TIM O’LEARY, PhD (Education); GDip (Education); BGeom (Hons); BSc.

Tim is the leader of Educational Data Talks’ educational consultancy activities. He is a researcher, coach and educator with over twenty years of experience working in and with Independent, State, and Faith-based schools.

Tim’s professional interests are faceted and are focused on the effective use of data, in its various forms, to improve educational practice from systems to schools to classrooms. This includes using data to differentiate teaching and learning, understand classroom and school culture, understand the impact of practice, identify areas for improvement, and monitor the implementation of initiatives. Additionally, Tim also enjoys working with teachers and school leaders to build individual and collective capability.

Tim is also the creator of the Classroom Vibe™ framework for thinking about classroom culture as the learning-focused atmosphere of a classroom, as experienced by the students. Sitting within this framework is an inquiry-driven approach to teacher improvement drawing on student-to-teacher via the Classroom Vibe™ Student Perceptions of Teaching Survey.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Tim has a diverse range of areas of expertise, including:

  • Effective use of data in schools.

    Having worked as an education-focused data analyst for over a decade, Tim has comprehensive experience in terms of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluating school practices with data. From Tim’s perspective, and based on lived experience, effective use of data in schools is much more than having data and a few tricks for analysing and communicating it. It is about understanding that, from vision to practice, data needs to be deeply embedded within the processes and practices of a school. This means effective use of data is a complex and adaptive challenge for schools and educators, requiring new ways of thinking about what it means to be a teacher and school leader.

  • Developmental approaches to teaching and learning.

    Tim has experience leading a K-12 school through the initial phases of implementing developmental approaches to teaching and learning practices. Tim has delivered professional learning regarding the use of developmental approaches to teaching and learning, focusing on the critical and creative thinking general capabilities of the Victorian Curriculum. Tim teaches developmental approaches to Master of Teaching students at the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education.

  • Supporting schools to focus on building classroom culture or vibe.

    Tim is a firm believer that decisions about improvements, whether they be for a teacher or school, need to be based on fact, not fancy. In his best-selling book, Classroom Vibe: Practical Strategies for Better Classroom Culture, Tim uses data to demystify why some classrooms are primed for learning while others aren't and explain why strategies for change in schools often fail. In breaking down the atmosphere of the classroom as experienced by the students - the 'classroom vibe' - Tim is focused on providing teachers practical steps for improving theirs.

  • Analytics for teaching and learning.

    Tim’s postgraduate studies, under the supervision of Professor John Hattie and Patrick Griffin, focused on effective score reporting. Put simply, he was interested in understanding how to report educational data in meaningful and impactful ways. As a consequence of this, Tim has spent over a decade working deeply in and with schools, thinking about the best ways to report data to ensure it has the greatest impact.

  • Classroom data.

    In Australia, much of the discussion around data is focused on the type of data that is generated by large-scale standardised approaches to assessment (think NAPLAN or ATAR). This is a shame because it deprivileges the data that teachers have the readiest access to; that is the messy ‘classroom’ data that is actually the most useful for responding to student learning needs.

  • Building Educator Data Literacy

    One of the biggest impediments to the effective use of data in school is educator data literacy. Throughout his journey working in and with schools, a key element of Tim’s work has been building stakeholder capacity as consumers of data to inform and enhance practice. As an example, in 2021 - 2022, Tim worked with a school to design and deliver a bespoke data literacy micro-credential for teaching and leadership staff.

KEY SERVICES OFFERED

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS

Tim is an experienced keynote presenter, having presented across various topics including Effective Use of Data, Differentiation, Classroom Vibe, Understanding Collective Efficacy, Developmental Approaches to Teaching and Learning, and Analytics for Teaching and Learning.

In addition to being an experienced keynote presenter, Tim is an experienced facilitator of learning. Working with clients to create and adapt content to suit their context.

Tim addressed our whole staff at the start of term 2, with a clear and compelling case for the 'Classroom Vibe'. O'Leary has an easy and engaging manner and worked hard to interact with his online audience. His excellent use of data to frame thinking about building teacher credibility and teacher clarity has sparked robust professional conversations.

Tim’s presentation was thought-provoking, engaging and evidence-informed. As a trained teacher himself, with years of experience in the classroom, he knows teachers and he knows how to talk with teachers.

COACHING & CRITICAL FRIENDSHIP

Tim is an International Coaching Federation accredited Associate Certified Coach (ACC). In addition to his base training with the Institute for Executive Coaching & Leadership, Tim has trained in Immunity to Change Map-Making with Minds at Work and Trauma-Informed Coaching with Moving the Human Spirit.

In addition to pure coaching services, Tim provides a critical friendship offering through which he supports teachers and school leaders engaged in enacting change to draw upon his experience as a school leader and experience working with school leaders.

Tim is refreshing to work with. He has the ability to adapt to different contexts and ask thoughtful questions that more often lead to deeper understanding and rich conversation. Tim is personable and cares greatly about improving educational outcomes for all through respectful conversation and practical actions.

Tim is an experienced leadership coach in education and pedagogy. He is extremely knowledgeable on a wide range of areas, like the use of data for better student outcomes, leadership strategies, educational research and instructional leadership in general. His advice is grounded in evidence and research. It’s always a pleasure talking to Tim, I invariably come away with different insights and new ideas to conside

ANALYTICS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT

Tim has spent over a decade working deeply in and with schools regarding the best ways to report data to ensure it has the greatest impact. He is keen to share this knowledge and experience with schools starting their journey in this space. Please note that Tim does not do the technical work of report construction; there are 3rd party technology services to undertake this work. Rather, Tim brings his expertise to the table to support school leaders in understanding the why and potential pressure points in the journey towards effective analytics for teaching and learning.

I can attest to Tim's passion for student learning, and his knowledge, skills, and abilities in empowering and coaching colleagues to incorporate evidence led conversations into their practice.

Tim's drive, professionalism, positivity, knowledge, and excellent communication skills allows him to build trust, leadership, and data literacy capabilities for many. More recently I have had the privilege to work with Tim on the development of student achievement data dashboard with a company called EdPotential. Tim's approach to the development was highly collaborative, designs drafted and iterated alongside colleagues and feedback. Tim's ability to always have an eye on the vision and inspire and bring others with him is extraordinary.

Tim's depth of knowledge in areas such as mathematics, data science, evaluative techniques, education, the digital world, and leadership makes him a valued addition to any educational context but also any organization with a commitment to continuous improvement.

DIAGNOSES, MONITORING & EVALUATION

A key aspect of using data effectively within schools is understanding how to use data to diagnose opportunities for improvement as well as monitoring the implementation of and evaluating the impact of initiatives. Tim, and his colleague Dr Anna Dabrowski, provide support to school leaders in the complex task of understanding:

  • What to focus on,

  • Which questions to ask,

  • How to collect, analyse and interpret data,

  • How to plan next steps.

As an example, Tim (and Anna) have worked with schools over the last few years to understand:

  • Staff, student, and parental experiences of remote learning during the pandemic.

  • Staff perceptions related to leadership structures.

  • Staff and student wellbeing.

  • Staff perceptions of professional learning.

  • Staff and student perceptions of gender-based misconduct.