SUZANNE GARDNER
Suzanne Gardner
Teacher Portfolio
Suzanne Gardner- Teacher Portfolio
I am a passionate and dedicated Head of Netball, with a keen interest in the development of our netball programme to its highest potential. I am fully committed to promoting Kellett Netball and Kellett Sport into the wider community of Hong Kong and beyond. In addition, I have a particular interest in the digital aspect of learning and the use of social media to promote Kellett Netball and Kellett Sport and developing my own understanding of the challenges adolescent girls face in sport and ensuring it is accessible to all.
I am the lead on Physiology and Biomechanics for Year 12 and 13 A level, the co-digital lead specialist for the PE department.
In the wider Kellett community, I am also committed to developing my knowledge and understanding of female athletes through the study of the menstrual cycle and other areas that affect a girl's confidence in sport, plus how it affects training and performance through an emotional and physical view. My research is being completed with the aim of introducing the topic to Positively Kellett and parent/pupil seminars and empowering female pupils and staff members with the knowledge to understand the effects on their body through resource banks. The topic area will also be presented as an EPQ opportunity where I will be the supervisor for the project.
In addition to my role , I have also been an active participant in the wider community by further honing my skills as an educator by engaging in the Outreach programme, and providing support to pupils who are completing their HKYP volunteering role through umpiring opportunities.
As well as the convenor for U16 and U20 school netball in Hong Kong, I am also working in collaboration with HKNA to support overseas teams touring Hong Kong and organised for Australian netball legend Cath Cox to visit Kellett for a training session with our players. Alongside the Head of PE I am also hoping to coordinate the netball section of a Independent Coach Education overseas conference to be held at Kellett. Through these endeavors, I have been able to extend my reach beyond the immediate school setting and showcase my abilities within the broader community.
Overall, my involvement in the Outreach program and collaborations with HKNA have been both personally and professionally rewarding. I remain committed to contributing to the community and further developing my skills as an educator and coach.
Netball Philosophy
My philosophy is to create a positive and inclusive environment that encourages participation and fosters a love for the game for all pupils. I believe in providing access to excellent coaching and development opportunities, fostering a sense of school pride and belonging, and pushing every student to achieve their full potential. By setting high expectations and providing support and guidance, I aim to inspire a love for the game and help every student reach their goals both on and off the court.
Head of Netball
My primary objective as Head of Netball is to develop and maintain a high-quality netball program that aligns with Kellett's overall Learner Profile. I achieve this by developing a comprehensive netball program that caters to the needs of all pupils' abilities, from beginners to advanced players and providing professional training and support to all netball players, coaches, and staff to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles.
As an effective communicator and leader, steps are taken to ensure that the philosophy of our department is shared effectively and consistently throughout the school. This includes regular meetings with the department, as well as a weekly netball communication update to ensure that all information for the upcoming week is readily available.
At the beginning of the netball season, I took the lead in organising a meeting with all netball coaches to ensure that my philosophy aligns with the school's, and that it is shared effectively with all coaches. Additionally, our pupils were also informed of this philosophy through beginning of term assemblies, ensuring that they are aware of the expectations and goals of the department. Alongside this, having attended several netball specialist webinars, I am breaking down the content and sharing with staff on a weekly basis.
​
I believe that promoting Kellett Netball and Kellett Sport through various platforms, including social media, to reach out to the wider community is also a large part of my role.​
​
I have taken great pride in organising and hosting the U16 and U20 ISSFHK netball season for all Hong Kong schools, and hosting the HKSSF semi finals and finals including organisation of the awards ceremony for winning schools.​
Supporting the development of the Prep-school and Prep-school lead, to ensure the programme has a clear progression throughout is also a hugely important role. I also fully support the Prep school Games programme and teach across all sports for U9 and U11 Games. I also provide support for fixtures and tournaments for both KLB and PFL Prep schools.
