A Few Random Final Thoughts on Warrnambool College

Leaving Warrnambool College was one of the sweetest and saddest experiences I have had. So many students expressed their sadness at my leaving, in spite of the fact that I had only been there a week. One boy told me I will be a great teacher, while another year 8 boy even said: "Why do all the good teachers have to leave?".  It made me feel sad to leave them.  I never felt that level of connection with the students at Brauer, in spite of the fact that I had been there longer; they just never opened up to me.

I hope to one day end up in a school more like Warrnambool College than Brauer. I prefer an environment where teacher-student relationships are emphasized more than obedience. I felt the Warrnambool Students were helpful because they saw the benefit in it, as opposed to the Brauer students who were just acting on how they were trained. They were afraid of doing things wrong, so many of them just did nothing at all - that's no way for people to act in a healthy society.

I had a few other random thoughts in the end:

Respectful Relationships Curriculum

I was told that a university in Melbourne was engaged to look into the most recent research on students, learning, and relationships. They developed a program to improve students' relationships and Warrnambool College was a pilot school. They are rolling out a curriculum called Respectful Relationships that is supposedly integrated into all their classes, encouraging students to know themselves, respect each other, respect genders, recognize and foster healthy relationships, etc. This is partly in response to high numbers of family violence.

I love this as a concept. Students can't just be expected to know what healthy relationships look like - they need to learn it the way they learn everything else. I would like to see something like this in BC as well. It is implied with SEL, but needs to be made explicit. We need more resources for teachers - just telling them to incorporate this is not enough.

That being said, I couldn't actually see this supposed Respectful Relationships Curriculum at work in the classes. If it is supposedly integrated into all classes, where was it? I never got the chance to have it explained to me and couldn't find it on my own, so it may be being done poorly or not at all.

Pathways

Math classes at Brauer College use a computer program called Pathways - one that allows students to work at their own pace and at a level that is appropriate to them. I love this in concept, but the students there are so closed off. They won't ask for or accept help.

Warrnambool College does things a little differently and, in kt opinion, gets it right. They still use Pathways, but it is not the sole focus of the class. They all work one one topic together for a part of the class, and then the last few minutes are spent working on the heir own individual topics in the heir he pathways programs. It was a more social environment and the students were more open to being helped with their Pathways topics. Students talk, ask questions, and welcome help.

That being said, I finally got a closer look at Pathways itself, and it was a little odd. I was not surprised the student was having trouble with the module. It was looking for some very strange and precise wording - he was being taught to regurgitate sentences more than anything, which frustrated me. I am hoping it was just one bad module in the program and that the rest of them focused more on practical application.

Self Selection in Year 10 Science

One of my favorite things they started just this year at Warrnambool College was to offer multiple options for Year 10 Science.  They has classes such as Chemistry and Biology, for those who plan to pursue those topics in Year 11, but they also had classes on things like the science of food that could be taken as a year 10 Science credit. The students could choose the topic that was most relevant and interesting to them, rather than feeling forced into a specific class. 

So many times I have seen students frustrated from lack of choice, and I think this would help relieve that frustration. I also think that making science about familiar topics like food would make it seem less foreign to students who don't see themselves as scientists. I heard some year 8 students during a lab complain that they "don't like science". Probably they just couldn't see how the lab was relevant to them, so they complained loudly and gave up. If they had classes that were relevant and just snuck in a little science, they might accept it more easily.

Another option, of course, are student lead topics. Giving them choice in what they study and why. Seeing these students' behaviour firsthand makes me feel more convinced that the new BC curriculum is heading in the right direction.

The future of education in BC is exciting, and my time in Australia has given me lots of ideas of things to do (and to not do) in my own teaching.

Field Trip to Ecological Centre.

I had the opportunity to accompany a group of Year 7 students on a field trip to an ecological centre in Bacchus Marsh called EcoLinc. The students were amazingly energetic through the entire 12 hour day - I was just blown away by how motivated they can be to keep going when they are engaged in a task.

For me, a few parts of the day stood out. At one point, there was a presentation from a person who keeps rescued birds of prey. He had brought along with him a very noisy barking owl and an adorable little nanteen kestrel (a relative of the peregrine falcon). The birds were beautiful and hilarious and I loved learning more about Australian birds. The students were absolutely fascinated with the birds.

I have very mixed feelings about animals on display for this purpose. On one hand, they are rescued animals being given a second chance at life thanks to human care, and they connection with animals is what often moves people (adults and children alike) to care for them. However, on the other hand, I know from personal experience and from hearing the students around me speak that people see an animal like that in the care of humans and we immediately want one for ourselves.

