HURDLE REFLECTION 3

EXPLICIT LEARNING GOALS

Clear learning goals provide clarity concerning lesson expectations, thereby ‘demystifying’ education (Cabaniss, 2008). Thus, providing clear, achievable goals are of paramount importance and is characterised by utilising explicit instructions, providing demonstrations to a class through tactile approaches, linking lessons to prior knowledge i.e. asking questions to acknowledge what students completed in the previous lessons, ensure classroom management is maintained, reinforce learning through providing feedback to consolidate learning, articulating objectives and aims, understanding current skills in order to introduce and consolidate new skills, ensuring intentions are specific, observable, achievable, clear and use age appropriate language. This enables students to get ready for learning and can be achieved through reflecting learning intentions and success criteria. Moreover, writing down lesson intentions on the whiteboard in various colours and including time allocations aided in providing clear instruction to students and ease students through the lesson, particularly those with anxiety (AITSL, 2017, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6). In order to support learning goals and establish a clear learning sequence I can implement an introductory activity in a year 7 lesson as students have embarked in the study of drama. Before engaging within in-depth study of elements of drama, students have completed a glossary and are thus operating utilising prior knowledge. This lesson can be focused on developing their understanding and thus an introduction can be utilising a picture association and have students discuss/ draw on the whiteboard around the image what is happening in each image i.e. costumes, props, lighting, music, stage, script etc. Students are thus able to engage in the development i.e. writing their own diary entry having a more informed understanding of the key elements and why they are important or represented visually to assist learners. The AITSL standards  1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4 and 6.2 (2017) ensure students’ understanding is ascertained and that subsequent lessons are scaffolded to continue meaningful learning. 

Professional Leadership Institute. (2022). What is a smart goal https://www.bodybuildingmealplan.com/wp-content/uploads/smart-fitness-goals.jpg

REFERENCES

• Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2018). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards
• Cabaniss, D. L. (2008). Becoming a school: Developing learning objectives for psychoanalytic education. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 28(3), 262-277.
• Professional Leadership Institute. (2022). What is a smart goal https://www.bodybuildingmealplan.com/wp-content/uploads/smart-fitness-goals.jpg