Think about the context of the team you are working in and the system of education you are a part of. What are the things that once made sense but no longer do?
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Think about the context of the team you are working in and the system of education you are a part of. What are the things that once made sense but no longer do?
Students making notes in the class room by using pen and paper while teacher teaching, in modern teaching students can download all the notes and install on laptop……
Interesting when you consider how many things we have students do that are basically designed to keep them busy
Yes this does happen – but there are still students with poor keyboarding skills and are not practicing WHS when using technology. It is difficult to get away sometimes from the pen and paper and highlighter pen – bit backwards now – I guess – isn’t it?
True, I still have a lot of adult learners who prefer written notes though.
Using Excel to record your marks
Agree Nick, surely we should be using word and documenting the successes, failures and sticking points rather than a mark so we can give useful feedback to inform further development : )
I’m going to throw another one in here. Detentions. I am so fortunate to be in a school where our senior leadership ‘both practices and preaches’ restorative practice. When discussing this concept with students it is quite disturbing to hear how many teachers are still using detentions as punishment.
I used to get detentions back in 1970’s and they are not pretty experiences.
In the words of Cat Stevens: Remember the days of the old school yard … I would rather not when it comes to “old-school” detention.
Especially the withholding of lunchtime and recess as a punishment. As if taking away the student’s only physical outlet will improve their behaviour.
The section and concept about how innovations become ‘sacred cows’ was not something I have ever been exposed to before but makes so much sense. I have a very ‘meeting heavy’ schedule after work as my role requires me to lead whole school teams. I often come across meeting times as one key example eg. we have staff meetings on X-day, Exec meetings on Y-day etc. Even something so simple brings out so much resistance if it is ever proposed for a change – which we went through recently. As a relatively newer staff member I find myself in the boat of ‘not knowing why certain structures and routines were put in place’ because it is assumed knoweldge / shared experience of those staff that have been there a long time… but anyone newer than me would be in this situation moreso. And so the cycle continues.
I think there are so many sacred cows when talking about our system as a whole and unfortunately a lot of that can exist in teaching awards and conditions of work. Michael used the quote which referred to protecting the past from the future. I feel our union movement which achieved so much in advancing the conditions of workers in the past now exists to protect the past at the expense of working conditions of the future. Unions still make sense but they need to evolve into the future because their role is still important.
Hi Don, there were so many sacred cows in the our system. I have experienced them vanishing during the period of 20 years of my teaching.. Things are really changing because of new technologies. The sacred cows have been challenged and there have been drastic changes in how the learners go through their courses.
Reflecting back on when I was at school, there are a huge range of concepts that differ greatly. The biggest growth we have seen in education is the opportunity and access to technology. Technology use to go as far as the overhead projector, the singular TV that you would have to book in to use etc. Those are the obvious ones.
Some in which aren’t so obvious are the range of teaching methods, resources and expectations teacher have today. We have huge expectations to get through so much content and there are endless ways in which to do so. The change from teacher as director to now where teacher is facilitator is one of the best way in order to help children learn.
Hi Jazmin,
Yes, there are such a massive range of technological education tools out there but I find that YouTube is still one of the best.
In the context of modern teaching, choosing to just do the ‘chalk and talk’ method. Even though we may have interactive boards, access to a wealth of technology and methods of teaching students, quite often teaching goes back to the same model. I think it’s so engrained and easier to do rather than trying to be creative.
Also, working harder and not smarter on processes that could be automated and too heavily reliant on just using copius amount of paper.
Yes. I agree Alex,
But with such time constraints as we have, often a quick chalk and talk and student exercises is all the 45 minutes will allow,
You’re right Alex. Sometimes the SmartBoard is pretty much only used as a very expensive whiteboard.
Ringing bells to indicate a change of activity; applying a ‘mark’ to student efforts/products; all students and staff attending on site at the same designated time; testing student memory; not talking in class; etc, etc, etc. there are many.