​
As an educator, I have consistently sought opportunities to empower our students to develop their skills, confidence, and leadership abilities. To this end, we have a program aimed at fostering the development of pupil umpires, with the goal of enabling our pupils to become more engaged members of the Kellett community while also acquiring a valuable new skill.
Through the programme, our students have had the opportunity to take on the role of umpires for the school league matches, with five girls currently participating on a regular basis. This experience has enabled our students to showcase their leadership skills as role models for younger pupils, while also providing them with the chance to actively participate in school events.
In addition to being involved in internal school events, the programme has also enabled our students to apply their umpiring skills in external events beyond the school setting. This exposure has not only expanded our students' horizons but has also enabled them to make a positive impact in the community, fulfilling a key goal of the HKYP community projects.
Moving forward, the programme will continue to grow, with the next goal being to host another umpiring course at Kellett to enable as many of our pupils as possible to complete the qualification. I will continue to encourage our students to explore new opportunities for growth and development both inside and outside of the classroom.
​
Sharing my sport and philosophy
As part of the sport department it is important to support the goals of other members of the team and I participated in the Kellett School Podcast series that Chris Garvey is producing. It was an excellent opportunity to share my love of the game and talk about my sporting philosophy.
Teacher of A level
As an experienced A level PE teacher with a specialisation in physiology and biomechanics, I am committed to providing my students with the best possible learning experience. I completed Dimension 3-'Maximising opportunity to learn', within the GTT topic area - A model for Great Teaching, and collaborated with the Head of Academic PE to implement more innovative and engaging lessons with the use of technology.
One of the strategies I introduced was the use of Nearpod, an interactive platform that allowed us to deliver lessons, assessments, and activities in real-time to our students' devices. By incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, images, and interactive quizzes, I was able to create more interactive learning experiences. This approach not only increased student engagement and motivation but also made it easier for me to track and analyse their performance data.
Additionally, after attending Fireside Friday, I introduced Quizzez, another platform that allowed us to create and deliver resources to our students, providing them with instant feedback and allowing us to identify areas where they may need additional support. This approach has enabled us to tailor our teaching to meet our students' individual needs more effectively.
By utilising technology in our teaching strategies, we are not only making our lessons more engaging and interactive but also equipping our students with essential digital literacy skills that will be invaluable in their future careers. The use of Nearpod, Everlearner, and Quizzez has been successful in engaging our students and improving their performance, as we have seen an increase in their motivation, engagement, and achievement.
Social Media
In additional to my role, I have been using social media to promote Kellett Sport to the wider Kellett, Hong Kong and potentially World community.
I introduced the account in November 2021, updating the account regularly with photos and details of matches and events. This approach helps to keep the followers engaged and interested in the progress of Kellett Sport.
Instagram Stories allow for more creativity and interactivity with followers. I make use of this feature to promote our teams and events by adding gifs, stickers, and highlights to draw attention to the achievements of Kellett Sport.
Creating reels showcases Kellett's athletes and has been an effective way to promote sport to the community. The reels include, highlights, and clips of our athletes, engaging pupils, parents and a wider audience. The current follower count is over 1300, with over 450 Posts, and with stories posted daily.
Personalised Kellett stickers and gifs are being created to increase the appeal and engagement of Kellett Sport on social media. These stickers and gifs are unique and tailored to Kellett, making them more appealing to the followers.
Using social media has been an effective way to promote Kellett to the wider community. Consistent updates, utilisation of Instagram Stories, creating reels, and personalised Kellett stickers and gifs have been some of the strategies employed to achieve this. As a member of Kellett School, I recognise the importance of this promotion, and I will continue to explore innovative ways to promote Kellett to the wider community.
Study
As a female athlete, tutor and teacher at Kellett School, it became apparent to me that there was a lack of understanding about the effects of the menstrual cycle on the female athletes' performance. After an external company came in to talk about the menstrual cycle to our SAMP pupils, I realised that this was an essential area missing from our current curriculum. As a result, I decided to conduct a literature review to explore the effects of the menstrual cycle on physical and mental performance and how this information could be useful to pupils at Kellett and beyond.
