Australian Islamic College

Pedagogical Framework of Teaching and

Learning

Australian Islamic College

Pedagogical Framework of Teaching and Learning

Our Mission

In Australian Islamic College, we aim to inculcate Islamic values and achieve academic

excellence for success in this life and the Hereafter.

Our Vision Our goal is for our youth to aspire towards excellence in both character and education. We

want our students to encounter new educational experiences that will serve their future

aspirations whilst maintaining a balance between academic pursuits and Islamic values.

Our Values

At AIC, values are the backbone of all teaching and learning. Our core values at Australian

Islamic College are founded on:

1. Faith

2. Piety

3. Integrity

4. Service

5. Resilience

6. Courage

7. Compassion

Teaching and Learning Pedagogy

Australian Islamic College is a learning community that is committed to achieving excellence.

Our practices and decisions are based on informed research and accurate data collection. At

Australian Islamic College, teaching and learning is developed around the Explicit Instruction

model. Explicit Instruction is a structured, systematic, and effective methodology for teaching

academic skills. It consists of 5 key components: Warm Up, I Do, We Do, You Do and Plough

Back.

At Australian Islamic College, we believe that ‘Every Child Matters Every Day’ and ‘All

Children Can Be High Achievers’.

The College’s vision for teaching and learning is supported by ‘Four Pillars’. These ‘pillars’

guide all of the school’s actions and include:

Pillar 1 – Teacher accountable learning

Pillar 2 – School Wide Positive Behaviour Support

Pillar 3 – Explicit Instruction

Pillar 4 – Effective relationships between teachers, parents and students

In addition, Australian Islamic College has established Six Givens for every learning

environment. These are:

1.Strong Relationships

2. High Expectations and Excellent Classroom Practice

3. Excellent Bookwork and Daily Correction

4.Excellent Display

5.Excellent Classroom tone

6.Quality Feedback to Students

Student engagement at Australian Islamic College is facilitated by the Three Imperatives.

All staff are committed to being an inclusive community by ensuring that:

1. Students are safe, have trust, respect and feel valued

2. Students have work at their level

3. Students have friends at school

6 Givens for Every Learning Environment

1. Strong Relationships

Respect, collegiality, professionalism and partnerships

• Students are safe, have trust, respect and feel valued

• Students have work at their level

• Students have friends at school

• Parents feel welcome and informed

• Speak positively and focus on the great things happening

• Active participation and involvement in our school community

• Embrace cultural diversity, foster relationships that develop recognition and

understanding of background and needs

• Share ideas and work as a team

• Be aware of personal issues and be empathetic

• Make time for colleagues and yourself

• Follow School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support

2. High Expectations and Excellent Classroom Practice

Pride, professionalism, consistency and presentation

• Every day matters – attendance 95% plus

• Students and staff on time and well prepared

• Organise photocopying a week in advance wherever possible

• Enforce school/classroom routines and practices

• Students transition in an orderly, quiet manner and are supervised by teachers –

Children walk in two silent lines between classrooms

• Demand the best from every student

• Expect and demand excellent behaviour

• Ensure a supportive school environment and differentiate for individual needs

• Learning intentions and success criteria are achievable but at a high standard

• Provide for students who may have alternative needs with regard to energy,

concentration span, structure/routine, communication and sensory input

• Use the data to inform your practice

• Ensure adequate resources. Malfunctioning or broken equipment is to be reported

• Explicitly teach every lesson

• Follow the timetable and foundation learning programs exactly

• High quality, organised classroom display

• Excellent handwriting and presentation

• Ensure attire meets the demands of duties for that day

3. Excellence Display

Pride, professionalism, presentation

• Desks are positioned so students can clearly see the board

• Learning spaces are clearly defined e.g. reading corner, group areas, carpet area

• Classroom, including outside of classroom, is clean, free of rubbish and

unnecessary storage of files, equipment etc.

• Storage areas are clean, organised and uncluttered

• Clearly defined display areas

• Student work is displayed and is current and presentation is valued

• Daily timetable is on the board

• Curtains are not to have posters attached to them

• Nothing stuck on windows

4. Excellent Bookwork and Daily Corrections

Pride, professionalism, consistency and presentation

• A sharp lead pencil is used for writing

• Writing is neat, well sized, close together and spaced correctly

• Posture for handwriting - feet flat on the floor, back straight (leaning forward

slightly), bottom well back in the chair and hand stabilising book or paper

• Tripod pencil grip ensures handwriting is neat and consistent

• If a mistake is made use a single line to cross out

• There are no blank pages

• Sheets are glued into books properly – the corners are not flapping, sheets are

straight.

• Work is to be corrected regularly

• Drawings and colouring in reflect best effort

• All work is dated at the top

• Headings are underlined with a ruled line

• In Year 2 a straight margin using a ruler is expected. Maths books should be in two

columns.

• Targeted, explicitly taught work is to be corrected DAILY

• Choose an emphasis/specific aspect of learning

• Sign/initial work and provide verbal or written feedback

• Reinforce bookwork expectations

Years 3 to 6

• A sharp lead pencil is used for writing

• Writing is neat, well sized, close together and spaced correctly

• Posture for handwriting feet flat on the floor, back straight (leaning forward

slightly), bottom well back in the chair and hand stabilising book or paper

• Tripod pencil grip ensures handwriting is neat and consistent

• If a mistake is made use a single line to cross out

• There are no blank pages

• Sheets are glued into books properly – the corners are not flapping, sheets are

straight.

• Drawings and colouring-in reflect best effort

• Standard English/KLA workbooks should contain a margin on the side (2.5cm)

which is to be from the top line to the bottom line. The top line should then be

ruled from the margin to the right edge of the page. the date should then be written

in the margin. When activities for the day are finished a line is to be ruled under the

work from the margin to the right edge of the page.

• Standard Maths books should have each page divided into 2 equal columns. The

line should then be ruled from the top line to the bottom line of the page. When

activities for the day are finished a line is to be ruled under.

• Targeted, explicitly taught work is to be corrected DAILY

• Choose an emphasis/specific aspect of learning

• Sign/initial work and provide verbal or written feedback

• Reinforce Bookwork expectations

5. Excellent Classroom Tone

Positive, powerful learning environment

• Set consistent, clear classroom expectations and routines

• Greet students and parents, include and interact with every one

• Recognise a student’s arrival to the classroom in a friendly and calm manner

• Model respect, courtesy, manners and honesty

• Model enthusiasm and resilience

• Explicitly teach appropriate language and classroom behaviour

• Low noise levels and no calling out

• Automatic response by all students to teacher directions and requests

• Give every student the opportunity to share their learning and experience success

6. Quality Feedback for Students

Professionalism, improvement, success

• Effective feedback requires quality relationships, we ‘touch base’ with

students whilst roaming

• Feedback is constructive, honest and always starts with the positive

• Clear expectations are provided prior to lessons –lesson intention,

success criteria and why are we learning the skill

• Meaningful, written and verbal statements are provided to students

• Students must set personal English and Maths goals in collaboration

with the teacher.

Teaching and Learning Expectations

Classroom Indicators

• Ensure Pillars, Givens and Imperatives are embedded

• Ensure School Wide Positive Behaviour Support drives classroom management

• Ensure explicit instruction is embedded across all key learning area as our pedagogy

• Ensure purposeful, daily Warm-Up sessions are planned to move a student’s

knowledge from short to long term memory

• Ensure that classroom display, bookwork and handwriting expectations are achieved

• Ensure the intentional teaching of vocabulary

• Ensure differentiation for all students in planning and practice

• Follow the prescribed timetables for each year level

• Plan, monitor, track and report on student progress

Curriculum Implementation

Students at Australian Islamic College participate in the eight learning areas, as specified by

the Australian Curriculum. These learning areas include:

English

Mathematics

Science

Studies of Society and Environment/History

The Arts

Health and Physical Education

Technology

Language Other Than English

One School, One Program

At the Australian Islamic College, all educators are required to follow the set programs. The

educators from the three campuses collaborate and work together to create effective programs

based on the content specified in the Australian Curriculum. Teachers will have the flexibility

within their class to differentiate to meet the needs of their students. Assessment activities will

be built into the programs.

Regular meetings across the three schools as well as access to Office 365 will continue to

facilitate this process. To ensure consistency, validity and moderation of assessments across

the college, the three campuses are required to agree on set text books.

Assessments Assessment is the purposeful, systematic and ongoing collection of information as evidence

for use in making judgments about student learning. Systems, principals, teachers and

students use assessment information to support improvements in student learning.

The Melbourne Declaration of Educational Goals for Young Australians defines three broad

purposes for assessment.

• Assessment for learning — enabling teachers to use information about student

progress to inform their teaching (DIAGNOSTIC).

• Assessment as learning — enabling students to reflect on and monitor their own

progress to inform their future learning goals (FORMATIVE).

• Assessment of learning — assisting teachers, principals and systems to use

evidence of student learning to assess student achievement against goals and

standards (SUMMATIVE).

(Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, December 2008 p.14).

Refer to the Assessment Policy for more information on assessments, reporting and moderation.

Lesson Delivery

Teaching and learning at Australian Islamic College is developed around the Explicit

Instruction model. Explicit Instruction consists of 5 key components: Warm-Ups, I Do, We

Do, You Do and Plough Back.

Critical Elements of Explicit Instruction

Optimal use of instructional time - Students engaged and on task at

all-times

High levels of success at all stages

Focused on critical content matched to students’ instructional needs

Sequenced logically - Breakdown complex skills and strategies into

smaller steps

Supported practice

Timely feedback – immediate and affirmative (Be Positive) Source - Archer, A. & Hughes, C. Explicit Instruction – Effective and Explicit Teaching, (2011), Guildford Publications

Warm-Ups

Warm-Ups are used in Literacy, Maths and other key learning areas Fast paced, well planned sessions to consolidate core concepts and skills – ‘Click test’

Transfers learning from short to long term memory- automaticity Purpose is to revise and review what has been taught previously - not to introduce new

learning. Warm-Ups are NOT the introduction to a lesson Delivered with an IWB/ power point/ flash cards/ games/actions/

little whiteboards Warm Ups need to be changed regularly in type, style and format. Slide orders need to

be changed and checked for understanding. Strategies need to be varied. Information in Warm-Ups is changed when 80% of students demonstrate

retention.

Forms of Warm- Ups

Delivered in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy (i.e. Reading/Spelling, Every day writing, Punctuation & Grammar and Maths).

For example, reading consolidations can include:

Sight words and vocabulary

Tracking through words, blending and segmenting

Phonemic awareness

Phonics First 1000 words Spelling

rules

Used for specific subjects.

For example, a Science-specific Warm-Ups is used at the commencement of each Science lesson and would include:

Specific vocab

Specific concepts

Specific skills

Key aspects of R.R.A

Recite: Teach the concept first before including it as a Warm-Up. Change the Warm-Ups as required.

As students acquire skills and concepts, replace them with more recently acquired ones. Known

concepts/skills need to be eventually removed from the Warm-Up to make room for more recently

acquired concepts and skills and to keep the consolidation within the time constraints. Revisit this

material throughout the term/semester to check for automaticity.

Recall: Having students simply verbalise the Warm-Up is not sufficient (participation rate 30%, 40%,

30%) Teachers need to have systems in place to check for understanding and to hold students

accountable. This can be done by, stopping the Warm-Up at key points and asking students questions

(individual and group), using ‘show me boards’ so all students show their answers, include non-

examples.

Apply: Differentiation will occur at this stage of the Warm-Ups.

Explicit Teaching Lesson Outline

INTR

OD

UC

TIO

N Opening of the Explicit Lesson

Introduce the Strategy/Concept

State the goal of the lesson/part of lesson LI (Learning Intention), SC (Success Criteria) and Why?

Review prerequisite skills and knowledge – checking for understanding Introduce the concept or skill to be explicitly taught and explain why students need to master

the concept or skill Warm-Ups completed

I DO

Body of Explicit Lesson Modelling (Think Aloud – Self-Talk)

Present new material in small steps

Model procedures - ‘thinking out loud’ – SELF TALK

Provide examples and non-examples

Use clear language and avoid digressions

3 C’s = Clear, Consistent, Concise

Finish with a list of steps to success

WE

DO

Body of Explicit Lesson Collaborative/Guided Practice

Children self-talk the steps to success Guide students as they practice – require high frequency of responses

Ensure high rates of success Provide timely and explicit feedback, clues, and prompts

Have students continue to practice until they are fluent Teacher circulates the room and monitors/evaluates student practice by observing, asking

questions and engaging students in focused talk. If students are not mastering the skill return to ‘I do’ steps and reteach

YO

U D

O

Body of Explicit Lesson Independent Practice

Individual work, differentiation for student levels

Teacher circulates room and monitors individual student practice

Engage students in focused questioning and feedback

Students continue to practice until skills are automatic Check and correct students’ independent work to validate

students’ level of mastery

PLO

UG

H

BA

CK

Closing of Explicit Lesson Students share work and get feedback

Review key concepts and consolidate understanding

Check students’ understanding against success criteria

Professional Learning for Staff

A key determinant of student achievement is the quality of teaching. Teachers need to engage

in effective, ongoing professional learning to assist them to reflect on their professional

practice and to develop progressively higher levels of expertise so as to improve student

achievement.

Teachers' engagement in effective professional learning:

deepens understanding of the subject area/s and content taught

improves knowledge of how students learn

builds a repertoire of teaching practices that can be used to teach specific subject

matter

improves the selection of the teaching practice most suitable for progressing student

learning

provides opportunities to examine and challenge assumptions about particular

teaching practice and its effect on student performance

results in improved student learning.

Professional learning and development is an individual and collective responsibility.

Five principles of effective professional learning:

Recent research has focused on the characteristics of successful professional learning. These

characteristics are made explicit in the following principles. Key steps in applying each of

these principles are also outlined.

1. Professional learning is focused

on what students are to learn and

on their learning outcomes.

Build content expertise.

Build understanding of how to deal with the

challenges students have in learning the material.

2. Professional learning is focused

on teacher practice and built into

the day-to-day work of teaching.

Involve teachers in:

- analysing the differences between actual student

performance and the goals and standards for

student learning

- identifying what they, as teachers, need to learn

- designing their professional learning experiences.

3. Professional learning is informed

by the best available research and

multiple sources of data.

Develop understanding of the theory

underlying new knowledge and skills to

enable sustained improvement in teacher practice.

Use multiple sources of data, including student

achievement data, to determine focus areas for

professional learning.

Build knowledge and understanding of how to use data

to guide improvements in teaching and learning.

4. Professional learning is organised

around collaborative problem

solving.

Build a school-wide culture of professional learning.

Build professional learning teams with strong

relationships between teachers; and between teachers

and school leaders to support and foster:

active reflection on their own practice

feedback to colleagues

changes in practice.

5. Professional learning is intensive,

ongoing and supported with

follow-up.

Include support from sources both internal and external

to the school.

Provide support over significant time frames to sustain

teacher learning and change in classroom practice.

Encourage every teacher to take personal responsibility

for engaging in professional learning.

Professional Learning Teams:

Professional learning teams contribute significantly to schools becoming learning communities

by fostering a culture of collaboration and collective responsibility. Collaboration may involve

examining student work, case discussion, study groups, lesson study and peer observation.

Teams need to carefully plan the process they follow to achieve their objectives. This process

includes strategies for collecting student data; the preparation of action plans; procedures for

implementation; and methods of evaluating the effect on their teaching practice and on student

learning.

Procedures for ongoing induction, coaching, mentoring and support in teaching &

learning

Coaching:

Peer coaching promotes professional learning by assisting teachers and school leaders to build

their skill and understanding. Peer coaches work with individuals and/or small groups. They

provide planned and ongoing support that is targeted to identified needs at a particular point in

time and reflects the specific school context.

Coaching involves building professional relationships, using data and evidence, engaging in

substantive conversations and providing purposeful instruction with a focus on school

improvement.

Reviewed date: [February 2020] Approved by: [Executive Principal] Next review: [February 2021]