Aiming for excellence

Not sure of the source of this, sorry - I think I saved it from Facebook - if you know the original source, please let me know in the comments!

10 Ways to Empower Students With Choice

Lesson or unit starter ideas

The sort of things that those of us who have been teaching as long as me already know, but it doesn't hurt to have a reminder occasionally...

http://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/5-simple-anticipatory-sets-that-make-a-big-difference/

Start the year off with lots of inquiry thinking...

Some very interesting points are made here by Australian inquiry 'guru' Kath Murdoch and have certainly got me thinking (again!) about how to incorporate more inquiry thinking across all curriculum areas...

http://www.kathmurdoch.com.au/blog/2017/1/24/establishing-a-culture-of-inquiry-through-inquiry

Modern Learning Example: School 21 (UK)

School 21

An English multi-level school "Elevating Student Voice: Combining Wellbeing, Speaking Skills, and Project-Based Learning

Problem-based Learning - 'real life' in the classroom

Very cool programme - I'm thinking about how I might be able to do the same to make my maths programme more 'real' and more effectively teach skills alongside strategies and knowledge.

http://www.theedadvocate.org/mr-johnsons-classroom-fun/

Wildlife Photo Awards

Some great nature photos can be found here - use them as oral language or writing starters!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2016/oct/18/2016-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-winners-in-pictures

This one, by Tim Laman, is my favourite!

Fictional writing motivation images

My pupils are keen to write some fictional imaginary stories so I have gathered these images for inspiration...looking to inspire discussion about mystery destinations or adventures that may be occurring or about to occur...

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

Image source

We will be focusing on (Level 3) selecting main ideas, using written language features such as direct speech as well as using a good range of descriptive language and (Level 4) writing in the third person.

I've got a couple of text models (using excerpts from actual novels or school journal stories - thanks Susan Brocker an Roald Dahl in particular!)

And our reading texts for the next few weeks will of course also be based on fictional texts so we can make reading-writing links and see how authors use those skills in their own writing. I'll link some of the pupils' work once they get underway -hopefully there will be some fantastic pieces of writing to share!

TED Talk How to Learn From Mistakes

Found embedded in this MindShift blogpost 'Ten Tips for Launching an Inquiry Based Classroom'

Back into the action for Term One 2016!!

This week's motivational quote for our blogs and our attention grabber and our Notebook Quotebooks...

Image link

I have a purchased copy of this exact poster, which will stay permanently on display on the upper wall with our school motto etc. This week the pupils will write it into their own 'Notebook Quotebooks' and I will also call out the first part of it when I want their attention (and they will show I have their attention by responding with the rest of the sentence.)

Have a great year everyone!

We need a peaceful world...

Image link

Coaching as a Leadership Tool

Yesterday I had the privilege to attend a workshop with educational consultant Trudy Francis, looking into the tool of coaching within a school context.

It was very useful, especially with my current roles of Associate Teacher for a third-year trainee, Literacy Lead Teacher running an Accelerating Literacy Learners programme, and a Deputy Principal overseeing an Effective Teaching Team.

I used the handout booklet Trudy gave us to record my notes, but here are my comments from my course report to the BOT:

Course Title: Coaching Leadership and Relationships – from skilful teacher to skilful coach

Course Leader: Trudy Francis  (C21 Learning consultant)  

Date: Wed 22^nd July 2015          Location: Invercargill

Describe what the learning was about?

Workshop was focused on clarifying the coaching role and looking into effective methods for coaching within a school environment.

·        Coaching is about helping people succeed by developing their talents and transforming how people work together to achieve the aspirations and goals of their school community.

·        Coaching works best when the coached are empowered to make their own decisions with support, using predetermined goals for focus points.

·        Professional relationships must be built on/based on mutual trust and respect.

·        Coaches need to develop observation, listening and questioning skills – discussions with the ‘coachee’ involve active listening and exploratory questionning.

·        The GROW process aids the discussions between coach and coachee by ensuring the talking is focussed on the Goals, the current Reality, the Options available, and then What will happen next and When will it happen.

Professionalism: Teaching and Learning

What changes with/to your teaching will you implement as a result of your new learning?

·        The GROW process can easily be applied to pupil learning conversations – helping pupils to reflect on their current learning and discuss their next steps.

·        I can also use the GROW questions when working on my planning for any subject or group of pupils.

Professionalism: Conduct and Culture.

What implications does this have for your role in our school?

·        The GROW process is very much how I have already been carrying out my observations of my trainee teacher as well as observations of Jo and Wendy for the ALL programme, so running through it yesterday was a good reinforcement that I have been on the right track and gave me ideas on how to fine-tune my method and questioning skills.

·        Coaching can easily be carried out by any staff-member – it will be a natural step up from our Tony Burkin discussions about mind-growth and reflection/inquiry into our own teaching practices. I would like to apply it to our appraisal system – personal teaching goals especially – with teachers coaching each other (not necessarily just the ETT leader or curriculum leader doing it – actually a triangulation of people was discussed eg the coachee, the coach and another neutral observer). Would make sense to try this in 2016 once staffing changes have taken place.

