Heard on the Hill Term 1, Week 4

Learning Environment

Last week we went through the low-key misbehaviour prevention strategies of winning over and with-it-ness. If you missed it, you can find the link in your emails last week.

This week we are looking at Signal to Begin. This is another preventative strategy that centres around the idea that the teacher is in control and can easily stop the students as needed to provide instruction. Experienced teachers know that if a teacher is shouting at their class to get attention, they have lost control of that class. Signals to begin can be as simple as standing still at the front and centre of the classroom. If you are always in that spot when you give instruction, students will know it is time to listen.

So what is a Signal to Begin? It’s a series of behaviours that the teacher does that results in the whole class, or a group, becoming quiet and focusing on the teacher.

These are the components:

The Signal – it is best if you use the same signal each time, or no more than two different ones. The most important part of the signal is that the teacher is clearly communicating that they will not continue until the students are attentive. It can be a phrase, a movement, a particular standing spot, even a noise-maker selection (I saw this used by a primary school teacher very effectively – and it was fun!). HPE teachers use whistles as they are often spread apart from their class and need a particularly loud signal to bring everyone back together or to be heard over the shouts of students playing.

The Pause – the signal is followed by an active pause while you wait for students to attend. This can take a while at first. Use your scanning of the room now. Don’t give up and start talking over students who aren’t attending and are chatting. The more you use the signal and pause, the shorter the pause time will need to be – trust me!

Low-key responses – respond to those not attending, but not by raising your voice. (eg. make eye contact with them, move closer to them – proximity, use their name) and acknowledge those who are attending (“Thank you, Lucy”).

Thank them – when everyone is attentive, say thank you. It is a small thing, but it again reminds the group that you are there to help them and that you are in control of the environment. It acknowledges that they are now listening, just as you asked them to.

Next week we will look at signalling the type of response you want and managing smooth transitions.

Remember – many staff are available to observe your lessons and give you feedback. I am happy to do so, so please don’t hesitate to ask.

You can also access this CMS information by borrowing a copy of Classroom Management: A Thinking & Caring Approach by Barrie Bennett and Peter Smilanich from the Teacher Resource section of our library.

Skills for Lifelong Learning - Enterprise skills

General Capability - Critical and Creative Thinking (from the WA Curriculum

This capability combines two types of thinking – critical thinking and creative thinking. Though the two are not interchangeable, they are strongly linked, bringing complementary dimensions to thinking and learning.

Critical thinking is at the core of most intellectual activity that involves students in learning to recognise or develop an argument, use evidence in support of that argument, draw reasoned conclusions, and use information to solve problems. Examples of thinking skills are interpreting, analysing, evaluating, explaining, sequencing, reasoning, comparing, questioning, inferring, hypothesising, appraising, testing and generalising.

Creative thinking involves students in learning to generate and apply new ideas in specific contexts, seeing existing situations in a new way, identifying alternative explanations, and seeing or making new links that generate a positive outcome. This includes combining parts to form something original, sifting and refining ideas to discover possibilities, constructing theories and objects, and acting on intuition. The products of creative endeavour can involve complex representations and images, investigations and performances, digital and computer-generated output, or occur as virtual reality.

The Critical and creative thinking learning continuum is organised into four interrelated elements, each detailing differing aspects of thinking. The elements are not a taxonomy of thinking. Rather, each makes its own contribution to learning and needs to be explicitly and simultaneously developed.

• Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
• Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
• Reflecting on thinking and processes
• Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures

When you are planning learning programs or lesson activities, try to build in moments where students are using their critical and creative thinking skills to explore and understand the concepts they are learning about.

Workload Advisory Committee

At least once a term, I ask for staff to make submissions to the link provided, regarding any workload issues they are experiencing. If you have a workload issue, the first action is to speak to your line manager, as many issues can be resolved quickly and easily.

For those workload issues where the line manager is unable to provide a solution, please make a submission to the Workload Advisory Committee.

This is a group of staff who meet, discuss the submissions and try to work out a solution. The group includes the Principal, the Union Rep and some teacher reps.

We need to advertise for new staff representatives on the WAC, as the previous staff (Thank you Nick Mulligan, Mychelle Mahar and David Waddell) have completed two years in that role. The commitment is usually only 1 hour a term, to attend the meeting and go through the submissions.

Please send me an email by COB Tuesday 22 February if you are interested in this position. If I receive more than three nominations, I will run an election process. Thanks!

Workload Submission

Instructional Skills

Responding to students II: Hattie’s research clearly states that effective feedback to a student is where a teacher is objective and concise. There is no ‘fluffy’ generic statements such as ‘this is a good answer but you could have done better’. There are many strategies to maximise feedback and respond to students positively:

• focus feedback on the task, not the learner,
• provide elaborated feedback,
• present elaborated feedback in manageable units,
• be specific and clear with feedback messages,
• keep feedback as simple as possible but no simpler,
• reduce uncertainty between performance and goals,
• give unbiased, objective feedback, written or via computer,
• promote a learning goal orientation via feedback,
• provide feedback after learners have attempted a solution

Focus of formative feedback (Shute 2008)

Year 12 ATAR

Predicted ATAR data is available on SAIS for staff to access. Tim and I have looked at the students already. Whilst the <70 students are of concern there are two groups within the Year 12s that needs pushing.

