I have joined the inspirational leadership team at J and C Academy. I am looking forward to being fully inducted into the J and C way.
Taking people on a learning journey is applicable to any leadership role. Whether you are leading a group of 25 year 2 pupils or as the CEO of a multinational corporation.
Culture is set out and discussed. Culture needs to be revisited during staff development, through the conversations that are had in appraisals and through the day today tasks that staff complete.
There are checkpoints that companies use to make sure that staff are still on message. Developing good culture regardless of whether that is in the office or in the classroom is central to success and bring those people with you on the journey.
During my first week at J and C Academy I had the pleasure of visiting Drayton Green School to see one of our PE teachers, Owen Davies, in action. Watching the lesson got me thinking about the journey that we as teachers take the pupils on.
What journey does learning take? How as teachers can we help and guide pupils on their learning pathway?
Like any good journey it happens in stages:
Stage 1:
Where do we start?
The starting point of any lesson should use the information gained from the previous lesson. This allows our teachers to tailor their teaching to needs of the group and build on previous knowledge and skills.
Stage 2:
Where are going?
The learning objective sets out the end point of our journey. These are clear and shared with all those travelling. Pupils need to know where they are going so they can engage fully with the process. The destination maybe slightly different for the different pupils within the group. Some will need additional support and scaffolding to reach their destination. Other pupils will need to embark on a more difficult journey that really challenges them.
Stage 3:
When are we stopping?
Every journey needs check points. We need to see how far we have traveled from the start and how far we are away from our destination. Are we even on the right path? Referring back to the objectives allows pupils to orientate themselves in the learning process. They can also check what else they need to master to make sure that they reach the end of the journey.
Stage 4:
How is my journey going?
Pupils will always want to know how they are doing on their journey. Are they still on the right path? This is where feedback is essential to ensure that they pupils know how to improve.
Stage 5:
Are we there yet?
In drawing together the lesson at the end we can establish whether the pupils have completed their journey. Pupils have the opportunity to self-assess their own journey. Did some parts become really challenging? Have some pupils not made it to the end?
Stage 6:
How did the journey go?
This is where our teachers complete their daily assessment forms and reflect on how pupils performed during the lesson. Did they all achieve the outcomes of the lesson? Did the outcomes provide the correct levels of stretch and challenge for all? What they would change and adapt if they were to take the pupils on that journey again.
Stage 7:
Where will go next time?
Using the information from the journey we have just been on informs the starting point for the next journey.
I have used these stages in my teaching and during the coming weeks and months I will be helping the teaching staff at J and C Academy to further develop these skills. By developing our teaching in this way we can make sure that the progress that pupils make will be rapid and sustained.
I would love to hear your views and comments on this.
Kind regards,
Ben Aston
