At Aspirations Academies, the Condition of Fun and Excitement is defined as being intellectually engaged and emotionally invested in our schoolwork and professional life.
Students and teachers who embody Fun and Excitement are typically self-confident, curious, energetic and well-prepared. They approach each day with enthusiasm and a willingness to embrace its challenges.
To foster this Condition, provide students and teachers with fresh opportunities and meaningful challenges that align with their interests and your school objectives.
Sparking deeper connections
- Variety in lessons
- Surprise lessons
- Competition among the students and against the teacher
- Student choice
- Relate lesson to individual interests
- Opportunities to collaborate
- Guest speaker (former student to show what is achievable)
- Student-led activities
- Games
- A positive approach to lessons
- Teacher energy
- High levels of challenge and high expectations
- Embrace technology
Engagement – Curiosity and Creativity
The Condition of Curiosity and Creativity is characterised by inquisitiveness, eagerness, intellectual engagement in learning and a strong desire to learn new or interesting things.
Curiosity invites the question, “Why?” while creativity involves taking the initiative to ask, “Why not?”
The intensity of Curiosity and Creativity tends to diminish over time due to the habituating effects of the environment. To sustain student and teacher engagement, schools can devote extra attention to creating environments that promote questioning, problem-solving, innovation and creative exploration.
Find the Gap
- Provide opportunities to think, question, participate, and respond
- Encourage students to generate questions
- Encourage students to formulate alternative ideas
- Provide opportunities to explore and question ideas, materials and interests
- Respond to student questions in positive verbal and nonverbal ways
- Model or provide scaffolding
- Provide opportunities for choice and discovery
- Provide opportunities for students to use their imagination while learning
- Challenge assumptions
- Embrace and challenge misconceptions
Engagement – Spirit of Adventure
The Condition of Spirit of Adventure is characterised by the willingness to embrace positive, healthy challenges in both home and personal settings.
Students and teachers experience a Spirit of Adventure when they tackle something new without fear of failure or success.
Schools that encourage effective decision-making and healthy risk-taking empower students and teachers to build confidence and resilience. Those who embrace this Condition view life as full of opportunities worth exploring for their own growth and enjoyment.
First Attempt in Learning
- Find opportunities to learn about personal health and wellbeing
- Teach your lesson in a different setting
- Set individual challenges
- Provide opportunities to face obstacles
- Teach and model resilience
- Teach how to accept constructive criticism
- Provide opportunities for collaboration
- Celebrate successes
- Encourage students to find solutions
- Encourage students to ask for help
- Seek opportunities to extend learning (trips and visits to local attractions)
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – it shows you are human!
Find out more about Aspirations and what we offer.
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