With most of the new subjects now on stream, the Junior Cycle is well and truly underway. It can be exciting and overwhelming looking at all of the different elements and trying to figure out where to start bringing them all together.
So, what does a successful implementation of the Junior Cycle look like to you? Is it consistent use of terminology? Greater collaboration within departments? Everyone working on a unified plan? Happy teachers confidently delivering the Junior Cycle?
In order to achieve your vision of success, try working back from here to figure out the steps and supports you need to put in place to empower everyone to get there.
Consistent use of terminology
If people are going off doing their own thing and using different systems it will be very difficult to maintain any sort of consistency across the school. Having all of the specifications and correct terminology in one platform that everyone uses means there is clarity and consistency in the use and interpretation of terminology.
Collaboration
There is a massive emphasis on collaboration between teachers in the Junior Cycle. But, if you think of the time it would take for departments to sit together and go through all of the posters and paperwork. Or, everyone going off separately using different systems to try do pockets of work, it is hard to see how there could ever be true collaboration within a department.
It is important to provide the time and space where departments can collaborate, learn from each other and share the workload. Where everyone has complete visibility of all that is going on within their department.
Unified plan
The consistent use of terminology and departments working together to create a unified plan leads to improved teaching and learning throughout the school. It is also a great foundation to begin to develop best practice for planning along with the delivery of teaching and learning. It is also vital to compare evidence of what worked well and how it can be improved going forward for effective S.S.E.
Happy confident teachers
So, what does all of the above mean for your teachers? Well, if they have space where they have worked together to nail their plans and are heading into their classrooms knowing they have the Junior Cycle well and truly covered? I’d say they are feeling pretty happy and confident.
With SchoolWise departments no longer need to sit around trying to piece together the key skills, statements of learning, specification documents and planning templates, wondering if it what they are doing is correct.
We support departments planning for the Junior Cycle by providing the scaffolding with all of the specifications built in and walk everyone through it step by step, giving teachers the confidence to plan for and deliver the Junior Cycle.