Helping students

All my students are getting ready for the assessment period. Senior students have their half-yearly examination in the next two weeks. My junior students also need to submit their art case study assignment soon. During this busy period, there are always students who can benefit from the extra help. I usually book the learning centre if students need one on one assistance. The learning centre is where students can go during class time to complete assignments with the assistance of support teachers.

Last year I made a 'Homework Centre' poster using the website Canva. I shared this poster on the school Facebook page to remind everyone about this free service. It is useful for students who may not have computers or wifi at home. I also verbally recommend this to students who may want extra help with homework and assignments. There is always a classroom teacher and a few Year 12 Student Leaders available to help students. Often the Year 12 students have experience in completing these assessment tasks.

I included this homework centre poster in my Year 11 Visual Arts group chat. 'Remind' is a great phone app as I can share this information with students even after school hours. It allows for easy communication and protects both parties by not revealing the teacher's or students' phone numbers.

Above: Screenshot from 'Remind' group chat

I have been making several phone calls home. Most parents enjoy getting a call as they like to know what they child is doing at school and the kind of support structure available. I have also been calling home for 'positive' things so that I can give students the recognition that they deserve. Each call ends up around 20 mins long as I take the time to build up a relationship with the parent, and to show them that I care about their child's progress and well-being. It does eat up a lot of my time, but these calls make a big difference as it may be the only recognition the student receives.