What information and practices support planning for new class formations?
In episode 27, the Teacher Takeaway team discuss the strategies for forming classes for the new academic school year, including:
When do we form classes?
Meetings and conversations about class formations for the new academic year generally take place in about week 8 or 9 of Term 4 (depending on your context). It is a process that involves teachers, support staff and school executive engaging in collegial discussions and data analysis to make informed decisions about the development of class groups.
How do we form classes?
A group of teachers, who have been teaching on the same grade or stage throuout the year, meet together to examie the current class lists and begin the process of coding students based on specific areas, including:
Other things to note during this process are identified clashes between particular students. Asking students prior to the formation process to identify at least 3 other students they think they work well with allows students a voice in the formation process. Alice Vigors highlights that students are aware and informed at te beginning that this isn't necessarily closest friends but people they know they work well with and support their learning. Students are also made aware that they may not get all of their choices but that teachers will endeavour to place them with at least one identified person. If you're like Aaron Johnston and work in a collaborative learning space, considerations need to be given to the kind of learning spaces that students will be learning in.
Parent Requests
Generally any requests from parents in regards to their child and class formations go to the school Principal and are handled accordingly before key pertinent information is passed on to the teaching team during class formation meetings. Teacher Preferences
During Term 3 or early Term 4, the Principal and school leadership team send out an expression of interest form to gauge teacher preferences for the new academic year. This form includes information to support the planning process and formation of classes. It may include things such as:
At times, there may be instances when the leadership team need to decide on which teachers will be on particular grades and/or classes, such as high staff turnover. Transitions
Depending on your context students may or may not experience a transition program. In some school systems students don't find out their class teacher and class mates due to fluctuating numbers and policy practices to ensure numbers or "bums on seats" as the Teacher Takeaway team put it.
In other school systems this might be a short session where the students are put in to their new class groups and meet their teacher. These sessions are an opportunity for students to become familiar with the formation for the following year. It is also an opportunity for students who require additional support to transition and begin to build relationships with their new teacher and class mates. Handovers
Handover meetings between current and new teachers, support teachers and executive are a great opportunity for the teachers of a new cohort to gather crucial information about the students, including:
2 Comments
Natalie
30/11/2021 04:04:35 pm
Hi there
Reply
Alice Vigors
30/11/2021 04:58:08 pm
Hi Natalie,
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsThe Teacher Takeaway Podcast is hosted by four Australian teachers and school leaders. With a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, Aaron Johnston, Alice Vigors, Rebecca West and James Gray bring all the elements of effective pedagogical practice to the fore in a light-hearted way. These show notes are a summary of each episodes discussion with some added gems for you to takeaway. Happy reading everyone. Archives
April 2023
Categories
All
|