MODULE 4: "STUDENT VOICE AND COMMUNICATION"
Asking our student for input in all discussions and decisions, is when the greatest levels of engagement, satisfaction and success are achieved. This module gives you the framework and tools that will enable you to foster effective communication and empower the student to use their voice.
Henry Ford
RECIPROCITY
- Open and regular communication underpins effective collaboration
- Positive in approach
- Student voice is paramount
- Trial and error, and regular review is inherent in the design
- School life and home life are intertwined
- Parent and teacher relationship needs to be equitable, valued and honoured
RECIPROCITY
- Open and regular communication underpins effective collaboration
- Positive in approach
- Student voice is paramount
- Trial and error, and regular review is inherent in the design
- School life and home life are intertwined
- Parent and teacher relationship needs to be equitable, valued and honoured
(Walker and Logan, 2008)
READ MORE:
Why student voice matters – NSW Department of Education
READ MORE:
Why student voice matters – NSW Department of Education
(West, 2004)
To have a voice, students are actively involved in meaningful decision making processes. ‘Student Voice’ provides students with opportunities to become active participants in their education and to enable them to give their input towards decisions about what, and how they learn, and even how their learning is assessed. Much of the research and literature suggests there is a strong connection between student voice and learning outcomes for students – which of course, is the core business of any school. The desire for students to understand that their voice is heard and matters.
(Fletcher, 2005)
Year 8 student, Campbelltown Performing Arts High School
Teacher
TIP SHEET
- Identify and agree how the student voice can be communicated and included. It’s very important for the student to have someone to talk to at school in both informal and formal ways. We may need to be creative to incite their voice: Provide simple choices/images/checklists or choices.
- Our student needs a ‘go to’ person or people. Those who they have a strong relationship with, who understand them, who have knowledge of the big picture of their learning journey and school life, and ideally who are their champion.
- Ask for student input before, during and after meetings, and during planning and goal setting. What they may need or want to have it work better for them. Give opportunity to have them offer their own voice alone with the educator or parent present.
- Use their language or visuals as a base to how we speak about the student and their educational choices, behaviour and consequences, and learning plans.
- Set up opportunities for daily/informal communication or check-ins with the student
- For Example: The morning meeting – Life outside of the school, or even just getting to school can be chaotic. A morning meeting has a calming influence, allows the opportunity for students to share any difficult situations that may have come up the night before, and creates a reset of expectations for engagement and behaviour. It is an opportunity to show and build respect where the sole purpose is to listen to each other, giving students and teachers room to be together positively, listen with empathy, and share opinions, and launch the day together.
- Undertake written agreements or contracts with student – following the student’s lead.
- Provide opportunity for choice – Students need to have choice in content, how it is taught to them and assessed.
Teacher
Communication between parents and teachers can take various forms, and both formal methods (eg scheduled meetings) and informal methods (emails and phone calls) are essential, and vary depending on the individual needs of the family. Both parents and teachers who collaborated in the creation of this framework agreed that the communication between home and school needs to be more personal.
Teacher
Parent
“What do I need to know, and when do you need to tell me about things?
Teacher
“What do I need to tell you, when, and how often?”
Parent
Active listening, where we repeat back or re-phrase for clarity what we have heard, ensures we are clear on what we are hearing, and how we are interpreting the information.
Parents and teachers from collaboration
TIP SHEET
- Use I statements
- Consider if there is anything culturally I need to understand in our communication
- Where possible use student work samples or photos to lead the communication
- Every communication must have a ‘celebration’ or start with a positive
- Give the feedback and immediately or as soon as practical
- “Jessica It’s been great how……. is it possible that ……..”
- “Jessica I have really appreciated….., can we try ……..” Use student’s name always first, and often
(Leadbeater, 2017)
When teachers are willing to listen to and learn from their students and provide consistent opportunities for them to use their voices, students develop a sense of ownership for how and what they learn.
All teachers and students need to be able to formulate, articulate and share their ideas with one another.
Some students do not always have the skills for, and understanding of, how to use their voice in meaningful ways. Some students need more practice formulating their opinions than others. But teachers can ensure that every student benefits from learning opportunities that build skills and understandings about student voice, agency and leadership.
(Adapted from Empowering students through voice, agency and leadership. Department of Education and Training, Melbourne, Victoria, 2018).
Please click on the icon that applies to you to see the content
What is a good/bad learning day? And how can we make it better? Complete the “What is a good/bad learning day” resource below.
How do you want to communicate?
What kind of teacher would you like your teacher to be?
Complete the student section in the “Inciting student voice” resource below.
Inciting student voice
“I want to work with you and whatever happens in class. I want to back you up.”
