I once read that teachers quit because they lose hope. This made me wonder: Why do they lose hope? My theory is that their input does not match their output. The effort, work, and time they invest are not reflected in the results achieved by the kids.

I work at a brilliant school with brilliant staff. It is also a no-fee school, and we are faced with all the social ills that you can think of. Our kids are also great.

So, why are they not performing to our standard?

After 6 years at the school, we have instilled discipline and have exceptionally high expectations, but still only achieving a 94.5% pass.

I think I know the problem: the teachers are doing all the heavy lifting, and the kids are not engaged in critical thinking. They are passive in the learning process. Research by experts like Dan Willingham suggests that for students to learn, they must be actively engaged in effortful thinking about the material. In other words, learning is a consequence of thinking. Therefore, if we are not thinking, we are not learning.

So, at the end of Term 2, we decided to go on a QUEST:

Q: Query: Pose a thought-provoking question

U: Unravel: Solve complex problems

E: Engage: The kids will actively participate

S: Share: Discuss with others

T: Think: Reflect critically

Two weeks ago, Term 3 started, and it has been fantastic to see the creativity of the teachers. I have decided to share some of the teachers' wonderful techniques.

The first one is a practical change: many of the teachers came back and re-arranged their seating. Instead of placing the desks in a lecture-style format, facing the front, they made groups, facing each other and the board so that kids can more often engage in conversations. It's been amazing to experience the impact of this. The dynamics change from teacher-centered to learner-centered.

Tune in for Part 2 of the QUEST. Here's to the start of a magical learning Journey.