What Does a PSHE Lesson Look Like?

The Structure of the Pieces (lessons) in Jigsaw

The creation of Jigsaw is motivated by the genuine belief that if attention is paid to supporting children’s personal development in a structured and developmentally appropriate way, this will not only improve their capacity to learn (across the curriculum) but will ultimately improve their life chances. That’s why Jigsaw is completely child-focussed. This is reflected in the innovative way that Pieces (lessons) are structured, which also reflects understanding of the learning process.

In designing the Pieces, we imagine that children are asking the teacher to:

• Improve their social skills to better enable collaborative learning (Connect us)
• Relax their bodies and calm their minds to prepare them for learning (Calm me)
• Help the brain to focus on specific learning intentions (Open my mind)
• Initiate new learning (Tell me or show me)
• Facilitate learning activities to reinforce the new learning (Let me learn)
• Support them in reflecting on their learning and personal development (Help me reflect)

Using these child-centred headings for the sections of each Piece is very significant.
It encourages teachers to see their pupils as whole children who want and deserve to learn.

Connect Us - This is a game or activity designed to be fun and inclusive and to build and maximise social skills. ‘Connect us’ engenders positive relationships and enhances collaborative learning. It sets the atmosphere at the beginning of each Jigsaw Piece and can be used again at the end should the teacher feel the atmosphere needs to be lifted after some deep work during the lesson.

Calm Me - This section of the Piece helps children gain awareness of the activity in their minds, relaxing them and quietening their thoughts and emotions to a place of optimum learning capacity. This will also engender a peaceful atmosphere within the classroom. It may well take a number of sessions before children can do this successfully, as many children live in continually noisy and hectic environments. It is an invaluable life skill which also enhances reflection and spiritual development. This underpins the mindful approach advocated in Jigsaw (See ‘mindfulness’ above)

Open my Mind - The Reticular Activating System of the brain filters the many stimuli entering the child’s mind at any given time. It is designed only to allow in that which is significant. Therefore, it is important to engage this system with the most important aspects of learning intended for each Piece (lesson). If we do this well, it will enable children to filter out activity around them not significant to this learning intention, thereby improving concentration and learning.

Tell Me or Show Me - This section of the Piece (lesson) is used to introduce new information, concepts and skills, using a range of teaching approaches and activities.

Let Me Learn - Following Piaget’s learning model, after receiving new information/concepts, children need to manipulate, use, and play with that new information in order for it to make sense to them and for them to ‘accommodate’ it into their existing learning.

Help Me Reflect -Throughout Jigsaw, children are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and their progress. By reflecting, children can process and evaluate what they have learnt, which enables them to consolidate and apply their learning. They are also asked to stop and become aware of their thoughts and feelings in any given moment in Pause Points  thus developing their mindfulness.

Closure - Each Piece needs safe closure. This will always include the teacher praising the children for their effort, positive attitude and achievement, as well as giving one or two sentences to summarise the key learning points for the children.