Burnie Campus Principal

Over the past term as a staff, we have been looking at what it means to embrace Playful Learning, while at the same time working through the book “Learning by Doing” which is developing our understanding of professional learning communities, and in the last week we received world class professional learning from Ben Mardell, an expert in the field behind a pedagogy of play (PoP).

It is important to understand that PoP has rigour, structured intent, deep learning outcomes and times of explicit teaching and instruction. The framework also works to bring into the learning environment student voice, agency, higher levels of engagement and a sense of fun as students learn.

I am sure we can all look back to our favourite class or teacher from our formative schooling years and quickly identify what we loved about learning with them. For me, that teacher was a lady by the name of Miss Tart. She loved being in the classroom with her students, she brought the outdoors into her lesson plans, her classroom was a place of wonder with fabulous displays, she visibly enjoyed what she did and the time that she spent with her students. She knew how to explicitly teach, and she knew how to have fun while doing it. For her it wasn’t either or, but, both and. She was crafty and creative, and she is one of the reasons that I became a teacher.

When we talk about playful learning, this is what we want to capture. We want to build creative classroom environments where the children can problem solve without fear of drawing the wrong conclusion We want them to become curious learners with opportunities to learn in different ways and through different tools such as STEM, the growing gardens, participating in the events like the Millard Shield or chasing opportunities to develop their God-given gifts.

Mariah Bruehl in her book “Playful Learning – develop your child’s sense of joy and wonder" (Bruehl; 2011, pp3) lists the following as positive outcomes for this pedagogical approach:

Learning together creates a different (classroom) dynamic and deepens relationships.
It develops confident and independent children.
It builds (stronger) connections between home and school.
And it allows children to develop (and maintain) their sense of wonder.

We see these types of outcomes being met each day in our kinder classrooms and want to capture and retain that love for learning, the excited experimentation, the wonder that comes from discovery, and purposely maintain this across other years of schooling.

To further facilitate this on the Burnie Campus, this year we will be introducing a Lego League team, led by Mr Cowen. He is already meeting with students one lunchtime a week who have shown a developing interest in and skill using Lego in preparation for forming a team.

In our new ‘Discovery Den’ students have been building Lego kits to be used as displays and are having a great time doing this together in small groups

Groups of students are learning to play the marimbas with Miss Haberle and each session is filled with joy and excitement because of what they can produce.

We have yet another group who will soon participate in a ‘Drumbeat Program’ used to develop their confidence and sense of belonging within the school community.

Mrs Polden is just back from leading a cross-campus team with Mrs Miles to Emmaus Catholic College where their school was purpose built to embrace playful learning. We are looking forward to them sharing experiences from their time there, and considering what innovations we could adapt at Leighland Christian School. There are just so many exciting things happening within our school.

We are embracing new and exciting ways of doing things while also ensuring that explicit teaching remains a key teaching practice in our classrooms.

That said, as we take a break from school and head into the holidays, can I encourage each family to reflect on the true meaning of Easter, to make time to attend a local church service or open the Bible to read about Jesus, His death, burial and resurrection, because through His sacrifice we are offered the greatest redemptive gift of salvation. This gift is at the very core of who we are and what forms our Christian School. I will leave you with a Bible verse that helped me understand this as a young child growing up and hearing about Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Elizabeth Scheu

Burnie Campus Principal