Happy Teacher Moment

A quick note of satisfaction. I was happy to see some actual visible improvement in some students' swimming, along with their own pleasure in finding success. I had focussed on head position to help in maintaining the body float on the surface, rather than sink at the hip.

This, I think, has also been a benefit of observing a lesson taken by my tutor teacher - and implementing some of what I saw her do. Makes me look forward to doing more observations outside of my own classroom this year!

Week 3 Observation

Writing
Watched a short session where focus was adding detail. Rather than pressure of writng a full story, students were to write one sentence at a time based on a teacher-set subject (house, TV show...)

One thing I was reminded of was the value of having students share their writing ideas/work to the whole class. This happened in a positive environment where students felt safe to share amongst peers.

Swimming
Observed instructional teaching of swimming, focussing on technique. Three main groups. Start with one group in, others waiting. Once each group finishes short teaching session, they're free to play at end of pool or hop out if cold.

Worked well swimming lengthwise. Four to six students at a time going from each group.

Goal for release time usage

Last year I had 1 day per week release from my class as part of my beginning teacher programme. This year that time is reduced to 1/2 day per week (then none once I am fully registered). A lot of my release time last year I used for various planning and preparation. This year my goal is to spend more time observing other teachers' practice.

A particular area of focus I want to concentrate on is that of small group teaching in maths, reading, and writing. I don't feel this was a strong point for me last year, so hope to gain some helpful insight and ideas for improving this.

2nd Year, 2nd First Day

Well, under way again. A couple of things to note that I need to look back on in maybe a couple of weeks.

1. Possibly a bit more of a boring first day, focussing this time more on setting up some administration things and setting out books. Some good benefits of doing so, I think. But possibly could have mixed in some more 'fun' starter/getting-to-know-you stuff?
2. The students seem a lot more 'chatty' during class for a 'first day' where they are normally a bit more reserved. Not sure if this is a reflection of the different group of students from last year, but may have to keep a particular monitoring on this because it may need a slightly firmer/direct instruction about expected behaviour than required last year?
   

End of Year One Summary

Well, I had to get my priorities right and have my holidays first! Now for my brief reflection before gearing up for a new year of learning (for both myself and my students).

Overall a positive year - very demanding and plenty of long days, but successful all-the-same.

Strong(ish) points

• Positive learning environment where students feel safe and happy
• Promoting thinking through scenario/action-based learning
• Good use of new-media technologies to promote learning
• Encouraging independent learning and intrinsic motivation
• Success in extra-curricula video production for Panasonic competition
• Trying lots of different approaches to teaching, and being willing to change
• When used, shared learning intentions were successful in directing students' learning focus
  

Points to focus on

• Establish writing groups and fairly regular 'conferencing' to improve learning in writing (and assist in my formative assessment of individuals)
• Both Maths and Reading groups to have more routine to help students focus on beneficial learning habits
• More regular setting/sharing of learning intentions and goals

I'm looking forward to this coming year, and the challenges it may bring. Also looking forward to hopefully being stronger in some areas so I can focus more attention to the (seemingly never-ending) gaps in other areas of my teaching.

Kia Kaha (have good strength)

Collective thoughts

Term 3

This was a successful term, however I often felt a bit 'on the back foot'.  I suspect that this mostly comes down to unit planning lacking a bit.  Between the overall syndicate planning/aims, and my daily planning - it's the unit plan that, when clear and prepared well, helps to work towards supporting the students' learning with engaging experiences.  This worked well in terms 1 and 2, but I noticed the difficulties arise in term 3.

One other aspect of 'thin' planning is the side affects being issues of behaviour management. Students still work better when routines are consistent, and learning foci are clear.

Term 4

EOTC - 1st four weeks saw senior classes mixed up so all year 5s were in one class.  This was a good period of time.  Interesting to see the different dynamics of a different social mix.  Also, the general maturity differences between year 5 and year 6 became quite evident.  This was good to note, as I am more aware now of differences between these ages when my regular class comes back together.

Report Writing - in the process of this now.  At this point I can see where strengths and weaknesses are in my assessment of different areas of learning, and looking to next year how I may try to 'marry up'  different aspects of subject assessment to avoid double-up of data collection (or gaps in data).  I have collected/viewed some other teachers'  assessment records to use and adapt for next year.

I'm growing a Moustache for 'Movember'

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'll be growin a Mo. That's right I'm bringing the Mo back because I'm passionate about men's health and the fight against prostate cancer.

To sponsor my Mo please click here...
[SPONSOR ROB ASHCROFT]
and then choose [SPONSOR ROB ASHCROFT] again from the Movember website

Read read read

At a recent staff meeting we looked at reading level statistics of our students measured over time. It did highlight some need for change or improvement in the way some of us run our reading programmes.

For me, it seems apparent that I need a much more structured, almost junior-style reading programme. I am currently basing a lot on topic-related reading and information gathering. However, many of my students would benefit more from a systematic programme that strengthens reading comprehension which, for many of my readers, is not currently effective when using topic related texts that are often only suitable for higher level readers.

I have also tried this term to give some freedom of choice to students, which on one hand they appear to engage with, but on the other, gaps appear in their ability as independent learners. I am thinking that this may well be an age thing. In our quest to promote independent learning and thinking skills, some of the basic skills needed to underpin this type of thinking is being given less time. That is, the ability to effectively decode and then comprehend what we have just decoded.

Again, like in maths, I need to get back to some basics and follow some good structure. Topic can take a back-seat within my reading programme.

One equation - multiple strategies

Why didn't the Numeracy Project people just wait a little bit longer before handing out the (well-researched and structured) planning books until they, or book publishers, were able to put together full and structured supporting practice workbooks.

