Green Pen for Growth: The idea behind using a green pen is that it represents growth. The learners understand that when the teacher marks in a green pen it is to help improve their learning.

Purple Pen of Progress: Learners add new learning and do their reflections in a purple pen. This practise encourages learners to be thoughtful about their learning and also develops their resilience. By using a purple pen they are also communicating their new learning to the teacher.

Connection Hand Gesture: When children make a connection with what someone else is saying, or they were going to say the same thing, they make a ‘connections hand gesture’ to show “me too, I was thinking the same thing, or I am making a connection with my previous learning”. By using this signal, the child is communicating without interrupting the lesson or the speaker.

Quiet Signal: When an adult in the school would like to get the children’s attention and ask them to be respectful, the teacher raises a hand and puts a finger on their mouth. This signals to everyone to be quiet and be respectful to the speaker. Children know to follow the lead and do the same thing.

Classroom Rules: Every classroom is expected to have classroom rules that are developed and shared with the learners at the start of each year. This encourages the learners to be respectful and to be responsible for their behaviour.

Working Walls: Our working walls are teaching tools which should help improve children’s learning. IPC working walls should reflect the current unit and the children’s learning. English, Maths and French working walls should reflect the current learning of the class. These displays should be interactive and allow the learners to use them as a learning tool. Working walls help develop children’s thoughtfulness and encourage them to be independent in their learning.

Think-Pair-Share: This strategy is used in the classroom to develop thoughtfulness and communication. The teacher gives the learners something to think about such as ‘what do you think is happening in the picture?’ or ‘why do people go on holiday?’, and then share their ideas with a partner. Later on, partners share their ideas back to the class.

See-Think-Wonder: This is a visible thinking tool that develops children’s enquiry. The teachers provides the children with a picture or diagram to look at and asks the children write down or say ‘What do I see, What do you think about it, What does it make you wonder?’

Group Work: In order to develop their cooperation and communication skills, all children should be given many opportunities to work in groups with other children.

Reflections: Teachers should provide learners with regular opportunities to reflect on their learning. Reflections help develop children’s thoughtfulness. They should be reflecting on:

• the the type of learning they are engaging in
• the personal goals they are using and how they help improve their learning
• their learning (referring to learning goals, rubrics, success criteria etc)