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Students need to regularly achieve short-term goals in lessons in order to feel successful and increase feelings of competence and motivation. They are most likely to persist in the pursuit of a goal when it is optimally challenging. This means that the student must feel they have the ability to achieve the goal with some support, effort and persistence, but the goal is not so challenging that they feel it would be impossible.

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Tailor lessons to incorporate different learning styles, and consider preferred learning styles when grouping students together.

If you are asking the whole class to take notes on a particular subject, students with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, can benefit from using visual note-taking methods.

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If a student finds it hard to concentrate, provide a visual timetable or First-Next-Last strips to order instructions. Provide clear timings and, if needed, a visual timer on their desk. Use a mini whiteboard to write or draw pictures to show instructions for the student to “tick off” or put a line though when they have completed them. Using visual signs can also be useful for communicating behaviour expectations. For younger students, it is often good to make these with the student, and use photographs of them. For example, create a visual reminder that shows a photo of the student sitting and working quietly or making a “shushing” face with their finger on their lips. Putting this on the student’s desk when they need to focus can remind them of expectations.

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To support a group or individual EAL students, it is helpful to pre-teach key vocabulary. This can be done using a keywords visual dictionary or a labelled diagram for subject vocabulary in subjects such as science. Follow up with conversation that supports the students in practising the vocabulary.

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Provide purposeful engagement with the learning outcome. In other words, explain to students why an activity or learning outcome is important and relevant to them.

For example, you could say: “By completing this activity, you will have a better understanding of why water sustainability is a crucial issue in the world today. You will also have a better understanding of what you can do to have a positive impact.”

Introduce an element of competition:

online games such as Kahoot! or Quizlet

low-stakes multiple-choice quizzes in the classroom

group questions against the clock.

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Ask about students’ “learning” in lessons rather than asking about their “work”.

Display students’ draft work, as well as their final piece, so that they can be proud of the process as well as the end result.

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Students benefit from opportunities to practise carrying out research and developing independent learning skills through the completion of an individual project. Examples of this can be found via the Crest Awards or Genius Hour.

https://crestawards.org/crest-star

https://geniushour.com/what-is-genius-hour

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Express the success criteria in every lesson as “Must, Should, Could”. If the learning outcome is “To be able to describe and explain patterns shown on various maps and graphs”, the “Must, Should, Could” success criteria would be as follows:

Must: be able to consider and provide a title for a graph after considering the content.

Should: be able to describe patterns on a graph using numbers and figures.

Could: be able to explain patterns on a graph and the reasons for these patterns.

Use learning menus:

Learning menus provide choice based on the following.

Final product: Allow students to present their learning in a manner that suits them best; for example, as a mind map, written summary or infographic.

Topic: Give all students the same task or skill to practise, but allow students to choose an independent topic to explore or piece to read to fulfil that assignment.

Difficulty: Allow students to choose the level they hope to achieve.

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Students who are part of a minority identity group often do not have the privilege of seeing themselves reflected in standard curriculum content. Affirmations of culture and identity can be infused into every subject area.

Create an affirming environment: Research students’ experiences with learning and teaching styles by asking parents and students about their experiences with teachers and their learning preferences. Ask educators who come from the same cultural background as the students about effective ways to teach them. Employ patterns of management familiar to students.

Choose affirming topics: Focus on, or add, topics within your curriculum that relate to students’ cultures and identities, or allow students to focus independently on these topics. Most textbooks do not focus on non-dominant cultures, so this may require gathering materials beyond textbooks.

Choose affirming multimedia: Centre texts, movies and images in your classroom that reflect your students’ cultures and identities, or (if your students are part of a dominant group) choose multimedia that challenge their worldview. Explicitly discuss with students your reason for choosing these pieces and discuss how it has an impact on them.

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Students who have low Response to Curriculum Demands may respond well to peer-mentor groups that focus on a particular subject area. These groups can increase motivation towards the curriculum in a given area as students gain support from older students and peers through further teaching of practical strategies and sharing of experiences. This can enhance feelings of success and achievement. Receiving praise from peers can be an even more powerful motivator than receiving praise from teachers.

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Sharing facts clearly and concisely with students can help to communicate the effects of poor attendance

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Arrange for members of the local business community to visit the school and present in assemblies or student meetings. They can give a fresh perspective on the importance of fostering good attendance and punctuality habits at school and the impact of poor attendance on business.

Ask older students to share success stories and tips with younger students on how they have improved their attendance and punctuality, as well as the impact this has had on them and their school work.

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Place “Who can help?” posters around the school in key places. These should provide photos, names and contact information for designated members of staff who are available to help students. Make sure students are aware of the support available to them.

Key people who may be highlighted are:

members of staff responsible for safeguarding and child protection

school counsellor

school nurse

heads of year.

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Allocate time to meet with students who have a low score for Attitudes to Attendance. Identify any barriers to attendance in their lives and provide all possible support. The teacher who has this conversation with the student should be a trusted adult who has completed recent child protection training and is, therefore, familiar with the correct manner in which to deal with any issues the student raises

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For many students, their class schedule can have an impact on whether they decide to go to school that day. For example, if a student has double maths on a Friday morning, and this is not something that they enjoy, they may decide not to go to school at all.