Flexible times for students to do things and taking breaks would be quite exciting and radical. I wonder how hard it would be to change this?
I love the idea of encouraging students to develop self-directed learning skills and empowering ownership of when they complete activities to kids. I can imagine it might be really challenging as a teacher but wow, what an impact it might have on how kids learn for the rest of their lives!
Oh yes, the ringing bells. For years I’ve made sure the bell is for me. My lesson is complete and students and I are out of the room before any bell is rung.
A sacred cow seems to me to be the end of year reporting process to parents using language some parents find hard to understand, repetition and perhaps not succinctly getting key messages across. Written reports is a concept worth exploring to look for better ways.
I agree. I think reports should be clear and succinct in order for parents to completely understand.
Agreed Les and when we think of it we have the technology to be able to report on a far more regular basis that it seems crazy that so much time an effort is put into reporting twice yearly.
Agree. Lots of room for change & improvement in this area.
A huge sacred cow at my educational institution is the allocation of learning time for faculties. We give far more, than even NESA decrees, is necessary even though it locks students into hours of non-engagement and ultimately poor results that then tag students as either behaviour problems or non achievers. We need to look at allowing students to engage in more hours in areas that have more relevance for their lives and the world that we are preparing them for. Bells are also a sacred cow and seem to add to a feeling of being institutionalised. I’m sure we could all move to other areas of the school without that bell, although it has changed from a real bell to a digital buzzer!
While I think there are many sacred cows in schools, I think one of the biggest would be standardised testing. All students learn at a difference pace, but generally they will all reach that finish line.
Are standardised tests actually being used effectively, not just having data for the sake of having data. If it’s used effectively along with other methods of assessment it could be of better value.
I work in VET so I’m not wholly across how standardised tests are used in a school setting – apologies in advance if my assumptions are incorrect!
If by ‘standardised testing’ you’re talking about things like NAPLAN, it would appear to me that these aren’t focussed on student outcomes but rather the needs of the Government to report, measure etc.
If the intent of testing is to support student outcomes, I wonder if the timing of testing could be made more flexible? This way teachers still have a useful tool to assess a student’s progress and capability but can apply the testing when they think the student is ready for it (or near ready for it) to take different learning paces into greater consideration. I also wonder if these tests only focus on the ‘hard skills’ (e.g. ability to read/write/comprehend written text, mathematical capability etc) or whether they test for other useful “intelligences” and “soft skills” like communication, creativity, flexibility of thinking, curiosity and all the things that are the foundation of learning and being not just the “old school” curriculum knowledge?
I agree Ben. No student learns, progresses of responds to same in any situation.
I agree but it also depends on many other things related to teaching and learning..
For at least the last 10 years I have been aware of results from research showing we need to teach students how to learn (not what to learn) and we need to teach topics not subjects (more like the real world) and we need to assess to find gaps (then address them). We also need to create learning spaces that encourage collaboration. At this school it seems the pod system addresses these, as well as the increased focus on building relationships. So.. I think that there has been a lot of thought about the things that no longer make sense. Which is Fab!
I feel like the glossaries are past their time… There should be another, more meaningful way to get the necessary vocabulary knowledge in without having them copy it off the board…
I agree that it has to be a better and more engaging way than copying as they often cannot use the terminology in any real context which means it is an ineffective method. While we still have senior syllabi that are all embedded with terminology that needs to be mastered and applied correctly then glossaries remain a part of what we must conquer. Our presentation needs to encompass how we use the terms and where they can be transferred so it is a valuable part of learning.
My goodness YES! How we still come across boards and boards full of notes for students to copy down I have no idea… The amazing thing is that some students are still more receptive to copying notes than engaging in ‘more meaningful tasks’. It’s easier and doesn’t require them to think.
