Teach Secondary 13.8

Needto know When teenage girls start puberty,manywill experience a crisis of confidence that extends through their adolescence and into adulthood, negatively impacting upon their levels of physical activityand general wellbeing,while boys’ experiences and attitudes remain relativelyconsistent. That’s theYouth SportTrust’s takeaway from its latest Girls Active survey,which drewon responses from15,000 girls andboys aged 7 to 18. The survey found that 86% of girls aged 7 to 8 said they enjoyedPE,but that just 56% of girls aged 14 to 15 said the same.Only23%of girls aged 14 to 15 stated feeling confidentwhenwearing their PE kit, compared to 65%of girls aged 7 to 8.61%of girls aged 11 and older expressed worries over leaking in their PE kit,with 58%of the same groupwantingmore PE kit options to choose from. Commenting on the findings,Youth SportTrust chief executive,Ali Oliver MBE, remarked,“ Wemust proactively support girls throughpuberty, listening toand responding to their needs ifweare tobuildtheir confidenceand capability. Without this support,we know their experiences at school canalienate themfromsport andphysical activity for life. ” 45% of UK students now use ChatGPT when completing schoolwork and homework Source: ‘AStudent’sPerspectiveon theModernClassroom’reportby theeducational ICTconsultancy, Computeam DON’T OVERLOOK... STUDENTMINDSET One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had inmy teaching career was helping a student move fromGrade 2-level GCSEmaths to Grade 5 in just a fewmonths. That transformation didn’t happen through an elaborate curriculum, or the application of some hyper-advanced teaching techniques. It all came down to one key factor – that of mindset . This simple mindset shift led to a dramatic improvement in his maths performance, increased his confidence – despite the presence of significant language barriers – and left himwith a strong determination to succeed, no matter the obstacles put in his way. Here’s now. CONSISTENT ENGAGEMENT When the student in question first joinedmy class, he had only recently arrived in the UK. He possessed very limited English, and at that point hadn’t attended school in years. His maths knowledge was largely restricted to basic addition and subtraction, yet I could quickly tell that he was eager to learn. He didn’t allow the language barrier or his lack of prior education to hold himback. Each day, he showed up ready to listen and act on feedback. The mindset he adopted at this time proved crucial – it wasn’t his intelligence or background that determined his progress, but rather his willingness to consistently engage, ask questions and improve, and this is why: • He always acted on every itemof feedback I gave him • He never let corrections go unaddressed, which enabled him tomake rapid improvements in a relatively short span of time • Despite moving between foster homes and having to deal with constant changes in his home environment, he stayed focused on growth, not obstacles, never citing his personal circumstances as an excuse • He would always ask for extra time to complete a task and never give up • From requests for basic tools and equipment to seeking clarification on complex topics, he was never afraid to ask for help The proactive approach he adopted empowered him to stay on track. And the best part? I never had to resort to complicated teachingmethods or constant reinforcement. I simply did what I could to further nurture the growth mindset he was already demonstrating, and provided himwith whatever support he needed along the way. As exams season approached, it became clear that his maths skills had improved significantly, but that the language barrier still presented an issue.We collaborated with English Learning Support, breaking down key concepts in ways that he could understand. By the time he came to take his exam, he wasn’t just a better maths student – he was a muchmore confident learner overall. SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS Having enteredmy class with the equivalent of a Grade 2 inmaths, he eventually left it with a Grade 5. His story shows that mindset really is everything; that when students believe they are capable, they can surpass their own expectations. As teachers, we need to remember the vital part that mindset plays in our students’ capacity to learn and succeed, and how this can be as important as the content we teach. Because when we focus on developing a growthmindset among our students, the sky is the limit. GLORIADALAFU IS A LEAD PRACTITIONER INMATHS, OVERSEEINGTEACHINGAND LEARNING 86 teachwire.net/secondary