In last week’s #PTProject2021 article I mentioned the importance of independence in a student’s approach to learning.
On Monday (8th March 2021) we returned to face-to-face school lessons for all students, having been at home in remote learning for UK Covid Lockdown 3 since the 5th January.
I’d learned so much, and been so inspired by the incredible developments my year 9-11 GCSE students had made in remote learning. I fell swiftly back down to earth in the first KS3 lesson on Monday morning. It was carnage! Not behaviourally, although this particular group can be challenging. But the learning environment was a mixture of students who (for many reasons) hadn’t found or been able to access the remote work I’d set in the previous 2 weeks since half term, or they had become completely dependent on the adults in their life during lockdown. There was a lot of noise, a lot of panic, worry, frustration and very little learning could happen. It made me realise, these kids needs greater encouragement and a ‘reset’ to their approach of school life. In context, this was their first lesson since returning.
After much thought over Monday night, on Tuesday morning I taught another similar group, also year 8 (31 students, aged 12-13). I opened the lesson with this question… “What is a VIP?” This instantly got the students’ attention, all of them! They visibly began to imagine and confidently told me it was a Very Important Person, which I reminded them that is something each are to me as I teach them. However I’d decided to create a status in the lessons to name students as VIPs, which as with the term known to them would come with lots of perks or benefits. I asked them what else the ‘I’ could stand for that could be relevant to me as a teacher. Their answers were brilliant; instrumental, irritating, ignorant… but eventually they reached the correct answer… INDEPENDENT!!
We discussed how they did depend on adults at the moment for home, food, clothing etc.. but in the future, they would be independent and organise these things for themselves. Independence we found was a bit like feeling a sense of confident freedom and I explained that this very much how an ‘independent learner’ feels.
The most helpful starting point for ‘how to be independent’, can only be determined by the student. They have to choose to ‘have a go’. Then if they are missing specific information or understanding, they of course can ask at any time, but it’s far more positive to say “Can you give me some advice to help me to play this rhythm in time?”, as opposed to “I can’t do it”. The confidence then begins to grow.
My agreement was that students who hadn’t started yet at all, or had done the first analysis wrongly would do the first task with me. If they got it perfect, which did require some questioning on their part, they would receive a merit. All students who had completed at least one task remotely (independently) in the previous 2 weeks were immediately given the VIP status and given the challenge that if they could solve the next part of the project independently, they would receive 3 music merits. They weren’t completely left with no help as I’d prerecorded my teaching and modelling to my on-demand YouTube channel. This announcement was met with great happiness and then silent determination across the class as they went straight to work without prompting. As I started to teach those needing the most encouragement, I explained that if they could have determination in their learning it was possible to complete the initial task I was helping with and earn the VIP status in time to also achieve the more advanced challenge. Two students made this amazing progress within the hour.
The environment was incredible. Every student on task; listening, reading, inventing, exploring, recording, editing, questioning, calm and so many were successful.
I ran the VIPs approach with Year 7 yesterday. On a Friday I teach 4 hours back-to-back of year 7. (120 students aged 11-12). If anything, the outcomes were even better for the morning classes. I’ll need to add more support for some in the afternoon, but I also have to remember Friday afternoon is always tough – it’s their 24th and 25th lessons of the week and they’re very tired by then, especially in this first week back after lockdown.
My promise to the students at the ends of the classes was to mark their work before I went to sleep on each day. It took until 7.30pm last night to mark the latest work by the 120, and the year 8s I also taught yesterday, but the progress and enjoyment was incredible. Most surprisingly, students continued to develop their music work when they arrived home and continued to ask me questions until 8pm on Friday night and then again this morning. That doesn’t normally happen!!
‘Music VIPs’ has been a amazing tool for this week – it will definitely feature in all my KS3 work from now on. 👍
This is the Year 7 project I’m teaching as we transition from remote learning.
Music Teacher Solutions 