Great Scot December 2019 Great Scot 158_December_ONLINE | Page 14

MIDDLE SCHOOL
DEVELOPING ADAPTABLE
MINDS
To learn and improve, young people need
a repertoire of approaches
MS KATRINA STALKER
HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
BELOW: YEAR 7 BOYS
MAKING SANDWICHES
FOR THE EAT UP
PROGRAM
14
Great Scot
If routine or repetitive tasks are the most susceptible
to automation, what skills are specific to human
ingenuity, and therefore likely to be in demand in the
future? How do our students prepare for their future
work life? Students’ social, emotional and analytical
skills will be of importance, based on qualities such
as complex problem-solving, cognitive flexibility,
creativity, negotiation, emotional intelligence,
coordination and collaboration.
While the curriculum we teach does encourage
some of these skills, it is the underlying positive
mindset on the part of our boys which is most
important: being open to learning, facing challenges
and showing resilience. These are the necessary skills
to develop into adaptable young men for the future.
Boys need to believe their abilities can be developed
through dedication and hard work – brains and talent
are just the starting point.
As we approach the end of year, our programs are
aimed at helping boys develop a dedicated approach
to their learning, to be ready to adopt new strategies
and seek input from others when they’re stuck. They
need this repertoire of approaches (not just sheer effort)
to learn and improve. With this in mind, the Study
Skills Program has been developed by the Centre for
Learning, which offers the boys a range of strategies.
There’s no one-size-fits-all model for learning.
What works for one person may not work for
another – it is important for the boys to try many of
the strategies. It is also valuable for them to voice their
understanding and opinions: the importance of casual
conversations around the dinner table, or incidental
conversations in the car, cannot be underestimated.
To develop the boys’ mindset it is important to
praise wisely – praising perseverance, the process they
engage in, their hard work, their strategies and their
focus. Rather than ‘running’ from difficulties they
need to look at these as learning challenges, with
outcomes perhaps not going as well as they would
hope, but providing learning opportunities all the
same. If they achieve a grade they are not happy with,
instead of saying ‘I can’t do this’, they need to change
their mindset to ‘I can’t do this yet’, challenging
themselves to change the approach and keep working
hard to achieve their goals. With a positive approach
to their learning, they will be developing an adaptable
mind which will help them to find their place in the
ever-changing workplace.
The Middle School continues its focus on Big Ideas
and respectful relationships, and the boys were recently
challenged by a lecture on the Suffragettes delivered
by our Head of Commerce, Mr Tom Hawkins. In
this lecture they were introduced to the history of the
movement in England. The boys were then challenged
with the following questions while looking towards
their future – how do you know when to challenge the
status quo, and how should we react to people who are
challenging what we believe in?
The success of the lectures and the program is seen
in the conversations the Year 8s engage in on these
topics with Peer Mentors from Upper School boys in
Years 10, 11 and 12, and with their Form Teachers.