Macmillan Educator News - July 2023

Macmillan Educator news

July 2023

MACMILLAN EDUCATION

TODAY!

The five pillars of our transformation journey

Macmillan Education South Africa strives to build a transformed, inclusive and diverse organisation.

In this issue

Page 5

How to be an effective Departmental Head Page 7

Become a powerful teacher

Page 8

Build your own skillset with Macmillan Teacher Campus

Page 11

Win vouchers to attend two Inclusion Week workshops!

A message from the Macmillan team

Dear Educator

As the weather transitions, so too do teachers and learners as they ease back into the familiar routines imposed by the new school term. It is also this time of the year when preparations for the 2024 school year commence. Among all these activities, educators need to build on their skill set. Adding professional development to an educator’s jam-packed schedule can be challenging.

Macmillan Teacher Campus has the solution to this challenge, and therefore, this newsletter focuses on educators' professional development.

The world has moved online, and so has MTC. Educators can now choose a SACE-endorsed course from various topics they can do in their own time, at their own pace and in the comfort of their own home with Macmillan Online Teacher Campus (MOTC).

For educators who like to interact with a presenter and other colleagues, Macmillan Teacher Campus offer a series of virtual workshops on trending topics in education during the third term.

With the FREE Power Hour workshops, Macmillan Teacher Campus would like to give back to the education community and thank them for their continuous support.

You can read more about Macmillan Teacher Campus’ diverse range of workshops and courses in this issue.

The Macmillan Education team would like to wish all female educators a very happy Women’s Day on 9 August. You play a very important role in shaping learners’ lives.

Don’t forget to enter our competition on page 11. There are two prizes up for grabs.

We hope you enjoy the content in this issue.

Regards, The Macmillan Team

& management School leadership

Sensitive and responsible to others

Organised and together

Persuasive communicator

Confident but not arrogant

9 powerful habits of highly

effective leaders

Great leaders are sensitive. They understand what drives their employees and demonstrate genuine concern for their welfare.

Planning requires thought. Great leaders organise and plan ahead. Although thinking through various scenarios and possible impacts requires analytical thinking skills, plan so that your passions align with your thinking.

Great leaders communicate persuasively. Strive to deliver messages that inspire, motivate and reassure, and when required, are direct.

Great leaders are self-assured and very confident. Your confidence conveys a sense of calm during turbulent times, and great leaders do not waver once they commit to a course of action.

Leaders develop a unique sense of professionalism about their image, their actions and their communications. They conduct themselves in a way that sets them apart from their employees. To distinguish yourself as a manager, lead by example.

Responsible

Leaders take responsibility for their people’s performance. When things are going well, they praise efforts publicly. When things require attention, they find ways to fix them quickly.

Great leaders see things through to completion. They simultaneously track what may appear to be insignificant details and keep the larger picture in mind. They monitor anything they believe will help them to achieve their goals. They don’t give up easily when things do not go their way.

Great leaders are honest leaders. They genuinely treat people like they would like to be treated, because they respect themselves and take others’ feelings into consideration.

Passionate leaders seem to stimulate and energise people and make work enjoyable for their team.

17 words that will never fail

Once there was a retirement dinner for a very successful business executive. There was a lot of good-hearted roasting of the guest of honour before he got up to give his speech. He started with a few zingers of his own and then he started to reminisce about some of his successes and failures.

The retiree became very nostalgic and said, 'Let me tell you why that’s been the case … Many years ago I had a great boss and mentor. One day he gave me one of his business cards. On the back of it my boss had written 17 words. He told me that whenever he had to make a tough decision or was in a

challenging predicament he would read his list of 17 words Then he would close his eyes and try to be very quiet and something amazing would happen. One of these words would always jump out at him and steer him in the right direction.'

'My boss told me that for 40 years these 17 words had never failed him. And I’m here to tell you that this list has never failed me in the last 40 years.'

Then he passed out his business cards and here’s what he wrote on the back of each one:

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE DEPARTMENTAL HEAD

If you want a department where ideas are shared, learners are inspired and teaching is dynamic, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE LEAD!

TO

BE AN EFFECTIVE DEPARTMENTAL HEAD …

• be the first to share ideas

• praise your team when they are doing well

• sing your team’s praises in front of the principal, SMT, parents and others

• when delegating, resist temptation to redo, but quality assure with the aim to develop

• develop a sense of ownership among staff so they have pride in what they do

• protect your staff, motivate them continuously

• encourage initiative and new ideas

• look after your team – your most valuable resource

• notice when your team is working hard and seek ways to relieve some stress

• deploy your staff wisely

• use what you’ve got – boost your profile – keep the department relevant

• use the hall foyer/display boards/brag boards – make links to current news stories

• nurture links and network with other schools

• set short, achievable goals each term / year

• set the focus as a team: better results, higher numbers, better teaching – set clear vision

• work out the steps to get there; better exam technique, revision materials, etc.

