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Who’s running the show? At Churchill, it’s the students! The alternative tenets of child-centred learning are on display when the whole school assembles in the gym for a sharing. These events provide students in all grades with the opportunity to share something their class has been working on. Whether it’s presented in the form of a poem, a song or a demonstration, it’s the students who take the lead in these informal gatherings.
From teacher Ray Kalynuk:
[...] The traditional idea of an assembly, where adults play the standard, talking head role… taking centre stage at the front of a room, where everyone is directing their attention on one point, unable to interact with their peers because they’re all sitting static, facing forward… just didn’t fit in with the student centred approach. In a sharing, the ultimate goal is for students to share with their peers, some of the things that they’ve been doing in class. When we do them regularly, a class might just get up to show each other artwork, they’ve been creating, or explain the concept they’ve been, exploring, or perform or present work they have produced in class. Some of our sharing to take on a more focussed approach, because they revolve around events like remembrance day, earth day, or other themes. We use a circle, so that everyone can feel connected, and no one feels left out, or like they are more of a priority than others. Sometimes students move into the centre of the circle to share, sometimes students share from their position around the outside of the circle.
Typically a class will take responsibility for organizing, and leading a sharing. Really a lot of the pressure is on the teacher of the class to organize the framework of the sharing. In the ideal situation, the students will introduce each class that is going to share, and be the only voices during sharing. In my opinion, the best situation is when the teachers are facilitating the activity, but are not the voices being heard during the event.
According to Ray, the idea of traditional teacher-directed assemblies didn’t fit with the student-centred approach of the school. He points out the advantages of having students sitting in a circle where they can interact and feel connected to one another. In addition to the inherent elements of cooperation and inclusivity, sharings provide leadership opportunities to students who develop confidence in their performance and public-speaking skills.
Participation is flexible and tailored to each student’s readiness according to parent, Amanda Case. “Sharings promote a sense of community, and allow children to show off the things they are proud of to a wider audience and inspire the rest of the school community with the cool things they’ve been working on.”
As a parent, you may be invited to one of the more formal sharings - Remembrance Day, for example. It’s a special event, unlike anything you’ll see at other schools and I recommend going to see for yourself if you get the chance.
Here's one final reflection on sharings from parent Steph Futterer:
"We love the Churchill Sharings. The sharings allow us the wonderful opportunity to connect with what our own kids are working on at in class and clubs and to also get a glimpse at what the other grades are getting up to as well. These sharings are an awesome way e for students to proudly showcase their work in a supportive and encouraging environment. Always inspiring! We have so many wonderful memories that go all the way back to my now Grade 7 daughter's kindergarten years — starting with performing songs with the kinder choir, moving on to short skits, music club performances, art sharings, leadership activities and more! AND...Don't even get me started on the Remembrance Day and Earth Day sharings that make me tear up, year after year!"
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