The first scared cow that came to mind were the lessons we give students to work on their assignments in class. Born from the reasoning that students may not have advice at home. Now they all do and instead do their best to squander this time because they’ll: “just do it at home”
I think the bell times may need to be revisited. We currently use the traditional recess and lunch as the first two breaks. However, I have seen schools that incorporate a smaller break before recess that comes out of the overall lunch break. It seemed to have increased productivity and gave students a short and sharp break. Other schools have lunch as their first break and recess later on in the day. I would be interested to see the research into the effectiveness of bell times.
what an interesting concept, I feel that the implementation of such a strategy would definitely break up the school day more effectively.
We should also remember to bring a change and then stay changed can also be difficult for students because old habit can come back. students find easy to go back…
I also have found that lots of kids eat their ‘lunch’ meal at recess time and their recess at lunch. I also think that fruit breaks are missing a bit from high school.
I agree Matthew. The bell seems to be a lingering part of an old institution as is the timing of breaks. Many of our students are eating their lunch at recess as they are hungry (many who no longer have breakfast) and then have a long time before our next break which is 50 minutes. Too long if you then try and get them to be productive during last period. Shorter would be more productive.
At school, we are very time poor and sometimes I think we waste time on ticking boxes. I do believe assemblies and awards need to be revisited. Do we actually need these? Shouldn’t students be doing the correct thing without being rewarded? I also believe that change is hard for both staff and students and small steps need to be taken.
Good point. It seems everyone needs a reward these days which is developing a sense of entitlement and insecurity
Yes, all these awards seems to hark back to session 2 and the era of self-esteem with its constant need for praise.
Award assemblies could be replaces by presentation of group projects. This would inspire younger students and empower the others.
I agree re assemblies and rewards – everyone gets an award, pfft not in real life
Education has plenty of sacred cows. The way students are expected to record and remember material and then have a standardised test on it is a big one. Project Based Learning is a much more engaging way for students to learn but its just not as neatly testable.
I like the concept of project based learning. Not only can the content be learnt, but student researching/finding skills will be engaged and developed.
Yes, the emphasis is still on individual performance and learning, without giving much thought to the benefits of collaboration. Collaborative tasks are not as easily assessed.
Interesting! I like the idea of vertical learning groups.
Grouping students into interests could have very interesting results. This can be seen in other education models.
That sounds very interesting, I’ll have to look into it.
There are many sacred cows in schools. All students learning exactly the same content as any other student born in the same year regardless of ability and interest would be an example of this. We teach content based on school age groups and aim this toward the sitting of external standardised examinations like NAPLAN and the HSC. Grouping learners based on interest and ability would be more beneficial. Some very small examples of this can be seen when students accelerate into older stages in areas of particular interest or skill.
School year groups based on age are definitely a “but we’ve always done it like that” thing! It does take some outside the box thinking to consider how else we might arrange them though! I think lots of the impediments are administrative things that we can’t really control… like school timetables and rooms, staffing levels etc.
Standardised testing is an obvious ‘Sacred Cow’. We have differentiated learning activities etc but in the end the students are measured against each other (NAPLAN, HSC). I am still haunted by my own HSC result, I remember the exact result and how much that number impacted on my confidence in life and learning. I still love the Einstein quote about judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree.
I agree Ruby, standardised testing often does not reflect true ability as it is not taken seriously by students (as we have seen in the past with NAPLAN) and are not always the best gauge of future success (as is often seen when high HSC results do not translate to success if tertiary studies.
I agree with you Ruby and yes remember my HSC result clearly 67.3, 30 years later
I remember in QLD when outcomes based education was the framework, it was complicated and an arduous task at times to assess which students were meeting which outcome but now when I reflect on this process I can see how good it was as we were giving students multiple opportunities to achieve the outcomes that we were expecting.
Honestly, a lot of what happens in schools is a sacred cow. Where I’m from, we do practice tests for archaic exams that aren’t even meant to be used as final marks, but we use them as such anyway. Why? Because it’s always been done that way. It’s important to re-evaluate all the time and change based on research and trends rather than sticking to traditions.
yes Kelsey, assessment for the sake of assessment is such a waste of time.
