The effective teacher understands that the time to prepare students for the lesson is just as important as the time to assess students at the end of a lesson. Each phase works together to create and build effective learning strategies.

This past Monday, at Morning Gathering the Grades One & Two students presented ‘What Materials meant and mean to them’ to our entire school. Our students are anything but ordinary; therefore, the students created a ‘rap’ song that demonstrated their application process of their studies this year.“We’ve thought and we’ve thought and we’ve aimed even higher…let’s tinker, let’s tinker, to dig a little deeper”, are just a few lines from their rap song. Our students have worked extremely hard; in order to, fully understand how materials work together to support our every day. Without materials, we would not be able to build such extraordinary things, such as, levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, etc.

We have acquired the necessary knowledge. We have designed our blue prints. We have messed about with simple machines and now, the Grades One & Two students are heading to the Tinkering lab. Our students truly understand what it will take across all disciplines, to build their own simple machine. They also understand that without loose parts/materials, we would not be able to create our own simple machine. 

As educators, we have assessed the learning from the beginning. We have scaffolded/frontloaded and have supplied students with the necessary knowledge. We have tested their understanding, we have thought creatively; in order to, orally present our research. We will now assess the application of learning upon the effort given towards collaboratively creating their own simple machine.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is process; working together is success.” – Henry Ford