Planning to Support Mixed Ability Teaching

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Planning to Support Mixed Ability Teaching

• Sharon Gunn
• SDP Coordinator

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Background in Mixed Ability Teaching

• School opened in -----
• Broad banding
• 1998 Switch to Mixed Ability
• Ongoing evaluation of Mixed Ability

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Mission Vision and Aims
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SPHE Programme

• Closely linked to our Mission Statement
• Our wish is that our students leave us with a
  positive self-image, with the skills and
  attitudes which will enable them to make a
  positive contribution to an ever-changing
  society.

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Class Organisation issues Class
Group 1

• Concerns about inferiority complex/ poor
  self-image/ low expectations/ discipline issues/
  motivation issue
• Sense that we were doing this group a disservice
• Since Mixed Ability we no longer have a Problem
  Class discipline issues are diluted.

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Class Group 2

• Misplaced students not catered for in Higher
  level Maths/ English/ Irish
• Extra classes offered by concerned teacher
• Need therefore to address this issue of access
• Result Mixed Ability has allowed us to offer all
  subjects to all pupils

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Planning for Mixed Ability Teaching

• Inservice prior to decision (establish the
  rationale)
• Subject departments used to working with one
  another (work through concerns together/ share
  materials methodologies)
• Tutor System (monitor student achievement through
  attendance Journal)
• SPHE Programme promotes positive self-image
  tolerance of difference
• Learning Support initiatives

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Role of SDP Coordinator

• Support Subject Departments Timetable inservice/
  department meetings
• Provide evaluation materials encourage dialogue
  on teaching learning issues
• Facilitate end of year subject planning day
• Communicate with Student Tracking POR

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Mixed Ability

• Teaching pupils of different learning styles
  with different levels of talent, knowledge, speed
  and motivation

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The Teacher Planning challenges

• Can involve extra planning for the teacher
• Involves planning for all learners
• As awareness of all types of learner develops the
  task gets easier as resources build up over time.
• Challenge is to engage the better able and
  maintain the interest of those who struggle.
• Differentiation is the key

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Differentiation

• How does it work?
• Differentiation - the merits..Variety of
  stimulus/ encourages a number of ways of
  approaching the same topic so that all learners
  gain/ encourages innovation/ encourages peer
  mentoring.
• Differentiation can occur by resource/ by task/
  by outcome/ by classroom organisation.
• A move away from teaching to the middle by
  employing good teaching methodologies.

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Class Plan for MAT German

• Core information Learn vocabulary (Draw a
  picture/ word search/ crossword/ hangman) Must
  know
• Developing the skills of sentence construction
  (mix match exercises/ pair work conversation)
  Should know
• Look for deeper understanding (reading
  comprehension/ application of grammar previously
  learned /ability to express own ideas in writing)
  Could know

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MAT techniques

• Questioning (open)
• Self-marking
• Role play
• Use of homework for extension exercises.
• AFL inservice provides useful support for MAT.

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Maths

• 1st Year Mixed Ability
• Set number of topics covered with all classes
• Wouldnt have it any other way
• No problem getting the course covered (McGarry
  2006)
• 2nd Year classes are set based on the results of
  a common paper at the end of 1st Year
• Range of questions on the paper i.e. it is
  differentiated- building in opportunities for
  success

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Assessment

• Differentiation by outcome Pupils do the same
  task with the same resources but the teachers
  expectations for each pupil will be different and
  will be reflected in the marking.
• Differentiated worksheets pupils are given the
  same worksheets containing gradated exercises.
• Differentiation by task Pupils do different
  tasks with different resources.

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Supporting MAT

• Student Tracking POR
• SDP Coordinator
• Effective Subject Departments Reporting
  structure/ shared resources
• Inservice to refresh/ remind/ revise
• Learning support initiatives Team teaching/ SNA
  s support classroom teaching
• Induction of new staff
• End of year subject planning day/ annual
  evaluation

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Support/Inservice can

• Help initiate the exploration of Mixed Ability
  Teaching
• Update methodologies
• Refresh the approach
• Help us assess our effectiveness at what we do.

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Agenda for Subject Departments

• What were the desired outcomes for MAT?
• Have they been achieved?
• Have results changed/improved?
• How do departments organise the ability of
  students for teaching and learning and how are
  students grouped in each year group?
• What values are behind these decisions?

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Workshop 1

• What structures do you have in your school to
  support Mixed Ability Teaching at the moment?
• What steps do you need to take to support
  effective introduction of mixed ability teaching?

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Workshop 2

• Evaluating mixed ability teaching
• Identify indicators of success in relation to
  mixed ability teaching at
• whole school level
• at subject department level

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Initiatives for evaluation of student achievement

• Look at results student tracking (POR)
• Better use of available data using it
  proactively
• Template to identify the achiever/underachiever
• Formative assessment in first year
• Subject department questionnaire
• Student questionnaire What Qs might give clues
  about the value of MAT

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Mixed Ability 10 years on

• Concerns about high achievers
• Student tracking
• Social benefits no problem class
• Educational benefits equality of access
• Discipline issues have been diluted
• Recent AFL inservice maintains momentum
• Regular evaluation