Testimonials
“At Glen Waverley Secondary College we had been looking for a Student Planner that was more than just an organising tool. With the Learning Curve Student Planner designed by Mick Walsh we got everything we wanted and more. We have been able to customise our planner cover to cover, it supports our vision and values, pastoral care program and learning and teaching agenda. Our student managers and teachers use the planner extensively in class and are supported with
comprehensive resources online.”
John Roodenburg, Assistant Principal – Glen Waverley Secondary College
Thanks for the timely arrival of our school diaries. They look good and are already out being used by the boys. I am again a Tutor and have started working with the material in the diary and can see its value already. I have enjoyed working with you to get these completed on time.
Kind Regards
John Starreveld - Dean of Students - Knox Grammar School
Thank you for doing this for us.
A parent of a year 3 student came to our principal and thanked him for the new planners. She told him that her daughter loved her new planner so much that she took it to bed with her. One family said they spent the evening reading through them and discussing them.
After today I am eating more ginger and tomorrow I will check my medicine cabinet for out of date medications!
Steve Twyford - Deputy Principal - William Carey Christian School
Some comments from Year 12 when they saw the new student planners:
"It’s got a word bank! That’s just what I need."
"Hey, its got goal setting- that’s my thing; that’s what I do."
"It’s got all this really good information in the back. Are we getting that too?"
"Look up my birthday… It’s all about learning styles. Which one’s mine?"
"Why didn’t we get this earlier? Yeah, Miss, we should have had this years ago!"
"This is really interesting. I am going to get so distracted in class. There’s so much useful stuff."
"Are we really going to get all this? That’s a pretty big commitment from the school."
"Why is the school doing this? (I explained that we are hoping it will encourage a healthy culture of learning for all students) Fair enough, that would be good."
Some comments from Year 7 PC group:
"I went online and looked at those student planners. They’re heaps cool. They look really good. They look like real books."
"There’s good things in it to help you learn."
Some comments from Year 9
(question from a student to the others) "Who went online to look at the planners?." (About half put up their hands)
"What’s it like?" "Don’t be so slack; look at it yourself. It’s really good and has a tonne of stuff."
William Carey Christian School
I just wanted to let you know that the diaries were handed out to the students yesterday and the feedback has been really great from teachers, parents and boys. They are all delighted with them and everyone is commenting to me about them, and how good they are. A lot of the teachers are asking me for spare ones so they can give the boys some guidance. Next year we intend to purchase extra diaries for the staff.
Kind Regards
Barbara Rusbridge - St Bede's College, Christchurch NZ
This attractive diary has been a great hit with my Grade Six students, many of whom quote the little anecdotes and thinking skills presented each week .The 'Did You Know' section also provides a focus for discussion and the diary itself has assisted the parents in participating in the organisation of homework.
Jan Wicking - Essex Heights Primary School
At Casimir Catholic College we found the Learning Curve a great support to our Learning Skills program. It is a constant reminder to the students, both junior and senior, of the need to develop organisational and study skills.
Alyce Khalifeh - Assistant Principal Casimir Catholic College
Tallangatta Secondary College has been using the Learning Curve Planners for 4 years. We have seen a cultural shift in the students use of the planner which has led to better communication with parents and improved organisational skills of our students. Parents have been very positive with their feedback of the weekly educational focus that the planners provide.
Con Madden - Assistant Principal Tallangatta Secondary College
Mick is extremely realistic and very much hands-on in his approach. All theory is backed up with practical units, study timetables, study hints and information that can be followed up by the teaching staff. All material is user friendly and is pitched at the appropriate student level.
Shepparton High School
For several years we have invited Mick Walsh to La Trobe University, Bendigo to talk to our Grad. Dip. (Secondary) student teachers about classroom management and whole school discipline policies. He was a special guest speaker at a pre-practicum forum where his brief was to provide reassurance to one hundred student teachers about to embark on their first teaching round.
This he did with consummate skill. Students remarked afterwards upon the usefulness and practicality of his advice, but were even more impressed by the exceptionally positive perspective that Mick puts upon classroom life. His empathy and respect for young people is inspiring, as is his faith in the potential of good teachers to effect meaningful change in the lives of their students. His obvious passion for teaching and his capacity to celebrate the colour and humour of classroom life makes him a most fitting person to address beginning, establishing and accomplished teachers.
Lecturer in Education, Practicum Coordinator School of Education, La Trobe University
The content and approach was "spot on" for our customers. Our Year 12 students appear self-assured, but they need help in setting goals for their Year 12 year and their life after that. Mick's seminar attacked this beautifully. What YOU want to achieve? YOU must make it happen. Your teacher will help YOU. Equally important was the second part, "How YOU can make it happen". It was an excellent coverage of study skills and time management.
Gippsland Grammar
Mick recently ran full day sessions at each of our two campuses. He carefully tailored the presentations to best suit the needs of staff, and the specific campus requirements and presented two different stimulating, highly engaging and challenging programs. Unlike other facilitators his approach is extremely flexible and responsive to the input and mood of the group (as well as the direction and input from the planning team). He presents with humour and engaging anecdotes that are strongly reinforced by hard data and personal in-school experience. Our staff (even those who are very difficult to engage) were extremely positive about the program he presented, finding it enjoyable, but also stimulating and challenging. More importantly he set the scene for significant ongoing work around student management and engagement and gave us a strong kick start and some very specific direction. Staff feedback was extremely positive – some citing it as the “best PD they had undertaken.” Another measure of his impact is the degree to which his terminology and analogies have entered the language of our college (both formally and informally), and are now becoming part of our culture.
Mick is a highly creditable, engaging and down to earth presenter who is able to challenge, stimulate and entertain.
Mt Erin Secondary College