I have been using a set proforma at the start of most lessons so far this year which aims to reinforce this idea, and to immediately engage students from the point they enter the classroom.
So far so good! I have not really felt that 'void' period of the lesson between students entering the room, and the start of teacher exposition.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this... (ahem), but encouraging students to think more about what they write and how they write it is a bit of a drive for me within the Sport and Uniformed Protective Services curriculum this year. Students have all attempted a curriculum-related extended writing task and have received feedback which focused mostly around how to 'Write with Impact'... so the mission has begun!
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"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs..."
(If - Poem by Rudyard Kipling)
'So what is it like being back in work...?'
I've been asked this lots by friends and family over the last three or four weeks, and I hesitate before giving the answer. To be candid, its been mad!
Difficulties in 'leveling' students, working with Maths and English clashes, trying to make concessions for those who want to access representative sports trials... the timetable is only just, dare I say, settling down!
Throw in to the mix a cohort of students who have not consistently been in a face-to-face T&L environment for 18 months plus, and you have a melting pot of problems to be solved and challenges to overcome.
Be a Constant...
What I keep coming back to is this; if I am feeling the turbulence and noticing the bumps in the road, you can be sure the students will be too. Being a constant is a strategy to subdue my own anxieties and wobbles, and that of the students.
We all know the first few weeks of term can feel like one battle after another. If something can go wrong whilst you are trying to instill the strong starts and set the standards, it will!
It would be easy to get diverted from the path, and settle for less than where you have set the bar.
For me these first few weeks are about remaining clear on the message, and avoiding early setbacks shaping potential bad habits.
Some things I try to fix my focus on...
Routine and Structure
I know I've talked about this before... but I believe in it. I try to be reliable more than repetitive; I want the students to feel that there is clear intention behind what they are doing and that there is a purpose to the lesson content. I squirm if a student ever says to me:
'why are we doing this?'
I also keep reminding myself to vary the 'nuts and bolts' of the structure, rather than sacrificing it.
Stick to the Plan
Go back to the 'roadmap', check the scheme, double-check the assessment criteria. I try not to lose sight of where the planning, the delivery and the assessment connect. It's easy to revert to looking at just the stand-alone lesson and ticking it off as you go, rather than thinking of the lesson as part of structured and sequential learning. Stick to the plan!
Build Trust and Faith in the Process
I suppose this should (hopefully) follow on from sticking to the plan. I'm quite explicit in asking students to trust in what they are doing, to get them to buy in to the big picture as much as me! If I can get them on board, I feel that plenty of other wins then follow!
The Pyramid of Patience
'how long is left?',
'what time is lunch?',
'why do I have a 2 hour break?',
and (my personal favourite) 'what is the WiFi password?'...
When I first began teaching I took offence and saw these questions as a little bit of an attack on my lesson and its activities, I didn't have much patience for them.
Now I tend to field these questions with more attention, and try to answer in a way that fosters good habits. I also throw a touch of 'tongue in cheek' in there for good measure:
'Sir how long is left...?'
'I know this might disappoint you McKenzie, but only 15 minutes of time with me left! So let's make sure we finish the lesson well and make it count!'.
Students naturally will be looking for the boundaries and how much give they have; I have come to understand this more now and I'm a little more tuned in to their spontaneous 'can I just ask' moments at random points during a lesson!
If...
Navigating these first few weeks of term, during a backdrop of sunshine and aircon transitioning quickly in to heavy showers and radiators, is never easy! Each September I find myself surprised at how after nearly 16 years, each first week of teaching feels like my very first as an NQT!
Testament to that is the fact that this blog post was intended to be out two weeks ago! I have had to continually check through for continuity through fear it might not be relevant by the time I manage to finish it!
But here it is... the message. Just like in Rudyard Kipling's famous poem, with a little bit of a step back, a breath and a measured and considered approach to these early challenges, you can influence students positively towards trusting in the process and having faith in your practice!
I'm sure we all could develop a bit of a mantra from that famous opening line, by closing with something meaningful and pertinent to our own practice:
'if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...'
What Next?
A couple of areas of focus:
Oracy - The art of conversation... this was a recent topic in departmental CPD, where it was highlighted that students find talking about indicative content with fluency to be a real challenge!
During discussions, one word responses are the go-to for students who want to get their answer in, and then get out of there fast! The depth and substance to verbal responses is noticeably leaving a lot to be desired.
So the objective over the coming weeks is to find ways to help students feel confident in turning these short verbal responses in to statements that demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic!
Questioning - An obvious strategy to support improvements in oracy; but also an area of its own where best practice can elude me. I work with some teachers who have fantastic questioning skills! They have this smooth ability to arrange a question in such a way that it opens up a topic and brings about lightbulb moments! I need to tap in to this magic potion.
I have heard professionals talk about how the most effective teachers are those who ask the largest number of questions. I would personally place more emphasis on the quality of the questions and try to use them like my peers do to create this ripple effect where deep discussions are bred.
As a starting point, I have been consulting those brilliant 'WalkThru Clusters' that target improved questioning techniques.
In addition, this week's departmental CPD session directed us towards Rosenshine's 'Principles of Instruction'. Rosenshine also states that 'more effective teachers ask more questions'; however there is added focus on the role of the teacher during questioning in extracting clarification and checking for deeper understanding.
Asking for explanations through structured questioning is going to be a theme over these next few weeks as assessments are on the approach!
As ever, any reflections, comments or shared experiences are also very much welcomed!
Keep up the good work, and keep well!
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