Talking Engagement with Valentine Public School

Guests: Dana Fisher (Stage 2 Assistant Principal) and Casey Duck (Year 5 Teacher) from Valentine Public School, NSW

In this episode, Amy talks with Assistant Principal, Dana Fisher, and Year 5 teacher, Casey Duck, about their journey of improving engagement at Valentine Public School. 

Key Topics:

• The Problem: Despite having well-behaved, compliant students, staff recognized that most learners were passive — doing the right things but not truly engaged. Students themselves believed that being quiet and following rules equated to being a good learner.
• The Journey: Beginning in 2021 with a school-wide deep dive, and accelerating in 2023 through instructional rounds with Steph Salazar, the school discovered Amy's engagement continuum.
• The Light Bulb Moment: Seeing engagement as a student-centered continuum shifted teacher mindset from "what am I doing wrong?" to "what could students do to move their engagement up?" This reframed engagement as a shared responsibility.
• Implementation: The school adapted the continuum into child-friendly language, embedded it consistently K-6, and connected it to their reporting system (linking engagement levels to effort marks). Their librarian and Early Stage 1 AP helped ensure consistent language across all settings.
• The Video: Students from the acting ensemble created a video dramatizing each engagement level, which was shared with families via Facebook (600+ views) to help parents understand the continuum alongside school reports.
• Impact: Students now use engagement language organically — setting engagement goals, self-identifying their level, and connecting engagement to learning progress. One student even referenced engagement in her personal learning plan goals.
• Top Tips for Other Schools:
   
  1. Take it slow — introduce gradually, check in with staff regularly 
• Consistency across K-6 — same expectations and language school-wide 
• "Built in, not bolted on" — small, mindful tweaks to daily practice rather than adding extra tasks

• Amy's Story: Amy shared how her interest began in a "responsible thinking classroom" at a secondary school 20+ years ago, leading to her PhD research and creating the engagement continuum based on teacher and student interviews.
• Practical Strategies Discussed: Desk continuums with colored counter check-ins, engagement goal-setting at lesson starts, "going for green/going for gold" linked to participating vs. investing/driving, and role-playing engagement levels.

Want to learn more?

Join us in The Engagement Hub, our online community for educators interested in supporting engagement and empowering learners. You can connect with Amy and many of our guests there.

Thanks for listening!