It’s 1st August, and, for many of our Teach2030 community around the world, it is the start (or middle) of another school holiday. Even if you are not on summer break, for many of our teachers, today marks their halfway point in the academic year. Can you believe how quickly 2022 is going? So, how can we use this time effectively to reflect on what we have learnt as teachers, before September starts?
- Reflecting over the 2021-2022 academic year.
Over the past two years, worldwide, we have been united in our battle against Covid-19. In the first 18 months of the pandemic, schools were regularly opening and closing as a result of it. It was in November 2020 – in our blog ‘Closing the Covid Gap’, we first discussed the complexities and impact of the pandemic on our education systems. Thankfully, this academic year has run a little more smoothly, as most children have returned to full time school. However, pressure has remained on teachers to catch up learning missed.
Despite this intense challenge, our Teach2030 teachers have continued to grow. In fact, as part of every course, we encourage keeping a learning portfolio – a record of ongoing professional development.
But, how often do you look back over your entries, including your action plans?
Natukunda Phionah from Uganda shares his action plan below, having completed our ‘Fresh Thinking’ course.
| What would I like to improve? | Why? | How will I do it? | When will I review my action plan? |
| Ensuring that 21st century skills are emphasised in my practice (the 4cs) | It is important for learners to attain these skills because I have learnt that once students attain them, they are able to thrive in a world, where change is constant and learning never stops. | I will encourage student collaboration by creating study groups for students to do group projects. Nurture students’ communication skills through encouraging ‘presentation making,’ in order to build student confidence. I will also encourage creativity through encouraging new skills; fostering a question-friendly environment, practising generating more ideas; as well as modelling creativity in the classroom. I will teach and emphasise metacognition, as well as using extensive and detailed questions, in order to help students develop into critical thinkers. | Monthly |
Thank you to Natukunda Phionah and all our teachers who submit their action plans once they have completed a Teach2030 course.
Teachers have worked hard to upskill themselves this academic year but unless we reflect today, we risk forgetting some of our professional development progress by September.
Now is the perfect time to reward your progress by considering exactly what you have learnt.
- 2. Preparing for the 2022-2023 academic year
Looking back over your learning portfolio, what skills would you still like to develop in your classroom?
Josette Christie, a teacher in Jamaica, outlines her three major targets:
- Make my classroom more child-centred
- Allow students to initiate their learning
- Give quality feedback
So, how do you achieve those goals?
When we return to school, many of us must plan new topics and subjects never taught before, whilst some will teach content from lesson plans already designed. No matter the situation, our reflections (that we have just completed based on our portfolios) have highlighted teaching targets that now need meeting. As teachers, we are always short of time. Use this time effectively and learn new skills by taking our low cost, personalised Teach2030 courses and attending our free, short, snappy monthly workshops.
This month’s interactive 15 minute session is on Saturday 24th August at 3pm BST, where we will discuss open and closed questions. Attendees of our workshops feel ‘actively involved in the learning process,’ (Tasnim, Somalia), so why not join the conversation with our community today? To sign up, click here.
We are proud to have launched our new features, our ‘Teaching Tip of the Week.’ Keep your learning going by clicking here or click the image below.
Finally, remember to follow us today on our social media platforms @teach2030 (Facebook) @commonwealth_education_trust (Instagram). Comment, like and re-share our posts and encourage other teachers to develop professionally. Use the hashtags: #teach2030
