Introduction:

In this era of knowledge expansion, globalization, high technology and rapid social transformation (pace of change) in society, our students are on a journey into a world requiring knowledge and attitudes very often different from those taught to their parents or teachers. In response to this global irreversible move, Hong Kong has witnessed unprecedented reforms in school education, covering areas like curriculum, IT, language and even the education structure itself.

To gear up for the forces of changes which have created just as much worries/fears as hopes, all frontline educators should somehow bring themselves up to date in order to remain competitive and capable of creating the world of tomorrow. The usual method to meet this rising expectation is the development of policy related to staff professional growth.

Why does the professional development have to be 'continuing' (CPD)? The education overhaul and the associated changes in educational philosophy basically emerges from two beliefs:

(1) Learning is an ongoing process and

(2) Learning can take place anywhere. The former virtually requires all people, and educators in particular, to give adequate weight to the need for lifelong learning, while the latter places emphasis on fostering the whole person development and the extension of teaching and learning into the wider community.

The Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications (ACTEQ) has been working on reforms and made recommendations about teacher continuing professional development (CPD). In the report (2003, p.3) on CPD, ACTEQ shares the common understanding: the professional quality of teachers needs improving as reforms in education are effective only when there is a teaching force with high professional quality, who can then be the change-agents in moving professional development forward within the education sector. Short-term and long-term staff development policy is therefore needed to coordinate and sustain all activities intended to bring about such changes which are likely to be irreversible.

Reference: The Five-Year Plan of the Staff Development Committee

The Staff Development Days

All the staff development activities are arranged for actualizing the staff development plan throughout the year. Workshops on teaching strategies and pedagogical practices for fostering students’ self-learning will be the core activities of various staff development days.

Staff development activities such as school visits and talks that are relevant to exploring different paradigms of teaching will be organized for enhancing teachers’ efficacy.

Teachers, regardless of their teaching experience, will be invited to share their daily practices regarding the enhancement of students’ learning strategies on the staff development day. With the active participation of the staff, the objectives of the development plan can be attained.

Various Workshops:

Top Teens Programme | Unleash your Creativity | Project-based Learning Guidelines and PowerPoint | Brain-based Learning |

Snapshots of the Staff Development Days

The objectives, system and functions of appraisal

Our appraisal system is set, not merely to assist teachers in assessing their own teaching effectiveness formatively, but also helps teachers in evaluating their performance in non-teaching practices so as to foster their professional development. As a wide coverage of assessment items are included in the present appraisal system, the staff can have a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as well as their training needs. Besides, it helps the school formulate specific professional development plans geared to the overall development needs.

Being fair and just, our appraisal system conducted within each panel and committee is two-way, in which each staff member can be evaluated by his or her panel head or the committee chairperson, while reciprocally, the panel head or the committee chairperson is evaluated by their fellow members. In addition, both teaching and non-teaching staff member of our school can evaluate the principal's performance to maximize the principal's accountability.

As an open system, the objectives, criteria for appraisal, executive details and even the appeal procedures of the appraisal system are clearly documented in the Teachers' Basic Laws for teachers' reference.

An on-line appraisal system has also been set up to allow students to evaluate their teachers' teaching performance so as to enhance teachers' understanding of the developmental needs.

The review of appraisal system

There is a mechanism established for timely review of the appraisal system. All the teachers can give feedback to the present appraisal system at the end of each academic year so that an appropriate revision can be made in response to the development needs of the school and the staff.

Mentorship Scheme

Background and Rationale

Mentoring has come a long way and it is extending more and more to all other subjects, due to the increasing need for good quality initial teacher training. Still remember the days when we first joined the service? For those of us who joined straight from school, this huge organisation with its seemingly boundless regulations must present quite a culture shock. How we wished we had someone to turn to, someone who could feel how we felt and someone who could point the way. Mentor scheme is one way of meeting this concern.

Overall Aims:

1. To ensure good quality, standardised and harmonised mentoring in teaching

2. To provide support for new teachers, thus decreasing attrition in the profession and enhancing learning and teaching in the classroom.

3. To provide the beginning teachers with special attention and the support of an experienced mentor.

4. To apply the experience of senior colleagues to the benefit of inexperienced teachers.

 

What does a mentor do?

Mentoring refers to a relationship between a mentor and a mentee where the mentor

-is normally senior in position but outside the line, so that he/she carries no responsibility for performance management and so that the mentee can divulge in full his/her concerns without any fear of being marked down. l

-can be a counsellor, providing support and encouragement for the mentees to find their feet, l is a coach, a role model and a friend. l would share their experience and insights, l provide guidance when needed.

-should have a commitment, and a genuine concern for the well being of the mentees.

-No mentor should be held responsible for the mentee's progress

Development plan

-Both mentors and mentees will get involved in the review process

-Each mentor is supposed to design their own instructional programs for their mentees and that programs will be documented for future reference.

-The mentor's instructions should include: class observation criteria, lesson plans, notes regarding the design and marking of homework as well as setting and marking of exam papers.

How will the scheme operate?

Continuity:

The relationship will normally last a year, but may be extended if both the mentor and the mentee see merit in continuing the relationship. Frequency and format of contact: l Normally there should be more frequent contacts during the initial period and, we do encourage face to face interaction, at least to start with.

Mutual Trust:

Confidentiality is critical to the success of the relationship. Only through mutual trust can both parties benefit. Needless to say, apart from giving advice, the mentor should not interfere with the mentee's work. Nor should he/she disclose any comments made to individual supervisors.

Briefing:

Briefing for the mentors will be arranged before the start of the scheme, and workshops later on for them to share experience.

