 Good Day Kunyung Families!
Busy, Busy, Busy……..classrooms are alive and still full of enthusiasm- even heading into the final two weeks of term. This week is planning week and teams of teachers have spent time preparing for an extremely ‘full’ term 3 whilst students have continued completing their current units of inquiry and working on their maths and literacy goals! As we approach the end of term, let me take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful holiday break with your families! It is time to recharge the batteries and prepare for more engaging and exciting learning after the break!
This week we wanted to outline one area of classroom practice that we have worked very hard to make consistent across our school. We have developed lesson structures that each class teacher uses to pace out their lessons throughout the day. These lesson structures are evidence-based models that take into account research studies of the length of student attention spans and peak concentration times within an hour’s duration. The lesson structure components operate in a Whole –Part – Whole cycle that is common to all lessons.
This report outlines a further breakdown of an area from the lesson structure that we are working very hard to develop consistently in Kunyung classrooms. It is what actually happens in the ‘part’ section of the lesson structure…………can also be referred to as the‘Independent task/independent working time’ of the session.
This part of the lesson structure generally runs for approximately 30 minutes out of each hour session. As with all aspects of our learning- Learner Agency, Inquiry and Personalised Learning is promoted and developed.
INDEPENDENT WORKING TIME
What is the teacher doing?
During this time teachers are explicitly teaching 1-2 focus groups of between 2-6 students. These 10-15 minute focus groups are a time for students to have explicit work on their learning focus. It is a chance to address any misconceptions that the students may have and to monitor if any students have, in fact, achieved their goal. It is also an opportunity for teachers to provide examples and ideas for the students to practice their goal/s when they continue with their independent work. Once the focus groups have been conducted, teachers rove around the room and support students in their independent work, if required, before starting a 10-minute demonstration of learning time, where students can demonstrate their learning and negotiate any future learning. Demonstrations are a vital part of our teaching as they are opportunities for teachers to see if the students really understand the concept they are working on, and if they can apply this understanding to a problem or other situation.
What are the students doing?
During this time, students are able to demonstrate, and are supported to develop, commitment and independence with their learning. Students use this time to work towards their goal/goals. They have a range of ways to best work on their goals that have been developed by the class and focus groups. Students are supported by other students and have the opportunity to talk with other students to share thinking. They can use resources such as materials, tools to develop their understanding (ie. Notebooks, learning cycle books and THRASS chart). Students are busy and engaged in their learning, discussions are focused on learning and supporting each other. There are thinking routines being used, students developing their own interpretation of tasks to use and LOTS of use of materials to support learning. Students are thinking, creating, discussing and being critical of each other. Peer coaching is a highlight. There is a calm working noise in the room that signifies engagement and learning. There is also a motivation to achieve the next stage of learning through the active use of goals and exemplars around the room.
What is the nature of the task?
No longer are students all working on the same’ activity’. They are all working on tasks that best support their learning. Sometimes the task is determined by the focus group, the class or by the individual students. Tasks are no longer prescribed and determined by the teacher but inspired from examples and suggestions from the teacher or peers. Tasks have rubrics and exemplars that enable students to know how to improve their responses and deepen their thinking. Students rely on immediate and authentic teacher and peer feedback to see their growth and development and next steps. Feedback is the key and you won’t see books filled with red ticks and words like ‘well done’ or ‘good effort’. Students receive feedback such as ‘to really lift the interest in your sentence let’s try adding some more descriptive language’. Reflective parts of the sessions allow for students to share their learning and receive feedback on their responses, to hear other students’ responses and to add to their own work to improve it.
 Will this part of each session always look the same everyday? Will it look the same in every classroom? The answer to these questions is ‘not really’……it’s about the students and how they choose to learn which would be different in every classroom…… ……BUT……..the philosophy and understanding of what happens during this time is what is consistent.
Our collaborative discussions are about ‘what are students doing in this time and what are the teachers doing during explicit focus groups’ that make their learning better……..which is a change from the ‘old days’ when planning was about ‘here….this is a great worksheet I used the other day’………..
Please just ask if you have any questions! 🙂
Kim Jackson |