Yes yes I agree. There seems to be no point in assessing just for a number. I have come across a number of ex students who may have not ‘excelled’ in the traditional sense (scoring high exams) but who may have left school early yet gone on to be successful in their chosen career or choices in life. For me it has never been about the highest marks but inspiring students to learn (to love learning) and follow (or find) their passion.
I agree. Testing seems to be something that is done just so we can ‘tick it off’
I agree…we need to do more than just test memory skills
Standardised testing is definitely a ‘sacred cow’. If we are being told to encourage creative and project based learning individual projects in our students, standardised testing constrains the time that we have to actually do this.
Totally agree
I believe in vertical learning groups, based on interest and ability, where students can immerse themselves and be accelerated if they want to. Classes based on age can be a barrier to students becoming successful learners as some feel held back by others or some feel inadequate and not prepared to try for fear of ridicule.
I do love this concept, especially the learning groups based on interest and students being able to accelerate by choice.
Absolutely Allison. Students should be able to select on interest and ability and learn at their individual level – age/class is often irrelevant.
I believe that standardised testing is a sacred cow that needs to be reassessed. As not all students learn the same way. Also during exams like NAPLAN students are not taking them seriously while they are doing them and they are therefore not a true indication of their abilities.
Yes, standardized tests really are the thorn in the side of so many school divisions. The public demands them, but it so limits our ability to teach creativity.
All students learning the same thing at the same time. It is for teacher efficiency (and I absolutely rely on it as Head teacher to keep track of everything) but it is best prac to adapt to the interests, needs and abilities of students. Standardised testing needs to change- memory should not be the thing that is tested but deep engagement and personal connection- especially in highschool once the soft skills have (hopefully) been learned
yes definitely Jowen, students don’t need to remember as they can google it!
Totally agree and genuinely believe standardised testing significantly impacts on our ability to create environments where change can happen. Such a contradiction in what we do in schools.
Standardised testing and other remnants of the industrial/factory model of education are becoming sacred cows. Especially with the partial move to digital making NAPLAN results unreliable over the past two years and its cancellation this year further adding to the unreliability of the data.
We are about to slaughter the sacred cow of Visual Arts 9/10 electives. Time consuming to rewrite scope and sequences, programs and resources etc but once this is done we will have better student understanding and more well rounded year 11 students entering our subjects. Wish us luck!
The natural progression from one year to the next without actually demonstrating understanding or completing the course they are in is one of our sacred cows.
Oh yes! How amazing would a true vertical curriculum be? Where students are in ability or interest groupings for some subjects not an artificial progression but a truly natural one.
My thoughts exactly Alison and indeed Jowen….we need to start a conversation….
YES. Where I’m from, if a student fails a grade, they DO NOT MOVE ON. There are issues with our system as well, but students (for the most part) are not hand-held through the process, and need to actually earn that progression.
Yes, it seems like we breed complacency by letting this happen.
I think that using books and taking notes is a sacred cow that has no place in our modern world.
I agree but this is how I learn and its a tough habit to break free from. I like looking at learning styles to help me understand my students better.
yes Steve, there are loads of other ways to demonstrate learning
Steven I think you raise a good point – sometimes students/teachers place more emphasis on getting the notes written rather than encouraging thinking, developing understanding and finally being able to discuss the idea in a meaningful manner.
The core subjects are a sacred cow when teaching year 7 in Design and Technology i make the relationship that TAS includes the core subjects. For example making Anzac biscuits you practically apply mathematics – quantities measuring and fractions, science the reaction of the golden syrup and bi carb soda, English reading understanding the recipe writing the equipment. Students are able to see a relevance of these subjects in a real world situation.They are applying the skills and seeing relevance of these skills.
As life long learners it is great to try new ideas and techniques to develop skills. It does not matter when you learn but that you eventually learn. Standardized testing should not be the only way to test every learners potential and ability.