Attendance can be analysed to reveal patterns for individual students. If patterns of absence are found, talk with the student about how they feel about these lessons.

It can help to come up with some SMART targets with the student to set some positive and realistic goals for attendance, especially relating to any subjects that they miss regularly.

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Could this be the reason the child does not want to come to school?

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Studies have found that if students create a piece of writing at the start of a topic connecting what they are learning to their own lives, student achievement and learning can increase

Ask students to review the learning outcomes they are going to study and then reflect on and explain how learning this information is relevant, important and useful to their own lives and the lives of their friends and family.

link to things students care about:
When starting a topic, ask students to reflect on questions that link the subject to their own lives. This may involve asking students to consider how a character felt in a book and linking this to a time when they felt the same emotion, or how a historic event or movement has influenced our lives today

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Giving students some choice in the activities they undertake in class allows them to become autonomous or independent learners. It provides students with the opportunity to choose an activity that means something to them

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A rigorous activity:

involves students working harder than the teacher

involves students looking to the teacher for guidance rather than answers

requires higher orders of thinking (application, analysis, evaluation, creation)

is more challenging than students’ existing skill level

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“Learning shouldn’t end at the first ‘right’ answer. ‘Stretch It’ rewards ‘right’ answers with more knowledge and further challenge. This practice has two primary benefits. First, teachers can ensure that student responses are more reliable. By asking more questions it can eliminate the possibility that a student gave a right answer by chance. Second, the technique motivates students to apply knowledge in new situations, think spontaneously, make real world connections, and/or engage with questions that are more challenging.”

Use wait time: Pause after a student gives a response to allow the speaker and classmates time to evaluate the response.

Avoid the phrase “that’s correct” at all costs: Ask other students to evaluate the response. Require them to agree on the correct answer amongst themselves.

Inquire “how” or “why”: Ask students about their thinking process.

Inquire for another way to answer: Ask students if there is a simpler way to solve the problem or to give an alternative answer.

Demand evidence for student answers.

Require more rigorous phrasing: Ask students to rephrase using higher-level vocabulary or more specificity.

Require students to relate to previous comments: Ask students to clarify how their comment relates specifically to the previous comment or to the question at hand.

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This may be in the form of:

redrafting a piece of work following teacher feedback

improving the answers to an assessment or test paper

working out where mistakes have been made in a piece of work using assessment criteria, and improving the work

revisiting work completed at the start of a topic and improving it

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Encourage students to embrace “not knowing” and to be aggressive with their learning. Celebrate students for being honest when they do not know something and when they advocate for their learning. Never discourage students from taking class time to summarise their understanding, ask basic questions, and repeat what they hear. Similarly, be honest with students when you, as the teacher, also do not know

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Show students the evidence found from recent neurological studies about the brain’s capacity to grow and develop through the undertaking of effortful learning (persisting in the learning of challenging material and information).

Compare the brain to a muscle that needs regular exercise to grow.

Ask students to give areas in their own lives where they have improved at something through sustained effort in order for them to understand how their brain has adapted to this challenge over time.

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For students who give up easily and submit themselves to immediate failure, using the word “yet” can be powerful. This small language shift reminds students that their current state of frustration is temporary – their brain will eventually reconfigure itself to meet the demands placed on it.

For example, when students say, “I cannot write an essay response in an hour”, remind them that they “cannot write an essay response in an hour, yet.” This emphasises that, with sustained effort and purposeful practice using the correct learning strategies, students can achieve their goals. “Yet” can encourage greater confidence, enthusiasm and competition within one’s self when tackling new challenges.

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Emphasise that it takes at least three weeks for people to shift their mindsets. Ask students to set a small, tangible mindset goal that they can do/say/practise every day to shift their mindset. Provide students with a card on which to write their “mindset pledge”, and pin these to a bulletin board or hand out the cards to students each morning. Alternatively, create a Google Doc or online collaborative document where students can each write their mindset pledge. This way, they can also support and encourage each other.

An example of a pledge might be: “I don’t think of myself as a confident person. However, I am going to raise my hand and contribute to class once every day because I believe that this is something a confident person would do. I will remind myself every day that I am a confident person, even if I don’t quite believe it.”

Encourage students to record their progress in the mindset challenge every day

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Demonstrations of the power of grit are readily available in the wider world. Create a “grit board” in your classroom or hallway and detail how popular figures in history – or today – accomplished great things through grit.

Encourage students to contribute to the board with examples they observe in their lives at home, in society, in their school life, and in their learning. A starting list of examples is available at: https://medium.com/the-mission/hard-work-is-the-single-greatest-competitive-advantage-8e65a1e674f4.

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Students need to be given opportunities to build resilience through taking on challenges. Here are some examples.

Student-led school meetings or assemblies: Students give presentations to their peers on areas of personal interest or achievement.

Class assemblies: Here, everyone has the opportunity to take part.

Team-building days: Students are encouraged to participate in activities that push them out of their comfort zone.

School trips: Students have the opportunity to take part in mental or physical challenges, such as outdoor activities.

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Praise students for working through challenges, and ensure that you provide effective scaffolding to support them when they are in the ZPD. Scaffolding can be provided in the form of resources that students can use to help themselves. These might include:

a number square or times-tables mat in maths

a knowledge organiser/placemats that provide students with all the key information they need for a topic

formula sheets in science

keyword sheets

sentence starters or writing frames.

