Why teach in Teams?
Our staff are passionate about developing learning pathways that are personal and individualised for every child. This means that we strive to have every student learning the right thing, at the right time, in the right way. Team Teaching allows us to enhance these deliberate acts of teaching through a combination of ‘Workshops’ and ‘Action Stations’ by having two teachers giving the students focussed teacher attention during these times.
This team approach also gives us the opportunity to grasp the power of teacher collaboration, student to teacher feedback and also formative assessment methods; all highly ranked teaching approaches highlighted in John Hattie’s Research into effective teaching and learning strategies. (Visible Learning, 2009)
This team approach also gives us the opportunity to grasp the power of teacher collaboration, student to teacher feedback and also formative assessment methods; all highly ranked teaching approaches highlighted in John Hattie’s Research into effective teaching and learning strategies. (Visible Learning, 2009)
How does Team Teaching work?
Team Teaching at MBS involves 2 teachers working together with 2 ‘homeroom’ classes. They are directly responsible for the pastoral needs of their homeclass and are the first ‘port of call’ for parents and students. During the day, however, both teachers are involved in running workshops and action stations for both classes.
A typical learning hour would involve one teacher teaching a focussed workshop with 8-15 students in one learning space, while the other teacher facilitates the rest of the students during the independent / co-operative learning time. Both students and teachers have reflected (and the research conducted in other schools has reinforced this) that team teaching has given them more focussed learning time and an overall increase in student / teacher time.
We have found that the benefits of teaching in teams are:
A typical learning hour would involve one teacher teaching a focussed workshop with 8-15 students in one learning space, while the other teacher facilitates the rest of the students during the independent / co-operative learning time. Both students and teachers have reflected (and the research conducted in other schools has reinforced this) that team teaching has given them more focussed learning time and an overall increase in student / teacher time.
We have found that the benefits of teaching in teams are:
- More flexible and creative use of instructional time that advantaged students;
- Knowing more about all the students and seeing different student strengths given the opportunity to view them in varied learning contexts;
- Greater shared ownership of students and student learning;
- Increased reflection on individual and collective teaching practices;
- More learning from and with colleagues about students and about teaching and learning;
- Increased collective expertise resulting in greater effectiveness with a variety of students;
- Decreased teacher isolation, increased support and feeling valued by colleagues;
- Itinerant teachers experiencing varied collaborative designs and strategies then being able to share those experiences and ideas across classrooms; and
- Having more energy and greater enjoyment from teaching.” (1)
- Increased teacher focus on the learners and the learning that is happening in front of them in focused workshops.
- Increased teacher focus on the learners working on independent and cooperative learning experiences.
- Students are always supervised and able to have a teacher’s full attention in a way not available with a single teacher system.
What are Learning Goals and Learning Pathways?
At MBS we strive to create learning programmes that are tailored for the individual child. This means that we don’t fit our learners into our programmes but we tailor our programmes to fit the learners. How do we do this for so many learners? Through our Learning Goals and Action Pathways.
Each child has Reading, Writing and Math goals that are recorded in the back of their books and shared online in Linc-Ed (our Student Management System). Parents have access to Linc-Ed 24/7 and can view the goals, progress charts and Key Competency statements at their will. Reporting to parents also occurs through Linc-Ed.
Each child has Reading, Writing and Math goals that are recorded in the back of their books and shared online in Linc-Ed (our Student Management System). Parents have access to Linc-Ed 24/7 and can view the goals, progress charts and Key Competency statements at their will. Reporting to parents also occurs through Linc-Ed.