Managing a new school environment
About this resource
Students preparing to transition into secondary school will experience changes to their physical environment, at home and at school. Remember the last time you changed schools, whether as a teacher or as a student, and the large amounts of information you needed to process to acclimatise to your new environment? This is what the students will be experiencing, and the move to secondary school is often the first time they are expected to manage this sort of change independently.
The content in this module will prepare you for the classroom activities and parent and carer communications related to managing a new school environment. It includes finding out information about a new school (or potential schools), including location, campus maps, timetable structures and daily routines, and extracurricular opportunities. There will be learning opportunities that will challenge teachers, students, and parents and carers.
Year 7 students will benefit from activities similar to those planned for Year 6 students: of course, Year 7 students are already at the secondary school, so activities can be more immediate, more hands-on and exploratory, and focus on actual timetables and routines.
The focus of this module is to provide teachers with background practice and preparation related to the New School Environment classroom activities. Teachers will learn how to assist students to identify and plan what they need to do to:
- travel to school;
- manage new school timetables; and
- navigate a new environment containing unfamiliar buildings, classrooms, and similar.
Activities include content knowledge that is important for teachers to know and understand as aligned to the AITSL, as well as professional learning activities.
By the end of this professional learning module, you will be able to:
- support students to plan and consider how the learning environment may change at home;
- support students to be prepared for how the environment will change in their new school; and
- investigate with students what may change when traveling to their secondary school.
1.1 – Physical, social, and intellectual development and characteristics of students
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social, and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
3.3 – Use teaching strategies
Include a range of teaching strategies.
3.7 – Engage parents and carers in the educative process
Describe a broad range of strategies for involving parents and carers in the educative process.
4.1 – Support student participation
Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
4.4 – Maintain student safety
Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum, and legislative requirements.
7.3 – Engage with the parents and carers
Understand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents and carers.
Mathematics
General Capabilities: Estimate and Measure with metric units + Operate with clocks calendars and timetables Level 4 and Level 5
Australian Curriculum: Interpret and use timetables
Elaborations:
- planning a trip involving one or more modes of public transport
- develop a timetable for daily activities
- Scootle (ACMMG139)
English
General Capabilities: Operate with clocks calendars and timetables Level 4 and Level 5
Australian Curriculum: Identify and explain how analytical images like figures, tables, diagrams, maps, and graphs contribute to our understanding of verbal information in factual and persuasive texts.
Elaborations:
- observing how concepts, information and relationships can be represented visually through such images as tables, maps, graphs, diagrams, and icons
- Scootle (ACELA1524)