Koomson, Turnball and Radford: these three need to be guided/challenged to have an ATAR of 80+.

Worley, Smith (Ethan), Olman, Monaghan, Hales and Patmore: these need to be guided/challenged to have an ATAR of 85+.

Webex Sessions for Year 12 ATAR Teachers

Below are two recorded webex sessions for any teacher currently teaching Year 12 ATAR. The sessions are also open to any teacher, especially new staff, that wish to deliver an ATAR course. These sessions are red wine sessions. At home, glass of red wine, relaxed to watch what data means for delivering an ATAR course.

WebEx session: Year 12 Achievement Data (LEADERS) – 2022 event

Playback video link:  Using data to inform practice: Year 12 Achievement data 2021-20220125 0201-1

Playback password: YbDtPkq8

WebEx session:  Year 12 ATAR Course Data (TEACHERS) – 2021 event

Playback video link:  Using data to inform practice - ATAR (Teachers)-20210203 0749-1

Playback password:  rN53zTAW

Heads up: these are poorly recorded/delivered, long winded and may make you go to sleep (especially with a red wine). But they do explain what the data is used for.

Lift Construction

Construction of the lift shaft commences this week.

Tuesday 1 March will see the first of five concrete pours. The Home Ec car park will be closed during the pour 7.00am - 10am as the concrete needs to be pumped over the the roof of the building. Alternative parking is available in the lower car park at the bottom of the oval and the council car park next to the basketball courts. Once the concrete pour is completed the car park will be accessible. Mike has advised he will be parking down the bottom so his car space will be available if you get in early enough.

The remaining dates will be published once known.

Gym Refurb

We will see rapid progress this week. Installation of the changeroom roof will commence early in the week, once complete the changerooms will be accessible for the students. The first floor concrete will be laid Thursday 24 Feb.

Staff Bike Racks

We have installed bike racks for staff in the Kingia carpark, next to the lift. Bikes can be secured to the racks, are safe, out of sight and protected from the weather.

Please ensure the fire hydrant box remains unencumbered and is accessible at all times.

Finance Committee Nominations

Bunbury SHS Finance Committee is calling for nominations for membership. We have four staff member vacancies to fill.

The finance committee assists the principal to exercise their governance responsibility in the management of the school’s financial resources.

We have three positions whose tenure ceases at the end of this term. The Committee wished to thank Liz Chambers, David Waddell, Mark Woodland for their commitment over the past two years.

Tenure on the Finance Committee is 2 years. Meetings are held twice per term. 3pm Monday - Weeks 4 & 8. Special meetings may be called when necessary. Meetings are held in the Boardroom.

Complete the nomination form below if you wish to nominate for a position on the Finance Committee. Retiring members can renominate. In the event that we have more nominations than positions available, the Committee will vote to elect members.

Finance Committee Nomination Form

OSH Representatives

We received two nominations for OSH Reps at Bunbury SHS.

Congratulations on your appointment Lucia Barbetti and Renee Chapple.

Evacuation and Lockdown Procedures

I am currently conducting an audit on our emergency and lockdown procedures. Part of this audit is ensuring classrooms and office areas have the required emergency signage in place. Can you please complete this short survey in order to do this.

Thanks in advance for doing your part in keeping our school community safe.

Survey Form

EMAIL PROTOCOLS

Email is an important and convenient means of communication that assists our school to provide more effective communication to each other and our school community. We are committed to ensuring communication is respectful, measured, sensitive and constructive and used within DOE ICT Guidelines.

With this in mind, please ensure you are familiar with the Bunbury SHS Email Policy and guidelines when using your @education.wa.edu.au email and associated distribution lists such as BSHS All Staff email.

The aim of these guidelines is to:

• clearly articulate the School’s commitment to the positive use of the email system for communication between staff and our community.
• establish clear expectations for staff, students and parents in the use of email.

Noongar Season

Bunuru – (February – March)

As we have experienced already, Bunuru is the hottest time of year! There is very little rain and hot easterly winds. But if you’re lucky enough to live near the coast, you’ll get that cooling sea breeze late afternoon.

This is the time of year when the white flowers come out in bloom. So look out for the Jarrah, Marri and Ghost gums. They look amazing!

Traditionally, Noongar people ate a lot of fresh and saltwater fish this time of year. And this is still part of our lifestyle. Nothing beats an arvo out scooping for crabs in the estuary or chucking a line out at the beach. My fondest memories growing up were of our whole family meeting at our fishing/crabbing spots here in Bunbury, then doing a big cook up and sharing our catch.

Ref: Nyoongar calendar - Indigenous Weather Knowledge - Bureau of Meteorology (bom.gov.au)

BUNBURY SHS INSTAGRAM

BUNBURY SHS FACEBOOK

Something interesting happening in or around your classroom? Having an incursion or excursion this term? Please let me know!

We love to share updates from the school with our community and would like representation from each area of our wonderful school; no matter how big or small.

Please submit stories for our Facebook page via the wufoo link below and include as much information as you can, plus a few images to accompany the article. If you are having trouble with the wufoo form, you can email the information to me directly.(ellie.mackay@education.wa.edu.au)

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and check out what our students and staff get up to.

Mike's Calendar