As a girls’ school, we are able to build the needs, habits and preferences of girls into everything we do. For those like myself, who have been in the field for many years, it can be refreshing to hear the perspective and insights of colleagues who are new to Queenwood and new to teaching in a girls’ school, so I took the opportunity for this newsletter to interview Mr Tanchevski, who joined us this year to teach Year 2.
In what type of schools have you previously taught?
I taught mostly in co-educational schools in Wollongong, London and Shanghai before moving to Sydney and working at a boys’ school in the Inner West. Some of these schools were faith-based and each provided different professional learning opportunities, according to the demographic or the philosophy of the school.
What interested you about teaching at Queenwood?
I found a statement on the Queenwood website: We value them for not what they achieve, but for who they are. This resonated with me as I place a heavy emphasis on developing strong relationships with the students in my class. I make sure I learn things about them to help build a connection, which in turn makes them feel a sense of belonging and value. To learn that Queenwood shares the same views sat really well with me. I have worked at a school where the focus was mainly on Mathematics and English and there was little attention given to other areas such as Music or Drama. So I was attracted to Queenwood because I believe in a well-rounded education and Queenwood offers a myriad of opportunities.
Did you structure your lessons differently here?
Going from teaching a class of 20 Year 2 boys to teaching 20 Year 2 girls, one notices quite a big difference, particularly in attention span. Because boys generally cannot concentrate for the same length of time as girls, I used to rely on fast-paced rotations and have different stations around the room where the same, or similar, skills were being practised in a variety of ways. This engaged the boys and kept their attention. With girls, this isn’t necessary and I can focus on giving greater depth to each lesson. Girls tend to take greater pride and care in their work and are less likely to rush, so more time can be spent on a set task. However, I have certainly kept some strategies that are effective with both girls and boys.
What differences have you noticed about teaching girls? What are the challenges?
Girls like to make things look pretty – a change from my previous experiences! Generally, primary-aged boys don’t care about the presentation of their work to the same extent. This creates a different challenge, as the girls need to realise that the content is important not just how it looks. Boys will often take greater risks with their learning and present as more confident, while girls tend to want it to be right the first time. So we have strategies to deal with that.
My Year 2 girls are not allowed to rub out and I constantly remind them that mistakes bring about growth and learning. They have to understand that their work is not going to be correct the first time. I’ve taken to highlighting some of their writing with a pink highlighter – ‘Pink to Think’. The message is: go back and think how you could make this section of your writing better. They took a while to adjust to this but I think they are beginning to see the benefits. Girls are more sensitive and can see feedback as negative rather than constructive and a way to improve but they have come a long way since the beginning of the year.
Why have you chosen to work at a single-sex school?
I find that there is a sense of freedom within a single-sex environment that isn’t always there in co-educational schools. I have noticed that gender stereotypes about particular fields, leadership, sport or instrument etc don’t really feature in single-sex schools. This gives each child the opportunity to choose what they want to do, free from any prejudice and that’s a great thing.
How would you describe your classroom?
I would have to admit that my classroom is a bit quirky. Our reading groups are named after the houses in Harry Potter and other groups are named after types of cheese. The day always begins with a joke. Some of these are really funny and others are not worthy of a mention!
It is important to me that my classroom is a safe place for the girls to challenge themselves, to feel proud of their achievements and to feel confident and secure to step beyond what feels immediately comfortable.
What are you looking forward to for the remainder of the year?
Honestly, I just want to spend as much time with my class as possible. They are such a brilliant bunch. They make me laugh and smile every day so I’m just looking forward to teaching them and watching them grow, both in stature and academically.
And your other interests?
I love fitness, sports and travelling. I’m currently coaching Year 6 Touch Football and have loved getting to know the older girls. I also really enjoy reading so I am totally in favour of Just Read at Queenwood.
Mrs Angela Toohey
Head of Junior School