My current focus is on the effects of the cycle on our physical and mental performance and how sports kit, such as sports bras and trainers can affect performance, and I am currently working with Key Stage 3 and 4 athletes who are completing their own training programmes alongside school and club sport and collecting data one their feelings identified in the study.
Working in conjunction with Kellett's Strength and Conditioning Coach, a programme was designed based around cyclical progression rather than weekly progression. Recent studies show that this may7 not be the best way to utilise female training in sport, so further reading will be undertaken with new research that has been released through University College London.
The athletes will be be given a talk by myself about the menstrual cycle and what current research is saying about this area and this will be supported by Tom Beresford, who will leading on the programming of the athletes. Pupils have then been asked to use the Fitr Woman app to track their cycle and report back via a survey on how they are finding their training. The goal of the study is to understand how the menstrual cycle affects the female athlete’s physical and mental performance and how we can use this information to improve their training, performance and feelinsg towards sport.
The next stage of my study will be to write up the findings and provide resources and further talks on the area for pupils and parents. The plan for the Kellett curriculum is to implement the information into Positively Kellett (in discussion with Bhavisha Tank ), enabling all pupils, both male and female, to have a greater understanding of how the menstrual cycle can be used to understand how females are affected throughout their cycle and how others can support them on this journey.
Empowering female athletes through understanding the menstrual cycle, is an essential step towards improving their performance and wellbeing. As a teacher and female athlete, I recognise the importance of this area and have taken the initiative to conduct a study to explore it further. By implementing the findings into Positively Kellett, we can ensure that all pupils have a greater understanding of how the menstrual cycle affects female athletes, leading to a better understanding of themselves and others.
Further CPD - 2023-24
-
Optimising adolescent female health education and girls performance in sport - 13/09/23.
-
Webinar - 'The defensive end' with Tamsin Greenway-Independent coach education - 30/01/24.
-
Webinar - 'Coaching skills and strategies for netball' with Tamsin Greenway - Independent coach education - 6/12/23.
-
Webinar - ' A dictionary of netball skills' with Karen Greig - Independent coach education - 24/01/24.
-
Webinar - 'Make the most out of Nearpod' - 29/06/23
Digital Lead
I am a passionate advocate for digital learning, and I have taken on the role of co- Digital Lead Specialist for the PE department. The goal is to implement, develop and empower pupils and colleagues to use digital strategies within our department, enhancing the learning experience and creating a more efficient and effective way of teaching.
​
Microsoft Educator Training Academy:
To ensure a smooth and successful transition to digital learning, I am currently undergoing training to become a Microsoft Educator. This will enable me to develop the confidence of my colleagues in using digital strategies and ensure a seamless transition to Microsoft.
I am continuously engaged in ongoing discussions with colleagues about how to implement digital strategies in the Physical Education department. I have been sharing my knowledge and experience of SOCS and iSAMS to empower them to use digital strategies and technologies in a way that enhances their teaching and improves the learning experience of the pupils.
​
Implementing Digital Strategies:
We have been exploring various digital strategies and technologies that can be used in Physical Education, such as using digital tools to track and analyse performance data, and using video analysis software to improve game understanding. These technologies have the potential to revolutionise the way we teach Physical Education and provide a more engaging and immersive learning experience for the pupils.
​
ECAs
As Head of Netball at Kellett School and a member of the Sports department, coaching and supporting teams is a significant part of my role. I am fortunate to have a strong team of netball coaches, but I always make sure to stay, watch and support all teams at all times where possible. I believe that welcoming and hosting opposition schools is an important part of my role.
I enjoy a wide variety of CCAs, including early morning S&C sessions during Term 1 and 3 for U20, U16, U14 and U12 netballers, and have training and matches up to 4 times per week on a regular basis. This commitment has given me the opportunity to work with a diverse range of students and develop my coaching skills.
