Alan Parsons

Background

About Alan Parsons

An educator with over forty years’ experience, I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Education along with Diplomas in Teaching and Theology. I hold postgraduate qualifications specializing in adolescent development including a Master’s Degree in Educational Studies (with Distinction) from the University of Newcastle and a Doctor of Education from Griffith University. I had the opportunity in 2013 to attend Harvard University and completed the Improving Schools – the Art of Leadership (AOL) course through Harvard University Graduate School of Education. In 2018 I attended a course at Oxford University through the Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OSSUA) researching and workshopping the topic of adolescent development and identity formation. Having attended seven different schools in three very different countries,(Kenya, Australia, and Papua New Guinea) I am aware of the benefits of the broadening of one’s mind and acceptance of diversity that comes with exposure to diverse cultural experiences and global opportunities. Throughout my teaching career, I have exposed students to international experiences. I have led tours to Tanzania to the School of St Jude and to climb Mt Kilimanjaro; to Kenya, India, and Thailand with delegations to attend Round Square International conferences and participate in service projects; to Vietnam in partnership with Me Huong Le and the Vung Tau orphanage and Long Hai Learning Centre; and to the United Kingdom with a group of students for immersion in a two-week summer school at Oxford University.In 2014, I was admitted as a Fellow to the Royal Society for the Arts (FRSA) and in 2015 I was a finalist in the Queensland College of Teachers’ Professor Betty Watts OBE Memorial Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Teaching. This recognised my work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying in boarding schools. Following ten years as Deputy Headmaster at The Southport School, I moved to Newcastle in 2016 to take on the position of Deputy Head of School at Newcastle Grammar with a special responsibility for Student Wellbeing. I understand that student wellbeing promotes academic outcomes and success. I lead an outstanding team of educators to ensure that the social-emotional and academic wellbeing of students are supported through the application of the evidence-based findings of wellbeing science. I am particularly interested in self-determination theory and the implications of this in relation to students moving from controlled to autonomously motivated learners.