A great example of this is the movie Finding Nemo. It was meant as a message for conservation of ocean life, but after seeing the film, many people wanted to keep a clownfish in an aquarium at home. Since clownfish are acquired through capture from the wild, more and more clownfish have been taken from their habitat in nature to keep up with increased demand. So the message of ocean conservation was not only lost, but the film had the opposite of the intended effect. Could this also be happening with our zoos, aquariums, and other areas with these rescued animals used for engagement with the public?

Video of noisy Barking owl

Nanteen Kestral

The students got to participate in a number of workshops, one of which was called the Amazing Race. They were given ipads and a series of questions they had to answer by finding images of plants and animals around the marsh with attached QR codes. They could scan the QR code and see whether or not they found the correct answer to their question, then continue on until all questions were answered.

I loved how the amazing race combined nature with technology. I know that they are coming out with apps for your phone that can identify plants and fungi. I doubt they work well yet, but I love the combination of nature and technology and the use of assisted reality (AR). Kids were really excited to get out and play Pokemon Go What about creating a real-life version of it, where they explore the real world and "collect" plants, animals, fungi, insects or other wildlife? It would be great if they could get the immediate feedback that they do from the game they played at the EcoLinc centre, or from other AR games like Pokemon Go. If we can generate that kind of interest in the real world and real animals, we would really be onto something!

Amazing Race - combining nature with technology

The students also had the opportunity to examine small living creatures from pond water. I loved seeing the variety of life they found, and I think it surprised them as well. They were less engaged than those who got to work with larger reptiles or amphibians, but they were interested. Some animals are just more appealing than others, I guess. But I think that bugs need love too!

Pond life in small "motel rooms"

Gender Roles in Rural Victoria

In some ways, rural Victoria has very traditional gender roles that make me fairly uncomfortable.

They still have debutante balls in which a boy and girl attend together, but it apparently really is meant to be a celebration for teenaged girls. They have to learn several dances and all (but a few) wear white. People plan for the event for weeks and spend thousands of dollars, similar to our prom.

Since this event is largely about the girls, and all girls must be accompanied by a boy (who often don't want to go), the girls often have to beg boys to go with them. The girls are pressured into it by society, and the boys are pressured into it by the girls, enforcing this idea that girls need to be accompanied to be worthwhile. And what about those girls that don't get a date? How are they seen?

This isn't just about the youth, either. The big event in Warrnambool is the May races - a three day long horse racing event that culminates in a big race day that is a public holiday on town. The first day of the races is Ladies Day - a day of the races JUST for women. Why would the women need a day to themselves? Are they made to feel unwelcome at the main events? Are women traditionally sidelined? Did it begin as a tradition where women could go out without disturbing the delicate sensibilities of the menfolk, or was it more meant as a time where women could let loose without worrying about being seen doing inappropriate things by the men? Either way, it is strange to me that, in this day and age, this would still be seen as necessary.

However, it is necessary. Even to this day, there are men-only bars and areas at the main race events. Areas that literally exclude women.  Again, why? In a so-called modern country, why are there such extreme gender separations?

This could be partly steeped in the indigenous traditions of this land. I know that in at least some indigenous Australian cultures, there were some roles traditionally separated by gender. The playing of the didgeridoo, for example, was only done by men in the local cultures, while women traditionally played the "clackers" (sticks whacked together for percussion). Have those traditional cultures influenced gender roles in the area, or are these strict gender roles holdovers from Victorian times?

And I still don't have an answer as to how trans people are accepted or not in the area. I know there are LGBTQ+ organizations in larger urban centres, and there were definitely queer folk in Melbourne, but I have not yet found such groups in Warrnambool or other rural locations. Not a good sign.

This is a traditionally farming area, and I get the impression that a lot of people are raised to continue in the family business - usually farming. If jobs are passed down through the family, then so will things like values and traditions - including gender roles. Is that why they are so strong in this area?

As for gender roles and school uniforms, I found an interesting story recently about a school (I don't recall where) that has banned skirts in effort to make uniforms more gender neutral. I have mixed feelings about this. In a way, it's great to not force gender roles. In another, it is super weird to me that we treat pants as if they are gender neutral, but skirts are not. Why can't kilts also be considered gender neutral? It normalizes men's clothes and makes women's clothes seem like something "other", and thus women seem like something "other". Is this really going to eliminate gender roles, or just send girls the message that to be accepted in society, they need to be more like men?

I have always had many thoughts around gender issues, and mostly I have been thinking lately that we have a long LONG way to go. My trip to Australia has only reinforced this idea.

