by Cheryl Lacey, DSJ, Thought Starters On Education, ©2023

(Aug. 21, 2023) — A group of school principals I was coaching were keen to learn what could be done differently to maximise face-to-face and one-to-one teaching time.

The ‘Purpose Driven Review’ (PDR) I developed identified time management and communication as the two significant issues in every school.

We began the change process by restoring, reducing and replacing various tactics.

Over three months, the benefits were significant.

In terms of classroom practice, teachers wanted to see how they could continue to use their approaches to teaching while incorporating the proposed changes.

I agreed to do a demonstration lesson and have it recorded for use in further professional learning and evaluation.

Twenty-seven principals and teachers stood around the perimeter of the classroom as I launched into a 40-minute lesson.

The goal was to demonstrate how, in that time frame, all my time would be spent teaching. I planned to show nine different strategies to achieve this.

The session went according to plan and the outcomes were as anticipated.

Toward the end of the lesson, I decided to throw in a curve ball. I asked a group of students to put their rubbish in the bin.

No-one moved.

I asked again… still nothing.

At that moment, one of the principals said, ‘Students, I think Ms Lacey would like you to put your trash in the can’.

Clearly, the meaning of words used by an Aussie in a room full of American educators couldn’t be taken for granted.

It was a great end to an already successful session.

Not only were time management and face-to-face and one-on-one teaching achieved, but the principle of ‘a shared language of agreement’ was demonstrated in real-time and became a real learning experience.

First Principles On Education

A Shared Language of Agreement

We need to be able to use words correctly. Because words, phrases and concepts can have more than one meaning, we must be sure we’re using them in a way that is clear to everyone involved in the communication.

See the video and read the rest here.