Class Page - 56S

What works well, how can we be better?

Year 5/6S students are always keen to evaluate how they are progressing, and today they are sharing the things that they really like about learning in their classroom. Not content with looking at current success, they have also looked at ways that learning in the classroom could be enhanced in the future.

 

As students reflected on what they like about their room, it became clear that there are some highlights that are appreciated by many of the students. The class library has really increased students’ enthusiasm for read-to-self time, particularly because it has a variety of books and includes both fiction and non-fiction.

 

 A number of students are appreciative of displays around the room that help them with the tasks they need to do. They are also helped by the fact that there is a central stock of organised resources and equipment. An overview of the day provided on the board really helps students with their personal organisation and gives them a clear sense of what they will be involved in each day.

 

A good range of manageable homework activities, which give students the opportunity to practise the skills they have learnt in class and to consolidate their understanding, are surprisingly popular! It helps that the students also like the great range of activities that assist students to increase their skills, knowledge and understanding in all areas of the curriculum.

 

Another positive in the room, according to the students, is the variety of jobs that students can take on to help them develop their leadership skills. In addition, students report that the teacher, the aide and the students themselves are always willing to help each other, so that everyone feels valued.

 

 We are always looking for ways to improve, and amongst the top suggestions from students is a request to continue adding books to the class library and to develop a book recommendation system.

 

More sessions where computers are available – and possibly having a couple of computers in the room all the time – is a common request, as is continuing to include challenging activities such as students teaching small groups of their peers.

 

It is great to hear that extra Maths sessions are also regarded as a way of enhancing student learning. Students feel that extra opportunities to revise or extend understanding in specific maths areas would be another way to make life in 5/6S even better.

 

We are all keen to keep working together to create many positive learning moments in 2018.