Reflecting on your learning in this science of learning workshop. What has been the most significant new information you have gained? So what will you do with that learning? Now what will the impact be on your classroom teaching? by Andrew McMillan

2025-04-30 21:00:24 UTC

New learning - developed a deeper understanding of the teenage brain from a second school perspective (I’m primary trained). Moving forward - Spend more time on the positive communication with my mainstream year 10 boys, putting in more ground work talking to them casually

in order to have a stronger connection so they can ask me for more help if/when struggling.

2025-04-30 21:01:36 UTC

The sessions in the workshop are very good reminders to stop and think about our learner’s in front of us beyond the classroom. It is good reminder that not everyone is same and for teenagers it’s normal to be abnormal and we need to just get on the back foot at times and just give them some time. Although the main problem is lack of time as we have to cover the learning content in that time and hence forget these key things. I will consider this as very good reminder to prioritise students and relationships with them in class over the content teaching.

2025-04-30 21:01:46 UTC

A good reminder that relationships are key. Being able to understand that we all have different backgrounds and experiences and these have impacts on behaviours. But with good relationships you can move forward in a positive way.

I want to keep using restorative practice, building relationships.

Also chunking more, followed by lots of small practicing tasks.

2025-04-30 21:02:00 UTC

The adolescent brain… the upgrade stage.

This was really interesting and well explained.

I will take away the importance of building understanding of the individuals circumstance, cutting them some slack when they make ‘risky’ decisions. Treat young people like whanau with consequences. Restorative rather than punitive.

I will also look into the states of Mauri and how we could weave this into our LSC behaviour and safety plans

2025-04-30 21:02:33 UTC

Key reminders about the importance of knowing the neuroscience behind adolescence, brain development and learning. Knowing this gives us the ability to step away from a behaviour and look for the causes and, consequently, find outcomes that empower students to learn. In many ways is rather like training a young horse. It is about understanding how they communicate, reading body language and knowing when to push and when to back off. If you teach with patience, have clear boundaries and compassion and guide and give them the space to feel safe and understand, they will choose to ‘come to the party’ for themselves and will thrive in the learning environment as a result.

2025-04-30 21:03:21 UTC

Hello Andy,

Getting to know the impact kids experiences between age of 1-8 on their cognitive and behaviour acts; help me to start investigating more about where the students are coming from such as their environment, life experiences, and etc…

This has helped me to reflect on my teaching strategies for individual kids and how to find solutions/adaptive way rather than trying to have a fixed teaching method.

Building relationships with kids and whanau and getting to know them more has made the lessons and learning to run smoothly and students started to enjoy the class time more.

Also, I will start implement the universal functions of learning management more in my day to day teaching and learning environment.

Thank you!

Nareman

2025-04-30 21:04:48 UTC

The most important thing I’ve learned is to see my students as unique individuals who bring their own life experiences to the classroom. Understanding their backgrounds and how their brains develop helps me respond to them in a better way. This gives me both a responsibility and tools to connect with them in a more positive and supportive way.