Term 3 Week 3

Tuesday 7 August

Lovely to see the tamariki after the holidays.  Everyone has come back with a willingness to learn and have slotted straight back into same routines as last term.

There has been some unsettling times with a little boy showing defiance and refusing to follow instructions when he doesn't want to.  I have put an incentive chart in place and hopefully after repetition and more positive praise and conversations it may work.

This term I plan to dig into the tamariki's imagination with their writing and look into descriptive language and quantity of the writing.  Towards the end of last term some of the language that was coming out in was great so I want to strengthen that.  Another area is putting their work on Seesaw app.  We have started and the response and enthusiasm has been amazing.

On a sad note I have lost one child to Hamilton and then one more will be leaving to go up north.  It leaves a big hole and will take a bit of adjusting to.  I hope that I have guided them enough to carry on with what they have learned in to their new schools.

Reflection 13 June 2018

Wow.  Been a while and so much has been happening.  This term I took ventured into a collaborative teaching classes with Sarah.  Initially I was so excited that I was going to have this opportunity.  As the weeks have gone by though, I am feeling that I am not comfortable with the ways things are going as collaborative.  We went into this venture with only the knowledge from what others teachers have tried and not much research being done and PLD around collaborative teaching.

Reading is going well, but I feel that Maths and Writing need to be more emphasised in the daily programme.  This is something that I really need to focus on and improve to support the tamariki in those areas.  So much of a range of needs with the children from letter formations to separating ideas (paragraphs). 

The change of classes has been awesome though and the tamariki that we are working with are great along with the other teacher, although only a BT.  With the support from Kyra and Robyn we are looking at structuring our teaching more effectively around collaborative teaching in Reading and are working on having everything ready for day 1 Term 3.  It is a lot of work, but I think that it will pay off both personal professional development and for the tamariki.  Things are looking up.  Trial and error as they say.



We are currently at that time of year again where we are inundated with testing and reports.  Although very draining, once again it is exciting seeing the progress that the tamariki are making with their learning.  Feels that I am doing something right.

The environemt around school is continuing to improve and the change of 'businness' view to having our tamariki as the forefront of everything we do is a exciting.  Even commenta re being made around the community about the positive changes that are being made and are seen out there are overwhelming.

Looking forward to up and coming weeks and terms.

WRITING PLD - Kath Runga 13th October 2017 - Part 3

Kath

Powerpoint

Description
Austin's butterfly

Writing Across the Curriculum

• Dancing with the pen pg 22
• Following instructions - opens up language.  Making things (make sure you try it prior)
• Science Learning Hub
• Science Kids

LITERACY PLD - Kath Runga 13th October 2017 Part 2

ORAL LANGUAGE - Pam

Developmental oral language effects students further in their lives. Children with low oral language abilities are viewed more as behavioural not that there are gaps in their oral language development.

'Limits of my language are limits of/in my world'.

• Give opportunities for extended discussions with children.

Resources

• Oral language expectations - Learning Through Talk (MOE Doc) 
  
• Much More Than Words

Ralph Fletcher 

Writers Notebook

• When writing start with a true story, then add lies
• Kids need time to write
• Incubate ideas - private place to store things, triggers, snatches of talk, lists, artifactes
• Boys are real collectors
• Rereading the notebook - high comfort, no risk
• Engaging boy writers - Girls often play the game where boys wont.  Boys will write for each other
• Boys like fantasy and violence
• Girls will draw nouns - boys will draw verbs

LITERACY PLD - KATH RUNGA 13th October 2017

SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC WRITING NEEDS USING DTs
Debbie & Everlyn

Writing with Dyslexia

• Using 'Voice Typing' in TOOLS on Google Docs.  Recording story and checking that their writing matches.
• Convert 'txt to speech' extension.
• 'Read and write' extension.
• Change colour background and appropriate fonts and size
• PRE-LOAD text goes home the night before - already got ideas in his/her head
• Use 'Spell Check' and choose correct word - teach them how to use it prior

Phonological Awareness

• Use 'text to speech' to hear when what they've sounded out doesn't match
• Build awareness using different tools

Elaboration of ideas

• Telescopic text 

Typing club app

PICK A PATH STORIES

Peggy & Emma - link to url

Jane-Marie Kellow

• Google slides
• Plan on paper first
• Add notes to prompt planning
• Make the slides first and images ready
• Use a flow chart to guide 

USING PERSONIFICATION

Joy & Jesse

• Highlight different type (personal voice, similies)
• Give children a level playing field for writing topics
• Each child has a writing portfolio - photos sent in from home (chn run their own portfolios)
• Have starters ready prior

INSTUCTIONAL WRITING - NE - YR3

Emma & Sarah

• Photos - sequencing. Shared writing
• First day picture plan
• Language experience
• Teach about sequencing - model

Learning Reflection 2016

This year has been a mixture of happiness, successes, challenges, and emotions.  Throughout the whole year I have had mixed feelings about both my students and my practice.  I have, and will continue to be excited with supporting young tamariki through their learning journey.  My class this year have proven that I am doing something right by them when they are always happy to come to school and are ready to learn.  

There have been challenges along the way that have made me reflect on my practice and roles within the school, sometimes even doubting myself and my skills.  Staff have been very supportive and helped me through tough this.

I am proud of the achievements that ALL of the students have made through the year and am amazed with the progress they have made.  There has been a large amount of discussions through school this year about mindset that I have reflected, researched and changed in my practice.  Carl Dweck says it all:

“Mindset change is not about picking up a few pointers here and there. It's about seeing things in a new way. When people...change to a growth mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is to growth, and growth take plenty of time, effort, and mutual support.” 
― Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

There have been times where I doubted the decision to take on some behavioural students, although there are days where they have been awesome.  I feel for the other students as they have not had quality time with me as I have had to spend more time on behavioural issues.  Both the PL and strategies that I gained through PB4L and Incredible Years have helped support all of the class.  (It's not the student, it the behaviour). I don't think I could have managed the class as effective if I hadn't had that training.

I am looking forward to next year and all the successes and challenges that it will bring.

Observations

2016 Observation sheets and notes

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x1NeEHTNYEcvJmlL8VOhFrvpPK_Rn-oxSuQnt78j0e0/edit