• meet regularly and discuss how you’re getting on with the goal you have set

• achieved the goal? Celebrate, tell someone, and set another goal.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EXCELLENT DEPARTMENTAL HEADS

• have the skill to engage constructively with people

• have excellent communication skills

• have very good diplomatic skills

• can manage a number of competing demands

• have excellent delegation skills

• are flexible and adapt to changing circumstances

• can develop their skills and seek advice from a variety of sources

• can exercise judgement and take risks

• maintain a proper balance of emotions – EQ!

• have respect: the dignity of each individual is the concern of any leader, regardless of differences

• have a deep commitment to your school and to every colleague, parent and learner

THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DEPARTMENTAL HEADS

• teaching; extra-and co-curricular management of educators and learners

• sharing the duties of organising and conducting extra- and co-curricular activities

• managing personnel and dividing work

• participating in educator appraisal processes

• keeping textbooks and equipment in good condition

• planning of budget for the department

• subject work schemes

• policy implementation and communication

• monitor and manage curriculum coverage

• submit weekly/monthly/quarterly reports to the deputy principal and district

• be the champion for school-initiated CPTD

Effective leadership is not a popularity contest. It’s about achieving results with integrity.

ACCORDING TO PAM: the formal school day may not be less than seven hours

CORE DUTIES:

• there must be a specified teaching time

• relief teaching should be ensured

• extra- and co-curricular activities

• pastoral duties like detention in place …

• supervisory and management functions

• there must be an administration

• professional duties i.e. meetings, workshops

• planning, preparation and evaluation

WORK TO BE DONE OUTSIDE THE FORMAL SCHOOL DAY:

• programme planning, preparation and evaluation

• extra- and co-curricular duties (staff and learners)

• ensuring professional duties (meetings, workshops)

• ensuring professional development (80 hrs per year)

To help you lead and manage with professionalism and success and ensure effective curriculum delivery, contact us about our:

• Departmental Heads Curriculum Management Workshop – 7 SACE PD points

• People Relations Workshop – SACE 5 PD points

• Conflict Management – 7 SACE PD Points

• Diversity Management – 7 SACE PD points

• Classroom Discipline – 5 SACE PD points

https://shop.motc.co.za

For more information or to make a booking, contact: Salome Chepape

T +27 11 731 3409

E Salome.Chepape@macmillaneducation.co.za

Become a powerful teacher

A powerful teacher is one that knows him/herself and knows his/her learners. Teachers need to know the following about themselves, their learners, the curriculum and their teaching environment:

1. Know Yourself

* Know how the context of your own life (culture, home language, life experiences, emotional wellbeing, etc.) impacts on your teaching.

* Know your interests, likes and dislikes and how these impact on your teaching.

* Know your strengths and weaknesses in terms of the knowledge and skills of the subjects you teach. Identify the areas in which you would need support or development.

* Know how children learn and why it is important to use different teaching and learning approaches.

* Know your own personal, preferable learning styles.

* Know what is considered as the characteristics for an excellent teacher in the subject that you teach and the gaps you have to overcome in order to become such an excellent teacher.

2. Know Your Learners

* Know your learners’ contextual lives (culture, home language, life experiences, emotional wellbeing, etc.) in order to understand the possible influences these may have on their learning.

* Know your learners’ learning style preferences and possible learning barriers.

* Know what interests (sport, culture, hobbies, technology, etc.) your learners have to help you contextualise your lessons to make them more relevant and stimulating.

Become a STAR TEACHER

To become a star teacher you have to:

* Be in class on time and teaching.

* Be prepared for each lesson.

* Reflect continuously on your own teaching and learning practices.

* Conduct yourself professionally.

* Strive to be a role model for your learners.

* Know that if your learners fail, you have failed.

Talk Teacher

3. Know Your Curriculum

* Know how to teach and assess the subjects you are teaching.

* Know how much time to spend on your topics and what methodologies would be the most effective for each topic.

* Know what prior knowledge is necessary for each lesson.

* Know the different cognitive levels and how to develop activities, classroom questions and assessments accordingly.

* Know what strategies to use to teach your learners to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.

* Know how to adapt the curriculum to support your learners.

4. Know Your Teaching Environment

* Know how to optimise your classroom with regards to its size, furniture and number of learners.

* Know how to provide security and support.

* Know how to manage your classroom so that all the learners are productively involved and learning.

