Mr. McLaren, the head of school in SIFC, launched a training program entitled “Developing Excellent Teaching and Learning” for all school teachers. Before the training, Mr. McLaren briefly mentioned the vision and philosophy of running school. He hopes that teachers can have a more profound understanding of our school through this training. As well as the SIFC educational ideas implemented in each class, homework, task and effective communication with parents.

Session Content

Aims and intentions

Session assessment task

The ‘Categories of Learning’

Curriculum review activity

Lesson review activity

Defining the elements of a good lesson

Summary of session 

Session Aims

To provide teachers with an understanding of the elements that make an excellent lesson

To begin to formulate a collective understanding and practice of teaching and learning at SIFC

Mind-map Activity

In your table teams, use the available resources to produce a ‘mind map’

Your mind map will be a record all of the key information from the session that you feel most relevant

Additional achievement is awarded for presentation and creativity

The Polar Bear Activity

Question: To achieve excellent teaching, what should be the main focus of the teacher?

Answer: Learning

The Elements of an Excellent Lesson

A clear learning intention

-      What aspect of learning are you targeting

Share the success criteria with students

-      Aims, learning objective and assessment criteria

Plan a variety of activities that enable students to achieve the lesson intention

-      Stimulate and engage your students in meaningful LEARNING

Continuously assess student understanding and progress

-      Direct/in-direct questioning, review of student work

Students should record their learning

-      Workbooks, worksheets, learning journals, portfolio

A review of the learning at the end of the lesson

Reinforce the learning and check for understanding