I agree, and the cancellation of NAPLAMN in the face of Covid-19 has only further highlighted that at the end of the day, teachers are perhaps the best judge of their own students’ progress and learning needs.
Agreed! We learn usually what we are interested in.
The fact that no one values learning in the same way they used to. Basic life skills of reading and being able to add up have become devalued to an all time low across the board. I also don’t understand that students who claim they want to play an instrument don’t want to learn the basic fundamental principles of that instrument or music. They expect the guitar to be in tune. They HAVE TO have the notes written on the keys. The amplifier should automatically be on the desired sound and volume when it’s switched on. It sounds like I’m only referring to years 7 and 8 but it goes all the way to year 12 HSC music students. They don’t want to learn or discover they want to be spoon fed.
yes it sure takes skill to learn the guitar and an art form to find the sound.The online tutorials have it too easy for guitar players and they d not develop the skills you have mentioned
I agree the value of accepting that we are all life long learners responsible for OUR learning is diminishing
I agree with this and think a lot of it is fear based. They are afraid of risk taking which comes with sequential work. The resilience, risk taking and failure (over and over again) which is needed to play an instrument or to challenge themselves in any form is something that needs some more research
I agree as well. It is fear based and stems from the mentality that many of our students are brought up with. It’s not their fault but “Everybody gets a prize, not just the winner” does foster a massive lack of resilience.
I agree that students don’t intrinsically value education. I had one elective class where the students were reluctant to do a task that wasn’t an assessment task. Even though the task was a fun way of indicating what they had learnt in the topic.
Age related classrooms, especially in my subject area of Music. Teaching and learning would be so much more productive if we were in a situation of experience and skills rather than what age the students are. Accelerated learning has been an “extension” and a privilege to those who can. I believe, like in University settings where you can get credit points for already meeting set requirements, that schools should align classes with experience, exposure and skills rather than what age the student is. Especially in social environments where education is only for the rich
Yes I totally agree. The university system made much more sense
yep this is a sacred cow!! Age related classrooms breeds mediocrity, there is little incentive to really achieve to your true potential.
The comments in reporting being directly quoted from outcomes creates a communication barrier between the teachers & parents. As the language used is not clear, it defeats the purpose of reports.
I totally agree. We are asked to make a nonsensical comment purely to be politically correct and often parents dont get anything meaningful.
I’m not sure this is a sacred cow but i absolutely agree that it is an ineffective way of communicating to parents, especially with our school demographic.
Hi Alison, its interesting that you think it is not a sacred cow- the reports have been done in the same style for around 40 years? Grades A to E and a comment. Reports twice a year? Comments like “he needs to concentrate more in class”
I agree the outcomes make these reports very technical and while we know how we have applied them throughout our course they are not easy reading for parents.
Yes, I absolutely agree. We’re told to only comment in student reports about learning outcomes, when some of these sessions have talked about the importance of relationships between students and teachers and being interested in each student as a human being rather than as a product to be analysed.
It would be great to explore how best to provide feedback to parents beyond written technical reports
Hi Brian, i agree, the reports really alienate the parents and considering the time teachers spend on reports it is not a productive use of time. As a parent myself i really don’t pay too much attention to reports- it just emphasises to me which teachers actually know my child and which don’t. The language is waffle a lot of the time.
The pressure that standardized testing like NAPLAN and the pressures of the HSC highlight that it is time to reevaluate how students are assessed. The data schools receive from NAPLAN allows to provide supports for students, however, the stress that it has on student well being really needs to be considered.
Definitely, NAPLAN is such a stressful process for so many students and parents, and the data – though useful – is quite narrow in scope beyond basic literacy and numeracy. If we have to have standardised testing it would be good to see a more holistic approach taken.
Hi Lanie, i agree, and the data from Naplan often takes 3 months to receive, which means that in that time the students may have grasped those concepts, making the feedback ineffective.
