All posts by Mr Varty

Self-Reflection, Skills, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized, Vision and Leadership

Action Enquiry in Science – Talking to Learn

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Ann McLean – Biology/Science Teacher

In 2009, I completed my masters at Stirling University. Three years hard slog to obtain the status of Chartered Teacher but the benefits have been invaluable. The course introduced experienced teachers to ‘Action Enquiry’ and guided us towards being researchers in our own classrooms.

We carried out two research projects. The first was a classroom based enquiry and involved only one teacher as researcher. The second was a collaborative project, involving two or more teachers.

My first project was inspired by a ‘difficult’ second year science class I had inherited (2V).  Most students were poorly motivated, badly behaved, had a fairly negative view of Science and failed to engage with and participate in lessons. A nightmare class you might say!

The class had a large number of less able students who were struggling  and a couple had significant behaviour  problems.   The only way I could get them through any work was to resort to rigid ‘ lock step’, teacher led lessons. I couldn’t trust them to do practical work so I demonstrated it and any notes they had to make were copied from the board. I became increasing  unhappy  with this ‘reception’ style  teaching where my passive learners were  receiving facts from me and expected to learn them. Although I tried to encourage and motivate my students, I didn’t see much improvement. They continued to be reluctant Scientists with very low self esteem. They performed poorly in assessments which triggered the whole cycle again. Continue reading Action Enquiry in Science – Talking to Learn →

Literacy, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Skills

Moderation and Assessment of Reading in St Margaret’s Cluster

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Mary Gibson – St Margaret’s Cluster Development Officer

On Tuesday 12th February all primary staff from across St Margaret’s cluster, representatives from Cedarbank School  and teachers from the English Department met to embark on the first of a two stage exercise to moderate and assess reading at Early, First, Second and Third level. Early and First level meetings took place in Howden St Andrew’s and St Nicholas’ primaries while Second and Third level staff worked in St Margaret’s Academy. The overall aim of this exercise was to establish a standard across the cluster of “secure” learning in one outcome.

The process involved using a template* to plan and deliver lessons to pupils who were secure at Lit1- 19a, Eng 1-19a, Eng 2-19a and Eng 3-19a. Passages were provided for selection according to the needs of the pupils involved. Continue reading Moderation and Assessment of Reading in St Margaret’s Cluster →

Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

Drama – Good Practice

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In this video you will see a glimpse of the practical element of Drama. These Standard Grade pupils are working on a Voice unit and this lesson focuses on Tone. The young people are involved in a mixture of Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic activities, to maximize involvement and understanding and to keep lessons fast-paced. All pupils get the chance to devise, rehearse, perform and evaluate, so they are constantly strengthening and sharpening their creative, cooperative, presenting and analytical skills. Standard Grade actors also present their performance work to audiences from lower years, which in turn, is a chance for S1 and S2 students to experience the Standard Grade Drama course for themselves.

Literacy, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

English – Good Practice

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Edith McCabe – English Teacher

Active Learning strategies-keeping your pupils on the ball.

It is well known in the world of teaching that active learning strategies are extremely effective. Having pupils actively involved in the learning process ensures that they retain information much more effectively. The very simply strategy of throwing a ball is incredibly beneficial; it focuses and engages even the most reluctant learners. They can’t seem to resist chucking a ball about the room! I have since discovered however, that a balloon is even more useful (noone can get hurt!). Other teachers in the deaprtment have used the balloon strategy since hearing the noise and laughter coming from one of my lessons-controlled noise of course! I usually get the pupil holding the balloon to think of a question for the person who catches it. It beats the whole class methodically answering questions that I have formulated. Often they come up with very probing and insightful questions and they learn so much from each other. It removes a lot of the attention away from the teacher and encourages them to take responsibility for their own learning.

Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized, Vision and Leadership

Pupil Centred Learning – Chartered Teacher Professional Enquiry

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Sally Cameron – Health & Technology Teacher

The Health and Technology staff, together with their pupils and parents, carried out a study into pupil centred learning approaches. We had identified that homework was being poorly completed by a number of pupils, was not being completed at all by some pupils and was doing little to promote learning. Research suggests that there is a substantial link between homework and attainment and our aim was to enhance the learning via the creation and implementation of a pupil-centred approach to homework in S2 H&T.