Uniforms at Warrnambool College

The uniform rules are clearly more lax at Warrnambool College. The students wear whatever jacket they want, and their shoes are all colourful sneakers, which I love. The all even seem to be wearing the wrong pants, as long as they are an appropriate colour. The teachers pay hardly any attention to what they are wearing, and I love it.

I was told that an area around the school is known for being really low socioeconomically, and I would not have known this by looking at the students. I see a benefit in the uniforms, but I also think the same could be said in Canadian public schools. My practicum school had students from really wealthy families, as well as students from households who struggled to get by. You could not tell who was whom, and they all intermingled beautifully. Are uniforms really necessary for achieving this king of equality? Or am I just missing subtle cues, since I am not from the same generation as them?

Brauer (the previous school) is considered a much more academic school and they are clearly stricter with students in various ways, including cracking down more on uniforms. The students at Brauer, for the most part I think, are being taught more that they are headed for success. But cracking down on uniforms to me means conformity more than anything. I think they are passing on the message to their students that conformity is necessary for success. And it truly does in some ways - we need to conform to laws and workplace rules and standards. But is conformity always a good thing? Should they be doing more overall to encourage their students to think and explore for themselves? Can they do that while still being so strict on uniforms? And would it be worth it to try, or should the uniforms be scrapped in exchange for a greater load on personal responsibility?

Addressing Student Behavior Through Teacher-Student Relationships

Today was my first day at Warrnambool College, and it was a completely different atmosphere from Brauer. The students were much more chatty in the classrooms and asked me far more questions about myself, Canada, and what I thought of Australia and various Australian things.

One of the first things I noticed was the system of rewards set up in my mentor teacher's classroom. It was the end of a cycle in the classroom and the students were getting "lollies" (candy) as rewards, as well as some free time in class to do their own thing.

The teacher, Paul, explained to me that they decided together as a class what the expectations in the classroom were to be. They decided what was expected of the students, what was expected of the teacher, how they would be evaluated on their behavior in the classroom (which included attitude, but also effort). This was a process that took them several DAYS to hash out, and he has been dedicated to keeping the structure throughout the year. The students really responded well to it - apparently with one of the year 7 classes, they were not using the reward system at first, but once he implemented it, student behavior changed dramatically for a handful of students.

The point in all this is to build student-teacher relationships, which is something Paul has explicitly stated numerous times. He has a friendly, casual rapport with his students that I admire. Later in the day, I observed another science teacher run a lab and there were huge issues with students acting out. Would this class have benefited from some of the methods implemented by the other teacher, or is it all a matter of luck/personality?

A lot of the strictness seen at Brauer schools is just not present in Paul's classes. The students casually swear, etc. As long as they are showing an effort (according to their individual habits and personalities), he is fine with it. And the class seems to benefit it. The atmosphere was playful and fun. They clearly liked their teacher.

I wanted to implement a similar method in my classes on practicum, but I think it went off the rails and I had a hard time keeping it up. I want to learn more from Paul about his methods here. What he does to moderate the conversation about rewards and classroom expectations, what exactly he is looking for, and what other ways he has to build those relationships. I think this is really the way to go to have an easier time in the classroom.

Differentiation and Choice; aka What Science Can Learn From the Arts

In my last days at Brauer College, I observed Arts and Music classes at two different levels: a year 7 Music class and a year 12 Studio Arts class. I was struck by how different the approach was to what I am used to seeing in Science classes, and how we could learn a lot from how things are done in fine arts. I feel this aligns well with the direction BC is going with its current curriculum changes.

In the Year 7 Music class, they were learning guitar. It is a required class for all Year 7 students, and guitar is such a popular instrument that their ability levels were extremely variable going into the class - some had years of practice with guitar already, while others had barely any introduction to music or music theory. There were several things I noticed in this class:

First, they had a choice in what they could learn. They had a series of guitar riffs they could learn, and it was up to them which they wanted to do. They were taught the general concepts, such as how to read the music, what are the different parts of a guitar and what they do, and they all had the same assessment criteria (play 3 riffs for the teacher, play 1 riff for the class).

Second, they were given extension options for those who had surpassed the criteria in the class. There were other songs they could learn, from simple to complex, and they could progress at their own level.

Third, they were given time to just explore. They had free run of the instruments in the room and could see what type of sounds they are able to make with them, how they work, what exactly they do. Each got to choose what interested them and where they wanted to go.

Fourth, they will eventually form a class rock band. The students are given the option of what instrument they want to play and each will contribute in their own way to the larger creation that is the rock band. None of them are obligated to do any specific instrument, but they are all able to participate in their own way.