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Create opportunities for students to get involved in school community projects. Here are some ideas:

Older students can work together to hold lessons for the community, such as teaching a subject or language to parents after school hours.

Arrange for students to run study groups to support other students who may need help in a particular subject area.

Organise anti-bullying events and ask students to become anti-bullying ambassadors. (There are many programmes online that can be used to support this.)

Hold lunchtime presentations or debates about areas of student interest.

Create a mentoring or buddy programme to support new students as they settle in.

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In 2015, the United Nations agreed to 17 global goals that together work towards ending poverty, fighting inequality and stopping climate change (https://www.globalgoals.org). Schools can incorporate activities and lessons based around these global goals by using resources from The World’s Largest Lesson: http://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/

These activities can be used as a basis for independent student activities and projects, and will help students to understand that their actions can have a huge impact on others and on the environment

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hare stories of students who have made a difference, such as:

Ryan Hreljac (Ryan’s Well Foundation), a Canadian boy who decided to take action when he discovered that many of the world’s poorest people did not have access to clean water

Yash Gupta (Sight Learning), founder of a charity that distributes used glasses to those who need them.

Mary Grace Henry (Reverse The Course), who started raising funds to provide education for girls living in poverty

Melati and Isabel Wijsen, two Indonesian teenagers campaigning to ban the use of plastic bags.

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Students often respond well to peer mentor groups or individual peer mentoring to develop investment in school-based goals. Mentoring can focus on specific subject-area tutoring, or it can be more general. Many schools have found success in building programmes around “reading buddies”. Consider building programmes between different grade/year levels (high schoolers and middle schoolers, for example). Broad recommendations for developing such a programme include the following:

Thoughtfully select supervisors, student mentors and student mentees. Participation should be willing.

Provide structured activities and accountability measures for both mentors and mentees.

Provide plenty of training and supervision for student mentors.

Consider the space students will meet in and the supplies they will need.

Empower the participants to lead as much as possible​.

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Provide opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities. These should be scheduled at times when all students can attend; this may be during the school day and planned as enrichment lessons. As previously mentioned, students with a low response to General Work Ethic may not readily wish to involve themselves in extracurricular activities, so use a “dream board” idea as a tool for discussing the activities they would enjoy the most.

Extracurricular activities should preferably be run by teaching staff to build positive relationships outside of the classroom. Examples of activities include:

school student social committee

librarians and leaders of community reading programmes

drama club

art club

STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activities

model United Nations/debating

youth club

coding club

school newsletter/newspaper

music and dance

sports teams

mechanics club

photography

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Consider holding cross-curricular days or events, either as annual events or as regular themed days throughout the year. Plan a specific topic for each event and a range of activities to help students explore the chosen theme through teamwork.

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Establish the core traits that you wish your students to develop and internalise, such as perseverance, compassion, forgiveness and optimism.

Work with students, teachers and parents to establish these.

Provide definitions for each of the positive traits in a language that is clear and accessible for students.

Embed these traits throughout school life and in the subjects they study.

Provide students with detailed feedback when they demonstrate one of the core traits or show progress in developing them.

In doing this, you provide students with more than one way to feel successful in your lessons

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Students need to be taught that when adverse events happen, their thought pattern can impact how they feel and act, and can therefore influence the outcome of the event.

Students with pessimistic habits of thought can learn to retrain their minds and redirect their thoughts to maintain positive, realistic views of themselves. Students should be able to observe when they are exhibiting pessimism and permanence (“always” or “never”) so they can shift their perspective and develop positive behaviour. The following steps can help students to achieve this.

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A designated “safe space” that is free from questioning and judgement can allow a student to unwind and reflect on their behaviour without disrupting the class or shaming the student. A designated safe space also holds students accountable as they have the opportunity to take responsibility for their behaviour and honestly reflect on the impact of their actions.

This space must be free from distractions so that students are not able to disrupt the class further. This also allows you to address behaviour without removing the student from the classroom. Be sure to implement clear guidelines for what students should do once they enter the space in order to make it a productive method of decompressing – whether that be writing in a journal or practising mindfulness.

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Ask teachers to wait at the door when welcoming students into the classroom and to greet each student by name. Smiling and saying hello is important. In doing this, teachers can also identify any potential issues, such as a student looking upset or not seeming their usual self. The teacher can then take this student to one side, listen, and try to support them appropriately with any issues they are facing.

It is important that good classroom routines are established to complement this so that, if a student does need extra support or time, other students in the classroom have a clear routine to follow, know what is expected, and can engage in productive work. Having a “starter” or “bell” activity clearly displayed for the children to complete is an important part of this.

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Reflect on the way you currently listen to students as you explore the different listening techniques below. Start to incorporate these techniques, even if you introduce them one at a time.

Active listening involves listening carefully not only to the words that are being said, but also the message being communicated. Therefore, paying attention to body language, inflection, tone of voice and the type of language used is as important as listening to the words being said.

When practising active listening you should:

1. Show you are attentive.

Use open body language and adopt an open posture.

Smile or use appropriate facial expressions.

