One of the ARIS Core Characteristics that we uphold as a Community is Collaboration and Communication! Collaboration on all levels – Teacher to Leadership, Leadership to Teacher, Teacher to Teacher, Teacher to Student, Student to Teacher, Teacher to Parent, Parent to Teacher, Student to Parent, Parent to Teacher, ARIS Community to Surrounding Communities and much more!
The most important level of collaboration cannot be specifically identified, however, Teacher to Teacher Collaboration is paramount to run an inspiring, empowering and transformative teaching and learning experience for the entire community!
Madam Dania, our Primary Head of School, says that ARIS Teacher Collaboration is something that all Teachers invest their time and resources in, on a regular basis and on different aspects! Teachers across the PYP Campus, get together to collaborate as they discuss certain aspects of their teaching and delivery of the curriculum. For example, they discuss and share about their lesson plans, their creative ideas on activities, how they are thinking/going to go about a certain unit, numeracy and literacy integration, their resources. They share, plan and document the ideas and information that is shared. Collaboration is to learn from each other and be more creative in their lessons; as every single teacher is diversely skilled, the collaboration aids in the multiplication of the skills!
Based on the regularity of the Teacher Collaboration at ARIS, Mme. Dania says that its very regular. Depending on the time that they are available, and what they are covering in their Unit of Inquiry, Numeracy, Literacy or even Arts Integration, Teachers meet and discuss Classroom and Teaching Strategies as well! There is collaboration between homeroom teachers, teachers at all the year levels, teachers in a specific year level (based on Year groups) and also Subject teachers!
There is collaboration between Teachers from Year 1 to Year 6 to discuss the above, and also look through their Unit Overviews, Summative Assessments and more, which is held 2 times every 6 weeks, approximately. Teachers within the Year Groups, e.g. Year 1 A, B and C, collaborate about 2 to 3 times every week. Subject Teachers also collaborate, for example in the Unit Adinkra.
With the Enhanced PYP gradually transitioning into the ARIS PYP Campus, there will be more immersive and focused Teacher Collaborations to discuss Agency, Choice, Voice and Ownership of their own, students and the learning of the entire community!
All of this contributes to a holistic implementation of the curriculum we follow to be more rich and diverse to unfailingly inspire, empower and transform our ARIS Community, as a whole!