3: Provided intensive reading support for students with critical literacy challenges
  
• Trained staff on OneSchool Dashboard and Literacy Continuum to monitor student progress and track reading growth
• Developed and delivered professional development for teachers on lesson planning, implementation, and monitoring of reading interventions

Innovative Assessment Practices:

• Led the implementation of the Four Cs framework (curriculum, cognition, context, complexity) to create colour-coded, criterion-based marking guides
• Designed marking guides to differentiate complexity across achievement levels clearly; adopted across all year levels and faculties after initial success in Junior English
• Introduced Bump It Up Walls and Learning Walls, both physical and digital, to improve student engagement with learning and grade improvement tools are now used school-wide, empowering students to actively engage with the “third teacher” in the room
  

Curriculum Review and Alignment:

• Led the review and planning of Junior and Senior English units to ensure clarity and curriculum alignment
• Integrated high-impact teaching strategies like the spacing effect and visible learning (John Hattie) into the revised curriculum
• Ensured accuracy and completion of marking guides, assessment planners, and unit summaries, focusing on the progression of knowledge and skills
• Drove improvements that resulted in more cohesive, aligned, and engaging learning experiences for both students and teachers

• Reviewed lesson plans, observed and provided verbal and written feedback to pre-service teachers, ensuring the integrity of the program was maintained
• Linked all feedback to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
• Supported pre-service teachers in the writing and editing of poverty case studies, professional statements and portfolios
• Effectively communicated with mentor teachers, offering provision and ideas in supporting pre-service teachers
• Planned timetable for visiting pre-service teachers and mentors twice termly
• Sought and arranged venues for professional development presentations
• Presented at summer and winter school: implementing running records, balanced reading program, data analysis and curriculum alignment
• Interviewed applicants for future MTECE intake

• Provided ongoing advice to Leadership Team members regarding best practice pedagogy in the teaching of literacy and numeracy
• Applied Daniel Kim’s Levels of Perspective Framework to lead a review and renewal of high-yield teaching of reading practices across the school with the goal of developing committed, collaborative, consistent and customised practices in reading from P-6
• Developed and led the implementation of a mentoring and coaching model for Pre-Service, beginning teachers and new staff to our school, with a particular focus on the successful implementation of our reading framework
• Engaged with Professional Learning Teams of teachers at various year levels to gather evidence of student learning, develop strategies together to build on strengths and address weaknesses, develop learning goals and actions and reflect on data within a continuous 2-week cycle
• Developed positive and trusting relationships with staff through meeting with key stakeholder groups to discuss their work and priorities and then actioned assistance and support of staff to achieve their priority goals
• Provided leadership when working with Professional Learning Teams at every year level through focusing on collective enquiry and teams learning how to learn together with Lesson Study chosen as our way forward for reflective collegial learning
• Led a productive Literacy PLT focusing on action research for improved results of reading and promoted alignment of teaching, learning, assessment and reporting
• Implemented Whole School Reading Framework outlining quality core components of modelled, shared, guided and independent procedures
• Introduced a clear and documented (OneNote) process for managing curriculum resources for reading, writing and mathematics
• Built teacher capacity through leading teams to unpack our curriculum, identifying the assessable elements and developing achievable goals, with a constant focus on providing a guaranteed and viable curriculum and opportunities for differentiation
• Ensured consistent alignment with pedagogical practices through implementation of ASoT pedagogies, particularly goal setting, feedback and lesson structure
• Worked in a close mentoring relationship with class teachers, STLaNs and other middle management leaders to empower them with strategies and processes to lead pedagogical, curriculum, assessment and reporting analysis, review and reform
• Supported all staff in the analysis of and response to systemic and student data
• Provided an effective model of co-verification and coaching as our way forward for driving improvement in reading, writing, mathematics and early years’ intervention
• Planned and delivered professional learning to pre-service teachers from the Morayfield Teacher Education Centre of Excellence Summer and Winter Schools 2012-2019 including: PatR/M and NAPLAN data analysis, a balanced reading program, effective implementation and analysis of running records and unpacking secondary English units - understanding of alignment between achievement standard, assessment tasks, GTMJs, planning and implementation of sequenced lessons and formative assessment
• Focused on reading engagement through development of consistent home-reading programs, reading mileage targets, Lexile reading and Million Words Club
• Regularly shared reading hints with parents through school newsletter
• Led the development of an assessment and lesson sequence bank for ICP s Year 1-6
• Built teacher capacity in aligning current year level achievement standards with ICP year level standards
• Developed individualized learning plans for students, resulting in improved academic performance and increased selfconfidence.
• Increased student engagement by incorporating hands-on activities and group projects into daily lessons.
• Mentored new teachers, sharing best practices and providing guidance to ensure their success in the classroom.
• Provided constructive feedback to students through consistent formative assessments, enabling them to continuously improve their skills and understanding of course material.

