This week the staff have been working through some professional leaning on the Inspire pedagogy which is gradually being scaled through the college from 2019 onwards. Supported by Professor Helen Timperley from the University of Auckland it is bringing to bear what we know makes a difference in learning. The notion of a guiding or inspiring learning question which leads the learner through a process of collaboration with other learners guided by the teacher towards an answer builds on the work we have been doing in 2017/18.
The core skill of writing has been a focus in the college and will be developed even further with enhancements to the TEEL writing framework. Boys generally across schools don’t like to write. The trick for us is to convince the boys that the skills of writing are attainable and that good success for them should be achieveable.
It’s about high expectations of thmselves as learners and high expectations by teachers of every young man that he can be the best he can be. That of course looks different for every young man.
The Inspire pedagogy puts each young man in the driver’s seat of his learning. It helps him see that he can grow and achieve. We talk with the boys often about having a growth mindset, based on the work of Carol Dweck.
In 2019 we begin the process of developing individual planning for students involving goal setting and coaching. This will particularly engage parents as a guiding light in their son’s education. Over time we will grow this through the college.
It is important that our young men are optimistic about their learning and hopeful. However they need to be clear on what success for them looks like, what to do to get there and persist toward their success with a ‘can do’ attitude, that failure is an opportunity to learn about themselves, not a judgement. I’ve always found Thomas Edison inspiring in this space;
It is very useful in the development of a goal setting strategy for our young men to be aware of where they are at in their learning. End of year reports give parents an insight into this and I encourage you to approach this positively, without a deficit lense, that they arent deficient but are someone with dignity in the eyes of God with enormous potential, that they can learn and improve. This is achieved by targeting areas just above where they are at, set achievable goals that stretch them from their current comfort zone and have the support to take them to a different and better place.
We look forward to what 2019 is going to bring with such an exciting learning agenda. What an amazing time to be a student at St. Paul’s.
God Bless
Chris Browne
Leading in Interesting Times 