Making Term 4 Terrific
Four practical ways to protect learning time, reset routines and celebrate success—making Term 4 count for every student.
Within the next few weeks, Australian educators will be welcoming their students back into the classroom for the final term of the year. As the pupils in our care walk through those school gates or classroom entrances, what goes through your mind? Perhaps you wonder what they did on their holiday, or you (quietly) panic about how much they remember from the previous term. Maybe it’s none of these things, and you’re just happy to see them.
When the near inevitable question of, “What did you do during the holidays?” comes up, the range in responses tends to be unsurprisingly disparate. Some of our students will return with stories of enriching experiences, whilst others shrug their shoulders or claim they did “absolutely nothing.”
Regardless, this reminds us of a tacit understanding within our profession. We are limited in the extent that we can influence what our students are exposed to outside of school. However, the flip side of the coin is that as educators, we can definitely influence what students experience within our classrooms. This begs the question: What can we do to ensure that the time in our classrooms is well-spent?
Tempting Term 4 thinking
“The kids are tired, and so are we.”
“There are so many activities and disruptions this term!”
“Teachers are already thinking about their class for next year…”
These are phrases that we probably hear or say ourselves. Why? Because they are, for the most part, true. However, there is a stark difference between the reality of a fact and what we do with a fact. It is tempting to think that just because a statement is true, the “natural” consequence is bound to follow. In this case, repeated disruptions and somewhat diminished focus from both staff and students often result in standards of learning and behaviour slip.
Simply dismissing it as being unavoidably symptomatic of the final term does injustice to the students in front of us. In particular, it does a disservice to the students who rely on school for a calm, predictable environment where they can flourish and broaden their worldview and knowledge. Whilst we have limited accountability with what happens outside the classroom, what happens in the confines of the classroom is certainly under our purview. As the (literal) adult in the room, it falls to us to make sure that term 4 does not become a throwaway term of time-fillers, but rather, an enriching end to the school year that prepares them for the years ahead.
Four things to try in Term 4
Teaching is definitely not rocket science. In fact, it’s less predictable. While astrophysicists and engineers are able to calculate trajectories and timings to incredible accuracy, dealing with a room of children can be somewhat less formulaic. However, to maximise the odds of turning a tired Term 4 into a terrific one, here are some things to consider trying.
1. Restate and reset the routine
Structured, predictable learning routines that are coupled with clear expectations form the backbone of the classroom experience. Having routines and firm boundaries help establish a calm and orderly learning environment where students can turn their cognitive resources in the right direction.
A routine however, is a learned behaviour, and learning is subject to forgetting. Beginning the term with a review of classroom norms and expectations not only serves a smooth segue from the holidays into the academic term, but sets everyone up for success.
Treat the classroom behaviour as you would any other retrieval practice. Praise positive examples and provide corrective feedback. If needed, reteach, remodel, and repeat. The time investment at the start of the term reduces wasted time further down the road, and likely produces fewer sighs of exasperation as well.
2. Prioritise the present
In and amidst report writing, public holidays, holiday events and swimming programmes, it can feel very hectic trying to keep things flowing smoothly. It’s easy to get swept up and lost in the busyness of the term. This is where learning to focus in on the here and now of the classroom becomes a powerful strategy to keep students focussed, and hopefully, reduce teacher anxiety and stress.
Treat learning time as something to be protected and something that is precious. If needed, remind students (and yourself), that during learning time, the attention and thinking should be on the learning happening in the now. As educators, adopting the mindset of “What can I do right now to make learning happen?” moves us away from the what-ifs and if-onlys, and make us think about how we respond to the behaviours and learning of our students.
In the face of disruption and distractions, how do we keep routines and expectations tight, particularly when motivation is running dry for both teachers and students? One way might be to…
3. Celebrate student success
Success is rewarding, and highly motivating. By resetting expectations in term 4, and making full use of classroom instructional time, we actually increase the opportunities that our students can feel successful. Success in the classroom, bolstered and reinforced with warm praise, can serve to reinvigorate students in their learning.
Continuing to hold high standards and expectations in term 4 may seem counterintuitive to the built-up fatigue of the year, but having these standards grants you the opportunity to give meaningful praise. Students have spent the last 3 terms building their knowledge and polishing their routines, and term 4 is the ripe opportunity to allow them to show us and celebrate what they have learnt.
By dropping academic and behavioural standards, we actually deny students that opportunity. When we keep that laser focus in the present of the classroom and make learning the focus, it gives both students, and us, the chance to actually realise the fruits of our labour.
4. Pilot and practice
As you enter into the final term, perhaps you have found yourself thinking to yourself “if only I had done … at the start of the year.” Hindsight is 20/20, and it’s just as easy to think, “Oh well, next year I’ll make sure to…” Perhaps the routines in your class have not yet been set up, and you feel it’s too late to start something. You think to yourself that you might as well wait till next year, take time to plan it properly, and begin fresh.
Not only does this sound reminiscent of failed New Year resolutions, but it actually has a hidden downside. If you wait till next year to introduce a new routine that you think would be helpful, or to try a new instructional technique, then you are going to spend the next 10 or so weeks practicing behaviours that you ultimately want replaced. Practice makes permanent, and the longer we stay in the habit of doing something suboptimally, the harder it will be to change. To get better at something, start now.
In addition, we know that implementation is never without its challenges. Putting off something till next year just means that you will start the year with teething problems and working out the details. At the recent ResearchEd Canberra, keynote speaker Greg Ashman briefly discussed the idea of Term 4 being the perfect time to pilot something. While the context he discussed was more organisational, a similar principle applies.
In Term 4, your students are more likely to be familiar with the routines and practices you already have in place. This makes it a prime opportunity to pilot and test out one new thing, when other things are relatively stable. Communicate to your students that you want to try something with them, build excitement, and be open that it might not work the first time. Tell them how grateful you are that they’re willing to be open minded and you are likely to have a receptive audience. This lets them be a part of something meaningful, and lets next year’s class benefit from the polished version of what you want to introduce.
Final thoughts
Term 4 does not have to be a tired and grueling trudge to the end of the year. It can be an exciting time of consolidation, success and experimentation. Trialling something new makes sense when the foundations are sufficiently established and the change addresses a clear need.
Reset routines: choose one routine, explicitly model it, rehearse it and provide feedback.
Protect the present: identify the essential learning to preserve when an event shortens a lesson.
Celebrate success: revisit an earlier piece of work so students can see what they can now do.
Pilot a practice: trial one manageable change and decide what evidence would show it is helping.