Parent
How does your child communicate?
How does our child communicate? What communication strategies do they use? Do we need to support our child to communicate their needs? How will we make this happen?
Complete the parent section in the “Inciting student voice” resource below.
How do we wish to communicate with the teacher?
What are your personal, preferred modes of communication? Eg. email, texting, communication applications (eg: WhatsApp, See-saw), phone calls, photos, FaceTime/Skype calls, Zoom, face-to-face meetings.
These may vary for informal and formal discussions that need to take place. Formal meetings will be discussed in Module 5. However, it is important to establish what are the best forms of communication between home and school, for things that might just ‘pop up’ or to share quick strategies or even to share good news.
How will parent and teacher communicate important information about our student ? Eg. bad night, event at home, follow up at home from something during the day at school.
What information is important that we are sharing? This may include academic, social and upcoming happenings at school, or it may be regarding events of the day/evening or morning at home.
How often and how? What are realistic response times?
Complete the “Preferred forms of communicating with teachers” form below.
Inciting student voice
Preferred forms of informal communication with teachers
“Parents are the first educators. We are just facilitators and we need parents help to do this”
Teacher
How does our student communicate?
How does our student communicate? What communication strategies do they use? Do we need to support the student? How will we make this happen?
Complete the “Developing the student voice” and the teacher’s section on the“Inciting student voice” resource below.
How do I wish to communicate with my student’s parent/s?
What are your personal, preferred modes of communication? Eg. email, texting, communication applications (eg: WhatsApp, See-saw), phone calls, photos, FaceTime/Skype calls, Zoom, face-to-face meetings.
These may vary for informal and formal discussions that need to take place. Formal meetings will be discussed in Module 5. However, it is important to establish what are the best forms of communication between home and school, for things that might just ‘pop up’ or to share quick strategies or even to share good news.
How will parent and teacher communicate important information about our student? Eg. bad night, event at home, follow up at home from something during the day at school.
What information is important that we are sharing? This may include academic, social and upcoming happenings at school, or it may be regarding events of the day/evening or morning at home.
How often and how? What are realistic response times?
Complete the “Preferred forms of communicating with parents” resource below.
Inciting student voice
Developing the student voice mind map
Preferred forms of communicating with parents
LET'S LISTEN TO OUR STUDENT
“What sort of teacher would you like me to be?”
We need to share the students thinking, consider how to strengthen/bring on student voice and how to ensure the student is understood, taught and valued. We need to consider whole class survey of strengths, interests, goals, strategies, what works for them, and what doesn’t. If your student does not communicate verbally, consider the use of technology and communication devices, a trusted teacher, fellow peers to support and encourage your student to actively participate and be heard. |
Share – Pre-work on what our student want’s to say and how they want to say it. What type of teacher would they like?
Consider – How we can incite the student voice in our collaboration and decision making in their learning journey.
Impact – How might this information now be noted and integrated into how our student is understood, taught and valued.
LET'S COMMUNICATE
“What communication do we need to undertake in order to support/adjust for the student?”
Teacher
We need to think through our student’s routine and transitions at school and reflect what communication supports may change or be required in varied learning spaces, during transitions, with staff who may not have a relationship with our student, if unforeseen events arise and if our student is upset.
How is our student checked in with daily and how this information shared to relevant parties working with them? (Relief or varying teachers throughout the day, support staff)
How is unforeseen important information shared by our student to teachers? Who is our student’s “Go to” person/people?
What is the process for communicating changes and supporting unforeseen circumstances with our student?
Share – Let’s share the pre-work from the student, parent and teacher. How does our student communicate?
Consider – Informal communication, how regularly and moving away from only talking when something is wrong. How will parents and teachers communicate important information about our student? (e.g. bad night, event at home)
Impact – How might this information now be noted and integrated into how our student is understood, taught and valued.
LET'S SET OUR STUDENT UP FOR SUCCESS
“What happens at school is different to what happens at home, the opportunities, but also the challenges are different and they react differently”
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What is going on at school for you with my child?” |
Share – Pre-work on what our student wants to say and how they want to say it. What type of teacher would they like?
Consider – How we can incite the student voice in our collaboration and decision making in their learning journey.
Impact – How might this information now be noted and integrated into how our student is understood, taught and valued.
Conversation Guide – Student voice and communication
Conversation Guide – Student voice and communication
What has been discussed, decided upon?
Has the student been consulted before, during or regards to the outcome?
What needs to be followed up, who will do this, by when and how will we know it’s been done. Is there a review required?
Who else is it important to share this information with? How will we do this? Who will do this? (Consider other staff, replacement teachers, peers).
Now go back to your “Conversation Guide” document and complete the “actions” section