Encourage the other person to speak by nodding your head or saying “yes” or something similar.

2. Be attentive.

Avoid distractions; if something is distracting you, apologise to the person speaking at an appropriate time, remove the distraction and then ask them to continue.

Watch the speaker’s body language as they speak. How are your questions affecting them? How are their posture and actions changing as they speak?

Keep eye contact as much as possible.

3. Check you understand.

Paraphrase/summarise what the speaker has told you – or repeat back to them what they have said if you are finding it hard to focus.

Ask open-ended questions to clarify what has been said.

4. Avoid being judgemental.

Treat the speaker with respect; try to empathise with the student and what they are feeling; remain open-minded rather than using your own experiences or beliefs to understand.

Use non-judgemental language; if a student is sharing sensitive information, do not look shocked or say anything that may cause the student to feel unsafe to continue. Use positive, encouraging language and use silence to give the student space to share their thoughts and feelings.

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“I” statements are a form of non-judgemental communication used to address student behaviour without pointing blame. Non-judgemental communication, commonly referred to as “non-violent communication”, helps students recognise the impact of behaviour as well as possible alternative behaviours.

State what you observe: Address student behaviour by stating an observation of behaviour from your point of view. For example, when a student has a side conversation, say: “I heard you speaking when I was talking to the class.”

State how you feel: Tell the student how that behaviour made you feel. For example, you can say: “When I hear you having a side conversation, I feel that you do not care or value what I am sharing.”

State what you need: Tell the student what you need in order to feel respected, heard and acknowledged. For example, you can say: “To feel valued, I need silence when I am speaking to the class.”

State what you need in the future: This step is crucial for holding students accountable for their part. You can say: “In the future, can you avoid side conversations when I am addressing the class?”

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A healthy student/teacher relationship requires vulnerability on both sides. To encourage students to become vulnerable with you, you may need to first show your own vulnerability and “human-ness”, that is, that you bring with you a variety of diverse experiences, perceptions and beliefs. In sharing aspects of yourself, students become much more forgiving of your weaknesses and less challenging of your authority. You can try the following ideas:

Share with students aspects of your personal life - as early as the start of the school year. Show them pictures of your children or your pets, or tell them about personal passions or the activities you participate in outside of work.

Share personal stories from your childhood - particularly where you made mistakes or struggled with school, bullying, discrimination, issues at home or mental health. Share the steps you took to overcome these challenges.

Ask students for advice - This can be something silly, such as voting on how you should cut your hair, or something serious, such as figuring out how to eat more healthily.

Teach students what “vulnerability” means - Start a discussion with the class with the question: “Is vulnerability a sign of strength or weakness?” Then use a metaphor to discuss the benefits of being vulnerable. For example, dogs reveal their bellies, the most vulnerable part of their bodies, in order to get attention and affection.

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"All about me” surveys - At the start of the year, ask each student to fill out an “All about me” survey to help you get to know the aspects of students’ lives that they would not normally share in class. These can be tailored to different ages and can be focused on any variety of topics, from personal learning styles to a list of “favourites”. Many examples can be found online, including at https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/back-to-school-student-survey-questionnaire.shtml. For these surveys to be truly effective at building deeper relationships, commit to memorising one fact from each student and plan to reference it at some point during class, whether in a personal discussion or in a word problem.

“How’s it going?” feedback surveys - Ask for feedback from students on a regular basis, whether on individual assignments or on the class in general. Find a strong example of this type of survey at: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/student-feedback/. Again, these surveys are only effective if you discuss the feedback with students and show them how you are acting upon it.

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Reflect on the iceberg model, especially when processing challenging student. Use the iceberg diagram below to help you manage your reactions. Before responding to student behaviour, list the observable student behaviours, including their words, actions, body language and tone of voice. Then list possible perceptions, attitudes, values and beliefs that may shape that behaviour. This exercise helps you avoid reactionary responses to behaviour and consider interventions that may be better suited to invisible student needs. Recognising that student reactions, behaviours and responses are often the result of internal factors – and are not personal to teachers – can help staff to build stronger teacher/student relationships.

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Teach children to use smart goals.

Specific (simple, sensible, significant)

Measurable (meaningful, motivating)

Achievable (agreed, attainable)

Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)

Timebound (time-based, time-limited, cost-limited, timely, time-sensitive).

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Metacognition can be defined as “thinking about thinking” or understanding more about how we think and learn. One method of teaching metacognitive strategies is to think aloud, describing your thinking process while completing a task or question. The most useful models are those that involve making mistakes and working through them together.

Model your thinking with students while working through a test paper. Say out loud what you are thinking as you read a question, and explicitly model how you answer the question.

Write your thinking on the test paper and share this with your students, then ask your students to do the same. This will really help them to develop an understanding of the points they should consider and the questions they should ask themselves.

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on, ask your students to talk with a classmate (a talk partner) about what they are doing, and why. This is sometimes called “Think, Pair,  Share”. It gives students the time to think about and discuss their answer, which can give confidence to those who would not usually put their hand up to answer a question.

Provide the pairs of students with some questions they can ask their talk partner to prompt their thinking further. For example, when tackling a question on a maths paper, they could ask the following questions:

Are there any other similar answers you can think of with alternative routes?

