Being an effective teacher is more than just improving test scores – it’s also about making a difference in students’ lives. Some of the traits of an effective teacher are their passion for learning, believing in their students’ strengths, and knowing how to help students to reach their full potential.
The Heads of Department, Mr Spargo and Ms Quintana, took the opportunity to create an experimental cross-curricular Spanish and TAS activity, touching upon the importance of cooking and safety, responsible food preparation and good food choices. Aligned and cooperative collaboration is all about diverse departments getting together and planning, so that topics of study are taught concurrently.
Led by Ms Quintana, students from 803 were provided with a cooking demonstration class in Monday’s lesson, sampling the savoury and traditional Spanish tortilla. The following day they were tasked with preparing the dish during their practical lesson by following a detailed recipe. They did an outstanding job and would make their families proud, perhaps even given their parents a night off every week to prepare something nutritious and delicious for the whole family.
Research has shown that students can achieve deeper learning when professional educators combine their efforts and reinforce the same message in each subject area. This helps clarify the information for the student, the learning activities become more fluid, and the student’s knowledge and skills improve.
Needless to say, the smiles on the students’ faces were priceless after successfully completing their cooking lesson, with the knowledge that they could devour the fruits of their labor – once they had cleaned up, of course!
Ms Priscilla Quintana
Head of Languages Department
E: pquintana@waverley.nsw.edu.au