These students are given choice in how they proceed with their own learning - there are options based on interest, based on ability, based on prior experience. They all support each other toward a common goal rather than competing with each other directly for marks. They can support each other and they are being compared largely to themselves.

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In the Year 12 Studio Arts class, the students were each working on their own project. Again, they had a choice in what direction they took with their learning. They all had the same milestones they had to meet - starting with an Exploration Proposal, moving towards exploring their aesthetic, techniques and themes. They are given immense amounts of support as they decide what interests them and what they will do with that interest.

All their work is collected in a large portfolio. It is emphasized that this is a working document and that they should not be correcting it. They use it to see how they have learned and progressed throughout the course.

I love so much about this. In advanced science, there is no reason why the students can't pursue their own interests. They can find what interests and inspires them on the topic, do some of their own research, and see for themselves how they have progressed with time.

The amount of support these students get with their projects and learning was inspiring for me as well.

One of the reasons these students were able to get so much individual support was their small class sizes. The classes were only 12 or 13 students, which means each student can get more attention. I really wish we could do this more often in science classes. The small size of this school is incredibly great and so helpful.

Would students necessarily benefit more from smaller class sizes? Is it possible to add more choice and differentiation to science subjects without being too taxing on the teacher?

Addressing Student Behavioral Issues

Today is my last day at Brauer College, and I am a little sad to leave. Delia has been an amazing mentor and I have loved seeing all the different ways things are done here compared to back home. This morning in particular was an interesting experience - it was my first time attending one of their whole school assemblies.

First of all, I was very impressed with the commitment to whole-school gatherings. They have these assemblies once every other week for at least 20 minutes in the morning. Because it is done so regularly, these assemblies are EXTREMELY well organized. The students all have regular places where they sit as a class and they don't even need to be asked where to go. The students are also quiet and respectful through nearly the entire time. I didn't see a single student on their phone until the assembly ended and they were headed back to their room.

During the assembly, they mentioned a few incidents that had occurred over the past few weeks, including an instance of bullying that had occurred. I was surprised to find out that they had not only suspended the students who were "bullying" (no details were offered), but they also suspended students who had stood by and witnessed the act, as well as those who tried to film it. They made an explicit point that students are responsible for trying to stop these acts, and they can't claim innocence just because they weren't directly involved. I was VERY impressed with this, and would love to see this in Canada as well. It's often said that men need to directly call out sexism and harassment performed by other men, or that white people need to call out racism. The same should be true of bullying in schools, and teaching them that they are responsible for their INaction is as important as teaching them responsibility for their actions.

The same was true of students who were caught smoking. Those who were with them and did not call them out for smoking were also held responsible.

I am also thoroughly impressed that they have a wellness office here that offers help to students who want to quit smoking - they can even give students the patch or counselling to get them off of cigarettes, without judgement. This is a GREAT service to offer and I would love to see this in Canada as well.

One response to behavioral issues that I'm not sure how I feel about yet is the immense amount of detentions offered. Detentions for being late to class. Detentions for arriving late at assemblies. Detentions for not handing in homework. I don't know enough about the effectiveness of detention, or even the point of it, to know how I feel about this. In many cases, it is considered a time for them to talk to their teacher, reflect on their action, or to complete unfinished work. In other cases, they are just meant to sit there for a given amount of time. Why? What is the benefit other than punishment? I don't like the idea of taking up their time as punishment, but that is clearly how the students see it. Does it work? How does it work? What is it meant to achieve?

This school seems really forward-thinking when it comes to restorative practices. They have a set process for students to think about their actions and how they affected others. It emphasizes talking about what was done, who was affected, and how to make it better. I saw a conversation where two students were talked to and decided of their own accord to go and apologize to the teacher whose class they disrupted. I don’t know how much of it was their own idea and how much of it was them used to having to go through these motions, but they came up with the idea and went to do it themselves, with the supervision of their year coordinator, of course. 

Does this work? I feel like the culture of the school involves a lot more reflection about student actions, and the teachers seem to think that the students are more respectful and calm in classes. I have always loved the idea of restorative practice, but didn't see it in action too much. I want to know more.

STEM

Part of the reason I wanted to go to Australia for my CFE was because Australia was where the term STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) originated. They started the trend of making science and design integrated, both with each other and into everyday lives. Just like back at home, some teachers have been more successful at implementing this in the classroom than others.

