Last week Dr Chalwell, Mr Johnston, Mrs Vlok and I went to Canberra and Goulburn to visit a number of schools who are committed to the pedagogical practices associated with Explicit Instruction.
These schools are part of ‘Catalyst’ which is a program run by the Catholic Schools group in the Canberra Diocese. We were made very welcome by these schools who opened the doors to their classrooms and staff rooms so that we could see the visible impact that Explicit Instruction is having on student outcomes. What we observed was very encouraging and also consistent with our vision for the future of our students.
Over the last two years we have shared our journey with you, talking about how we are using Explicit Instruction and High Expectations in our classrooms at RHAC. These are two of the five practices from our Teaching and Learning Principles which also complement this year’s focus on Relational Teaching.
In a nutshell:
- Explicit Instruction lays a foundation where all students are receiving the clear and consistent teaching of content and skills
- Our High Expectations approach creates a learning environment which is optimised for student engagement and ensures that each student is encouraged to stretch their capabilities
- Relational Teaching promotes the establishment of positive rapport between teachers and students so that learning can be effective and feedback can be shared constructively
At home, you can:
