A Lesson Plan to use Working Together for Change in Class
We are working on keeping the School Agreements live and relevant to the children. We also want to gather information from the children to inform the School Development Plan. To this end, our teachers will work with them over the next few weeks to find out their thoughts and opinions. To help the teachers, I have written an outline of activities that can be used. I talked this through with the teachers at our staff meeting, and will gather the information about what is working and not working just before the February half term holiday.
The lesson plan is based on making sure all children really understand what is in the School Agreements and then think about what is working and not working from their perspective. Each class will then decide on actions they can take, to build on what is working and change what is not working.
The following is the information given to teachers:
Why do this mini project in PHSE sessions?
The PHSE topic is ‘Going for Goals’ and this mini project fits in perfectly.
It will encourage a feeling of responsibility.
It will develop children’s ability to listen, to share ideas, to talk, to make decisions. Children can be challenged to explain themselves.
It meets the different stages on the Blooms Taxonomy ‘triangle’.
It develops the idea of Pupil Voice in a meaningful way.
It teaches the idea of how a process can be worked through.
It will have links to whole school assemblies.
The findings will be reported back to children, parents and governors.
It is a way for all children to contribute to goals for the class and to the whole school, as this information is fed into the School Development Plan.
Part One: What do the School Agreements MEAN to the children?
Each class will take one of the School Agreements. (By all means do more if you want, but as a minimum you must cover the agreement allocated to your class).
Discuss with your class what this actually means. What does this agreement look like in practice both within the class, and around the school?
Record their ideas on the sheet provided using the children’s language.
Part Two: What are we doing that is working well?
Look back at the statements the children have talked about, showing their understanding of the School Agreement.
Give two strips of coloured paper to pairs of children. (Age appropriate activity)
The children need to write down two things that show or gives an example of how this School Agreement is working well from their perspective. What things do they do that show the School Agreement is working? What is done that they are proud of linked to this School Agreement? This can be in the form of: ‘I do….’ and ‘We do….’
Display the pieces of paper and ask the children to see if they can ‘cluster’ them into themes. (This will organise the 30 or so pieces of paper into a few main areas as there will be overlaps in children’s contributions.)
As a class, discuss and then decide which the most important two themes are and record on the sheet.(Please keep the sheets of paper for a whole school display.)
Part Three: Actions or Goals
Talk about the things that the CLASS need to do to ensure that these key themes continue. What? Who? When by?
Part Four: What are we doing that is NOT working as well?
Look back at the School Agreement and the class’ definition of this agreement.
This time, give the children two strips of coloured paper (different to the previous activity) to record the aspects of the School Agreement that they feel are not working so well; those aspects that they feel could be done better.
Display these (as before) and try to cluster them to make common themes.
From these common themes, get the class to decide which the most important two themes are. (Please keep the sheets of paper for a whole school display.)
Part Five: What can be done to change these?
Talk about the things that the CLASS need to do to ensure that these key themes change for the better. What? Who? When by?
We are excited about this as a way to really ‘hear the children’s voices’ in making change, both to their class and to the school, through the School Development Plan.