Why do you think this works? Does it always? Why?

Why didn’t you consider a different route to the problem?

Why does that answer make sense to you?

What if I said that’s not true?

How do you know this is correct?

Could you tackle this question differently?

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Plan:
What topic is this question referring to?
What is the question asking me to do? What are the key command words?
What strategy will I use to answer this question?
What kind of solution do I expect?
How long do I expect this question to take?

Monitor:
Am I monitoring how well my strategy is working?
Is there anything I could change to get a better result?
Am I checking to ensure that I’m answering the question fully?
What is my plan if my answer is not correct?

Evaluate:
Have I checked for common mistakes?
How well have I answered the question?
Is there anything I need to change?
Was my time estimate accurate?
Would I do anything differently next time?

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Teach students how to:

take notes

summarise

skim and scan texts

use writing frames and strategies, such as Point, Evidence, Explain, Link/Topic, Reason, Explain, Ending

understand key terms and vocabulary.

Ask students to pronounce new words, and work with them to create their own definitions for these words (diagrams can be useful here). Students can then practise using the words correctly in their own writing and using them appropriately in conversation

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Provide students with reading comprehension exercises for homework, based on what they have learned in class. Then, at the start of the next class give them comprehension questions that include recall, inference and deduction to recap learning and support understanding. This supports regular review of recent learning as well.

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Discuss with students their school and home learning environments. Consider questions such as the following.

Can the student hear well enough in the classroom?

Does the student have a quiet place to work at home?

Are there any potential distractions?

How could distractions be minimised?

What is the lighting like where the student works?

Does the student have access to everything they need to complete tasks?

Support students to reflect on the best places and times for them to study.

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Increase expectations or maintain high expectations for students.

Increase confidence through active listening and guided questioning.

Provide materials and learning goals that are pitched appropriately.

Provide the support for students to achieve their potential.

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Compare Perceived Learning Capability or Learner Self-regard with attainment scores

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Compare Perceived Learning Capability or Learner Self-regard with attainment scores

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Criticism goes a long way

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Hinge questions can be used in class to assess students’ understanding. They are best used at the end of an activity or section of work to gauge whether students are ready to move on.

Plan a multiple-choice question that you can present to students at the end of a section of work that will tell you how they’ve understood the work.

In order for hinge questions to be useful, it is important to receive a response from every student. This will give you an accurate reflection of the percentage of students ready to move on to the next section of learning.

Answering the question should be quick (approximately two minutes). The multiple-choice format will allow you to assess the results quickly and easily. Using wipe-clean “Show Me” boards for students to write their answers on could also help.

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Regularly use techniques such as “Think, Pair, Share” to provide students with time to consider the answer to a question before answering. Avoid using a “hands-up” approach for selecting answers to questions; use strategies such as student names on lollipop sticks or a random name selector online to ensure that everyone knows they may have to answer the question.

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Regular short tests allow students to frequently “recall” what they have learned and check for misunderstandings. After every test, provide time for students to review any mistakes they have made. Provide further questions on the subject at a later date for students to test their understanding and establish the improvements they have made in their learning

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According to the Harvard Business Review, recognising progress, no matter how small, makes a significant difference in a person’s mood and feelings of success. Encourage students to create checklists of daily goals to increase a sense of accomplishment, boost confidence, and empower students to feel in control and in charge of their abilities. List items can range from being organisationally focused (“Remember to pack my homework folder!”) to content-focused (“Outline my introductory paragraph”). Encourage students to include soft-skill additions to their lists (“Help someone”; or “Raise my hand in class”; or “Lose myself in my work”). The simple act of crossing an item off their list can help students recognise tangible progress and personal abilities.

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Focus on Learning skills - Independence 

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Focus on Learning skills - Independence 

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“Learning without Limits”

“Learning without Limits” (Hart et al., 2004) is a research project set up to explore ability-based practice, such as setting and streaming, and to consider alternative methods based on the belief that a student’s learning capacity can dramatically change. This is called “transformability”.

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Create a large bulletin board in a prominent position to showcase student work that demonstrates the character strengths and learning habits that your school encourages. For example, you might show an essay including the drafts leading up to its completion, photos of a piece of artwork and its development, or an exemplary project that students have been working on over a period of time.

Ensure that each piece of work is credited, and give it a description to show why it is worthy of display on the Wonderwall.

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When discussing the learning outcome at the start of a class, show students what success looks like by providing them with a piece of work that has fulfilled the success criteria. Students will then know what they are going to be able to do when they have achieved the learning outcome.

Ensure that all students have a clear idea of the progress they are making. Provide them with objectives at the start of a topic, expressed as success criteria that they will need to achieve. This will help students to plan and review their progress as they move through the topic, and to self-assess, reflecting on what they need to do to improve

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Thought provoking debates and discussions

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Thought provoking debates and discussions

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Build at least one lesson a week around a debate or classroom discussion. Experiment with different formats to help students develop different skills and to provide variety. Debate and discussion are learned skills, so be sure to introduce formal guidelines for each activity so students know how to respect each other, invite multiple voices into the conversation, and build effectively off each other’s ideas. Consider some unique debate or discussion formats below.

The “odd one out” game: Provide students with three unrelated items, images, concepts or even numbers. Students must name the odd one out and justify it.

