Perceptions About Learning Group Monday 9 January 2017 The Story So Far…

Aims To enhance our students’ capacity for lifelong learning through personal growth and development of values To help our students understand and value achievement in the widest sense Performance orientation to learning orientation

Moving from a performance orientation to a learning orientation PHASE 1 Teacher - pupil relationships PUPILS: What makes a good teacher? ALL STAFF: What makes a good pupil? PHASE 2 Pupil focus groups to discuss learning and help influence others PSR focus Tree of Knowledge inputs Pupil Learner Teams Moving from a performance orientation to a learning orientation PHASE 3 Feedback to parents at Parent Council meeting Engagement of parents through Learning Festival. THINGS THAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING: Assemblies, new reporting, MIE, Merit, Praise, Wider Achievement Assemblies, new format for Awards Ceremony, S6 electives and opportunities.

What’s next?

What makes a good parent?

In DHS,we believe that improving motivation and building the belief that effort and resilience are central to success in learning. Learning is difficult and some young people give up easily or don’t always give of their best. As a school community it is important that we work in partnership with parents/carers to ensure that all young people value their education and fully engage in learning.

“Its not about being the best - its about doing your best”! How we judge success : Encourage young people to focus on personal improvement. We all have different starting points and “Its not about being the best - its about doing your best”!

Praise the Process: Always praise young people for effort/resilience/strategy/persistence. NOT for talent! E.g. “You did really well at that because you studied hard and prepared well.”

Encourage a “Can-do” attitude: “If you think you can’t then you’re probably right” (Henry Ford). Many young people are quick to say they can’t do something. When we understand that all learning is difficult and that it is through engaging with difficult tasks that we make real progress we can begin to approach setbacks with a “Can-do” attitude! When they say that they can’t do something—just add the word YET! Emphasize the fact that learning is difficult and that they must stick with the problem.

Mistakes as important part of learning: “If you’re not willing to get it wrong - you will never do anything creative” (Sir Ken Robinson). We should not be frightened by, or embarrassed about, mistakes in learning. It is through being willing to “have a go” that we make progress and it is always worth reminding young people that we learn more about ourselves in defeat than we do in victory. Challenge is essential to learning.

Thank you. Timeline S3 Parents’ evening -January S4 Parents evening – February Learning Festival -June Final Poster –June/August Thank you.