Learning at Aquinas College
Explicit Learning and Behavioural Routines
FOREWORD BY THE PRINCIPAL
Learning at Aquinas
One of the attractions of Aquinas is its innovative approach evidenced by the extended day in the Junior School, our Character Education and the myFUTURE program.
The College won an excellence award in the prestigious Australian Education Awards 2025 due to its creative Year 11 and 12 learning model, nationally recognised for ‘Innovation in Curriculum Design’.
There is a beautiful Māori saying – ‘walking backwards into the future.’ It suggests that the present, the past and the future are all entwined. Being an Old Aquinian and coming back to Aquinas after a long absence, the saying appeals to me
Occasionally, when I visit classrooms, memories come back from my student days. Most of them are golden recollections, but I experienced the full range of successes and challenges of all students. I was a typical Aquinas boy
These days when I am in classrooms, it is with a purpose The College has made an intentional decision to focus on the processes of teaching and learning to ensure the best possible learning environment for our students
Aquinas has many competent teachers, and our processes include coaching to enhance our skills and the learning environment
When we observe teachers in action, we are looking at entrance and exit routines to minimise cognitive load, and a ‘cue to start’ in the lesson to cognitively refocus the students and reposition their brains for further learning
We look for the use of either the silent voice, partner voice, group voice or classroom voice.
We ensure the full participation of students through non-volunteer questioning It is about enhancing the learning experience and ensuring the engagement of all students Our staff will also model these practices at assemblies and other large group gatherings.
The talented musician tunes their instrument before performing and the sporting coach ensures that players are ready to listen to directions before playing. In the same way, the Aquinas teacher is consolidating good practices and continually striving to improve the learning experience for our boys
It is walking backwards into the future, and with a modern lens that focusses on continual improvement.
Robert Henderson Principal
INTRODUCTION
Aquinas College’s approach to teaching and learning involves the explicit teaching and adoption of behavioural routines in learning environments to develop greater automaticity in the students, proactively constructing environments that are more conducive to learning
Classroom management is a crucial aspect of this process, involving a series of intentional, well-planned and executed routines aimed at fostering an orderly environment This is achieved through a combination of building positive teacher-student relationships, establishing high expectations, and setting clear routines and rules Most importantly is the power of the collective efforts of all teachers, minimising the cognitive variance for students while increasing predictability (Hattie, 2016) This moves what is good practice from to consistent, evidencebased instruction with high impact
One of the key drivers of this initiative is the fundamental truth that students need to feel safe in their learning environments, and that a calm and orderly classroom is an essential precursor to learning The foundation of a successful classroom is the relationship between the teacher and the students
When students feel safe, respected and supported, they are more likely to engage in learning and achieve higher academic results. Aquinas teachers strive to build these relationships through positive interactions, getting to know each student individually, and maintaining open communication with families and carers.
Every interaction, from a warm smile to a positive tone of voice, contributes to building trust and connection in the classroom The predictable routines in combination with calm and orderly environments appeal directly to the disposition of these students. Routines give certainty about what is expected in the classroom by providing consistency, predictability and structure (AERO, 2021)
Routines and rules are essential elements of our classrooms They provide a predictable structure to reduce cognitive load, which improves students’ working memory to focus on learning (Sweller, 1998) This allows teachers to devote more time to effective teaching and providing additional learning support where needed. These routines and rules are taught as explicitly as academic content, ensuring that they become an established habit for students
Hallmarks of effective instruction have long included the symphonic use of teacher skills such as acknowledgment and praise, clear communication, deliberate pausing, non-verbal correction, scanning the class, and voice control. These skills are crucial in establishing and maintaining an engaged classroom. Ongoing teacher professional learning and a sequenced classroom observation and coaching process have been instrumental to implementation and integration of the College’s explicit focus on teaching and learning.
Our teachers set high expectations for behaviour and learning, providing clear guidelines that help maintain safety, predictability in the classroom, and learning outcomes for students.
