Reviewing the Research and Sharing Stories: Parent Conversations

"I really appreciated the opportunity to get to know so many parents," says Mary Gauthier,
Executive Director of the Greenwood Centre for Teaching and Learning and the facilitator
of our Parent Conversations.

Adolescence can be a very challenging time for both teens and their parents. Keeping up with the latest research is one way parents can navigate the thorny issues that arise during this time; sharing their stories with other parents is another.

Mary Gauthier, Executive Director of the Greenwood Centre for Teaching and Learning, began hosting “Parent Conversations” at Greenwood this year with these two goals in mind. Parent Conversations provide an opportunity to talk about the world outside the school, as well as current research that can help all parents better understand their children.

These conversations also encourage parents to share thoughts and ideas with each other. In fact, some of the most valuable insights to come out of these sessions came from parents - whether it was from a book they read, an article they reviewed or an experience they had with their own children. That’s why these sessions were conversations and not seminars - parents have much to contribute!

Mary has loved facilitating these conversations. “I really appreciated the opportunity to get to know so many parents, and it was wonderful that parents could take the time to join us,” she says. “Seeing how engaged parents were in the sessions highlighted the importance of continuing to provide opportunities like this.”

Some topics raised during these conversations also yielded follow-up opportunities for future sessions. For example, several parents were interested in learning more about teens’ use of technology - including social media and online games - and how they can help their children to manage that usage.

What did parents talk about?

Some of the most valuable insights to come out of these sessions came from parents.

Conversation topics this year included:

• Teens and Resiliency
• Teens and Communication
• Teens and Finding Purpose

Click on the links above for summaries of the first two conversations. Read on for a summary of the year’s last conversations on “Teens and Finding Purpose,” held on April 24 and May 1.

Teens and Finding Purpose

There are three main ingredients that go into creating purpose:

• A need
• A skill
• A love/passion

After learning about this framework, parents shared examples of when their child has been especially purposeful. This may have been in school (e.g. preparing for an upcoming evaluation) or outside of school (e.g. training for a big ski race). In every example, a need, a skill and a love or passion were present. In the studying example:

• The need was performing well on the evaluation
• The skill was anything from writing skills to study skills to research skills
• The love was an affinity for the subject being studied

Parents then identified situations where they felt their child had lacked purpose - in these cases, one of these elements was usually missing. 

An “aha” moment for many parents involved discovering what purpose is not. We often attach our own adult definition to this concept and think of purpose as knowing what career we want to pursue, or what to study at university or college. For teens, finding purpose could mean deciding which courses to take in high school next year or what their summer plans are. As long as they combine a need, a skill and a passion, these decisions are purposeful.

Over 20 parents contributed to a very lively and engaging discussion of purpose at these sessions. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Resources

Interested in the resources shared at these sessions? Check them out below.

• Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
• Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions About Raising Sons by Michael Thompson
• Seven Ways to Help High Schoolers Find Purpose by Patrick Cook-Deegan

A Mission to Mars: Gamifying the Science Classroom

Teams have to complete a number of theoretical and hands-on tasks to win colonists
in this gamified approach to learning about structures.

It’s the year 2040, and you’re part of an intrepid group of colonists bound for Mars’ Jezero Crater to establish a landing site for future colonists. But there’s a problem: the damage to your Cryo sleep has affected your memory, and you’ve forgotten everything you know about structures. 

If you’re going to build the foundation for a new civilization, you need to re-learn the fundamentals - and fast.

In the Senior Science Lab on the third floor, Grade 7 students have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into this narrative. Working in teams, they have only one focus: to build the colony that can support the greatest number of colonists.

To do that, they’ll need to complete a number of theoretical and hands-on tasks that will teach them all about structures along the way. Science teachers Michael Schmidt and Samantha Moser have developed the “game” such that students can earn colonists by completing activities linked to their learning:

• Each Theory Lesson earns one food/water token 
• Each “Check For Understanding” earns 1 building token (these checks allow teachers to assess student learning in real time and redirect if necessary)
• Building Activities earn one or two colonists, depending on difficulty

Teams need to have one food/water token for each colonist they support. The team with the most colonists at the end of the game wins!

A team conducts a "check for understanding" with Mr. Schmidt. These checks allow
teachers to assess student learning in real time and redirect if necessary.

How does the science lab support this activity?

The space is made up of a large classroom and an attached state-of-the-art lab. Students have plenty of room to rearrange the furniture for their group theory work and to consult with teachers, and the lab provides a quiet venue for conducting experiments. 

Today, one team is in the lab investigating forces such as torque and tension using sponges. Another is meeting with Ms. Moser at the back of the room, completing a check for understanding. A third team is trying out different bridge designs, determining which will support the largest load, while several other groups complete theory lessons at their desks. Though there’s lots of activity in the room, each group is able to complete their work without disruption from others.

It’s clear that students are enthusiastic about this “gamified” approach to structures - and that they like being in the larger space. “I love working on group activities in the big lab,” one student says. “It’s a really fun way to learn a lot of science.”

Another student loves the hands-on nature of the activity. “I like that we get to do lots of different activities, but that we first learn everything we need to back up those activities,” he says. “I can see how what we’re learning would be important for jobs like engineering.”

Giving Students a Voice in the Theatre

Students add depth to their voice work with movement during a recent Grade 7/8 Drama
Major class in the theatre.

Our new performance theatre isn't just for large-scale productions - it provides an authentic environment for classes and workshops, too.

Down in Greenwood’s theatre, Grade 8 student Gabe has finished his performance and is ready for feedback.

“He’s crying,” says a woman’s voice offstage. “He’s just so panicked.”

Gabe takes this in and nods. “Okay,” he says. “So do I keep the old one as well?”

“If you want to layer [your performance], you can add it on top,” the voice responds.

The reply comes from Melissa Altro, an accomplished voice artist with over 20 years’ experience in TV and film. (You might know her as Muffy Crosswire from TV’s Arthur.) She knows a thing or two about using her voice to create character, and on April 12 she shared that expertise with our Grade 7 and 8 Drama Majors.

An Authentic Learning Experience

Experienced voice actor Melissa Altro's visit was part of the "Sound and Foley" unit
for Grade 7 and 8 Drama Major classes.

Melissa explained to students that one of the most important elements in voice work is putting your whole body into the character. It’s not enough to just read the lines; your facial expressions and actions are what add depth to the performance. To reinforce this message, it’s important that students work in an authentic environment - which is where the new theatre comes in. Students took advantage of the excellent acoustics as they worked with Melissa to create different voices, and the theatre’s state-of-the-art lighting added an extra level of professionalism.

Melissa’s visit was part of the “Sound and Foley” unit in both the Grade 7 and 8 Drama Major classes. For Grade 7 students, this experience came at the beginning of their unit and was used to introduce the different elements of voice, including pitch, articulation and tone. For Grade 8 students, their work with Melissa consolidated their understanding at the end of the unit. Both groups learned how to use their voices to bring a wide range of characters to life. This skill will support the completion of their culminating activities a little later in the year.

Melissa’s specific feedback - and the willingness of our students to take it on board - was a big part of what made her visit so impactful. Check out the video below to see how Gabe ultimately incorporated her feedback to add more depth to one of his characters.