Sacred cows: bells, standardised testing and classes based on age groups stand out for me. Students are taught concepts and outcomes based on their age rather than their ability. Too many kids get pushed through to harder work they can’t handle because of their age. I think schools could take on a university type of approach to some degree where bells don’t exists and classes are based on courses selected. All necessary material could be accessible via an online platform facilitated by teachers and school time can be more useful for practical application, discussion and general support. This would obviously need some guidance from a young age. Where teachers are their to run courses online & students access the information as they see fit. Certain areas of learning, such as literacy and numeracy could be compulsory, but other courses could be chosen like electives that are more relevant to the future.
Agree with the comment around age not ablility, believe literacy & numeracy learning is more important to the students future than this if they have not got the same skills as their peers.
I feel that standardised testing can be an outdated tradition. Every child learns differently and at different paces. Such tests place every student into a category or set ‘box’.
Totally agree. As an educator, it is very difficult to differentiate in a class of 30 with the restrictions of bells and meeting course outcomes.
Agree! Especially in music as a subject. Depending on what resources they have at home, how financial their household is and what the family unit values as education can either enhance or disadvantage students in all subject areas.
I agree. Often these standardised tests do not suit all types of learners and can be daunting for students which negatively impacts their results.
Very true, Rebecca. Everyone is generally at different stages of their learning timeline. Standardised testing indeed seems outdated.
I also think homework is a sacred cow. I do not set homework for my students as I feel time after school should be for other activities like creative or sport or family time. The stress completing homework for a lot of students outweighs the benefits.
I think homework still has a place. I think it’s best used as a “hook” for a class or learning outcome. For example, their homework might be to bring in a can of food from home for a lesson on cylinders. But I agree homework is often used as a monotonous task, so as teachers, we have something to report on.
I agree that homework still has its place. I like to think that students are engaging in their work with their family members being involved, therefore leading to a flow of people beyond the confines of school being interested and knowing what is being learnt/taught.
Using rotational, group based activities to teach literacy and numeracy no longer makes sense as there are so many new ways to target teaching far more effectively. I also think homework is another sacred cow as research has proven it has no impact for younger children yet parents keep asking for it and we provide what they ask.
Home work for the sake of homework is definitely a sacred cow. A lot of students don’t follow through with homework that is set in stage 5. When only a few students complete and submit the extra work it requires a lot of teacher chasing to get the remainder of the class up to speed with doing it and when they do the quality is of the late comers is often poor.
Agreed- rotational group based work is a thing of the past! Bring on a workshop model that allows students to practice strategies and have more responsibility. This also allows teachers to work closely with students allowing for personalised goals and conferencing
For my team it’s around rotating literacy groups in the senior grades, where they are all doing something different, with the teacher getting to conference with only one group a week.
Yes! teachers continuing to use methods that have been proven not to work.
In the education system, a lot of pressure is still placed upon standardized testing such as NAPLAN. This is great in terms of gathering data, but are we actually doing more harm than good with student self-efficacy? Are we pushing that if you are not highly accomplished in literacy and numeracy, you cannot succeed? I think we need to move away from this, to foster and facilitate more creative minds and place more importance on students abilities to be creative and think for themselves rather than just recall information fed to them.
I agree Alisha. The move away from the creative arts is detrimental to the holistic approach of education. Naplan shows a snapshot of learning and the angst generated to achieve to a high standard is detrimental to a lot of students.
Oh Rhonda you have hit the nail right on the head! NAPLAN only assesses one VERY SMALL component of a child’s ability! I have met many famous successful composers who are extremely socially awkward but have the ability to create, write, orchestrate and conduct musical masterpieces. And they don’t care if they can read or write!
Thanks for mentioning me.
I agree Alisha. Teachers that love data may struggle not teaching to the test.
Change for the sake of change can be destructive, likewise with the mindset that everything needs changing. It’s better to spend time learning the environment and history of the program in which you are working before instigating change.
Sarah, I agree, however I think it is important to revisit and question the ‘why’. Why are things done in a certain way. If we can’t explain the why and the benefits of doing things a certain way, then maybe we should change them for the better.
