The Power of Positive Deviance

The Answer to How is Yes

Collaborating with the Enemy Adam Kohane

A Deliberately Developmental Organisation

Thank You for Being Late Thomas L Friedman

Ditching Awards and Assemblies to focus on Kids and Learning

abundant research showing that awards, rewards and other external incentives undermine intrinsic motivation

“To say ‘do this, and you’ll get that’ makes people lose interest in ‘this,’ ” said Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards. 

Awards are that much worse than rewards, Kohn added, because they are simply prizes made artificially limited.

“A key takeaway here is that awards aren’t bad just because the losers are disappointed; everyone (including the winners) ultimately lose when schooling is turned into a scramble to defeat one’s peers,” Kohn said.

In May of 2017, Gosal told parents in her weekly newsletter that the June awards ceremony was off. Instead, the school would be hosting a success showcase for all students. 

‘We hope that they continue to develop their best selves for their own benefit—not because someone tells them to or because there’s an award at the end of the year.’

“Every single person in school has strengths, skills and talents, and it’s our job to bring them out more,” Wejr said.

“It’s not an award at the end of the year that drives achievement,” Wejr said. Excellence comes from a school culture that fosters collaboration and provides opportunities for students to lead, especially in those areas where children have special talents and skills, he added.

Teaching as Inquiry

Inquiry grows the professional practice of teachers by facilitating deep and personal reflection. Deep and personal reflection of the Information gathered during a rigorous inquiry process allows teachers to draw valid conclusions as to their impact on students learning which energises teachers to keep making changes that may lead to improved student learning. Inquiry contributes to the process of heightened responsiveness to students needs and deeper reflections by teachers. When teachers responsiveness to the learning needs of their students is heightened, inquiry practice and the measured impacts that result contribute to deeper teacher reflection about the impact of their teaching actions on students learning.

inquiry results in professional growth by changing practice and informing as to the impact teachers are having on students learning. Inquiry makes the connection between actions - impacts and resulting reflections. Inquiry practice facilitates the connection between the measurement of the impacts of teachers actions on students learning and deep reflection of these impacts. Inquiry WILL change your practice. Through planning a change when undertaking an inquiry, teachers inevitably change their practice.