The Catholic Schools Office has undertaken a Diocesan approach to the Professional Development of all its staff to improve student outcomes. This Diocesan approach is known as “Leading Learning Collaboratively”, with Canadian researcher and author Lynn Sharratt guiding and assisting us in this venture. Lynn has a book titled “ Clarity… What Matters Most in Learning, Teaching and Leading”. One way of improving student outcomes and assessing student learning is through what we call “Learning Walks.” The executive team – and later all teachers, visit various classrooms are engaging with the students asking the following questions targeting the area of writing:

1. What are you learning? Why? ( e.g I am learning how to plan, write and review a Persuasive text, because being able to provide my point of view with facts is important.)
2. How are you doing? ( e.g OK . I am on level )
3. How do you know?( e.g Well I can check against the samples in the room and check with the Bump it up Wall as to where I am by self-editing my work.)
4. How can you improve? ( e.g I can make my arguments more detailed through better use of facts.)
5. Where do you go for help? ( e.g I can ask a friend who is a good writer or look at the wall where the good writing samples are displayed so I can see the difference, and check the next level for areas to improve.)

These questions are designed to encourage the students to be more aware of, and responsible for, their own learning. The questions are very different to “What are you doing?” or “Do you like what you are doing?” These questions promote a self-awareness of the importance of learning and that we never stop learning and that we must always try to improve in our learning. At the end of the day, you, as their first and most important teachers, might like to ask your own children similar questions too, so that you can continue to assist and encourage them on their learning journey.

Parent to child questions:

1. What did you learn at school today?
2. How did you do?
3. What did you do if you did not understand?
4. How can you improve on your learning?
5. What are you most proud of?