Conglom

Conglom' is a process The Riverside School - an intentional practice to timetable for 'relationships'. It's an opportunity for students and teachers of each class to come together first thing in the morning to start the day on a positive note. This is a time for learners to share feelings, opinions and ideas. The teacher and students facilitate the interaction so that each student feels respected and valued. The atmosphere that is created is one of trust and community. Starting with the 'heart' sets the stage to learn with the mind!

Agenda Setting & CTL

Agenda Setting' is a powerful process that uses the pedagogy of co-creation to invite the voice of the child in the design of a school day – be it with the learning expectations or experiences that are suggested by students. When the agenda is made visible and co-created, it builds a sense of ownership and well-being. The process allows for collaboration as the teachers and students plan together; and students have a choice and voice in designing the day. 'Closing the Loop' occurs at the end of every session / day / month / year. It celebrates a sense of accomplishment of all that has been done, and reflection on how and what was learned- and how to refine the experiences for the future, if needed.

Buddy Interaction

The 'Buddy Interaction' process is built on the premise that learning is about respect - and not about hierarchy! When respect fuels the interaction, both the buddies learn from and about each other. No longer is it about the older teaching the younger, but everyone leaving the moment richer because of the interaction. A community of sharing, caring and growing is cultivated when all learners feel valued and safe.

Sports Day

Sports Days are often about competition and a 'winner takes all' mentality. The fastest, the most skilled athletes often take centre-stage and others are relegated to mere 'spectators' or 'cheer leaders' at best. The Riverside 'Sports Day' is unique in its design because skills other than just sporting prowess are given the same importance. Each squad is made up of myriad talents and skills - design, performances, speech writing, people managers and more. Suddenly, a day that is often dreaded by 'non athletes' becomes the most 'looked forward' day for all children.

First Day First Week

To set the tone for each new academic year, it is very important to make visible the values of the school and help all stakeholders feel a sense of alignment and anticipation for the learning journey. The 'First Day, First Week' process is a time for intentionally setting the tone by inviting the children into the design of the learning journey and therefore, having them feel a sense of ownership and empowerment from the very first day! No anxiety, only anticipation!

Persistence

‘Persistence' is a process at Riverside that all our Key Stage learners ( our adolescent ages - 13 to 18 ) go through. It was born of a realisation that while adolescents are quick to change their likes and interests - they understand that for any change to happen - it will take time. Therefore, the process is named 'Persistence'. This process is designed to 'slow down' the need for change and to really spend time in listening, in iteration and in building relationships with the people who are in need. Each student spends an average of 2 hours per week spending time with grandparents at old age homes, cooking and taking tiffins for families in the community or teaching children in care homes. Through this process, the students realise that 'being the change, changes the being'.

Making Teaching Visible

The 'Making Teaching Visible' ( MTV ) process is a workshop that the teachers conduct for the parent community to share the research and pedagogical rationale behind the practice, thereby helping parents build an appreciation of 'the what and how' behind the teaching experiences. MTVs result in greater trust between parents and teachers and parents looking at teachers as professionals deserving their respected.

Board Protocol

The 'Board Protocol' is a powerful, yet simple process which guides the teacher to intentionally foster Relevance, Rigor and Relationships in every session that is designed. The classroom blackboard acts as a visible representation of teacher's learning goals for that teaching-session and offers shared expectations for learning with the learner. Not only does the board server as a 'conscience' for the planning, it also helps teachers build a sense of accountability and integrity in their practice.

Congenial Meets

A key determinant of creativity and growth in a school is the relationship shared between the members of the teaching community as well as the support team - for the strength and trust in the team has a direct impact on the decisions made for the children. The 'Congenial Process' at Riverside has been designed to intentionally foster a sense of community and collegiality amongst the team. Research has shown that colleagues who respect and trust each other are more likely to work from a space of ownership and accountability towards their work and this means they are more willing to innovate and create opportunities for their children.

Teacher Driven Observation

The 'Teacher Driven Observation' process is a twist on the regular 'teacher observation' practice. Here, the onus in on the teacher to invite colleagues to observe their practice with the explicit focus on obtaining data on a 'specific' concern that the teacher might want to improve on. This way, there is no judgement - what a teacher receives is 'data' without being flavoured with opinion - and this helps the strategies for growth to be more focused on improvement of teacher practice.

Parent Orientation

At the beginning of each year, the 'Parent Orientation' is an opportunity for all new and existing parents to align to the values and expectations of the school and meet the members of the community. It is a time where parents participate in a thoughtful, joyful and intentionally designed learning experience which helps them move from any anxiety that they might have to a feeling of anticipation for the years of schooling ahead for their children!

Making Learning Visible

The overall goal of 'Making Learning Visible' is to create and sustain powerful cultures of learning in and across classrooms and schools- that nurture and make visible individual and group learning. The multiple ways in which children demonstrate understanding through the Making Learning Visible process offers all participants - children, parents and teachers, an opportunity to build confidence and competencies.

Assessments

"Often a child's awareness of self is relegated to a 'grade' or a set of marks - limiting and diminishing a child's identity. In the 'Assessment for Plurality' workshop - participants will learn multiple ways to help value and evaluate the 'plurality' of a child's identity - so that both, the child and the parent are more aware of the myriad facets that make up the full story of a child."

Support Staff Wellbeing

The administration staff and support team are often overlooked when one thinks of the main stakeholders in a school community even though they are the ones who enter first and leave the last on any given day. Therefore, the 'Support Team Wellbeing' process is designed to intentionally timetable for the care and inclusion of the team as a valued member of a school ecosystem.

Month-End Presentation

A culture of congeniality is built when members of a community have warm and social interactions amongst each other. But a culture of collegiality is cultivated when all team members feel safe to share both - their achievements and their 'failures' in a safe and non-judgemental space. The Month End Presentation is a time for the community to gather and celebrate and be inspired by their colleagues as they travel this journey of growth and purpose.

Meeting With Purpose

Team meetings are times for personal and professional growth - and when nourished with meaning and purpose, it offers an opportunity for a team to align and commit to the vision and mission of the school. The 'Meetings with Purpose' workshop will provide simple strategies to leaders and coordinators on how to always start with empathy and relevance to build a culture of shared values and goals.

Humane Framework

(Feel, Imagine, Do, Share) to show how we create processes that bring values to life.

The participants will learn to use the framework to:
1) Built a culture of iteration
2) Use co-creation as a tool with all stakeholders (students, parents, staff, and community) The workshop will use case studies from Riverside to highlight the FIDS method.

The workshop will demonstrate, that if you are anchored by strong values, build for the learner first and follow a design thinking framework, you can shape HumanE citizens with an I CAN Mindset, who are rooted in empathy, ethics, excellence, and collaboration.