Four Dimensions for Teachers

What is one commonality across teachers who have less disruption in their teaching spaces? They are teachers who are well organised and ready for the teaching and learning journey. Teaching is complex, and there is no single thing, but this combination is a definite foundation observed in classrooms that have a culture of teaching and learning first. To learn more about Caroline and her...

How can we justify out of class policies and procedures, suspensions and exclusions when our bi-line is education for all? How can we educate a student when they are not present and have been removed from the learning environment? Food for thought as we start term 3 on how to keep students in our rooms for learning. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Fr...

How do you know if the culture, the vision, the thing that your school is doing has buy in? Who is responsible for creating that buy in and how do you add or take away from the tone of that agenda? To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mIZhtX4...

Where we position ourselves in the classroom can add to the learning conversations or add to public behaviour conversations. Use your teaching space wisely and maximise on opportunities to interact around productive behaviour and curriculum conversations. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.co...

When we pay attention to the interaction in our classrooms, we reduce the need for public behaviour conversations. Quick reactions do not provide teachers with the knowledge of where to place their energy, pause and pay attention to the whole classroom before reacting to minor disruptions that interrupt the learning. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Di...

Clarity and precision drive opportunities for interaction to create a productive teaching and learning environment. If you have the artefacts, use them with integrity to support the outcomes you are wanting to achieve. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTu...

We do not get to choose the students who sit in our classrooms, but we do get to choose the narrative and the words we use to interact with them.  Productive teaching and learning environments come from interactions focussed on curriculum conversations with less focus on public behaviour conversations. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website:...

There is a significant difference between observing teaching and teachers. When we move to a purpose of observing teaching, we set the platform for learning from others as well as with others. Using the Four Dimensions provides a framework in which data informs decision-making, through watching how others are different to us, not better, not worse - differen...

Communication, affect and support indicate the difference between productive and toxic school cultures. Let's look at how we can be responsible for our actions that add or take away from the culture we want to work in. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube: https:...

It is easy to have a bad day and feel that the school culture you work in is the reason for it. When we understand what underpins a toxic school culture it is much easier to address and work towards a productive teaching culture; communication, fear (or lack of fear), and support are the three characteristics that underpin both. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimen...

Engagement is a word that suggests to me that teachers need to perform. Active participation however, is how teachers plan and organise lessons that differentiate for their learners needs, to spark curiosity and set up learning environments for success. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check...

What are the benefits and drawbacks of using rotations in learning activities? What is needed to support students in maximising their learning when teachers choose to use rotations? To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mIZhtX4Ewqlsd1ZQXn...

Self regulation is about knowing the child, so you can teach the student. Emotions can overtake any situation and aren't only for tantrums in two year olds. How can we support big emotions in our classroom practices? To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube...

What we focus on drives our decision making and our interactions. When we are trained in classroom behaviour management, and not human interactions and how to use these to change environments, we use more reactive tools to respond to inappropriate behaviours in our classrooms. How do we shift our focus and increase learning conversations? To learn more about Caroline and h...

When we use please and thank you, the intent with which we use words influence the perception of the interaction. Are these words used with an intent of respect or manipulation of behaviour? To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mIZhtX4Ew...

How do your interactions increase the momentum of teaching and learning, or interrupt the flow of the learning environment? To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mIZhtX4Ewqlsd1ZQXn6dw?view_as=subscriber Facebook: https://www.facebook...

When we build teams that do not focus on the individuals, we fail before we start. Autonomy  and workload are challenges in any team's success. When team members are valued they will be accountable for the team decisions, the team's growth and the work that they do. Teams are most certainly built on and need to recognise every 'I" within the team. To learn more about Caroline and he...

When we think of work life balance we fill our space with business and we do not do justice to any one of the items we are attending to.  Choose what is valuable in your life and develop synchronicity to reduce your fatigue and value the things you give your time to. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolin...

When we focus on classroom behaviour management, we get more of what we are focussed on. From my research there was a clear difference between teachers who had a classroom behaviour management focus and those who genuinely had a curriculum first classroom focus. How you see your students, how you interact with your students, will change the environment in which you ar...

If you use learning intensions to craft your lessons, based on purpose, cognitive verbs and intentional delivery of content, they should go viral amongst your students. They are intended to spark curiosity, provide the base for students and teachers to build on the content and are essential tools in teaching. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https:/...

The most misunderstood environmental tool in a teacher's armoury is the seating plan.  This is not a behaviour management tool, and when used as such causes great grief to classroom teachers.  It is a learning tool, here are some tips on how to use it to your advantage. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://caro...

When students are seeking attention, the way we respond and interact interrupts that disruption.  To change student behaviours, interactions need to be before students demand attention from teachers or peers, and need to be genuine and authentic interactions linked to clear criteria and expectations. We all seek attention and we need to stop seeing this as a negative option for...

When we reach a goal, sustaining the goal can be a challenge. Small steps, resets and reflection on, and in, practice will help teachers and schools work on the necessary skills to refocus and sustain their green footprint. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube: https:...

Is reading a planned and integrated part of your teaching and curriculum?  How do you spark curiosity for your subject matter through appropriate texts and texts that will connect students to the learning? To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media here: YouTube: https://w...

To increase curriculum time in your classroom, the skill of organisations is essential. Well organised teachers have increase flexibility in curriculum spaces and are more likely to have reduced need for classroom behaviour management. To learn more about Caroline and her 4 Dimensions Framework, head to her website: https://carolineblackley.com/ Or check her out on social media...