A few blog entries ago, I wrote “Unpacking Our Principles for High Quality Education (Part 1)”, where I gave short explanations for the first set of statements in our Principles for High Quality Education document. In addition to the explanation, I suggested possible lines for self-reflection and further reading on the topic. My goal was to clarify the meaning (and the educational research) behind these statements, which some colleagues have described as “too technical”.
In this entry, I will continue with the second set of statements.
At Le Rosey, we strive to set the most effective conditions for high quality learning…
In a multicultural environment that …
● Is welcoming, tolerant and safe so as to promote a positive emotional state.
Professional responsibility drives us not only to seek academic excellence, but to be conscious about the learning environment we foster. A healthy environment is one where students feel welcome, where their presence “matters” and where they can share opinions without fear of humiliation. That said, a healthy environment also promotes the understanding that opinions can be challenged and that thinking can be deepened if a student is invited to defend their ideas with arguments and evidence in accordance with the discipline of study. A “safe” environment is not devoid of conflict, but it teaches students productive ways to work through disagreement that enhance learning for all.
Possible lines for reflection:
– What type of feedback do my students give regarding how they feel in class? Do they feel welcomed, encouraged to participate (and even to question each others’ thinking), free from humiliation? If not, what factors could be negatively influencing the learning atmosphere?
-Are all students equally encouraged to participate? Are there differences in my working relationship with specific students? What could that be attributed to?
* Click here for a sample student survey on your classroom environment. (Make sure to download it first in order to modify it for your use.)
● Uses language as the foundation for learning, and learning through the medium of different languages.
As we discussed at our château retreat a couple years ago, all teachers are language teachers. Whether our discipline be biology, mathematics, geography or, indeed, literature, our students need to learn how to communicate effectively in the different academical fields. It is our responsibility to develop their content knowledge, skills and understandings but also to explicitly teach students to express their learning using the correct terminology and language structures. Posters, sentence prompts, vocabulary lists, tables with key phrases: these are all helpful tools in developing academic communication skills, which should be embedded in the discipline.
Possible lines for reflection:
-To what extent does the environment in my class promote/encourage the development of communication skills in my discipline and in the target language?
-How do I plan and prepare materials that support students in developing the language structures needed to communicate effectively in my discipline?
-What elements of academic language can I commit myself to teaching, and how do I check that students are incorporating them into their communication in my class?
* Click here to review Eowyn Crisfield’s slides on Language Integrated Teaching.
● Stimulates curiosity and creativity through the intellectual, social and physical setting.
This point refers to the interaction between different aspects of a learning environment that can impact a student’s experience: the classroom tasks the teacher assigns, the interpersonal interactions that challenge a student’s thinking, and the physical space that stimulates enquiry. A teacher can reflect on ways in which each of these aspects extends our most academic students or supports those who struggle with the material. Moreover, a teacher can reflect on how they prioritise time and effort in these areas: whether it be by dedicating time to visual classroom displays that introduce new concepts or that pose essential questions to the students; or by perfecting their Socratic seminars to involve students without the teacher micromanaging the discussion; or by planning a range of activities that involve utilising the previous two aspects.
Possible lines for reflection:
-How much effort do I place on designing the physical environment of my class? How does it connect to the intellectual activities I have planning? How does it support productive social exchanges?
-Can I plan interactions that transcend questions&answer or debate formats in order to stimulate curiosity and creative problem-solving? How do I plan for pair and/or group work?
-To what extend do the academic activities I plan promote curiosity and creativity? Do I give students choice in assignments that demonstrate their thinking?
* Click here for an Edutopia article discussing research on classroom displays/decorations. Key findings include: 20-50% of wall space should be left blank; anchor charts, maps, and diagrams are useful visual tools for students; and display student work but not scores or grades.
● Embraces its founding principles by valuing self-expression and multiple perspectives.
