How do we leverage the walls around us to enhance the learning cycle?
In episode 4, the Teacher Takeaway team discuss ways to intentionally leverage the walls of the classroom to support and enhance learning, including:
What are walls that teach?
Learning walls are quite targetted in how they support learning and are utilised in a strategic way. Co-constructing learning and providing students with a voice about what goes up on the classroom walls and how that is then utilised is a powerful way to engage the 3rd Teacher. What are we focussing on in our learning? How will the walls be a resource to support student learning? Walls that teach, highlight the process of learning over time and are referred back to regularly to support the connection of prior learning to new learning and examine growth of thinking over time. It also provides meaningful and relevant opportunities for students to refer back to learning they have previously engaged with in order to support their current learning. How do we go from 'pinterest perfect' to practical?
We are not saying your classroom cannot look beautiful, but we need to be mindful and intentional about the way we utilise our learning space, in particular the classroom walls.
Learning is often a messy and complex process and sometimes walls that teach reflect that journey, with butcher's paper, post-it notes and learning samples up on the wall to showcase and support the learning that is occurring. Whilst it may not always look 'beautful' up on the wall, it is highlighting the evolution of the thought processes of students which holds greater meaning and value. You can see the way that the learning journey has unfolded on the walls of the classroom, based on what is visible and what the students actively engage with.
Intentionality is key.
It's about finding a balance between making something look nice and showcasing the learning. It is important to think about the ' why' behind what goes up on your classroom walls. If it is purely for aesthetic reasons, then we have missed a valuable opportunity to engage the 3rd teacher. Ask your class to reflect
Involving students in the decision making process about where particular learning walls are placed and how they are utilised helps to provide student ownership and agency over the classroom environment. Depending on the learning environment students have previously come from, students might not be aware that they can utilise the walls for learning. It is important that right from the beginning we discuss with students how our learning walls will work, give them permission to utilise them and explicitly model what it looks like to use them effectively. If you put something up on the classroom wall and you haven't explicitly introduced it and worked with it, you can assume it is invisible.
One way to support this process is to actually move teaching and learning to different spaces around the room. For example, instead of always teaching writing from the front of the room, move the lesson to the writing wall and teach from there so that you can interact with prior learning, build from what students have already learnt and showcase new learning.
Check out Bec West's video on 360 degree classrooms from her You Tube channel Talkin Chalk. The three C's of learning walls
In Lyn Sharratt's book Clarity she talks about the three C's
Co-created Involving students in the creation or development of learning samples and artefacts provides students a voice and autonomy in the learning process. For example:
Lyn describes this as developing learning walls with 'big idea thinking' that signposts learning along the way. It is also about having the development of what success will look like at various points in the journey in order to provide students with clarity. Co-designed A good example is around working with the kids in the writing process, such as developing a bump it up wall. Instead of just printing one off and putting it up, involve students in the identification of the levels of writing and designing what that will look like, how it will be displayed and how we can utilise that when we are leaning. Examples of practice
James
Introducing compound sentences to students and discussing different conjunctions we can use to join simple sentences together using the acronym FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Write them up and discuss and experiment with them. As the week unfolds refer back to the initial poster about FANBOYS to support the writing of compound sentences through modelling, co-creation, guided writing and independent writing opportunities. Bec Reflective process is an easy one to implement straight away. Reflect on an element or something in your room that you want students to use but they're not. Think about how it was introduced, how you engage with it during the teaching process since displaying it and think about how you might shift some of those practices moving forward. Utilising a plain blank gap to reduce over stimulation or certain calming colour backgrounds is a recommendation when planning learning walls. Aaron Look around your classroom through an evaluative lens:
Alice Utilising the process of a daily review to support the learning process across key learning areas. For example, loking at our prior learning and using that as a springboard for introducing new learning.
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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
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