As part of the Professional Qualification for Headship (PQH), teachers are required to participate in a one-week school placement within the academic year. Our first placement of 2011-12 belonged to Tracy Beare, a PQH candidate from Hazelwood Integrated College.
I was given the privilege to complete a research task within the Belfast Model School for Girls and have also been given the opportunity to talk with many of the Senior Teachers/Managers in regard to Managing the Organisation, which is one of the strands within the PQH programme.
I have found this a rewarding and invaluable experience and one that should be compulsory for all teachers within the educational system. Dissemination of good practice can contribute greatly to raising educational awareness and standards. Learning how other schools manage their organisation varies from school to school and invaluable lessons can be learnt from observation and informal/formal discussions.
I had the pleasure of completing a research project on the learning strategies and activities that motivate students throughout Years 8-12. This also involved ascertaining their learning styles. The students were happy to talk to me and appeared to be confident young people who displayed many social and academic skills. They had many amusing stories to tell and ones I will take with me back to my home school, Hazelwood Integrated College.
I would like to thank all the staff who took the time out to talk to me as your experience is invaluable and your warm welcome was very much appreciated.
The Belfast Model School for Girls should be proud of its achievement at all levels and the staff are excellent educational practitioners who display a high standard of professional skills.
Tracy Beare, September 2011