Every discipline allows for open-ended questions which invite learners to grapple with complex key concepts in their field. Open-ended questions might connect knowledge in our discipline with values, with ethical boundaries, with social issues embedded in the application of that knowledge, or with implications for the future. What aspects have a measure of subjectivity in our field? Open-ended questions start from the premise that different responses can cohabit. It is the exercise of discussing and defending different ideas that becomes a valuable practice, rather than seeking a single “right” answer.
Possible lines for reflection:
-When/how do I plan open-ended questions? Is there a format or protocol I want to follow to ensure that all students participate actively and productively?
-What is my role as a teacher during a discussion? How can I teach students to have a productive discussion without me?
-Are all perspectives equally important? How can I teach students to present their arguments and to evaluate others’ more effectively?
* Click here for a document that explains the Socratic Seminar format for a classroom discussion. Click here for question stems that apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to promote higher-order thinking.
● Stimulates resilience through supported risk-taking and a growth mindset that uses failure as an opportunity to learn.
We want students who work hard, but given the choice between a student who submits “perfect” (but predictable) work and one who takes risks to be creative, I’d prefer to work with the second, especially if they’re willing to discuss areas for growth. A student who sees “failure as an opportunity” will develop more successful learning practices because they will sample different approaches, and because they will make choices and evaluate the consequences of those choices. As educators we can support the development of resilience by practising “supported risk-taking”: this means that (1) we allow for choice on tasks where students can take creative risks, (2) we give students the opportunity to re-draft/ re-do/ repeat/ peer edit/ rehearse, (3) we evaluate the tasks with holistic rubrics that do not pigeon-hole student work, and (4) we invite students to reflect on their learning about the (metacognitive) process, not only about the product’s content. David Didau and Nick Rose remind us: “Building opportunities for students to experience success in the face of adversity, within the safe and caring environment of school, provides a fairly good bet for developing resilience.”
Possible lines for reflection:
-How do I help my students understand the value of resilience and long-term improvement?
-How do I respond to “failure” in a student— do I speak about their grade, or their learning?
-How do I think about “failure” for myself— can I model a growth mindset by presenting each task as one small component in a lifelong experience as a learner?
* David Didau and Nick Rose’s book What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Psychology (John Catt Educational, 2016) is a good summary of research in educational psychology. Chapter 23: Stress and Resilience, reminds us that resilience involves developing the confidence that we have the resources and skills for self-efficacy. This is something teachers must model as much as endeavour to teach students.
● Fosters motivation through learning opportunities and support, including adapted differentiation and working collaboratively.
David Didau and Nick Rose write in What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Psychology that, “We appear motivated by problems that are both challenging and attainable—otherwise we get frustrated, bored or complacent. Teaching needs to stretch but not overwhelm pupils.”
Although the theory of adapting student work to their “learning style” (aural, kinaesthetic, visual, social, logical) has long been debunked, adapting student work to their learning needs is well-demonstrated. This might involve giving students extra time if they process information more slowly, or allowing them choice in showing understanding through either a diagram/mental map, an oral presentation or a written paragraph. If we have a clear idea of the learning goal, we can often identify different ways in which a student can demonstrate their mastery of it. Can the student solve a problem on the board and talk through their thinking as they work it out? Can the student prepare a step-by-step diagram? Can the student work with a partner to explain the process? Can the student create their own bank of similar problems (with solutions) to challenge others? Choice can motivate while supporting a student in demonstrating their learning most effectively.
Possible lines for reflection:
-How do I structure collaborative activities? Do I allow students to choose pairs and groups? Am I open to different interpretations of a task?
-How often do I ask students to explain their thinking and what format/protocol do I use for it?
-Do I have a single student in mind when I design assessment activities, and would my assessments improve if I considered three very different students when I plan?
* For a very clear explanation of how beliefs about effort, intelligence and praise impact motivation, see “Chapter 11: Beliefs” in David Didau and Nick Rose’s book What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Psychology (John Catt Educational, 2016).
