* Explain what we mean by lesson preparation, and some key strategies that secure high participation in lessons (including Call and Response, Turn and Talk, mini-whiteboards) * Share our experiences embedding these in our own practice, and in establishing these across departments and schools * Facilitate discussion on how these practices might be applied in attendee's contexts
As a result of the session: * Teachers will have a new approach to lessons - preparation rather than planning * Teachers will have a good understanding of some high participation strategies that they can use in the classroom * Leaders and teacher developers will have advice and ideas for implementing these in their contexts
Background: Historically, the quality of teaching and learning (and in turn student outcomes) in science lagged behind other subjects in our MAT and the national picture for science. This led to a period of reflection and learning, drawing on works from the 'CogSciSci' network of authors and bloggers, the 'In Action' series of books and 'Teach Like A Champion'. One output of this was what we called a Framework for Good Science Teaching, which put checking for understanding as one of the 4 central pillars, and in particular the use of high participation strategies to ensure all students cognitively participate in the lessons. Beyond this, the whole purpose of the framework was to move colleagues away from 'lesson planning' - typically endless resource creation - to 'lesson preparation', where staff intellectually engage with the resources available to consider how to best use them with their students. We will talk about our experiences across the Trust, and within one specific school where this has had significant impact on students' understanding of science. We intend to support further learning on these strategies through online webinars and writings in ASE publications, for attendees to continue their professional development.