• Led the implementation of daily warm ups and the use of open-ended questions in all maths lessons from prep to year 3 in response to the Maths Success Project
• Analysed early phase year level data to provide an overview of student learning and achievement
• Developed teacher capability to use systemic and student data to identify early phase students across all abilities for differentiated, focused and intensive teaching
• Utilised OneSchool data, plotting students on a differentiation tool, discussed findings from evidence with year level teams and suggested strategies for differentiation and improvement
• Analysed the whole school NAPLAN and Pat data to identify trends, areas and strategies for improvement
• Reviewed the whole school assessment plan and monitoring framework for implementation January 2015

• Led the planning and development of the module How to assess learning and use evidence to differentiate
• Assisted with the development and pilot of the online coaching modules for early career teachers on How to teach reading and How to teach writing
• Created comprehensive professional learning material to promote effective teaching and learning practices in targeted priority areas
• Conducted comprehensive audits of relevant research and suitable, available resources

• Facilitated the introduction and implementation of Math Warm Ups across years 3-7
• Developed a Whole School Balanced Maths program outline
• Implemented a Whole School Balanced Reading and Writing Program
• Developed data analysis PD to improve teacher capability in using data across middle phase
• Assisted in the design and development of the school’s Pedagogical Framework to assist with effective teaching practice and was responsible for writing a document outlining Professional Learning Communities within our school and the specifics of the Observation Protocol and its intent
• Created learning goals for all reading comprehension strategies used within the Whole School Intervention Program
• Produced support documents such as Reading Strategy Cue Cards with comprehension question stems for use during shared and guided reading lessons

• Researched, planned, developed and compiled a Whole School Balanced Reading and Writing Program
• Developed teacher understanding of modelled, shared, guided and independent reading and writing procedures
• Assisted with the development of quality standards for a balanced reading and writing program and disseminated to staff
• Modelled, co-taught, assisted teacher planning, developed and shared resources, observed and provided feedback to staff in years 1-7
• Designed and provided professional development for teachers and teacher aides – using data to assist with literacy planning, developing skills in selecting, explicitly teaching and providing learning activities for specific reading comprehension strategies, implementing and analysing running records (Prose)
• Collected, collated, analysed and interrogated student data and developed teacher capacity in using this data to plan reading/writing focus, aligned to curriculum intent and assessment tasks
• Created productive and professional relationships based on open and authentic conversations
• Modelled literacy and numeracy lessons, demonstrating excellent teaching practice
• Observed teacher lessons, providing specific feedback on pedagogy through Profiling
• Supported teachers with behaviour management strategies
• Led conversations with teachers about maximising student achievement through best practise of micro-management skills, supporting reflection of practice and encouraging change
• Attended professional development in key priority areas to ensure I stayed current with best practice, including ASOT - Phase B - The Art and Science of Teaching
• As a member of the Instructional Leadership team, I was involved in the development of a Pedagogical Framework to assist with sound teaching practice and was responsible for writing a document outlining Professional Learning Communities within our school and the specifics of the Observation Protocol and its intent
• I was a member of the Quadrennial School Review team for 2014-2017

• Worked collaboratively with leadership team to plan intervention strategies for students
• Researched and developed school-based programs in response to School and Regional Key Improvement Priorities including A Whole School Intervention Program in Reading Comprehension and Numeracy, Phonics/Grammar/Sentence Structure Program and a Place Value/Number Sense Program for students with Learning Difficulties
• Led the development and implementation of teaching and learning strategies in literacy and numeracy
• Developed and led the implementation of a literacy extension program for U2B students
• Developed and led intensive small group literacy and numeracy programs for students experiencing difficulties
• Designed and provided professional development to staff, leadership teams and support staff on current best practice in literacy and numeracy
• Promoted a culture of high expectations and academic rigour
• Re-cultured the whole school community in focusing on improved learning
• Worked collaboratively with Year Level and Leadership teams
• Participated in strategic planning sessions
• Facilitated year level planning and moderation meetings
• Supported teachers to identify strategies and activities to target areas of teaching
• Created spreadsheets using Excel, comparing data sets and including Effect Size
• Reviewed school resources and recommendations for resource purchases