* Know how to apply positive discipline strategies.

* Realise that ‘you cannot teach what you do not know; you cannot give energy if you are not on fire inside’. (Jesse Jackson)

* Come together in professional learning communities to share challenges and best practices with colleagues.

* Raise the level of your teaching through your own professional development.

* Know you can only become a star teacher if you have the desire to be one.

Development Profesional

Build your own skill set with Macmillan Teacher Campus

FREE Power Hour Webinars!

• A quick look at ICT integration - 1 August

• Study Skills for learners - 15 August

What is an inclusive classroom? - 29 August

• Encourage STEM from an early age - 5 September

• Growth Mindset - 17 October

Click here to register for these exciting free webinars!

Inclusion week

11 - 14 September 2023

When teachers recognise and understand their learners' learning barriers, they will be able to provide them with quality learning opportunities. At Macmillan Teacher Campus (MTC), we believe no learner should be left behind. We dedicate a whole week to four trending topics: Autism, the hidden disability already in your class, Don’t let dyslexia hold you back, Strategies to assist learners with reading barriers and Leave no learner behind.

Click here to register

Coding week

29 - 31 August 2023

Computational thinking is one of the methodologies used to deliver the coding and robotics curriculum content and involves the steps that come before programming and coding. It is the process of breaking down a problem into simple enough steps that even a computer would understand.

This exciting week-long campaign focuses on workshops for Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phase teachers who wish to learn more about coding and robotics and who do not want to be left behind when it comes to this exciting subject.

Click here to register

Tech week

14 - 17 August 2023

This week-long campaign is aimed at encouraging teachers to start utilising technology to enhance their learners' learning opportunities and to create engaged, active learners who are interested in the learning objectives. To achieve this, several forms of technology should be used in the classroom. ICT integration across a range of subject areas is the main focus of Tech Week.

Click here to register

Event planning and management

6 - 7 September 2023

District officials and teachers often have to arrange an event in their districts or schools or even arrange a private function. This is the workshop you have been waiting for to ease your path to planning and hosting a well-organised and memorable event. This workshop guides you through the whole process of arranging an event, from planning to hosting to reflecting on the event. Attend both sessions to learn how to plan effectively to make your event a resounding success.

Click here to register

The world has moved online... and so has Macmillan Online Teacher Campus

MOTC is an online platform that enables educators to take their learning into their own hands. Teachers can choose a course from a variety of trending topics in education. These courses can be done in their own time, at their own pace and in the comfort of their home. This is a user-friendly platform with images, videos and downloadable resources. Teachers can grow professionally with these SACE-endorsed courses for professional development points at an affordable price. This platform currently hosts 14 workshops, with the latest addition being the sought-after Strategies to address discipline in the classroom. Coming soon will be a workshop on autism for mainstream teachers: Autism, the hidden disability already in your classroom.

For more information and to register for a course, click on the link: https://shop.motc.co.za.

Ten Interesting Facts About MTC...

Did you know?

MTC was established in 2007 and has been active for 16 years.

1 Did you know?

MTC team together have almost 80 years of teaching experience in different phases and subject areas.

MTC is accredited with two certification bodies, the ETDPSETA as well as the QCTO

2

4 MTC offers a formal qualification, namely ECD Level 4

5

All MTC project managers are former teachers who were all in management positions in the schools they taught at.

3

MTC has trained participants with special needs, such as deaf participants, using interpreters

6

8

MTC

experts

following fields: leadership and management, inclusion, language, mathematics, natural science and technology, ICT integration

MTC did training in Nigeria, Eswatini and Botswana

MTCs longest running project was the Learner support programme for Glencore Merafe mines in North West that lasted for five consecutive years

7

9

10

Two lucky educators can each win a voucher to attend all four Inclusion Week Workshops. To stand a chance of winning, name one of the free workshops offered by MTC during August.

MTC ‘s biggest project was rolled out for Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance, where 2000 Grade R practitioners were trained on Assessment.

team are

in the

and tech.

Publishers of high-quality professional development books and resources for education.

THE BULLY IN THE GREENHOUSE

Why children bully others and what schools can do about it

By Dr Graham Ramsden

ISBN: 9781912906932

Are children born to bully others or is upbringing and schooling to blame? The answer is clearly not straightforward. Dr Graham Ramsden addresses these and other important questions in an attempt to explore what schools can do to address this very damaging and endemic social act. The Bully in The Greenhouse puts the child who bullies at the very centre of this exploration and scrutinises the act of bullying from a range of perspectives.

