Learning Walks and Talks 

At St Joseph’s, we believe that students are not just the learners but also the learning evidence. One of the ways we honour student voice and ensure high-impact teaching is through Learning Walks and Talks, based on the work of educational expert Dr Lyn Sharratt. 

The philosophy behind this practice is grounded in the belief that students should be able to articulate what they are learning, why it matters, how they are progressing, and what they need to do next. When students have clarity around their learning, they are more engaged, confident, and motivated. 

During Learning Walks and Talks, members of the school leadership team visit classrooms and speak with students using the following six key questions: 

1. What are you learning?
2. Why are you learning it? 
3. How are you going in your learning? 
4. How do you know how you’re going? 
5. How can you improve? 
6. Where do you go for help? 

These conversations give us rich insight into how well students understand their learning and how effectively teaching practices are being implemented across the school. This valuable data is then used to: 

• Inform our Teaching and Learning cycles, ensuring learning intentions and success criteria are clear and purposeful. 

• Guide professional learning for staff based on observed trends or areas for improvement. 

• Support team planning and collaboration, helping teachers align strategies and share successful approaches. 

• Track growth over time, allowing us to see how student understanding deepens across year levels. 

• Celebrate what’s working, acknowledging strong teaching practice and student engagement. 

In a recent Year 4 Religion lesson, students shared: 

• What are you learning? “We are learning about the Holy Spirit and the symbols that represent the Holy Spirit.” 

• Why are you learning this? “Because we don’t know it yet and some of us are making our Holy Communion where we will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” 

• How are you going in your learning? “Well.” 

• How do you know? “Because we are answering the questions, listening to the teacher and using her feedback.” 

• How can you improve? “Write longer, more detailed answers. Listen more carefully to the information provided.” 

• Where do you go for help? “The teacher, other members of our group, another learning group, Religion resources in our OneNote.” 

From this Religion Learning Walk and Talk, we gained insights that will help us: 

• Strengthen students’ theological understanding and vocabulary around key concepts such as the Holy Spirit and the Sacraments 

• Adjust lesson design to support students in providing deeper, more reflective written responses 

• Use student voice to inform faith formation opportunities in line with the Sacramental program 

• Reinforce the use of digital tools like OneNote as meaningful learning supports in Religion 

• Support teachers to provide targeted feedback that helps students connect religious content with lived experience 

This is just one example of the reflective, articulate learners we are developing at St Joseph’s. Through Learning Walks and Talks, we continue to deepen our understanding of student learning and strengthen the quality of teaching across our school.  

Nicole Charnock  
Assistant Principal and Primary Coordinator