Over the last couple of weeks, Year 4 have been thinking carefully about our brains. We discussed the ways in which our brain is a little like any other muscle: the more we exercise it, the greater results we will hopefully see! We collectively decided that persevering with our learning when we encounter challenges can be incredibly useful brain-training.
To help us better understand how to support one another through challenging tasks, we learnt about an incredibly resilient boy named Austin, who was challenged to do a scientific observational drawing of a butterfly. Austin was not particularly confident after his first draft, but found that with supportive feedback from his peers and multiple attempts, the quality of his drafts improved with every try. We tried our own versions, completing three drafts in total with advice and feedback along the way. We were delighted with the quality of the specific and helpful feedback our partners gave and found that we too improved with every try.
Later, we made thoughtful decisions about how we perceive ourselves as learners by looking at the Blob Tree. We then offered each other advice and feedback about how we could close the gap between where we are and where we want to be. We recorded some quotes which we can return to whenever we need a boost, a bit of motivation or some encouragement!
“Never say no to a challenge!” – Gabe to Dan
“Never say never.” – Adam to Maxi
“If someone says you should give up, don’t listen to it.” – Skye to Lyna
“Don’t think you can’t do it when you can.” – Siri to Everett
“Never give up and give it your all.” – Lacey to Kayah
