Masada to educate other schools
Sydney’s Masada College is to provide education and training to other schools in NSW.
On Wednesday, the school will host representatives from 76 schools in a Culture of Thinking Seminar
Masada College’s Education Package incorporates three key programs; A Culture of Thinking, Raising Responsibility Behavioural Management System, and a program based on Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, The Leader in Me.
A Culture of Thinking; The aim of A Culture of Thinking is to move students and teachers away from the concept of spoon feeding knowledge towards developing skills in thinking. Students become critical, creative, empathetic and sceptical thinkers. They are enabled to take on responsibility for their own learning.
Raising Responsibility Behavioural Management System; This program educates children about responsibility by allowing them to reflect on their own behaviour and to take responsibility for their own actions through their reflections on their past and future behaviour. It moves students away from a blame mentality.
The Leader in Me; Based on author Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, the habits helps build up confidence in the individual by allowing them to recognise their individual strengths. Principles from the book have been adapted in The Leader in Me program and text, to a school environment.
All these concepts can be reinforced in the home environment. Conveying the same message at home and at school obviously strengthens the outcomes, an idea that was outlined to Masada parents at a Preschool to Year 12 parent information evening recently.
“Responsibility is the key element of maturity and so it is very appropriate to have it as the focal point for our Masada education package. We are very excited to be able to share with other schools in NSW the Culture of Thinking component of our package,” says Masada College Principal, Mrs Wendy Barel.
“These steps forward are not measurable in any tables or scores, but are reflected in the fulfilling and meaningful lives our student’s lead,” says Barel.
Mr Simon Brooks, English teacher at Masada College, and the Culture of Thinking coordinator is working with the College Executive to prepare for the exciting conference in June which will assist schools by empowering them to create their own Culture of Thinking.
“Masada is a leading school in this pedagogy which is a great credit to the Board, executive and staff who have supported and developed the ideas and concepts over the last few years. It is a great attractor to potential enrolments, but most significantly it empowers students by developing in them skills that work in the real world, not just in exam papers,” says Mr Simon Brooks.
