We’re officially half-way through the academic year! Well done for everything you’ve achieved so far this year! I can assure you it’s far more than you remember. Getting to the February half term is always one of my favourite parts of the year. I look at my class and I see the relationships are built, students know their network, they’re safe in their environment, the December niggles are all ironed out and we’ve still got half of the year to go. This is a great time to reflect!

Half-Time Team Talk

There are two parts to this:

  1. You personally reflecting on your year so far and noticing your impact and achievements.
  2. Facilitating your class to reflect on their learning and their learning environment in order to set themselves up for a successful second half of the year.

Practitioner Reflection

It’s so easy to focus on what we might need to do over the rest of the year rather than pausing to see what we have already achieved. Let’s try to find some things to celebrate from this year so far.

  1. Think of a student you teach that you know you have had a positive impact on this year - academically, socially or emotionally.
    Smile about it. Acknowledge it. That’s what we’re here for. 
  2. Think of an area that you know you have tried to improve at this year. It’s not about the progress you have made and definitely not about the progress anyone else thinks you’ve made; it’s about the time and effort you have put in to better yourself and your practice.
    Smile about it. Acknowledge it. Appreciate your efforts.
  3. Think of an aspect of your setting that you have had a positive impact on this year. You’re there everyday, you’re impacting so much every time you walk in. What is your impact on your setting? How many people are benefitting from this impact - I imagine quite a few.
    Smile about it. Acknowledge it. You are needed.

Class Reflection

Having the class reflect on their learning is a great way to give them ownership over their learning whilst encouraging them to take some responsibility for their progress. A Half Time Team Talk can work for any age from KS1-KS4 - Use it to consider strengths and acknowledge weaknesses, set targets and feel ready and prepared for the rest of the year.

To get an insight into individual voices and to ensure every student is heard, you could have a template of questions and reflections that you either go through with your class or give to them to return back to you.For a more collaborative strategy, you might hold a conversation together as a class - possibly in a meeting circle format.

Either way, try to start it off by asking the students to reflect on you and your teaching first.

  • “Is there anything you wish I did as a teacher that could help you with your learning?”
  • “What do I already do that you find helps you with your learning?”
  • “What do other teachers that you work with do that I could adapt and adopt?”
  • “How would you change the classroom environment to help you with your learning?

Once you’ve set this air of self-reflection, the children will be more ready to reflect on their own learning.

  • “What piece of learning are you most proud of that you would share with the school if you had to?”“Which of your peers best supports you to stay engaged and focused?
  • “What areas of your education would you like to try harder on?”
  • “If any, what areas do you least look forward to? Why is that?”
  • “What target(s) could you set yourself for the rest of the year?”

These are just suggestions, you will know where to focus your questions to best support your class. Use Environment, Relationship and Practice as your basis to create a few questions on each and really empower your students, setting them up for a successful end to the year.