The consequences of our choices

The values of Choice Theory underpin our beliefs and ways of working at Peregian Springs State School. They are evident in the ways we treat each other, the decisions we make, our policies and procedures and how we educate our little people.

The basic premise of Choice Theory is acceptance of the idea that we choose our behaviour and are responsible for ourselves. Living a Choice Theory life gives a person control over their thinking and actions, is self motivating, and empowering. 

The choice we have is paramount.

Glasser says 'We almost always have choices, and the better the choice, the more we will be in control of our lives'. 

It's the best lesson in life there is.

Kids who love to learn

Last week I circulated a parenting tip sheet from Michael Grose's parenting website called The Pitfall of Using Other Children as Benchmarks.  If you didn't see it, check your Inbox.  It's a great read.

Parent Teacher Student Conferences are on the horizon at Peregian Springs State School. Class teachers will meet with parents and students during the last two weeks of Term 1 to share the learning progress your child has made throughout the term. This is meant to be a celebratory time focused on your child and your child only. It's a time to celebrate how far they have come in relation to their own developmental clocks (and not in relation to how far other children have travelled).

Parent Teacher Student Conferences can be a tense time. Parents sometimes worry about whether their child has learned as much as another child, whether they are on the same reading level as last year, whether a friend's son is faster at their number facts, and even whether their child is as fast a runner as the neighbour's daughter. The fact is that all humans are stretched along a developmental scale and worrying about whether someone is further along the scale than your child tends to lead to anxiety and tension.

As parents, we want our kids to be the best they can be - and this is the trick. We need to think of the difference between being the best they can be, and being better than everyone else. The messages we send our children either directly or unconsciously tells them which we think is more important.

If you want your child to concentrate on their own learning and recognise their movement along the developmental scale then our language must focus on their growth - and not on the growth of other children. A comment such as 'Your reading is much more fluent now than it was a few months ago' is a much better measure of progress than 'You are the best reader in the class!'  Or 'Look at these big numbers you can partition now compared to the small numbers you were working with last year' sends a better message about the learning we are looking for than 'You know more number facts than anyone else in Year 2!'

No matter where your child is on the developmental scale he or she will have taken some steps along it in at least one area and probably many more. Focusing on these will make Parent Teacher Student Conferences a celebration and will go a long way to ensuring your child maintains their love of the learning process. Kids who love to learn will continue to be learners.

School pride

School pride - what is it? what does it look like? how do we know when we have it? These are all illusive questions, the answers to which are pursued by schools all over the world.

You know school pride when you see it, but it's hard to describe. It's something you can feel, and it probably can be heard too.

Last Thursday 7/6D went whale watching (courtesy of one of the student's parents). What a fantastic experience on a brilliant Spring day. After they arrived back at school, I received a call from a member of the public who wanted to talk to me about what she observed after being on the same boat with the class. Since these calls are usually bad news I answered with dread in my heart.

The woman explained that she had been on the boat with her elderly mother and she admitted to being annoyed when she saw they would be sharing their trip with a large group of school children. She had pushed her way to the front and demanded that Justin (7/6D's teacher) let them on first as she didn't want her mother 'pushed over'. She then went on to tell me what an amazing group of children they were - their manners were impeccable, they looked fantastic in their uniforms, she didn't hear the teacher raise his voice once, one of the boys gave his seat up for her mother and so it went on. She concluded by telling me they are a credit to 'that young man' - I think she meant Justin - and a credit to the school. Her mother, at the end of the trip, commented how nice it was to spend the day with young people.

I'm sure you can imagine the pride I felt - whammy, straight in the chest. When I told the story on Assembly the next morning you could see 7/6D swelling up as I spoke. And when the whole school congratulated them and Justin - well, it was wonderful!

It's important to teach children the value of pride - not in a 'I'm big noting myself' kind of way - but as an internal feeling of personal power and competence - that is, a motivating kind of way. Being proud of your school and proud of the people in it enhances a willingness to learn and do your best. And this fosters a personal competence that will carry kids through their future lives and will impact on the ways they view the world.

Well done, 7/6D - we're all so proud of you for showing the world and the whales what Peregian Springs State School does best!

Student of the Week - what to do about awards and recognition...

Sometimes parents ask us why we don’t 'do' Student of the Week on Assembly every Friday to recognise those students in each class who are performing and achieving well. Our decision not to do this was made before we opened and was influenced by our philosophy about providing an environment where all children will choose to work towards their potential in academic and social endeavours.

Strategies such as Student of the Week rarely motivate children to achieve more or behave appropriately – in fact they can often have to opposite effect of creating resentment amongst students who have not been awarded a Student of the Week award, despite achieving well and behaving well all the time. Student of the Week often turns into a turn-taking event in which students are picked based on some nebulous criteria because ‘they haven’t had one all year’. Children are very quick to see through these sorts of strategies.

At Peregian Springs SS we want to recognise all students for doing well at the times they are doing it. All students can aspire to this. Each class has their own way of recognising the great work kids are doing and we use assembly to congratulate those students (all those students) who are achieving above and beyond expectations in their academic, sporting and social endeavours.

I love to see our kids proudly standing for the whole group with smiles on their faces – and equally I love to see the rest of the school rejoicing in each individual’s achievement. Student of the Week becomes a routine activity that looses meaning in this context.