As partof the study we tried to answer 3 questions:
• Can a pupil-centred approach improve homework returns and quality?
• Can parental involvement in a pupil-centred approach improve the number and quality of homework returns?
• Will a pupil-centred approach to homework improve learning?

Teachers worked closely with their pupils to develop a new approach to homework. Over a period of eight weeks, the teachers provided pupils with opportunities to choose and complete several newly designed, fully inclusive, creative homework activities. Pupils, together with their parents, were asked to comment on, and sign, each completed homework task.

Continue reading Pupil Centred Learning – Chartered Teacher Professional Enquiry →

Health and wellbeing, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

Engaging all learners in practical lessons

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Sally Cameron – Health and Technology

This video shares some of the techniques we use to motivate and support the progressive, fast-paced learning of all pupils in Health and Technology.  Fifty minutes is not a long time to welcome students, share learning targets and success criteria, deliver teacher led demonstrations of key skills, reinforce points of health and safety, support pupils through a practical task whilst still ensuring there still time for peer and self-evaluation, never mind the most important task of tasting your creation! You get a real sense of this in the video as you see an early S1 class making healthy pizzas.

Continue reading Engaging all learners in practical lessons →

Skills, Teaching Pedagogy

Co-operative Learning Strategies

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Alanna Petrie – English Department

Last year, as a probationer teacher, I often encountered the difficulty of making group work effective. When planning group activities I had imagined a class full of interrogative youngsters working together to achieve their lesson aim. This was not quite the reality. The problems I encountered were that the work was being done by only one or two of the group while the others sat back or, that pupils would quickly seize the opportunity to socialise rather than learn.

After trying a variety of group work strategies, I was introduced to co-operative learning.

The aim of co-operative learning is to ensure that when pupils are working in groups they are all focused on achieving their learning goal. It works because the strategies rely on every member of the group fulfilling their role to ensure the success of the team. Not only are these strategies a good way of making lessons active and enjoyable but they also help to develop two of the four capacities: successful learners and effective contributors. Continue reading Co-operative Learning Strategies →

Interdisciplinary learning, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Skills, Vision and Leadership

Stirling, CERN, SQA and RRSA CPD Activities

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My recent CPD activities have included completing the West Lothian Leadership course and have now started an MSc course in Educational Leadership at Stirling University. I have also undertaken marking for the SQA of both Standard Grade and Advanced Higher scripts. I have been leading the Rights Respecting Schools initiative within my school and have recently been appointed the Business Links development post holder within the school. Over the past year, I have also been trying to implement more use of technology in my teaching, by using facilities such as the PS3 and XBOX to enhance the learning of pupils. In addition I have recently been looking to use Edmodo with my classes such that more online resources have been available to them. I have also lead a recent foreign trip to CERN in Geneva, and undertaken the arrangement of the end of term shows within the school. Continue reading Stirling, CERN, SQA and RRSA CPD Activities →

Self-Reflection, Skills, Teaching Pedagogy, Vision and Leadership

Planning a school trip abroad – CERN Geneva

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Gerry Burns, Physics/Science Department

My recent CPD activities included taking 18 pupils to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The purpose of this trip was to allow pupils to investigate particle physics at the biggest experiment on the planet. As I hadn’t taken pupils on a trip abroad before, there was great value in understanding how to organise the event in a way that the pupils got the maximum benefit while ensuring all the health and safety needs of the group were met.

Continue reading Planning a school trip abroad – CERN Geneva →

Interdisciplinary learning, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, This is our Faith, Uncategorized, Vision and Leadership

R.E. Inset Day

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Frank Quinn – Principal Teacher R.E. Department

As part of the school’s plan in implementing “Shining the Light” and “This is Our Faith” (T.I.O.F.), it was decided that some time should be spent looking at part of the document “T.I.O.F.” by the whole staff during an Inset day.  The school believes the way forward with “T.I.O.F.” and the school’s Religious Education programme is to approach it as a whole-school responsibility, like Literacy, Numeracy and H&WB.  Each department should be aware where there are opportunities for them to contribute to the R.E. in the school.

Continue reading R.E. Inset Day →