Learner Qualities
At Churchill Park we believe learning is for life and embraces much more than merely academic realms. Our NZC (New Zealand Curriculum) Vision is to produce "young people who will be confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners." It outlines guiding principles, values and key competencies for our students to aspire to.
Our developments in this area are largely based on the works of Guy Claxton, who talks about powerful learners and the qualities they possess. They are aimed at equipping our students with the tools of resilience, resourcefulness and reflection, so they can work out what to do when they do not know what to do.
We have carefully synthesised these into our five Learner Qualities:
Creator
Communicator
Problem solver
Risk taker
Team player
These qualities, or dispositions, are a teaching focus, a self-reflective assessment and form the backbone of our curriculum. Each syndicate across the school (Junior, Middle, Senior and Intermediate) have age-appropriate descriptors for their students to strive for.
The following descriptors outline the vision we have developed for our graduate (Year 8) students
COMMUNICATORS
Being expressive
I lead conversations about my learning
The language I use is always pertinent and engaging
I take advantage of knowing 87% of communication is non verbal
I am able to communicate using an extensive range of tools
Being interactive
I take advantage of learning from others
I really enjoy the opportunity to teach others
I intentionally include others when I am learning
I actively seek opportunities to collaborate with others
Being articulate
I can clearly and concisely describe the characteristics of quality work
I can describe the full relevance of my learning
I can use exemplars to support the quality of my work
PROBLEM SOLVERS
Motivation
I understand how I learn and implement these strategies
I take advantage of what motivates me
I can identify my distractions
I can actively reduce these distractions
Persistence
I take advantage of learning from others
I really enjoy the opportunity to teach others
I intentionally include others when I am learning
I actively seek opportunities to collaborate with others
Solution seeking
I can clearly and concisely describe the characteristics of quality work
I can describe the full relevance of my learning
I can use exemplars to support the quality of my work
CREATORS
Curiosity
I am actively committed to wondering and exploring
I always lead these explorations
I always lead opportunities to reflect on my learning
Enthusiasm
I openly display a zest for learning new knowledge and new strategies
I am able to recognise and discuss "the wobble zone" as an exciting space for maximising learning
I use "the wobble zone" to my advantage
Innovation
I actively seek to modify and improve processes
I actively seek to modify and improve products
I always wonder how to do things better
RISK TAKERS
Courage
I always take risks with my learning even when I know I may fail
I always ask searching questions to clarify my thinking
I really enjoy exploring unknown knowledge and ideas
Resilience
I understand mistakes are a vital part of the learning process
I take advantage of setbacks and mistakes to seek new solutions
I encourage others to take risks with their learning
Open Mindedness
I enjoy researching widely to gather many perspectives
I respect the opinions of others
I actively seek new learning, ideas and perspectives
TEAM PLAYERS
Cooperation
I always aim for a win-win situation
I always enjoy the strength of working with others
I am always prepared to compromise and negotiate
Inclusivity
I actively include others in my learning (peers, parents, teachers)
I go out of my way to ensure others don't feel left out
I fully respect and understand diversity
Contribution
I actively contribute to discussion
I actively contribute to the benefit of our environment
I actively contribute to group tasks
