Thinking School - New Staff Online Induction

The purpose of the course is to invite participants to consider and engage with a range of ideas around the vision of a Thinking School and the approaches to thinking and learning utilised. By so doing, they may develop and deepen their understanding, particularly about the roles of the educator and the metacognitive student, which might inform and enrich practice..

The course ideally should be accessed prior to, or soon after, a new teacher/member of staff has joined a Thinking School. Its purpose is to provide a general overview of the Thinking School approach and not to train new teachers in the specific thinking tools and strategies used within each individual school. It is anticipated that these will be introduced by school colleagues once the new teachers have familiarised themselves with their new roles.

This online course consists of two modules and may be facilitated using either Zoom or Google platforms. The format includes a combination of presentation, workshop activities and opportunity for discussion. The first session is facilitated early in the new term and the second approximately one term later following a period of reflection on practice.

The sessions will be facilitated by a TM course tutor and will provide opportunity for participants to interact, reflect, share thoughts and outcomes of activities and to clarify thinking. There may also be opportunity to network with others from different schools that are new to the concept of Thinking Schools. Participants are also encouraged to engage in personal reading and reflection, pre and post the course and in between the sessions.

Each participant will receive a TM certificate on completion of the course.

Module One. Setting the Context. (One hour). The objectives for the module are to enable participants to reflect on and consider responses to the following questions: