Austin’s butterfly Using the principles of peer critiquing to ensure students improve their own learning Focus School Stockport Campus 2015

Ron Berger is the starting point If there is one book to read about education ‘An Ethic of Excellence’ is the one. Ron Berger tells us that great teaching and learning focuses on ensuring we reject a ‘that will do culture’. Our objective must be to be a craftsman and produce beautiful work. Focus School Stockport Campus 2015

How to create an Ethic of Excellence in your classroom Create a culture that expresses a desire to do everything right, not what we can get away with. Pride in your work, a desire to ensure everything of the talents you were given are maximised. This has to be at the core of everything we do. So modelling in the classroom –you should produce examples of what you want to be produced. Focus School Stockport Campus 2015

The steps Create a culture of collaboration. The best people work with others and are guided from people they respect and are willing to help. Use the other students in the room as the guiding lights- peer critiquing is powerful as it drives each other in the lesson. Focus School Stockport Campus 2015

Peer critiquing Students must follow three basic rules in peer critiquing:- Be Kind- your comments must always be put and perceived as supportive and positive. “I can see what you are trying to do and there are areas you do this well..these are”. Be Helpful- your comments should give clear guidance to make the next step. Be Specific- you must give a direct comment that directs the guidance to an actual next step and what this would look like. Focus School Stockport Campus 2015

Peer critiquing Is not; I’ll say your good if you say I’m good. Is not; I like your work it’s really great- why is it great, what specifically is it that hits the criteria. Is about ensuring your peer knows exactly what to do, feels positive about doing it and is pumped up to restart. Focus School Stockport Campus 2015

Redrafting The principle of the ethic of excellence is that anything worth having took multiple drafts. The impetus should be –good work; so lets make it even better. Sharing the redrafts in the peer critiquing model is powerful. Take a look at Austin’s work; a 1 st grade student who had a brief to produce a scientific drawing of a Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly……………… Focus School Stockport Campus 2015

Austin’s butterfly Focus School Stockport Campus 2015 After 5 drafts and advice from his classmates Austin went through this transformation