The New School Year
It’s that time of year that parents dream of and many teachers too, the return to school after the long summer holidays.
At this time of year, every stakeholder is filled with the optimism of what the year may bring – Johnny will be able to tie his laces independently, Wendy will be able to recite all her times tables etc. If only we could bottle that enthusiasm, the freshness of the new school year and its optimism.
Having had experience of many schools in my time I’ve seen this all before but so many schools fail to build on it when it shouldn’t be that difficult, instead, they are content to let the students and teachers drift through the year with the occasional boost here and there and hope that the ‘expected level’ is reached by the ends of the year.
Through case studies I undertook for professional development and also for the world of education research, there’s a pattern that is seen in the academic year and throughout the child’s transition through school. It’s not just a random decision that children leave Early Years in the year when they’ll be 6 years old or join Key Stage Two at age 7, going on to secondary school at age 11, these are developmental boundaries and, depending on the level of support of the teacher in Year 1, Year 3 and Year 7, the child will thrive or sink.
This year, TLC Private School is determined to take a proactive approach to encouraging learning and will, like a child trying to keep a balloon aloft, do all it can to maintain that enthusiasm for learning that melts away before October dawns. Monitoring of teaching and learning, combined with equipping teachers to maximise the learning opportunities for our students will see them maintain a positive approach to their learning through the year, transitioning from a fixed mindset which expects the same from this year as the last, to a growth mindset which will open them to new ways of learning, new ways of using their learning and ultimately make them the critical thinkers society needs.
I like to research useful websites and pass them on to those who will benefit. I recently came across www.brilliant.com which has many activities to help develop logical thought processes. It’s only one aspect of what would make a balanced learner but a few hours spent on the tasks will make you realise what you’ve been missing in terms of ‘Brain Gym’.
So, we look forward to Thursday with eager anticipation and hope that this year we can, as Plutarch exhorted, ‘kindle fires rather than fill empty vessels’
