ITHACA_November_PRINT

FROM THE PRINCIPAL
pedagogical framework is a set of broad principles
(not classroom actions) based on significant research
that guides the quality delivery of the school
curriculum.
At Ithaca Creek, our underlying guide for all frameworks,
teaching-learning programs, capital and minor works and
decisions is: Is what we are doing giving every student an
equitable opportunity to be the best they can?
Ithaca Creek’s pedagogical framework is based primarily on
research conducted by six different individual/groups. (Marzano’s
ASoT; Fisher and Frey’s Gradual Release of Responsibility;
; Davidson’s Essential Classroom Management Skills and
Classroom Profiling; Hattie’s Visible Learning; Giorcelli’s
Inclusivity ; Reggio Emilia developmental play models)
We have not taken one person’s perspective and then forced that
model onto Ithaca Creek teachers and students.
Rather we examined a number of philosophies and practices and
selected aspects of each that we believed support our teachers
and students in the teaching and learning styles.
First of all it is necessary to understand that good teaching is
good teaching and regardless of the teaching model chosen,
many behaviours and processes of good teaching will be similar
in all models. (Just like the features that make a luxury car are not
identical in all luxury cars, however, we are able to identify these
similar features feature in each form of luxury car.)
Robert Marzano and his researchers have packaged a way of
using all the recognised effective teaching behaviours into a
model called The Art and Science of Teaching (ASoT). As a staff,
we believe that this model best reflects what happens at Ithaca
Creek.
The ASoT model are based on 10 Design questions:
• What will I do to establish and communicate learning goals, track student
progress, and celebrate success?
• What will I do to establish or maintain classroom rules and procedures?
• What will I do to recognise and acknowledge adherence and lack of
adherence to classroom rules and procedures?
• What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationships with
students?
• What will I do to communicate high expectations for all students?
• What will I do to develop effective lessons organized into a cohesive unit?
• What will I do to engage students?
• What will I do to help students effectively interact with new knowledge?
• What will I do to help students practice and deepen their understanding
of new knowledge?
• What will I do to help students generate and test hypotheses about new
knowledge?
The ‘red border’ are four actions that are always in play, are
constantly requiring attention and key to successful outcomes for
the teacher and the student.
• Student Engagement
• Teacher/student relationship
• High expectations (behaviour and academic)
• Adherence to rules and procedures (constant
enforcement / consequences).
It is important that a positive relationship exists between
the teacher and their students – one of mutual respect,
understanding and compassion. The students wants to know
and feel that the teacher is interested in them as individuals and
as learners and will provide the necessary support and guidance
to be a successful learner. The teacher is to provide lessons
that engage and challenge the student, models consistency of
application and effort, and to demonstrate an understanding of
their students.
Clear, understood, discussed expectations which are constantly
and consistently reinforced, modelled and acknowledged allows
everyone to understand the ‘base’ from which each individual
operates.
The ‘green centre’ are areas that require a lot of time at the
beginning of the year and then re-visiting throughout the year.
These feed into and out of the ‘red border’.
At the beginning of the year, classroom and school expectations
are discussed and agreed and practices and discussed and
referred to and tweaked and referred to and applied. Teachers
and students discuss what each expectation ‘looks like’ in the
classroom and the playground. They discuss the positive and
negative consequences of their actions and behaviours
Once the red and the green are balanced, then the ‘blue zone’
comes into play enabling teachers and students to move beyond
the ordinary and moving into extension activities, ‘thinkingoutside-the
box’ activities and activities that allow the students
to learn who they are and allows them to try and sometimes fail
within a safe and supported environment.
All of the theory, the frameworks, the reason for coming to Ithaca
Creek, is directed at ensuring that we are Giving every
student an equitable opportunity to be the best
they can.
19