Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning
The value of learning is greater when we share what we learn. Simon Sinek
In the final two weeks of term there are significant events on the Teaching and Learning calendar.
This week our Mid-Year Reports are released to parents. We encourage our families to read the report with their child and pay particular attention to the learning advice offered to students in Year 7-11 and the exam advice that forms part of the comments to Year 12 students and those undertaking a Unit 3-4 subject. I thought it timely to review with you our learning expectations.
The Hamilton and Alexandra College Classroom Learning Expectations
In our classrooms we communicate responsibly, we collaborate and work with the teacher and our peers, we maintain a positive and engaged learning environment and our behaviour and words are respectful of others. There are four focus areas: communicate responsibly, collaborate intentionally, learn actively and behave Respectfully
Communicate responsibly
- Digital devices are fully charged and only used when invited to do so by the teacher
- Emails and Teams messages are responded to in a timely fashion
- Students use manners and communicate politely
- Students stand and greet the teacher at the start of the lesson to signal learning has begun
Collaborate intentionally
- Students respond to teacher feedback effectively
- Students work with others to improve their knowledge and skills
- Students ask questions and listen actively
Engage actively
- Students are organised and have all their resources in class ready to learn
- Students complete all set work in class and at home
- Students submit work on time
- Students use the Student Record Book to document learning objectives and assessment tasks
Behave Respectfully
- Students show respect by listening, following instructions, being polite and courteous
- Students are punctual and attend classes on time
- Students actively create a positive learning environment by showing zero tolerance for disruptive behaviour
- Students keep the classroom neat and tidy
- Students seek permission before moving around the classroom
- Students show respect to the teaching and learning by being present for the whole lesson – minimising students’ movement out of the classroom.
These classroom learning expectations form the foundation for the way we believe students learn effectively. We invite you to take up the opportunity to meet with your child’s subject teacher to discuss their learning progress. Student Parent Teacher interviews are scheduled for Week 9 Thursday 15 September 2022 between 4-8pm. These interviews are online and will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. Ahead of the interviews, you might like to consider some of the questions that our teaching staff use to help promote students to think about their learning in the classroom. Curiosity, courage and connection informs the work that I do with our team of excellent teaching staff. I hope you find the table below a great starting point for some stimulating conversations.
Curiosity | How do I know what I am learning in this lesson? What do I have to do to put the learning objective in my own words? What do I need to do to achieve the goal? How will I know when the goal is achieved? How do I know what success looks like? What can I do to help me understand the example? How can I organise my time well? |
Courage | How can I check if I need clarification? How can I tell if the work is at the right level for me? What can I do to learn from my mistakes? What more do I need to do to help me learn this new concept? What assistance do I need to complete this task? |
Connection | How can I make connections to other classes or learning experiences? How can I link this work to future learning experiences? How can I contribute positively to the learning of others? Am I actively seeking to listen to the views of others? |
We look forward to walking this learning journey with you – student, parent, and teacher. The value of learning is greater when we share the load.
Susan Bradbeer
Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning