This year’s PYPx has been an opportunity to really celebrate what has been a transformative year of learning for us as a school, a teaching team, and a year level. Our central idea, “Thinking beyond ourselves empowers us to act” has anchored every unit of inquiry across every discipline in year 6. Early on we wanted to address the importance of contextual wellbeing and the sense of belonging that exists within cohesive communities. Our team started by reading Helen Street’s gamechanger, “Contextual Wellbeing” and engaging in a weekly discussion group around its chapters.
Our teaching and learning began to reflect the thoughts and values of this book and now we find ourselves diving deeply into these with each other and 103 twelve-year-olds.
Each learner has an inquiry that reflects the central idea. Collaboration happens as part of a natural process of mentorship, drawing connections between each others’ ideas, structured group discussions, regular provocations and through the telling of the stories of our inquiries. We are not in groups but as learners and teachers, we are starting to see themes.
Connection
Legacy
Belonging
Community
Here are some of my favourite inquiries so far (with two and a half weeks to go till sharing night):
Amelia: Concerned about the waste created by consumers of fashion and the fashion industry, is making a blanket out of donated, used clothing for our library.
Mark: Having identified exclusivity as a problem that needed solving in year 6, he is designing a learning space that will encourage the building of relationships across a year level.
Sam: Became aware that some people don’t have access to the kind of sporting and fitness facilities and equipment that we have at our school so he is designing a fitness program that requires none at all.
Romy: Finds it frustrating that her community tends to socialise almost exclusively within its own culture. She has planned a half-day of activities for our students to get to know students from another school who come from a range of cultural backgrounds.
Zev: Has done a lot of reading and thinking about the idea of belonging. He doesn’t really have a plan for what he would like to do in terms of action. But he is deeply pondering his place amongst his peers and has taken definite steps to move beyond his small circle of friends. So, that’s action.
Toby: Is passionate about sport and recently saw a documentary about how athletes face the challenges of retirement. He is designing a pre-retirement planning workshop for athletes which will help them address some of their fears or needs. It’s an adult concept, and yes, tricky to find an authentic audience…but the creativity and empathy are real.
Eve: Has recently been diagnosed with scoliosis and has had to learn to cope with her new brace. She is passionate about making sure others feel supported in areas of their life where shame might exist. She has named her brace, Shaniqua. Shaniqua has her own seat in our classroom when Eve plays sport on Fridays. Shaniqua is quite sassy. Eve has made Shaniqua a star.
Yoni: Visited a charity that addresses the needs of homeless people. He began by looking at the factors that lead to homelessness but now he is curious about the idea of dignity. How can it be preserved? What is its importance? What if all people had dignity? What if homelessness didn’t lead to a loss of dignity?
These are just some of the inquiries that are happening. But as you can see, there are connections and themes.
Shelearnsaboutlearning 