THE CARING TEACHER

How to make a positive difference in the classroom

By Rob Potts

ISBN: 9781913622909

Whether you’re new to the profession or an experienced practitioner, teaching can be the most rewarding career imaginable but it has never been more demanding. This book is filled with practical advice relating to pastoral care and classroom management, with a firm focus on building effective relationships.

TOOLS FOR TEACHERS

How to teach, lead, and learn like the world’s best educator

By Oliver Lovell

ISBN: 9781915261069

Over the past five years, Ollie Lovell has spoken to 60 of the world’s most prominent teachers, leaders and education researchers. This book summarises the most useful techniques, tactics and mental models from these conversations, and presents them in a clear, practical and actionable form for you to start improving your teaching and learning.

THE REVISION REVOLUTION

How to build a culture of effective study in your school

By Helen Howell and Ross Morrison McGill

ISBN: 9781913622930

Have you ever wondered why your students don’t revise? Or why they revise ineffectively? Often, they simply don’t know how. This is where The Revision Revolution comes in. This book guides you step by step through how to start and sustain a revision revolution in your school, building a culture of effective study.

LOVE TO TEACH

Research and resources for every classroom

By Kate Jones

ISBN: 9781911382959

Love To Teach: Research & Resources for every classroom is an exciting book that combines the latest educational research with examples of what this can look like in the classroom. Filled with research-informed ideas to support all teachers and leaders in both Primary and Secondary this book would be great for NQTs and more experienced teachers and leaders alike. The educational research is presented in a format which is accessible, helpful and informative and will help inform educators about cutting-edge research in practical and applicable ways. The practical resources are easily adaptable and ready to be implemented in any classroom and are grounded in Kate’s own classroom practice.

9 August WOMEN'S DAY Happy

Macmillan Education wishes a very happy Women's Day to all women who enlighten learners with knowledge and guide them through each step of life.

NATIONAL

Sibonelo Mkhasibe

Head of National School Sales

Cell: 066 474 3793

Email: Sibonelo.Mkhasibe@macmillaneducation.co.za

Antoinette de Vries

Head of National Commercial Sales and Marketing

Tel: 011 731 3455

Email: Antoinette.deVries@macmillaneducation.co.za

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Tel: 011 731 3300

Email: customerservices@macmillaneducation.co.za

MACMILLAN TEACHER CAMPUS

Tel: 011 731 3409

Email: za.mtc@macmillaneducation.co.za

TVET COLLEGES

Gan Krishna

National Sales Manager: TVET Colleges

Cell: 078 804 0592

Email: gan.krishna@macmillaneducation.co.za

Jayshil Bhula

Sales Representative: TVET Colleges

Cell: 076 222 2798

Email: jayshil.bhula@macmillaneducation.co.za

EASTERN CAPE

Ayanda Nkunzi

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 082 949 9664

Email: Ayanda.Nkunzi@macmillaneducation.co.za

FREE STATE

Peter Ledwaba

Provincial Sales Manager

Cell: 076 994 0986

Email: Peter.Ledwaba@macmillaneducation.co.za

GAUTENG

Asheena Patel

Provincial Sales Manager

Cell: 066 138 2746

Email: Asheena.Patel@macmillaneducation.co.za

Phathi Kona

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 060 908 8209

Email: Phathi.Kona@macmillaneducation.co.za

KWAZULU-NATAL

Sane Ngubane

Sales and Marketing Manager

Cell: 082 528 3712

Email: Sane.Ngubane@macmillaneducation.co.za

Qhawe Gumede

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 079 877 4995

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Contact us

LIMPOPO

Mmatapa Moabelo

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 078 804 0612

Email: Mmatapa.Moabelo@macmillaneducation.co.za

MPUMALANGA

Lillian Vuma

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 078 803 9918

Email: Lillian.Vuma@macmillaneducation.co.za

NORTH WEST

Mmaabo Modisane

Provincial Sales Manager

Cell: 071 399 1337

Email: Mmaabo.Modisane@macmillaneducation.co.za

NORTHERN CAPE

Liezl Abrahams

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 071 441 9144

Email: Liezl.Abrahams@macmillaneducation.co.za

WESTERN CAPE

Liezl Abrahams

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 071 441 9144

Email: Liezl.Abrahams@macmillaneducation.co.za

Tania Zeederberg

Sales and Marketing Representative

Cell: 066 211 4352

Email: Tania.Zeederberg@macmillaneducation.co.za

AGENCY AND DIGITAL

Kilayne Pelser

Agency and Digital Sales Manager

Cell: 076 994 0985

Email: Kilayne.Pelser@macmillaneducation.co.za

Nicole Smith

Agency and Digital Sales Consultant

Cell: 082 944 6968

Email: Nicole.Smith@macmillaneducation.co.za