Yeah yeah, I know, we want to move away from just using text books because the teaching model of links back and forth between materials, imaging, and number properties requires us to support students in gaining a sense of number. This indeed happens in our small group teaching, however, to follow up with some decent practice tasks that use number problems and word problems are required for every lesson set out in the numeracy booklets. This would ensure that students get practice at something directly related to what they have been discussing in previous teaching sessions.

There are plenty of resources yes, but they are so all over the place that to find a good progressive link requires the need for a full-time personal assistant. Figure-it-out books, online Numeracy planners, digital objects all seem like useful resources, but none of them match neatly/sequentially to what is set out in the Numeracy Teaching Books.

It's not good enough to be adding new resources in an ad-hoc manner. The Ministry and Numeracy Project overseers need to release a supporting student practice/activity text to work alongside the teacher books.

I am now returning to working out of the teacher books (rather than online planners), which is helping me see how to progress with my students - but the lack of matching material without going on a time-consuming treasure hunt leaves a lot to be desired.

I didn't plan to leave it so long...

Just over a month since I last checked into the reflection room. A few things on my mind. so I'll split it into three parts. Planning (this one), Maths, and reading.

Term three, Year one, has been a funny (strange) one in that I feel like I've kind of been chasing my tail. I think it comes down to not having my own clear plan of not-so-much where I'm heading (leaning objectives of unit) but more the in between stages of learning experiences. This is particularly in relation to topic related studies. Maybe it's because I've been focusing still on trying to get a handle on how to structure my math programme - which seems to consume a lot of my time at the moment?

Maybe it's just that I've been unplanned. Either way, I need to take a serious look at how to have a clearer overview of learning experiences over a few-weeks period if I am to feel that I have a more effective programme overall.

Pleasantly Surprised

I was pleasantly surprised come Monday the first day of Term 3. I was so excited to see 'my kids' again, and be back in the classroom. It had nothing to do with feeling prepared, or planned, or ready to take on the new term - it was just a real nice feeling to be back with the team that make up Room 3.

It put a spring in my step and a song in my heart. Yeah mushy and feel good I know - but I liked it and want to keep the feeling.

Oh, and by the way, I made sure I let the kids know I was truly happy to see them again. Very important to do so I think (shortly followed by my short spiel on how this term is definitely the heads-down-bums-up term where they can make some real progress on their personal goals in focussed learning).

:-)

Term Three Start Up

Just noticed it's been a few weeks. My last note mentioned my sore wisdom tooth. Well today I'm getting it out. Making use of my holidays :-)

As I look to my initial planning for this term I'm thinking...

• I'm one quarter through my provisional registration (thanks Raewyn)

• I think things may in fact possibly get less overwhelming (maybe coming to the end side of the 'new baby, things will settle in after a few weeks' stage

• Each term sees me restructuring my timetable format for maths and reading (this time maths I feel a bit better about, just need to still make some independent resources to support the programme)

• Reading - I want to develop some routines for individual conferencing, both to help students think more about their own learning, and for me to keep better track of where they're at.

Mr Grumpy

I was a bit grumpy today. I have a wisdom tooth that's causing me a bit of grief. Wise or not, I explained to the students that I was a bit under the weather, and to be aware that that may make me tend to be a bit open to grumpiness.

Some may say we need to rise above our own ailments, but I was thinking that if we need to be clear about learning, maybe being clear about our own feelings and possible consequences and choices we need to make in relation to them. I am not a regular grump, so I'm sure this 'rare' occasion is worth discussing openly with children for them to see that I too need to make appropriate decisions about my response to situations I find myself in.

The other thing though that added to my grumpiness is that I am currently completing PROBE assessments on each individual student. It is my first time - and very labourious. Hopfully things will improve as I do more.

Juggling

As a combination of reflecting on how teaching and learning is going, as well a variety of professional development courses I've attended recently, I find the desire to implement new ideas (requiring creation of class resources) comes up against day-to-day preparation time.

So, what specifically? I want to put together some box resources for my maths groups to help in organising a better-functioning rotation of learning experiences. I need to have a range of practice activities that can be attempted independently and hopefully match with current learning going on in the teaching group sessions.

What is lacking is a single resource point that links with the Numeracy Project and is suitable for independent work - particularly in knowledge maintenance. The closest thing I've found so far is a support material PDF that is suitable for students working with number properties (ie. they don't require the use of materials or imaging to understand the problem to work out). This particular booklet links to Books 5 and 6 (Add/Sub, Mult/Div).

I guess the only approach at this stage is a 'bit-by-bit' accumulation of materials and hopefully next year will see me a step ahead?

Different Perspectives

I had an observation of my teaching today during a writing lesson. The focus was interaction with children. Overall the feedback was very positive.

• great questioning
• supportive manner with children
• clear learning outcomes expressed
• links with prior learning made
• whole class, group, and individual interactions
• good wait times for attention and answers
• dealing appropriately with distractions
• children's input/sharing encouraged - leading to further learning

So I should feel good about it, and in terms of the observation focus, I am. However, I found myself inwardly frustrated with the progress of the lesson itself.

Yesterday's lesson was focussed on 'planning for writing an informal letter' Today's was to be 'drafting an informal letter using a plan'. I was discouraged by the small number of students who had completed their plan from yesterday.

I am unsure whether it is lack of focussed work habits or just that I expected too much? But really, I don't think I expected too much. So, one could say I could have collected all the books in to check progress - fair enough, but that can't be done everyday (I had feed back in writing the day prior).

So where to from here? Maybe it's a combination of continuing to give clear direction and learning intentions with the added and continual positive sharing of expectations in regard to quality work and good work habits.