Teaching and Learning Framework
At Charles Conder Primary School, students are at the centre of our framework ‘Know the child, grow the child’. We are committed to working closely with students, parents and the community to improving student outcomes. Teachers actively build effective relationships with each student and their family.
The What
‘Today’s schools need to be educating not just for exam results but for lifelong learning. To thrive in the 21st century, pupils need to have learnt to be tenacious and resourceful, imaginative and logical, self-disciplined and self-aware, collaborative and inquistive’ (Claxton, G. 2011)
While collection of data on certification, learning outcomes, engagement and wellbeing is important, Guy Claxtonemphasises that we want to promote “Learning Mode (Growth Mindset) ” as opposed to “Performance Mode (Fixed Mindset) in students. “ As 21st Century Educators, students should be encouraged to grow up with “Learning Mode” as their default. Learning outcomes such as being inquisitive, tentative, adventurous, experiential, open minded, keen to improve, not fearing failure, confident communicators, honest self-appraisers are also important outcomes.
At Charles Conder Primary School, our framework embodies the ‘Assets for life’ by Kath Murdoch, ‘when we consciously engage young people in inquiring into how they learn we are developing skills and dispositions that act as important assets to them as learners- across the curriculum in school and beyond (Murdoch K. 2015). The assets describe the broad skillset (or tool kit) required of the inquirer, thinking, collaborating, self-managing, researching and communicating.
An inquiry model supports and guides our thinking and practice. Inquiry is a process of tuning, finding out, finding out, sorting out, going further and reflecting and evaluating. The inquiry cycle is about what learners do. It involves numerous skills, dispositions and processes. The process of inquiry is fluid and requires scaffolded, intentional and purposeful design. At Charles Conder Primary School, the inquiry lens is reflected across all key learning areas by considering the ‘big ideas’, in order to drive the teaching and learning cycle.
At Charles Conder Primary School, learning frameworks in English, Mathematics and inquiry are utilised through a gradual release of responsibility model. The frameworks are designed to reflect the Australian curriculum achievement standards, cross curriculum perspectives and general capabilities.
At Charles Conder Primary School we believe… ‘that the effective traits of teachers (as based on work from Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey) are to; know your learners, know your subject, create excitement, model, scaffold and guide all students towards independence and provide purposeful and planned feedback Cameron, S. & Dempsey, L. (2013, p.18)
‘Responsive teaching and assessing means we are always teaching for understanding, continuously checking for understanding and adjusting instruction as needed. It’s not enough to know how to do something; we have to know what we are doing and why we are doing it if we are to apply any ‘how to’ in a worthwhile and sustainable way.’ Routman, R. (2014)
At Charles Conder Primary School you will see us:
- Planning with the end in mind and knowing the big ideas
- Embedding the ‘Assets for life’ to ensure meaningful learning
- Using the inquiry model across all key learning areas to systematically delivery the Australian Curriculum
- Balanced literacy sessions daily which incorporate reading, writing, speaking and listening
- Balanced numeracy sessions daily which incorporate problem solving, number and other mathematical strands
- Asking meaningful and thought provoking questions
- Learning intentions and success criteria are clear and student friendly
- Gradual release of responsibility model is used
- Formative assessment is embedded
- Catch and release to check for understanding
- Teaching is intentional and responsive to point of need ‘How do you know what to move on to tomorrow if you haven’t lived and experienced today? (Miller, D.)
- Learning is differentiated through purposeful collection and analysis of data with targeted groupings, individual goal setting and conferencing
- Feedback and reflection that moves the learning forward
- Visible learning that is purposeful and co constructed
There is a clear expectation that these consistent, school wide effective teaching practices will be implemented by all teachers. There will be consistent evidence of the gradual release of responsibility being used in every classroom, visible learning and high expectations of all students.
Wonderful Feedback from the School Immersion Visit