Thunk: A “thunk” (Ian Gilbert) is a beguiling question without a necessarily correct answer that provokes student thinking. Usually a thunk will seem a little silly or abstract to begin with, but it can stimulate great debate when students really start to think about the question.

Four corners debate: In this activity, students express their opinions on a multi-faceted debate topic by standing in the corner of the room that represents their opinion. Students from each corner take turns defending their position then calling on a different corner to comment. Students can move around the room as their position changes.

Role-playing debate: Students must defend a point of view that is assigned to them and is potentially different to their own. Students should be assigned to prepare both sides of a debate and then take on one position or the other. They can also take on different personas of present-day or historical figures.

Harkness or Socratic seminars: Students are posed one big idea question. The teacher acts as a participant, a guide or simply an observer while students lead the discussion. The goal is for students to come to a single, and likely complex, consensus to the big idea question. For students who have had sufficient practice with this method, large classes can be divided into two or three groups with concurrent seminars.

Concentric circles: Students sit in two concentric circles with the inside and outside circles facing each other. The teacher poses a question and partners have a set amount of time to discuss it. After the timer sounds, the circles rotate so each person has a different partner. The teacher poses a new question, and so on.

Snowball discussion: Students begin a discussion in pairs. After they feel they have come to a consensus, they find another pair and again aim to come to a consensus while incorporating the ideas from the new pair. They continue joining with other groups until the class is in consensus.

Additional ideas can be found at https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/.

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Create a classroom culture that is centred on discussion and that invites students to question their environment, including what they are learning, and why.

Set rules and guidelines: Make sure all students know that no question is a “bad” or “stupid” question. Establish a firm rule that laughing at other students’ questions is unacceptable. Ensure students have sufficient time to formulate questions, as well as “wait time” to think about responses.

Write agendas as questions: All activities should focus on questions. They should be debatable, where possible. Provide multiple modes for students to explore these questions, whether through debates, small groups, writing, performance, or any other ways that encourage students to create knowledge and challenge each other.

Praise curiosity: Celebrate great questions! Make “curiosity” the greatest student asset of all. Even if student answers are off-base, praise the way their brain is working and the unique connections they make.

Encourage tangential interests: Create assignments or build in time for students to research related or outside topics. Allow time for students to spark debate on the interesting topics they discover outside of class in magazine articles, social media, on billboards, and so on.

Encourage gratitude for learning: Encourage students to treat learning as a privilege. While it may seem peculiar at first, ask students to change their language from “I have to …” to “I get to …” If they feel strange saying “I get to take a test today,” allow this statement to be a joke until it actually changes their mindset.

Encourage gratitude for each other: Thank students for their contributions in class and encourage students to thank each other for thoughts, questions, help, enthusiasm and any other contributions that helped them feel more engaged in the learning environment.

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Do:

encourage students to ask good questions and develop their questioning skills

give students time to “rehearse” before being expected to respond to a question

provide sufficient wait time before expecting a response to a question

expect everyone to consider their answer to a question, rather than students immediately putting their hands up

think aloud to model how to formulate good questions

provide opportunities for small-group discussions on topic questions

model active listening by asking further questions rather than accepting the first answer – ask for comments and further thoughts, and listen actively to students’ answers

encourage students to question each other

celebrate great questions!

Don’t:

repeat questions or students’ answers unless you require clarity

scan the room while you wait for an answer; instead maintain focus and eye contact with the student who is thinking of their answer

try to trick students or catch them out – this can create a feeling of insecurity and decrease confidence and self-efficacy

ask questions without thinking about them first

ask questions without providing time for students to think about the answer

ask too many questions in rapid succession

put students on the spot, asking them to ask or answer a question without having time to think.

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Reflect on your own interest in the topics of the lesson. If you were a student, how would you want to see your favourite subject taught in order to reveal how fascinating it is? To create an air of excitement and awe around your subject, ask yourself the following questions.

What are the most interesting questions or topics of debate surrounding this topic?

When have I been most enthralled and engaged in learning about this topic? How can I recreate that with my students?

How can I activate my students’ five senses? Can I use an accent or a costume? Can I change the learning environment to resemble the content? Can I introduce audio-visual or video chat with other classes or professionals around the world? Can I create hands-on activities to explore the content?

What blogs or online resources can reveal a different perspective from which to teach this topic?

How can I relate the content to my or my students’ personal lives, to current events or to the real world?

If I were a student, what would I remember in 20 years from this unit? What do I want my students to remember? How can I make this a memorable experience?

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While students thrive on routine and consistency, these needs should be balanced with planned variety to keep awe and wonder alive. To successfully provide variation, schedule the opportunity for spontaneous activities into your weekly lesson plan for 1–2 days . Consider the following ways to provide planned variation.

Vary the time of the week the activities take place.

Keep the time consistent but vary the activity each time.

List the activity on the agenda as a “mystery activity” or “surprise time” to build excitement. Leave clues for students to guess what the activity might be.

Change the learning modes whether through a game, a debate, a video, small-group practice, independent practice, creative work, a presentation, and so on.

Vary the learning setting by planning a “field trip” to another classroom or outside.

