Adding a third Grade 7/8 class in the Secondary school created a problem, luckily, it was a good problem.
When the timetable was created and each of the subjects were allocated their given times, we realised that there were an extra three periods within the weekly timetable that needed to be filled. Luckily, during Semester One Mrs Newitt’s passion for the National History Challenge allowed us to offer each of the Grade 7/8 classes an extra opportunity to get their Contested History projects up and running.
So as Semester Two rolled around, I pondered what we could do with the extra lessons. Something that we love to be able to do at Emmanuel is provide students with opportunities outside the core Australian Curriculum subjects, opportunities that they wouldn’t normally receive. Here was another of those opportunities. Mr Pascal quickly put his hand up to get involved with the older kids and Mr Winkler and I decided between the three of us we would share the load, with three weeks each.
So ‘Enrichment’ was born. At the time, Mr Winkler was not convinced, it was the right title so I decided to look it up. The dictionary gives us the definition as, “the action of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something.” It was at this point that I too began to worry.
However, two weeks into my allotted three-week block with each of the classes and I am happy to report that it has been a great opportunity to work with all of the Grade 7/8 classes and focus more on how we learn, rather than, what we are learning. The three topics I am looking at throughout this Term are:
Week 1 – Neuroscience: We started by looking at in interactive 3D model of a brain, identifying the different parts and working out what they do and control. Also, we looked at whether you are more dominant in using the left or right hemisphere of your brain and how understanding this can improve your approaches to learning.
Week 2 – Growth Mindset, The power of yet: A “fixed mindset” assumes that our intelligence, character, and creative ability are all set and that they can’t be changed. However, a “growth mindset,” on the other hand, sees individuals thrive on challenges and they view failure as an opportunity for growth and for stretching their abilities with effort. The research gave students an opportunity to measure their own Mindset score. Hopefully, students gaining a better understanding how their mindset can fluctuate between a growth and fixed position can assist them in developing strategies to always keep trying in difficult times.
Week 3 – Grit: The last topic students will be looking at is Grit. The founder of the Grit concept, Angela Duckworth, grew up with a father obsessed with being smart, always judging people by their intelligence and comparing one genius to another. When she began her career as an educator, teaching 7th Grade Mathematics, she soon realised that intelligence alone was not an accurate indicator for students becoming successful. Becoming more and more intrigued with her developing concept of Grit, Duckworth left education and studied Psychology to further understand the importance of traits such as showing courage, displaying resilience, being meticulous, remaining confident and staying committed. Many of these, are better indicators of individuals seeing something through and becoming successful in their pursuits. How Gritty are you?
It has been a pleasure to work with the Grade 7 and 8 students so far.They have engaged very well in each of the lessons, asking great questions and appearing genuinely interested in the topics covered. Although I am far from an expert in any of the above fields, I find the fact that we can be lifelong learners fascinating. Not just this, but to have the opportunity to help our young folk understand that there is more than one way to demonstrate success in life is a real joy.
Drew Roberts — Deputy Principal