Chris Niven, Middle College pedagogy coach and maths coordinator, Sheldon College
Middle College pedagogy coach and maths coordinator
Sheldon College, Qld
Chris Niven is passionate about mathematics and works to inspire his students to be motivated, to challenge themselves and to develop self-efficacy for their maths studies. He leads pedagogy and coaching staff to create a smooth transition of maths teaching and learning for students across Years 5 to 8, bridging the gap between primary and secondary teaching and curriculum. His goal is to work with teachers to assist students in overcoming any fears about maths and to inspire future thought leaders to see the value and benefit of maths.
Niven has facilitated the development and implementation of teacher observation protocols and opportunities for teachers in the middle years of the college. He has created a reflection template for teachers to use during observations, which is based on the latest educational research of highly effective practices for middle years teaching and learning. His reflection planner encourages teachers to reflect on rigour, relevance, relationships, responsibility and resilience when observing each other’s practice. Niven has surveyed teachers on their skills and ability, and uses this data to strategically plan professional development opportunities to build the capacity of the teachers in his team. It’s a strategy based on educational research that demonstrates that what matters most is quality teaching, and this is supported by strategic teacher professional development.