It has been a huge focus for me this term to ensure that as many girls as possible get the opportunity to play in fixtures representing the school and I have been delighted to extend the netball fixtures for our players outside of the teams that have entered the leagues and I have arranged separate fixtures for U14D and E teams as well as U12C.
I have also had the opportunity to lead and coach a variety of teams at Kellett School. In Term 1, I was the lead coach on Kellett 1st netball team and U16B, and in Term 3, I was in charge of Kellett U14A, C, D, and E teams, as well as the U12A and C. Coaching these teams has been a rewarding experience, and I am proud of the progress that each team has made throughout the season.
Outside of netball I am involved in the coaching of Basketball during term 2 and leading on the U12B team.
In addition to coaching, I have also been actively involved in supporting teams at Kellett School. I make sure to attend as many matches and events outside of sports as possible, and I am always available to provide support and guidance to the students and coaches.
​
Outreach
In November and December 2022 and January and February 2024, I have had the opportunity to be part of the outreach team at Kellett School. This experience gave me the chance to teach in the wider community of Hong Kong and engage with a diverse range of students.
As part of the outreach team, I used a variety of teaching strategies to engage with the students and make the learning experience as enjoyable and interactive as possible. I used a combination of group discussions, practical sessions, and interactive quizzes to deliver team building lessons and keep the students engaged.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being part of the outreach team was the opportunity to engage with the wider community of Hong Kong. I was able to interact with students from different backgrounds and cultures, and this gave me a new perspective on teaching and learning. I also had the chance to collaborate with other teachers and educators, sharing knowledge and experience to create the best possible learning experience for the students.
Being part of the outreach team was a personal growth experience for me. It challenged me to adapt my teaching strategies to different learning styles and cultures, and this helped me to become a more versatile and adaptable teacher.
Whats next...
Tour:
In order to support the organisation of the U15 sports tour, I am helping to coordinate the netball club fixtures with Cross roads netball academy.
Marketing-
In addition to my passion as a Head of Netball, I also have an interest in marketing strategies, and I have been actively involved in introducing these strategies to promote sports at Kellett School. I have implemented or am currently implementing in conjunction with the marketing team, the following initiatives:
Photos and Noticeboard Design:
One of the first strategies I implemented was to have photos of senior captains for the Kellett sport notice board. I also worked with the marketing team to develop the noticeboard designs to ensure a clean and consistent marketing strategy. This helped to promote the sports teams and create a sense of pride and ownership amongst the students.
Kellett Stickers and GIFs:
To engage with students on social media, I am introducing Kellett stickers and GIFs for Instagram. This will create a fun and interactive way for students to show their support for the school and the sports teams. I also worked with the marketing team to develop a sport-specific border to promote upcoming fixtures on Instagram.
​
Weekly Reels:
To promote all the wonderful opportunities that our pupils have experienced for K-news, I am introducing weekly reels highlighting the sports events and fixtures taking place. This helped to create a buzz around the sports teams and encouraged students to attend and support their peers.
​
Varsity Style Matches:
To create a sense of rivalry and excitement, we are looking to introduce a varsity-style series of matches for our senior sports teams versus one of our major competitors. This helped to promote the sports teams and create a sense of pride and ownership amongst the students.
Conclusion:
Implementing marketing strategies to promote sports at Kellett School has been a rewarding experience. By working closely with the marketing team and using a variety of strategies, we have been able to create a sense of pride amongst the students, promote the sports teams, and engage with students and parents on social media. I am committed to continuing to implement digital strategies within our department to enhance the interactive learning experience and further build the sense of community at Kellett School.
Kellett advanced practitioner criteria
Courses
FAW leaders in football award- January 2022
Webinar- Females in Sport- May 2023
Independent coach Education -September 2021
Developing netball by establishing effective connections on court.
Microsoft Educator Academy- Ongoing