Big Picture awards John Bladen Scholarship to Tassie teacher

Alan Poole, an advisory teacher at Sorell School in Tasmania, has been awarded Big Picture Education’s John Bladen scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded to advisory teachers who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to the work, design and principles of Big Picture Education, and a desire to learn more, and share their knowledge and new understandings with colleagues and the wider Big Picture network. 

Recipients can choose from an award of $3000, or a funded study tour to schools that are using innovative thinking and new ideas, giving them a powerful and first-hand opportunity for professional learning.

Alan has chosen to attend this year’s Big Picture USA Study Tour, along with nine other advisory teachers. They will visit four Big Picture Learning schools – including METSAC in California and The Met in Providence, Rhode Island – to interact with students, advisors, mentors and leaders.

Alan sees the Study Tour as an invaluable contribution to his personal development as an advisory teacher.

“I expect to gather ideas from students, advisors and hopefully parents; to listen to their stories, and blend them into what I do, to be a better advisor. It will also be interesting to experience the day-to-day operation of a number of Big Picture schools to pick up ideas on the nitty gritty of daily operations.”

A secondary teacher for nine years, Alan has shown great initiative and drive in incorporating Big Picture learning in his teaching and delving deeply into the design. This year Alan has been integral to Sorell School’s transition to the Big Picture design:

“It has been an amazing and rewarding experience. We have an eclectic mix of students from across the spectrum of young people. To watch the way that they have come together and thrived under the Big Picture banner, to grow not only as students but also as well rounded and thoughtful citizens has been a privilege.”

John Bladen was Chair of both the National Coordinating Committee and the Australian National Schools Network (ANSN) board – a Big Picture Education initiative. He also worked as a principal and Director of Training and Development for School Programs for the NSW Department of Education and Training (now the Department of Education and Communities). Throughout his career, John focused on equity and equality of outcomes for students, working with classified disadvantaged schools, multicultural communities, juvenile offenders and in isolated rural communities.

Big Picture Education Australia offers congratulations to Alan and wishes him safe travels for the Study Tour. We look forward to hearing about the experience and seeing the implementation of his new-found knowledge at Sorell School.

Should you wish to make a contribution to John’s memory and life’s work, John’s family will accept a donation towards the continuance of this scholarship.