JUNIOR SECONDARY ACTION PLAN

This is what I saw when I entered the room

BRIGHT ROOM WITH GROUPED TABLES

LOADS OF BOARD SPACE TOO

WHAT THE STUDENTS DID

• They were mostly quiet but engaged
• They seemed to enjoy group work
• They respected the teacher
• Seemed comfortable in class
• Came to class on time after breaks

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NUMERACY & LITERACY

• Most of the day was spent on reading, comprehension & math
• Reading groups were based on levels
• One on one support weekly
• Tracking of reading progress
• Do we do this in secondary?

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RELATIONSHIPS

• Teachers have all year to build on relationships
• One teacher can easily integrate learning between subjects
• Only 2 year 7 classes, so they know all their peers well
• Consistent routines & expectations
• Leadership opportunities at school increases feeling of belonging

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DIGITALLY RICH

• No! We need to prepare juniors for digital workplace
• There was no computer use in the classroom
• "Sometimes we go to the computer rooms"
• Computers in classrooms often usedas a "reward"
• Not embedded in an authentic way

SOME BIG DIFFERENCES

• Primary students stay mostly in one room with one teacher
• Digitl expectations are vastly different - gaps in learning
• Teachers own a room and can help students feel welcomed
• Parents are highly visible at beginning and end of day
• Primary teacher has more time for personalised learning

IMPORTANT POINTS

• Students told me they look forward to high school
• They cannot wait to have more than one teacher
• They want to use digital devices in the classroom
• They believe they will make new friends in secondary
• They want to be heard!