Include hands-on materials in lesson plans, such as.

board games

scavenger hunts

Play-Doh

costumes

balls

artistic activities

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For younger students, use everyday activities to introduce emotions.

1. Have pictures of faces showing different emotions outside the classroom. When the students arrive for the day, ask them to place a lollipop stick with their name and photo on it on to the face showing the emotion they are feeling. Repeat this exercise at different times of the day, for example after breaks. Discuss with the class: Why are they feeling that emotion? What happened to make them feel like that? If it is a negative emotion, discuss with them and – if appropriate – the other students what they could do to change the emotion into a positive one.

2. When reading a story to the class, discuss how each of the characters may be feeling, and why. Ask them to try to explain why the character may be feeling that way and to describe a time when they might have experienced a similar emotion.

3. Create opportunities to discuss emotions, for example, if one student gives another student a hug when they are sad or if they squabble over toys. Share your own emotions during the day to give the class examples of what creates different emotions. For example, if a student creates a lovely drawing for you, say “Thank you, Ava. Drawing this lovely picture for me has made me so happy. Look at how much I am smiling.” Or, if a student misbehaves: “Ali, shouting out like that makes me feel sad. Can you see how sad my face looks?” Or: “Yesterday, I lost my purse then, after looking for over an hour, I found it. I felt so relieved. Have you ever felt like that?”

4. Think of appropriate ways for students to respond to their feelings and the feelings of others. For example, if a student says they are happy, a friend could give them a "high five“. If a student says they are feeling shy, a friend could hold their hand during circle time.

5. Have an emotion of the day. At the start of the day, discuss what the emotion feels like with the class, and what actions may make you feel that emotion. Ask the class to practise making facial expressions that show that emotion. Decide with the students what colour that emotion would be. At the end of the day, ask them to think of one time that day when they felt that emotion, and why. If it is a negative emotion, such as anger or sadness, discuss with the class how they could – or did – change that emotion into a positive one.

For older students:

1. Provide a selection of short stories for students to read and discuss, then ask them to identify the emotions each character in the story was feeling. Ask students to think about why the character might be feeling that way. Consider how the character’s beliefs about the situation might influence their feelings and actions. Ask them to think about how changing the character’s beliefs could create a different end to the story.

2. Focus on a different emotion each week. Ask students to consider a particular emotion at the beginning of the week and, together, create a list of words to describe that emotion. At the end of the week, ask students to reflect on when they felt that emotion and how it affected their actions. Students could write this down or, if they feel comfortable to do so, discuss it with their peers. If appropriate, ask students to discuss how they might have acted differently, and whether that would have created a better or worse outcome.

3. Ask students to identify the emotions they might feel in response to particular events or situations. Talk together about various strategies that they could use to deal with those emotions.

4. Play an emotion-walking game. In the school hall or outside, ring a bell and ask students to walk around as though they are sad. Ring the bell again and ask them to walk as though they are angry. Repeat the activity until you have practised several emotions.

5. Ask students to think of a time when they felt a strong emotion and encourage them to describe this to a friend. Ask them to identify what exactly made them feel that way. Was it a positive or negative emotion? Can they think of three things they could learn about themselves and this emotion to help them in the future?

6. Base student meetings or assemblies on emotions. Ask teachers to recount times when they have experienced particularly strong emotions, how that led to a positive or negative experience, and what they learned from it. A presentation that includes photographs can be particularly engaging for students.

7. Ask each student to write about an event in their life that caused a strong emotion. Ask students if they are happy for these descriptions to be read out to the class (tell them that names will not be shared). Read the descriptions out to the class and ask the class to guess which emotion the student was feeling at that time. Students can then, if they feel comfortable and would like to, reveal which description was theirs and answer any questions their peers might have.

8. Ask students to complete an emotions diary such as the one below. There are a number of different examples available online, and it is important to choose a template that is suitable for your students and their needs.

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Give students the opportunity to decide how areas of the school could be developed, and how the school’s physical environment could better meet students’ needs. Here are a few ideas.

Ask students to create a design scheme for the library or common rooms.

Hold a competition for a mural design, with a specific theme, to be painted on an outside wall.

Display student artwork prominently around the school.

Ask students to design a celebration of the school’s diversity for the reception area.

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Students with a poor body image not only have a high risk of becoming a victim of bullying and developing mental health challenges, but may also suffer academically as well (Florin et al., 2011). According to the Center for Disordered Eating, schools can work to become more body-positive by adopting the following strategies.

Increasing representation: Represent a wide array of diverse bodies in a positive light throughout the school.

Create a “No fad diet talk” rule among staff: Discourage staff from berating themselves about their bodies or discussing fad diets in the name of weight loss alone. Avoid topics like “beach bodies” or any talk that describes thin bodies as more beautiful. Encourage teachers to discuss healthy eating habits with all students equally, as well as the long-term health benefits of exercising regularly.

Normalise puberty-based body changes: Educate students on normal changes that happen to their bodies during puberty (weight gain, hair growth, etc.) and how they are a part of healthy development.

Encourage media literacy: Help students become critical consumers of the media and the cultural messages about beauty, health and weight they absorb every day.

Develop body-positive compliments: Encourage students and staff to reduce body talk in general. Avoid nicknames (such as “string bean”) or compliments (regarding weight loss, for example) that relate to students’ bodies. Instead, either avoid body talk altogether or, if appropriate, offer compliments that acknowledge physical aspects of their bodies that students have chosen in order to express themselves (such as body piercings, clothing/accessory choices, a new hair colour).

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It is important for students to acknowledge and understand bullying as something that is distinct from “annoying” or “bothering” behaviour. Students, like adults, need to be educated on what constitutes bullying, and where they can go to ask for help in the event that they or a peer are bullied. Some suggestions for creating an anti-bullying culture include the following.

Improve supervision: Ensure that students know that they are safe and that adults are aware of what is going on in the school. This can be improved through the use of video cameras in the hallway, in the playground and even on school buses. Increase supervision provided by teachers and/or other supervisory staff during lunch and recess.

Hold bullying-education assemblies: Set aside several times throughout the school year for students to be educated about bullying, as well as personal, social and emotional health. During each grade/year, level, term or quarter, or after a large anti-bullying assembly, create small groups where students can speak meaningfully about the information presented. It is important that students’ voices are heard and that they feel safe and confident about expressing their concerns.

Hold a “funeral for put-downs”: In this activity, created by Responsive Classroom, students write down the most hurtful names they have been called and/or negative things that have happened to them and “bid them farewell” in a “funeral”. After students have written down their contributions, they can share their words or anonymously drop their contributions in a large bowl. One by one, students take a piece of paper from the bowl and read the insults written. Hold a discussion on the repercussions of bullying and how students can intervene. Afterwards, go outside together, dig a hole and bury all the words that have caused pain.

Educate students and parents on cyberbullying and internet safety:

Provide students and parents with clear and concise guidance on what to do if they see or receive unpleasant messages via social media. For example, students often delete unpleasant messages whereas it is better to save the evidence as a screenshot. More advice can be found on the Connect Safely website: https://www.connectsafely.org/tips-to-help-stop-cyberbullying/.

Educate parents on legal ages to sign up to online apps. Very often, parents do not know that Facebook, Instagram and Twitter require all users to be at least 13 years old. They are also not always aware that to have a YouTube account, users must be 18 years old or 13 with parental permission.

Educate parents on how to support their child in staying safe online. The FBI publishes some useful resources for parents on this topic: https://www.fbi.gov/resources/parents.

Build community and family partnerships: Schedule a parent education series of events throughout the year, with speakers, police and non-profit organisations present to educate parents on what their child needs to do to be safe online.

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Encourage students to question what is happening across the school, and specifically in their lessons for example, the purpose of particular aspects of the school (such as displayed material/clubs/events/policies in action, etc). This will support them to see a real meaning to being there. It will also enable students to feel they are being heard and have some degree of ownership of their school experience.

Here are some ideas to try.

When beginning a new topic, don’t tell the students what you are doing straightaway, but encourage questions based on the initial focus you give them. This encourages all students to become involved.

Have a “question box” in your classroom. Students can anonymously drop into it any questions that they have. Set aside time each week to discuss what has been shared.

At any point during a lesson, allow students to write questions about what you are doing in class. They could write these on a board, a flip pad or on a sticky note on the wall. Allow time to answer these questions at various points during the lesson.

Provide students with opportunities to evaluate which activities will support them the most in their learning. They can then choose some activities to complete during or after the lesson

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Assemblies: Allow the student council to lead assemblies that celebrate student achievements. Emphasise student academic and extracurricular accomplishments and highlight areas of interest in the school environment.

Introduce student councils: See the Response to Curriculum Demands chapter for more information.

Student-designed environment: Consider involving students in design choices in classrooms, hallway displays or any other aspect of the school environment. Conduct surveys or take on focus groups of students to help design these spaces. Celebrate their contributions publicly.

Conduct student surveys: Ask a few students about the key areas that need to be improved in the school. Then, create feedback surveys that target those areas to help improve them and reflect student needs. See the Attitudes to Teachers chapter for more information.

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Make sure that staff build positive and warm relationships with students and parents/carers.

Keep open and regular communication with parents, involving them in their child’s learning and keeping them up to date about school life.

Support families to promote their child’s well being through education about healthy eating, positive family relationships and creating a positive home learning environment.

Help parents to get involved with their child’s homework. Explore barriers such as a lack of time or suitable area for their child to work in (see the “Parental engagement” section in the Confidence in Learning chapter).

Get parents involved in school life through volunteering. This could be both for regular sessions, such as supporting students’ reading, and for larger, one-off events such as a summer fair.

Encourage parents to get involved in the Parent–Teacher Association (PTA) or other forums that bring together the school community.

Hold regular workshops to show parents what their children are learning and the way they are being taught.

Consider the timings of parent–teacher meetings and information evenings. Provide more than one time for information sessions so that parents who work have more than one opportunity to attend. Record information meetings and share them with parents so that they can view them in their own time.

Invite parents into school to read with their children once a term. Encourage fathers, in particular, to attend and read a book with their child. Invite a parent into class each week to read one chapter of the class reading book or to join the reading session.

Encourage parents to set up a parent social group. Social events for parents to attend and get to know each other can be useful, especially if parent advocates for the school are involved; they can support those parents who are less likely to ask the school for support or information. This group of parents can also provide support for new parents whose children join the school.