Teaching & Learning

What you need to know about GEC’s 5 period day: How your school is changing to support improved student learning outcomes.

What you need to know about GEC’s 5 period day: 

How your school is changing to support improved student learning outcomes.

 

Teaching and Learning at GEC throughout 2020 has been a diverse experience for staff, students and parents. The school’s community has adapted from onsite to remote learning using Google’s online platform and Xuno. We acknowledge that this has been a significant challenge for families and appreciate all your effort in supporting your child’s learning throughout this period. Teaching and Learning has addressed the situation by adapting learning outcomes, tasks, assessment tasks and homework expectations. 

 

As the school managed remote learning, consultation and planning continued for curriculum provision changes to support our strategic priorities in Teaching and Learning. The change to a 5 period day, adaptation of Team and the introduction of Year 9 electives supports student learning by providing more face-to-face teaching time, greater student choice and opportunity for deeper learning as well as more time to teach all stages of GEC’s SABRE Instructional Model. 

5 Period Day

When transition began on 30th November, we were excited to start our new 5 period day. 60 minute periods allow the students to spend more time on developing their knowledge in specific content areas as well as their communication and critical thinking skills. Staff will be able to have additional time with each student and reduce the total number of classes a student has to focus on each day. The 5 period day also allows senior teachers to spend up to an extra hour with students each week. 

 

This will allow teachers and students to concentrate their time and energy in a more effective way. Junior students will also see extra benefits with the introduction of elective based subjects and more choice, as well as having practical subjects more regularly. Teachers have been collaborating regularly to support the change in timetable to ensure a high quality and viable curriculum is delivered.

SABRE Instructional Model

The extra time each lesson allows staff to have more flexibility in teaching the SABRE instructional model. It is important to engage students as soon as they walk through the door with an engaging ‘Starter’. Teachers will have extra time to breakdown the ‘Aim and Success Criteria’ of the lesson so students know what it looks like to reach the objective of the lesson. When engaging in the ‘Body’ of the lesson, teachers will be able to spend more time with each individual learner and be able to differentiate the work students can get the most out of every lesson. The ‘Review’ step allows teachers to make links with the content back to the aim and success criteria. With the extra period length, teachers will have ample time to ‘Evaluate’ student understanding and tailor future lessons to meet the needs of all students.

Team

With a change in timetable comes a new look team structure at GEC. All staff have a role to play in the development of their students through the team program. Team will now run for all Junior School students for the first 10 minutes after recess, rotating around different subject teachers. GEC’s new team program will focus on Connection, Celebration and Communication.

 

Bernie Coghlan & Clinton Chiumello

Teaching and Learning Leaders