Thanks to our PE teachers, teachers, students and parents for the fun and competition had yesterday at our Swim Gala. As many of you are aware yesterday’s gala followed a different programme. We would be interested to hear your feedback in terms of a SWOT Analysis. This means you can email Ms Simpson at m.simpson@abisoman.com with any Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats that you felt arose out of the new programme. Please keep you criticism constructive.
Looking for Learning
Parents often ask how do I know what my teachers are doing and how do I knowing children are learning. One of the ways I do this is by having Looking for Learning Conversations. This means I am regularly in classes asking students questions like
“What are you learning about today?”
“Why do you think it is important to be Learning this?”
“What skills are you practicing?”
“Where else can you use these skills?”
“What Learner Profile attributes are you focusing on?”
“What would you have missed in your learning if you didn’t come to school today?”
This week I spent time in several classes including grade 1 who were busy creating Dioramas based on Fairy Tales. When I asked the above questions these are some of the responses that I got:
What are you learning today?
About tales, like stories from long ago and fables. We are learning how to make dioramas.
Why is it important to learn this?
You can learn about what might happen from the past and messages
Can you use this learning somewhere else?
We can use it to teach messages and lessons. Telling tales can teach you lessons and lessons teach us things.
What skills are you practicing?
Self Management and Research: we are researching how to make dioramas and the equipment to make one. Self management means being a good learner and being good without a teacher and being good without help.
Where else can you use these skills?
In the play ground. We get some stuff happening in the playground. Maybe at home so you could clean up your room without being asked or you could clean the kitchen without being asked. We have to be self managers everywhere.
What Learner Profile attributes are you focusing on?
Reflective: I am thinking about how to make my diorama a bit like the past and a bit like the future. Principled – I do the right thing when I am asked.
What you have missed in your learning if you didn’t come to school today?
I would have missed learning about stories from other countries. I would have missed the learning we are doing telling about the past and making the diorama which is really fun.
What do we do with this information? We ask these questions:
What observations did you as a teacher make of this lesson?
What observations did the students make of this lesson?
What next? What can we do with these conversations and feedback? What would you, the teacher, like to take on from here? Working with an individual ? Challenging students who already knew?
Next week:
21 March: Fun Swim Gala/Beginning Swimmers Gala
21 March: PLC Amazing Race starting at 6pm
24-26th March: PYP reauthorization visit
28th March: International Evening