I have been fortunate enough to have a very forward-thinking mentor in Brauer College, here in Warrnambool. She is a big fan of using large design challenges as a way to encourage students to learn math and science concepts. She transformed a class on memorization of physics concepts and formulas into a challenge for students to design roller coasters using straws and hot glue guns. The results are amazing

I have been getting so many ideas for my own teaching. What they have done here (or at least tried to do) pairs so well with the new BC curriculum, focusing on big ideas and students learning through hands-on doing.

The also have amazing tech to help them with their designs, including 3-D printers, spheros, Lego Mindstorms, etc. They are constantly testing out new tech, and we got to test out some of their new gadgets today. They plan on incorporating some new tech to study neuroscience in the classroom. They had simple Arduino-based kits that can record muscles firing to study how our body works.

On top of that, it can use those impulses in real time to control surrounding gadgets.

And then, the final layer: Using those muscle impulses to control the muscles of ANOTHER PERSON.

I can only imagine the chaos this would cause in a classroom full of grade 8s. It would be beautiful.

I need to learn more about what is out there and be more inspired to integrate it into the classroom. EVERYTHING is a learning opportunity if you look at it right. And the more you hit on things the students will enjoy, the more likely it is that they will come to class, do the work, and retain the information.

Technology in the Classroom

At a public secondary school with a reputation for having students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, all students are required to bring an electronic device, such as a laptop or ipad. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this. 

On one hand, it is great for working on individual projects and for working at their own pace. Each student has individual goals in class and in the overall course to match their abilities and where they stand in the subject. I love the differentiation and I think we could take a lot away from this model. The integration of technology is a critical part of all students meeting their own needs and the teachers here seem to have embraced technology wholeheartedly. This would have been especially great for my students at the practicum school who were not able or willing to come to school regularly. They would not be completely lost when they did show up, since they could work on their own thing. Plus, they would have the ability to work on their assignments outside of the classroom.

The classrooms are also great at integrating the technology into things like science labs. Students are encouraged to take pictures and videos to include with their lab reports. They are given electronic templates for their work and submit electronic versions of their slides for presentations. Their exit slips in class are emails to the teacher - it is all fully integrated and is very inspiring.

The other bonus is that students have learned to work well independently. I was shocked to see grade 8 students plugging away at online assignments individually for the majority of their class time. They have gradually been brought into it. But I wonder if this takes away the humanity in teaching. Back home, I would wander around the class and ask students what they were up to. They would happily describe what they were working on and ask questions about where they are stuck. But that doesn't seem to be the case here. When I talk to students, even the younger ones who, in my experience, are more excitable and happy to talk to you, they just say they are fine and try to get me to leave them alone. The computer has become their teacher when they are working on individual projects, and the classroom teacher is almost an annoyance. It's great that they are independent, but do they need to learn how to ask for help?

What's more, I wonder how they manage the low socioeconomic students. How can they ensure that every student has access to the required technology? Are there programs in place to assist students who have trouble affording uniforms and laptops?

Uniforms in Australian Schools

My first few days in Australia have been spent shadowing teachers at Brauer College (a year 7-12 school) in Warrnambool, Victoria. The first thing that really struck me at Brauer College was the emphasis on uniforms in Australian Schools. Even public schools have strict uniform policies, though some teachers are pretty lax on enforcement. 

On my first day, I noticed students being spoken to for wearing the “wrong” socks for their uniform, and one girl got a talking-to for having an extra piercing in her ear, to the point that she was sent home for the day. I wonder what is the benefit in these rules? Why is it so important to have them conform? I can appreciate that the uniform makes it difficult to tell the socioeconomic status of the students, especially in a school that is known for having a lot of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, but prohibiting piercings and a few other things won’t help achieve that goal.

I have never been a fan of sending students home from school, unless they are somehow harming the well-being of others around them. I would be interested in learning more about the logic behind these actions.

Before arriving in Australia I had heard that, in general, the men here were very chauvinistic. It’s not entirely been my experience with the adults, but the boys in the school are definitely more rowdy. And while classrooms are mixed gender, they do tend to separate into boys and girls, sometimes intentionally. If there are an uneven number of students, the extra student is placed in a group that is the same gender as them. 

This all leads to so many questions. I wonder if the separation of genders is related to the uniforms. Are gender roles more enforced here than in Canada overall? Does this lead to less understanding between men and women or is it just a symptom of it? If students are given very tight control of what they wear as boys and girls, how will that affect their gender identity? I wonder how open these schools are to transgendered students and how they would integrate them, given the tight uniform controls?

Warrnambool is a fairly rural place. Are things different in larger cities, or are the gender roles enforced just as strictly?

Just a few musings on uniforms in Australia.