Ann Turner

Ann Turner is well known to many of the platinum blonde brigade as a lady of passion and a pint sized dynamo. Currently, she is the principal of Coolangatta State School where she and her very hard working and committed staff are doing wonderful and exciting things.

I first met Ann when we undertook the first semester of the Remedial Teachers Course. I remember the seminar she and Anne Dickson conducted left us all speechless. I remember too how our friendship went on to be steeled by the trials and tribulations of ... THE CAMP! During her time in Bayside District, Ann was a member (and possibly a leader) of the infamous Bayside Group. This group was responsible for beginning what turned out to be a fabulous Resource Centre. Based on a purchase of materials, for which we had no money, the Bayside Rescource Centre grew to be one of the largest in Queensland with a vast array of materials and possibly the best collection of children's picture books in Queensland. Perhaps the richest resources of all was the bank of exquisitely illustrated teacher materials which were developed by Bayside teachers.

Most teachers will know Ann from her work at the Reading Development Centre (later known as the P-12 Language Centre) and for the in-service literacy workshops she has conducted on a diverse range of topics such as the teaching of reading, top level structure and writing. It was while she was in charge of the P-12 Language Centre that she developed many of the professional development materials for the current English Syllabus, while at the same time managing the whole project. Ann is not only very knowledgeable about literacy matters, she has the rare ability to be able to read the research and distil in very simple terms what it means for practice. Over the years, Ann has maintained her focus on the importance of literacy teaching undertaking a number of roles in Education Queensland in here quest to improve literacy teaching. A fabulous teacher with much to share, Ann is always willing to help a colleague. Over the years, I have learned much from Ann and I am grateful for the opportunities to have worked with her and for her friendship. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading about her thoughts and reminiscences.

Lee Willett

Could you tell us about your early teaching career?
My first teaching appointment was in far north-west Queensland. I was appointed to Winton State School in 1965 and given Grade 2. In those days there was high mobility of teachers in western Queensland; some teachers remaining for only very short periods of time. I was the eighth teacher my students had encountered in their first 12 months of school life.

Winton State School was a high top with only one draft each grade. It was common for infant classes to be large, 40 – 45 students. I don’t think one really learns how to teach until one has responsibility for a class. My classroom management skills developed rapidly. I became very resourceful and quickly learnt the value of ‘kidwatching’. Most of the teachers were young and inexperienced. There were no mentor teachers to guide and nurture new recruits.

The curriculum was determined by the Principal who prepared work programs organised in six week blocks. Teachers were required to copy out the workbook then implement the program exactly as written. The curriculum and timetables were set and the Principal would visit the class at any time of the day to check that teachers were following the workbooks. Each Friday he would test classes on tables, and spelling. There was no professional flexibility for teachers. However, I loved the job. During my time in Winton, Australia changed to decimal currency and cuisinaire rods were introduced. No inservice, manuals or support materials to help teachers cope.

After two years I left Winton and didn’t return to teaching for another 7 years. I was appointed to Manly West State School and again given a grade 2. Teaching had changed dramatically. Teachers were able to exercise their professional judgement. They planned and developed Current Curriculum Programs (CCP’s) based on syllabi development by the Department of Education.

What experiences prompted you to become a Remedial/Resource (STLD) teacher?
Whilst working at Manly West State School I met Joy Paice, a remedial teacher based at Wynnum Central. Joy and I became friends and she stimulated my interest in learning how to help students with learning difficulties. She also encouraged me to apply for a scholarship to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Special Education. At that time Department of Education was offering scholarships in order to quickly build up the number of trained remedial teachers in Queensland. Successful applicants completed Semester 1 of the course and then began working in remedial centres. It took 5 years before I had the opportunity to return to university and complete the Graduation Diploma in Special Education.

However it was my son’s learning difficulties and my first hand knowledge of the emotional and academic consequence of learning difficulties that has fed and maintained my interest in helping children with special needs.

