Anne Sturgess
Anne is a National Facilitator for the Blended e-Learning Team.
Facilitating optimum educational opportunities is at the forefront of Anne’s professional philosophy. She has held senior teaching, leadership and management positions, including Assistant Principal positions at both Hamilton Boys High School and Hillcrest High School and Deputy Principal at Edgecumbe College.
Anne has also held management positions in Special Education and in School Support Services, and was the secondary school representative on the national coordination team for gifted education (University of Waikato). She is currently a Board member for giftEDnz, the professional organisation for gifted education and has presented at national and international conferences.
Bringing about optimum educational opportunities is best achieved by remaining informed about current effective practices. Her strengths are in applying pedagogical theory to practice, strategic planning (using analytical and creative approaches), and differential diagnosis of barriers to learning. Anne is committed to working in the interests of marginalised groups and with students who are ‘out-of-synch’ with mainstream education.
- Analysis and application of theory to practice – effective teaching
- Strategic planning – able to see the ‘big picture’ and develop detailed action plans
- Special education, with a focus on students with specific learning difficulties
- Gifted education; social/emotional issues, differentiation in the classroom, identification
- Distributed leadership and management
- Professional learning (appraisal and performance management)
- Implementing the Autonomous Learner Model (Betts & Kercher)
“Anne is skilled in identifying actual and potential barriers to student achievement, whether these barriers exist on a micro or macro level. Within a consultative and respectful approach, she is then able to develop and implement interventions to overcome these barriers.”
- giftEDnz – Board member, since 2009
- NZHistory – member, since 2008
- World Council for Exceptional Children – member, since 2003
- NZCER Beeby Fellowship – Fellow, 2002
- Univeristy of Waikato – PhD Fellow, 2007
- Cathcart, R. & Sturgess, A. (1994) Guidelines to Assist in Working with Gifted Learners. Special Education Service Publications. Wellington.
- Bourne, J. & Sturgess, A. (2006) If anyone can, Kiwis can: every teacher a teacher of gifted learners. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, Vol. 15, No. 1, June.
- Riley, T. & Sturgess, A. (2005) Professional Development to Support Gifted and Talented Education in New Zealand. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, Vol. 14, No. 1, June
- Sturgess. A. (1997) An enigma in our schools - Gifted and Learning Disabled. APEX, 10 (1), 1-9.
- Sturgess. A. (2000) Attribution Retraining and Strategy Instruction for Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities. Thesis in partial fulfillment of the M.Ed. Massey University
- Sturgess. A. (2000) Catering for the Gifted Learning Disabled. SET article ANZCER Special Education Edition.
- Sturgess. A. http://www.nzcer.org.nz/ (2002) Future Thinking. Wellington: New Zealand Council of Educational Research.
- Sturgess. A. (2005) Celebrating the Square Peg. Chapter in Moltzen & McAlpine (2nd edition) Gifted and Talented: New Zealand
- Sturgess. A. (2007) A question often asked. Good Teacher Magazine, Term 1.
"I’ve been involved in teaching for over 30 years and haven’t found any other career I would rather be doing, although I have taken time out to try alternatives (e.g. café owner-operator for 2 ½ years). I am committed to ensuring all students have the best possible opportunity to develop their potential and I have worked across sectors and in large and small organisations. I am an avid reader and traveller and my favourite activity is spending time sitting in the sun, socialising with friends and family, preferably near or on water. Having a good novel to read is a great alternative if there’s no opportunity for socialising. I have a 'can do' attitude and can find humour in most situations."