TeacherSkills
Effective teacher skills, such as proximity, pause, scan, name use, voice modulation, eye contact, with-it-ness, respect, politeness, non-verbal gestures, praise and acknowledgement, vital for fostering a safe, respectful, and engaging classroom
These strategies enhance student focus, reduce disruptions, and maximise instructional time by efficiently gaining attention and ensuring readiness to learn through purposeful cues and interactions (AERO, 2023)
“It helps me focus more when all the other students are focussed too ”
Cue to Start (C2S)
Entrance Routine
It’s been a lot quieter in the classroom and an easier environment to work in.”
Exit Routine
ing students during exit routines onships and reinforces desired ntributes to a supportive nd encourages self-regulation.
Classroom Voices
Initially, it was a challenge getting used to the new routines; however, these routines have now reduced the amount of distractions, which I am so grateful for”
Non-Volunteer Questioning
I found the new changes beneficial, they helped implement more structure, which means more learning for students. I feel like I am getting more time in class as students are more attentive.”
Tip
Cold Calling Explained
ACTIVELY ENGAGE ALL STUDENTS
IN THE THINKING PROCESS
“A cold call is an invitation to a student to join a conversation. We want students to be constantly thinking and feel accountable. If we socialise them to think, they’ll be more likely to learn”
lling is just one of a whole repertoire iques that weave together. While it’s mportant to keep the core idea tightly – to avoid lethal mutation where it into whatever anyone wants to efine it as – these variations help to adapt the core strategy to work effectively in a particular context”
Doug Lemov
Tom Sherrington
Prepare Question Wait Cold Call
Script different questions before the lesson.
For example...
“What is...?” “Why might...?”
“How will...?”
Gain full attention and ask the whole class.
Provide adequate thinking time.
Invite individual students to offer their answer.
For example... For example... For example...
“1, 2, 3: eyes on me... What is the first phase of mitosis?”
[scan class during wait time].
[open posture] “James, I’d love to hear your answer.”
“Daniel, can you tell me what a metaphor is?”
“What is a metaphor? [PAUSE] Daniel?”
WHOLE CLASS THINKING
JUST DANIEL THINKING
WHOLE CLASS THINKING
JUST DANIEL RESPONDING
TAPPLE
“It has impacted my learning in a very positive way, because I can maximise my class time and get as much out of my teacher as possible without any disruptions from other students.”
COACHING GUIDELINES – CLASSROOM PRACTICE
Why do we coach routines?
The Coaching Process
PHASE DETAILS
Ensure the teacher knows ahead of time when the coaching will take place and what routine(s) will be of focus Notice should be at least one day, preferably more to allow for rescheduling if required.
Notes will be taken during the observation These notes are to be objective, inclusive of clear examples of teacher skills and routine steps. A coaching feedback form will be provided to the teacher observed post observation for reflection and the teacher’s portfolio
1 Set the tone by thanking the teacher being observed
“Thank you for having us visit your class today”
Teacher Reflection
2 State the purpose of the observation
3
Coach Feedback
Teacher Take Aways 5
Follow Up
Examples of Objective Coach Feedback
Ask the teacher to share how they believe the observation went This is a critical point for active listening
Thank the teacher, then explain that you will now provide objective feedback on what was observed.
Ask the teacher how they felt about the feedback and conclude.
“Today, we were here to observe your teacher skills, along with the (entrance, exit, questioning or voices – as appropriate)”
“How do you think that part of the lesson went?”
“Was that a typical lesson routine for you?”
“Thank you. I will now provide you a summary of my observations”
“How did you find that feedback.”
“Great question, let me come back to you another time about that”
“Thanks very much for the observation and dialogue. I will send through my notes shortly Enjoy the remainder of your day”
Ensure that a copy of the observation and feedback is provided to the teacher, ideally within a day.
“What I observed was ”
“This was a clear example of…”
“When you This ensured ”
“To achieve greater impact, you could try ”
“To further increase engagement/participation, you could consider ”
By emphasising the teacher skill of … this may increase the attention of students.”
Notes