What aspects of the role did you enjoy? What were the frustrations?
Working with children with learning difficulties was always challenging and often frustrating. I loved working with kids, helping them break the ‘failure cycle’. I worked on an assumption that I needed to develop their confidence and break down emotional barriers to maximise each child’s learning potential.

I had the privilege of working with a dedicated and professional group of remedial teachers in the Wynnum District. We introduced a model of service delivery that included classroom support and withdrawal programs. Strange as it may seem, this was highly innovative in the 70’s.

In collaboration with guidance officers, we wrote and delivered in-service programs for teachers on reading and mathematics and conducted courses for parents. I recall with pleasure the simulating professional dialogue within our group. I also enjoyed working collaboratively with classroom teachers. My own professional knowledge developed through consultation and problem solving as we developed strategies and materials to help children with learning difficulties develop literacy and numerary skills.

My greatest frustration arose from the limited time available for students. Eventually this frustration became so great that I returned to general classroom teaching after 8 years as a remedial teacher.

What did you learn in the role?
I learnt how to really teach!! I learnt the power of attitude and confidence in the learning process. I learnt how to ‘observe’ kids… to understand their learning styles and their ways of approaching tasks. I learnt how to break down tasks and analyse texts. I learnt that effective readers, writer, mathematicians are metacognitive in their approach to learning.

But, most of all, I learnt to be a learner. When working with children with learning difficulties a teacher must be conversant with the current literature in the field and be able to translate theory into practice. Children with learning difficulties don’t need ‘more of the same’. The challenge is to understand their strengths and learning styles and to select or devise teaching strategies that capitalise on that knowledge.

What advice would you offer a teacher going into the role for the first time?
Firstly, undertake a course of formal study. Such courses give a student a conceptual framework for critical evaluation of ‘new’ methods and materials. It is essential to understand strengths and limitations of all methods and materials.

Secondly, develop a through knowledge of text structure, a knowledge of grammar is a powerful tool in designing literacy intervention programs.

Thirdly, work on your interpersonal skills. A high level of interpersonal skill is required to navigate the school landscape in advocating for and supporting your students.

Could you describe one or two strategies that you find are particularly powerful in working with students with learning difficulties?
In the late 70’s and early 80’s I worked with Dr Brendan Bartlett on developing and referring ‘top level structuring’. Through this strategy children may be helped to realise that both the ideas behind a topic and the way those ideas fit together play parts in the effectiveness of communication. For example, the child who remembers two ideas from a lesson but misses the relationship between them has not understood the message.

Top-level structuring helps children identify main ideas in text and provides a means of storing and retrieving information in memory. Using top-level structure in understanding and remembering helps children take greater control of their learning and there own feelings associated with it. It also provides a language to help describe their learning and feelings to others. Top-level structuring is a powerful strategy for improving reading and writing skills.

Another powerful but simple strategy is based on Nila Banton Smith levels of comprehension. Using her framework as a guide, teachers develop questions to help children comprehend at the literal, inferential and critical levels.

What are some of the best ways to encourage cooperative teaching?
Cooperative teaching is successful when there is genuine trust and respect between people. I believe the Appraisement process will foster closer cooperation between class teachers and Support Teachers (Learning Difficulties). Cooperative teaching is successful when teachers understand their own personality type and those of others. Knowing how our personality type affects others is a key ingredient in successful cooperative teaching. Professional development on understanding and managing different personalities, is a positive approach to supporting collaborative partnerships.

Which bodies of knowledge do you feel it is imperative for STLD’s to acquire?
In my view it is imperative that a STLD gains a thorough knowledge of

1. how children learn
2. the reading and writing processes
3. text analysis – grammar
4. the planning/teaching/assessment cycle
5. strategies for developing critical literacy skills
6. reader and text factors which influence literacy learning
7. classroom talk patterns which act as barriers to students engaging in the learning process
8. strategies for reading and writing a range of text types
9. strategies for developing metacognitive awareness
10. strengths and limitations of available reading recources.