Since the first school day of 2019, staff from Orbost Secondary College and Orbost, Orbost North, Newmerella and Marlo primary schools have been meeting regularly to develop a shared understanding of the characteristics of effective learners.
The intention is to help students build a better understanding of what it is that makes an effective learner. Learning doesn’t finish at the school gate and through building knowledge in staff and students of what good learners do, the aim is to create in all students the belief they can learn.
Working together, the district’s educators are developing a sequential approach to teaching students about effective learners. It is known that there are some basic behaviours that are important to learning in a school setting, such as listening to others, but it is also known that there are many other qualities of a good learner, such as asking questions when you don’t understand, persisting when things are hard and being prepared to risk being wrong.
Recently staff from each of the local schools have been visiting each others’ schools to speak with students about what they think makes an effective learner. There have been some insightful comments made by the students that have reinforced the belief that more time should be spent teaching students how to learn.
On Friday, August 30, staff from all schools met at Orbost Secondary College to spend time creating what are being called ‘Consistent Learner Protocols’. That is, the things that they want to teach students about how to be a good learner.
The school staff plan to continue working together in 2020, focussing on how teachers create the environment for effective learning to flourish.
Alongside the work of staff in the schools, the school councils and principals have been proactive in meeting regularly to explore how the schools work together to provide the best possible educational outcomes for all students now, and into the future. All schools are well aware of the impact of the changing population and recognise the strength in working together to ensure the children and young people in the area have every opportunity for success.
PICTURED: Cindy Morgan, Michael Young, Penny Quin and Alice Hesse, of Orbost Secondary College, discuss local education issues with Newmerella Primary School’s Steve Mathers (principal) and Julie Andrews.
