PROJECT TITLE: Bird is the Word & Discovery Disco

(Term 2 and Term 3, 2024)

School Name: Curtin Primary School

Teacher’s Name: Asanka Wallace

Year Group: 1

Number of students: 27

Creative’s Name: Kristin Connolly

Creative Practice: Visual artist

Main Curriculum Focus: Sciences

Cross-curricular Links: Maths, Design Technologies, Health, Language

Context:

Curtin Primary School is a small primary school (1 class per year) near Curtin University. It’s surrounded by nature with lots of outdoor and playground areas. The children come from diverse backgrounds and there is a huge focus on interacting with the natural environment and inquiry-based learning. They prioritise integrating Indigenous culture and really nurture the school community spirit.

“Creative Schools is awesome. Because we get to do some art and create and test things. We get to do creative things, test it and then experience what creativity feels like. We can also build on other people’s creations.” (Student)

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WHAT WE DID  

Project overview

We started Term 2 with a focus on studying birds as Asanka had noticed a real curiosity around birds coming from the students, who were interested in watching the birds in the trees surrounding their classroom. We realised pretty early on this was too specific of a focus and gave them agency in their learning, so adapted as we went. We shifted our focus to exploring things that float and fly for the rest of Term 2, and then exploring light and sound in the lead up to our Discovery Disco for Term 3.  

“I know we are playing with possibilities. I know you have to be disciplined. In collaborative you can give feedback and share the product. In inquisitive you can explore. With persistent I’ve learned I can figure things out.” (Student)

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How did we make the curriculum come alive?

We used our hands a LOT! The kids were so happy when they were creating. We tried to keep their bodies or hands moving as much as possible. In Term 2, they spent a lot of time making creations, sometimes in groups or pairs, sometimes individually, and testing how they interacted with the world around them - did they sink or float, fly or fall? We challenged their desire for perfection and control by working on others’ creations and emphasised the process over the product.

“Creative Schools has been fantastic, the kids get so excited. It’s beyond anything. The more we get to make and create things the happier the children are. The children are so creative at this age and we tend to school it out of them. My background is early childhood and educational leadership. Having someone like Kristin come in with a different perspective is where the bonus is. The Creative Practitioner put a few different lens on learning and sees the children from a different perspective. Kristin gives the students permission to be themselves whereas I’m a bit more about the rules. It gives the children a world of opportunities” (Teacher)

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How did we make the 5 Habits of Learning come alive?

We used our bodies a lot! Many of our warm up and reflection sessions consisted of incorporating the habits - using our bodies to act them out, high fiving the one they used most as we left the classroom, etc.

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How did we activate student voice and learner agency?

We listened! We talked a lot about their interests and their lives, and gave them choices about which direction they wanted to take our time together. We did a lot of check-ins and check-outs to gauge how they were feeling and help them feel really seen and heard on an emotional level as well. While we were very present, we tried to stay a bit more hands off to encourage the students to problem solve and work through difficulties.

“Creative Schools is creative because so many kids get to be creative. I’m creative because I get to think of lots of creative things.” (Student)

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WHAT WAS THE IMPACT?

Students:

The students were consistently enthusiastic about Creative Schools and showed it with very enthusiastic greetings every week. They were engaged throughout our time together, and even those that began sessions seeming uninterested, were enthusiastically taking part by the end. Several showed verbally and physically (with hugs) that they loved our time together and Asanka talked about how much they looked forward to Creative Schools every week.

Teacher:

Asanka’s style of teaching is already very in line with the habits we practice in Creative Schools, so she was very open and supportive of the process. She did mention several times how great it was to have less structure and really let the kids’ imaginations run wild, as well as giving them agency in their learning.

Creative:

In the two years I’ve done the Creative Schools program, I’ve been truly challenged in the way I think and practice my creativity. I learn so much from the kids and the way they think and adapt and from the teacher in the way she organises so many young minds and needs. Several kids told me how our time together was their favourite at school, so while it was sometimes stressful, those moments made it well worth it!

School:

The Creative Schools approach is very congruent to other approaches in learning Curtin PS is exploring, so the school showed a lot of support for the program, from their enthusiasm during our training, and the positive feedback shared with Asanka throughout.

Parents:

I had the opportunity to chat with some parents at our showcase Discovery Disco, and they shared how enthusiastically their children had spoken about our sessions at home. They showed a lot of support by attending our Discovery Disco, and enthusiastically nodding along while I talked about the program.

“I’m new to the school. I’d love to involved in the leadership component of Creative Schools. My background in music and the arts so I really value creativity in education”. Principal Sarah Baden-Powell

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“In normal lessons we don’t do creative things. We do writing, reading, maths and science. But in Creative Schools we do really different things.” (Student)