1. Background

Every year, the Committee on Respect Our Teachers Campaign conducts the Teacher Commendation Scheme which is intended to raise teachers' professional image and reinforce societal reverence for those nameless heroes and those in the line of duty. This accords with the school's vision and the scheme will be organized by the Staff Development Committee in conjunction with the Student Guidance Team, the School's Aims Committee and the IT department.

2. Targets

All the teaching staff members (including the Principal and the Vice-principal) and laboratory technicians.

3. Procedures

3.1 Each student and teacher can vote for a maximum of 5 candidates through the on-line voting system. The 5 candidates with the greatest number of votes will receive each a souvenir from the school and the top 2 candidates will be nominated to attend the Teacher Commendation Certificate Award Ceremony organized by the aforesaid committee.

3.2 In case that there are candidates receiving the same ballot, the honor will be determined by the teachers' votes.

3.3 The 2 candidates who are nominated to receive the Commendation Certificate will not be nominated a second time in the following year. His/her eligibility for nomination will resume after a spell of a year so that other candidates equally deserving of the certificate will not be denied the honorable opportunity.

4. Qualities of a teacher receiving commendation

(1) Being enthusiastic with good teaching pedagogies

(2) Being caring and able to provide appropriate assistance

(3) Being a person of noble characters and a role model

(4) Being able to make great contribution to the school's development

Workflow and Operation Procedures for teachers/ students

The Induction of New Teachers

As educators and policy makers across this territory are recognizing the need for quality teacher induction, more and more school systems are creating programs that support our next generation of teachers’ entry into the profession. The Staff Development Committee works with teachers, administrators and other educational organizations to build induction programs designed not only to support our new teachers, but also to have lasting impact on classroom practices and our school communities. Our ultimate goal and vision is that as beginning teachers exit their induction programs, they not only value the support received from mentor colleagues, but that they value and know how to use effective assessment practices in their classrooms. We also hope that they see the collaborative aspects of their induction period as central to their becoming an outstanding teacher and that they seek ways to support their school sites in being true learning communities.

Our Induction Programs usually starts 2 weeks before the commencement of a new school term. All new teachers will:

- be informed of the overall school policy and operational strategies

- be briefed on the various administrative procedures to facilitate overall administrative endeavours

- be given training on the kind of information technologies that can enhance their teaching and administrative efficiency (e.g. various system passwords, e-learning operation procedures, advanced workshops on Microsoft Excel, Word and Dreamweaver, Podcasts, etc.)

Other resources:

年齡：約２５歲
性格：性格倔強，是個說一不二的人，甚有個性，外人眼裡可能是一個好錢如命，十分吝嗇的古怪女子，其實家家有本難諗的經，心實是一個對家庭有擔戴的女子，家中有個惹事生非的大佬，令心的重擔百上加斤，心仍然表現堅強，每每忍氣吞聲，為家人解難。但其實心底裡亦十分脆弱，渴望別人照顧，是一個外剛內柔的女子。

背景及經歷：
上環文咸西街「四朵金花」之一，與水、草餅及欣等十分諗熟，時常圍在一起高談闊論。四美當中，心本來是讀書成績最好的一個，但因家庭問題被迫輟學，只能在城大夜校進修法律，但她仍努力上進，希望將來可以當上律師，出人頭地。
心首次遇上安時，安欲以現金換回心手上的次等花菇，再贈送一包乾瑤柱碎，以免影響唐記海味的聲譽，安一心只想贈送一包乾瑤柱碎，但牙尖嘴利的心卻開口要兩包乾瑤柱碎，心貪小便宜的性格令安不禁留下很深的印象。
其後心再遇上安，原來安就是欣的大哥，安談笑風生的表現亦令心留下一定的印象。再後來心因大哥常在德欠下債項而要向人借錢，剛巧水及欣都不在香港，心只好硬著頭皮開口向不太熟落的安借三萬元，而且更要求安不要追問借錢的原因，安竟然一口答應，本來這事情令心對安留下一個好印象，但後來因種種誤會，安以為心借錢是要用作賭波之用，一時晦氣向波提及，波後來竟當眾侮辱心，更叫心如果真的急用錢，可以出來當妓女，令心甚為痛恨安，誓要儘快還錢給安，更把法律課本及屋契都交給安作抵押。
後來，安終於從水的口中得知心有一個時常惹禍的大哥德，心借錢是為了替德還債，安因此而良心過意不去，多次向心道歉才能令心原諒自己。當時心因財務公司的騷擾而辭掉了律師樓的工作，在惶恐之際安對心伸出援手，讓心可以在海味舖當會計的工作，亦讓心可以繼續完成城大校外進修的法律課程，心的內心對安不期然生出感激之情，更不禁對安的為人另眼相看；而安與心朝夕相對，亦對心生出一種不能言喻的感情來，可惜心的心內已心有所屬。
心的感情道路一直兜兜轉轉，原來心一直鍾情於之前律師樓一個年青有為的律師程亮，心一直深愛著亮，奈何亮生性不羈，每每見一個便愛一個，先有亮之前的女朋友出現，後來又有另一個新的情敵，縱然如此，但心始終未能忘記亮，多次與亮離離合合，令心十分痛苦，而這期間幸得安一直支持著她，終於令心重新做人。而心亦嘗試與安拍拖，然而心卻一直害怕自己只將安當作愛情的代替品，所以心讀畢法律課程後，便離開安及唐記海味舖，出外過她的新生活，最終成為一位律師。而安對心的心意亦全然明白，所以安然接受了這現實。