Session 14 Rostrata Primary School Year 6 - Kristy Nita Brown & Mariya Konig
Warm Up: Today's session began with students wrapping their yarn sticks in the colour linking to the Five Habits of Learning they had used most during our last Creative Schools session. This served as a calming activity after recess. Following this, I led a warm up exercise I developed to reinforce the Five Habits of Learning. First, we revisited the habits using the classroom poster as a prompt. Then, I asked students to take out their whiteboards and markers. I displayed a series of images and asked students to write down which habit they thought was being demonstrated in each image. After ten seconds, students held up their boards and I walked around reading out some of their responses. I deliberately avoided saying whether their answers were “right” or “wrong,” allowing for open-ended thinking. A few images in, I prompted them to explain why they chose a particular habit. It was fascinating to hear their reasoning and interpretations.
Main Activity: Today, I ran a quick session on how to export films and save them to Mariya’s drive on her computer. Afterwards, Mariya and I set a deadline: all students were required to finish filming and editing their one-minute films by 12:15p.m.
We reminded students about the importance of collaboration — what it means to work effectively in a group of three, and how to share both the filming and editing responsibilities. Some students struggled with this, tending to dominate the editing process, while others collaborated seamlessly. In some groups, members took on different roles — one working on titles, another on sound effects or music, and another on editing the footage. In other groups, all members edited their own version of the same footage, which allowed for varied creative interpretations.
By the deadline, nearly every group had completed and exported their films. Mariya was particularly impressed by the students’ focus, sense of urgency, and ability to meet the deadline. She also noted how engaged and self-directed the students were throughout the process. She mentioned she’d like to give students more autonomy in future activities, after seeing how capable they were today and during this project.
Reflection: At the end of the session, we revisited the Five Habits of Learning. Students added another colour to their yarn sticks to represent the habit they felt they had used most during the session. When I asked a few students to explain their choice, responses included: persistence, for completing and editing their film on time; collaboration, for effective teamwork; and imagination, for writing scripts and creatively assembling footage. Overall, today’s lesson was very successful. The students were highly engaged, met expectations, and demonstrated genuine learning. I had a great time and it will be sad to say goodbye to the class next week.
Planning with the Teacher: Next week, we’ll revisit our human wheel warm-up activity (conducted in session one), which the students are eager to try one last time. It will be interesting to observe how they approach the challenge with a focus on collaboration and persistence. Will they be able to successfully build and complete the wheel out of newspaper? And will they manage to get it across the basketball court? This activity should provide a great opportunity to reflect on the habits they've developed over the term.
Our main activity will be the screening of their one-minute films, complete with popcorn and juice to create a celebratory atmosphere. As the screenings likely won’t take too long, I’ll plan an additional short activity or a structured reflection to wrap up the filmmaking process—perhaps a discussion or feedback circle where students can share their thoughts on the experience.
To close the session (and the term), we’ll do one final yarn stick wrap. Students will add their last colour to reflect the habit they used most during the final activities. Afterwards, we’ll tie all the sticks together to create a collaborative hanging piece for the classroom. I’ll display some visual examples to inspire the students.
Working with the Students: A few students have approached me this term to say they’re sad that Creative Schools is ending. From what I’ve observed, I believe the majority have genuinely enjoyed both projects. I've also noticed a shift in their attitude toward the warm ups — they’ve become more eager to participate together. They’re less hesitant to hold hands and more comfortable working with classmates of the opposite sex or outside their usual friend groups. They’re beginning to treat each other with respect, regardless of personal feelings. This marks a significant change from the first day I stepped into the classroom.
