Glenroy College Staff Handbook

In the Classroom

This section and information will be reviewed and updated throughout 2024 in consultation with teaching and support staff. 

 

CURIOSITY and powerful learning

The curiosity document defines the work that has been implemented across the College since 2012 when a vision for the Whole School Theory of Action around High Expectations and Authentic Relationships was developed along with associated beliefs and behaviours:

High Expectations and authentic relationships will happen when the learning environment is safe, rigorous, challenging and connected and when the teachers and students convey a belief that all students can achieve to the best of their ability 

Agreed Teaching and Learning Protocols, Lesson structure and Lesson plans were developed as part of this process.

 

AGREED PRACTICES

Lesson Structure

Lessons are 60 minutes long and each domain has a plan for how lessons are structured. Generally, lessons should have five parts: a warm up, checking in with prior learning and knowledge, instruction, class working time and finish with reflection – ‘what I have learned.’ 

Every lesson must have a learning intention and associated success criteria. Narrative, pace, setting challenging tasks, framing higher order questions and providing explicit and timely feedback are all important aspects of all lesson planning.

 

LITERACY-HRLTPs

All teachers should be using John Munro’s High Reliability Literacy Teaching Procedures in all classes. The approach to literacy enhancement involves incorporating seven literacy teaching procedures in regular content area teaching. Each is intended to cue and to foster the use of a matching literacy strategy by students. Students are instructed explicitly to:

 

• Get their knowledge ready for learning

• Add unfamiliar verbal concepts to their vocabulary 

• Read aloud short portions of written text that teaches the topic

• Paraphrase, or say in their own words, each sentence in the text

• Say questions that each sentence in the text answers

• Summarise the text, usually paragraph by paragraph

• Review, consolidate and show comprehension of what has been learnt by reading silently a written summary of the content covered

More reading: https://students.education.unimelb.edu.au/selage/pub/readings/literacyld/art_VATE_02.pdf

 

LITERACY for Learning (LfL)

The College has been implementing Literacy for Learning strategies since 2016. We currently have 3 trainers on staff. Ref: https://lexised.com/courses/literacy-for-learning

 

High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS)

 

HITS consists of 10 evidence-based, high effect size, strategies for effective teaching and learning:

  1. Setting Goals
  2. Structuring Lessons
  3. Explicit Teaching
  4. Worked examples
  5. Collaborative Learning
  6. Multiple Exposures
  7. Questioning
  8. Feedback
  9. Metacognitive Strategies
  10. Differentiated teaching

Ref:  https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/practice/improve/Pages/hits.aspx