We want a classroom that instils behaviours of independence, is highly engaging and allows teachers to spend focused time with all of our learners. In Stage One we structure our literacy and numeracy rounds in a simple but powerful model that:

• helps students develop independence, stamina, and accountability;
• provides students with an abundant amount of time for practicing reading, writing, and math;
• increases the amount of time teachers spend with students one-on-one and in small groups
• provides students with opportunities to make choices in their learning.

What does it look like?

There is a chart which separates our learning into multiple rounds with the same 5 options on each. Each boy has a peg that is used to tell him where he will be in that round, if he has not been assigned to work with a teacher, he is free to make a choice of where he would like to focus his learning for that session.

Around the classroom you will see a small group of boys working with a teacher, and others either collaborating in small groups or learning independently. At the end of each round, the boys’ transition into the next phase.

Why do we like it?

Relinquishing control and offering choice increases student engagement exponentially and is one of the greatest motivators in students’ learning. You might think that the boys’ would always choose an iPad related learning activity or always return to an activity they are very familiar with, however, this is not the case! We see a popularity surge in activities over time as boys want to explore different aspects of their learning, to be challenged in a different area and become aware of what they need as learners on a given day.