Middle School

Teaching and Learning in the Middle School

Middle School teaching teams work with the following goals in mind.

Teachers and students work together to implement strategies that set a safe emotional climate, such as jointly formulating an acceptable set of classroom rules. Teachers watch for, and respond to verbal and non-verbal behaviours, such as being aware of hesitation and providing students with enough time to respond to questions. To secure positive student-to-student and student-to-teacher interactions, home-room groups are selected based on students’ own emotional and moral intelligences.

Our homerooms are visually rich learning environments. Examples of students’ work are proudly displayed, bulletin boards are visible, projects and posters hang, and art supplies are plentiful. A room that stimulates students’ visual senses provides an engaging place for learning and teaching.

Teachers have made a commitment to attend professional development in teaching the skills that students need to become smart thinkers. Our teaching teams focus on teaching students the skills of thinking.

These skills include:

• planning and preparation
• setting goals
• using graphic organisers
• cooperative learning
• reflecting on practice

Middle School Curriculum Year 7 and Year 8

The following table show how subjects are aligned with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards in Year 7 and Year 8.

The number following each subject name indicates how many school periods are allocated to that subject every two weeks. (This is because Balwyn High School works on a two-week timetable which students quickly come to know as Week A and Week B).

In 2009, Year 9 and 10 students take a common CORE of studies and a choice of ELECTIVE subjects according to their interests and abilities. Detailed course descriptions are issued to students at the end of Years 8 and 9.

The courses offered in Years 9 to 12 may vary to some extent from year to year, depending on the total number of students, the demand for a subject and the availability of staff.