I really enjoyed this week’s class with our guest speaker, Jeff Hopkins. It was interesting to learn about a full inquiry-based school and great to know that there is an option for students to engage in an inquiry-based learning experience in Victoria!

In addition to learning about Jeff’s school, he also provided some really helpful tips on how to incorporate his learning philosophy into a public-school classroom. Jeff explained that particularly in elementary school, teachers have the ability to engage in cross-curricular learning experiences as the subjects are not strictly separated (like they are in high school). By teaching information interdisciplinary,  students can learn in a way that is meaningful to their life. So, Jeff emphasized the importance of taking advantage of cross-curricular opportunities to make learning more engaging and meaningful. I found this piece of advice really helpful and something that I can use in my future classroom. Another piece of advice that Jeff provided was the importance of providing expressive and specific feedback, opposed to simply giving a grade. Students tend to be overly concerned with grades, which can limit their understanding of the material and how they can apply it to their life. By providing specific feedback, students can develop meaning in their work and engage in a more enriched learning experience!