Even in my short time of 10 years teaching something I have noticed is the pressure to tick all the boxes which can sometimes come at the expense of all phases of assessment. The time pressure in education is something that forces educators to innovate and adapt which are great things but change just for the sake of it is something that ultimately will hinder a students development in my opinion.
Scott, I agree. It’s always about ticking the boxes and making sure we have all bases covered.
I think a lot of time is wasted in schools doing the things we have always done, we are on autopilot. Assemblies and merit awards for example I feel need a bit of a shake up and a change. Often it is hard to get all staff on board to make these changes, I think small steps are important.
I agree a little imagination could be injected into assemblies, however I see assemblies have a role to play in student development. Particularly with how to deal with boredom, showing appropriate behaviour at gatherings and recognition of student achievement in front of peers.
Well said Felicity. I think we can use our time more wisely. I do believe assemblies are where students develop a range of skills.
There are many experiences in today’s schooling system that can be considered as sacred cows. Standardised testing such as Naplan, grouping students based on age over ability and exams as the main form of summative assessment. These few requirements of assessment practices are flawed in their practicality and ability to produce a true reflection of student learning. There are also aspects such as the basic classroom set up, mass amounts of printed worksheets and the school bell. It seems like some of these known sacred cows are slowly transitioning out as schools are exploring a classroom setting that involves technology and interactive experiences. Though with many schools in the public sector, financial barriers affecting this change is significant.
In education today there are many aspects of everyday schooling that could be classified as sacred cows. These includes assessment and reporting, the way we measure and assess students work ( eg standardised stage tests such as Naplan, the way we organise learning spaces, the use of numerous worksheets, copying or assimilating information from the teacher “stage”. There is definitely a reflex of resistance that causes some teachers to desperately cling to these once efficient historical practices.
Photocopying of large streams of paper, being confined to a classroom for large amounts of time as opposed to being outside in the natural environment, lack of colour and warmth, screeching bells – (If using bells it would be nice to have one that was not a stressful sound) are all sacred cows I see (and hear).
I look forward to moving towards a new and intriguing restructuring of the system.
I agree that it would be great to get students out of the classroom more and into nature and real-life situations. Especially in the high-school setting where classrooms are extremely bare due to the lack of consistency in classes and classrooms (those students being in different classrooms each lesson).
I think many schools are investigating different ways of delivery and environment to make school more relevant for today’s learners. Sometimes the logistics of change dampen enthusiasm.
Along with this point, I think that is the strength of work experience programs, applying & transfer of skills to real scenarios gives our education value.
I agree Sally we all feel that the kids have to have a copy of the information in their hands maybe its because we feel the need to say that we’ve done some thing to show for the lesson.
Very true, Sally. These all seem outdated.
I sometimes find change difficult, particularly if what I’m doing seems effective and gets results. I need to be open to trying new ways to do things.
I agree Pam. Sometimes I go back to the old saying of why re-invent the wheel? But I also know change is good and I need to be flexible and willing to try new things.
Thats right Pam, change can force us to be innovative and think of new solutions to otherwise impossible problems.
That is a challenge Pamela. I have found it helpful in these moments to go and observe the strategy etc in another classroom or school setting. I have found that it is most helpful to me to actually see it working.
I am the same Pamela. I am trying new ideas on a regular basis with junior classes. I am slowly working on changes in senior classes from what I know works.
There are many sacred cows in education as all comments are alluding to. I would argue for ability grouping over age grouping any day of the week. I believe it would be a much more efficient use of teaching time and better for the confidence in students and their own abilities. No easy challenge, but worth it for both teacher and student. In my experience there is often 2 years in learning differences amongst students, which causes classroom management issues and low self esteem. There has got to be a better way than just using better differentiation which teachers are already using for different styles of learning within the same ability group.
I agree with ability grouping for some things and have worked in a school where Mathematics for example was streamed. Socialisation with at age peers is also important – maybe a mix of this would be good?