Our Explicit Teaching Model is what differs the teaching at our school from many others: for explicit teaching to occur, the teacher needs to be well trained and knowledgeable in all areas taught. We believe in a strong emphasis on our teacher’s professional development, as this is the key to achieving results.

Our teaching model develops problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills, guides and encourages students to make decisions, become self-sufficient, answer questions, and work independently.

Mooroolbark Grammar’s Junior School builds on the foundational work of Early Learning, further shaping attitudes to learning and helping students understand, master and apply core skills and concepts. This results in self-confidence and knowing they can learn and improve as they move through their formal schooling, with skills that transfer easily to real-life situations, moving from a traditional view of ‘teaching to the test’ focusing on test results.

We use an evidence-based teaching approach that empathises, gradients of learning. Moving students from guided learning into independent learning. This approach is essential as learning should be tailor-made to each student and their development.

The teaching approach uses a research-based framework:

“I Do, We Do and You Do’ is the teaching and learning process that builds learning and moves it from teacher modelling, through guided practise to independent practice.”

The goal is to move student learning in a ‘rote’ fashion (short-term memory) and embed it into long-term memory, so students can continually apply the knowledge they acquire. This also builds strong skills in literacy and numeracy—the foundation of all learning at Mooroolbark.

Skills are taught in-depth with the emphasis on application through problem-solving and higher-order thinking. In a broader context, we guide students in developing positive and respectful relationships, setting high expectations by engaging with them in their classrooms and providing effective feedback designed to build confidence and student well-being.

Student development is planned through assessment, results analysis and goal setting that together set a path of continual improvement and provide an intellectual challenge.

How do we turn students into life-long learners?

Kids are naturally curious. They really want to learn about the world around them.

But the simple truth is that children are not born with the ability to follow the more formal approach to learning that school requires. They quite literally have to learn how to learn.

The mistake most schools make is that they skip this vital step, assuming that all kids already know how to learn and study. They don’t.

At Mooroolbark, we’ve identified this problem right from the start. It’s one of the principles the school was founded on.

To address study and develop an attitude of a lifelong learner, we use a unique method that teaches kids how to learn in a fashion that puts no duress or stress on the student. Instead builds confidence and study skills necessary to break through barriers such as ‘hating reading’ or ‘not wanting to go to school’ or worse claiming they are ‘not an academic’ all are symptoms of a child that has been led to believe he or she can’t learn as is a total falsehood.

Our approach is not about gimmicks like memory tricks or even tips on cramming for tests. It is actually based on a deep understanding of how children, and adults, actually learn.

By understanding HOW you learn and recognising what specific barriers can prevent you from learning something, Mooroolbark adapts the teaching to suit the child and the challenges they face as a learner, rather than trying to jam the child into a ‘one-sizes-fits-all box.