We develop an Annual Action Plan each year to drive learning and teaching across the school. This starts with our student data sets, including academic and wellbeing data and attitudinal data we get from the MACSSIS surveys. This year, we continue focusing on St Francis Xavier’s story and bringing that to life in every aspect of our school community. We also have a specific focus on improving student growth in numeracy and reading comprehension across the school. Our Annual Action Plan outlines the specific steps and strategies we will work through to achieve our goals.
One of the key aspects of our improvement agenda this year is to strengthen our focus on Explicit Instruction. You may have read recently in the Age about Catholic schools going ‘back to basics’. We prefer to see this as Catholic schools using current evidence and research about how children learn to ensure we approach learning and teaching in the most effective ways possible.
I Do – The teacher introduces and demonstrates a new skill, strategy, or content. This is usually done by providing clear explanations or demonstrations.
We Do – Students and teachers work together to practice and refine the skill or strategy or unpack new knowledge. This phase is heavily scaffolded and includes plenty of guidance, discussion, and opportunities for questions.
You Do – In this phase, students apply what they’ve learned independently, while teachers move around the learning space supporting or extending students as they consolidate what they have learned.
While this sounds like a simple, step-by-step process, in reality, learning is dynamic! Teachers adapt these phases to meet the needs of each class, ensuring every child has the support and challenge they need to succeed.
We have developed an Explicit Instruction checklist at SFX to help teachers implement the strategy and refine their practice. Teachers are able to receive feedback about their teaching and observe one another to continually tweak, adjust and improve. We acknowledge that everyone in our school, student and staff member, is a learner and always looking to grow. Exciting times!