RESOURCES

Text: 'Coaching Leadership' by Jan Robertson, NZCER

Video:

Website: Michael Heath Consulting 

       What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?

Graphic organisers: Visible Thinking (Harvard Project Zero)

This week's THINK ABOUT IT...

This quote may be 400 years old, but it is still very applicable - Sir Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, scientist and politician...

Image source

This week's THINK ABOUT IT...

Image source

A new link or two for Just Cool!

Am adding a couple of new links to my Just Cool! page -

-this is a gorgeous little animated film about persistence:

https://vimeo.com/98919897

- and some awesome photos of children from around the world doing what children do best...playing!

http://www.boredpanda.com/happy-children-playing/

Would be great for writing prompts, social studies, discussions, photography/art....

They are all fantastic...this is one of my favourites!

Image link

Fun! (And THAT song is not to be heard...)

Mini reward cards

Some business cards that I created via the Vistaprint website (when there was a heavy discount plus free postage during the summer holidays).

These are for on-the-spot recognition of great learning and progress or effort in the classroom - pupils can take them home straight away rather than have to wait for certificates at Friday's Celebration Time.  This way, I can give out four or five each day...

...pupils can track their rewards on a class list on the wall (so I can also see who might not have had one for a while) and they can claim a prize from the box when they reach the targets of four and nine cards (the number of spaces I ruled up on the class list!)

Beginning of the year!

This year (and this week coming!) I plan to make use of these links that I have pinned on my Pinterest boards...mostly free downloads from Teachers Pay Teachers...

Link to image source

'All About Me' pupil info sheet - though I have had to twink and change the American spellings eg favorite into NZ's favourite etc - thanks Science Doodles at Teachers pay Teachers!

And some discussion points from this Hot Spot activity sheet thanks to Kristine from the Young Teacher Love blog.

We will be doing the "In Team Kahu we..." mural again, as I have a whole new team of pupils - let's set up our expectations right from the start!

'Parents' 3-2-1' question sheet - asking parents for info about their child - thanks LA Beach Teacher at TpT as well as asking them for their most appropriate contact information.

'Student Rights and Responsibilities' - gets everyone on the same page about the expectations in the classroom - thanks Angelia at TpT!

I always do What Kind of Teacher Do You Want? and so does Miss Freundlich, it works with any age-group and helps the pupils see that you are wanting to work with them as a team and will respect their opinions and needs.

And we look also at What a good pupil does, says, is and is not - here is Sarah's example.

We will build our own version of this Respect chart and also look at this How Big is My Problem chart.

I will be sharing a copy of Stephanie's poster of Glasser's What We Learn chart.

Star of the Week certificate -  I've ordered this, printed with Team Kahu in the title - thanks Creative Classrooms!

'Uh-oh!' - a note pupils can take home with any work that they need to finish because they didn't do it during their allocated class time - thanks Sally at TpT!

Attention grabbers - you call out, the pupils respond - thanks Traci at TpT! I will be adding "To infinity..." (pupils call out "and beyond!") - sound familiar??

Link to image source

When talking about our learning and skills progression, I will share this Assess Yourself Novice-Expert chart and I also love this Which Step Have You Reached Today chart posted on a Lifetime of Wisdom.

We will also be referring to this Positive Self-Talking chart as shared by Elliott Seif.

For group work and partner discussions I will have these on display, as shown here by Tanja:
Partners  and   Groups

Passion Projects as a LIteracy Programme

I've been devising a change for my literacy programme for my Year Six class - I don't know why I do this... well, actually, I DO know (it's because I am always trying to fine-tune my class programme to give the pupils the very best possible learning experiences...) but I have come up with (to quote Blackadder) "a cunning plan" to incorporate reading and writing by using the Passion Projects idea in a different way, one that will suit the way I operate...I'll try it out and see how it goes at least!

You can read my overview of intentions and term overview of topics here: click this link!

Basically, the plan is that at the start of the term I will offer up five different topics for literacy sessions - pupils will indicate which topic they are most interested in.  Guided groups will be developed from that, and I intend to incorporate relevant writing tasks alongside the reading tasks eg read an article about animal cruelty, write a letter to the SPCA commending them for their work - pupils may come up with ideas for writing as the unit progresses too (I want them to be guiding the direction of some of their tasks too...)

I need to have some aspect of control over the topics offered to the pupils as if I want to stay sane while building up the resources and lessons for four or five different groups I will need to keep certain limits on what is offered, while still giving pupils choices).  I have broken down some different topics into four terms - topics that twenty years of experience has shown are popular with pupils, while also trying to use topics that have relevant application to their world in 2015 and to have topics that will provide a good range of reading materials and writing contexts.

I have also aimed to cover a range of curriculum areas, with the topics being based on non-fictional themes, but choosing topics for which I will easily be able to find and incorporate fiction texts (ie in School Journal) that fit the theme as well, for instance in the unit about team sports we might read a narrative story about sportsmanship. I have also thought about topical events eg the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli and the Rugby World Cup.

I have thought of a range of EOTC experiences for the pupils to take part in at the end of their unit as incentives for completing a great range of tasks during the term. I have a goal to involve more parents, whanau (family) or community members as part of my class programme, so to have a couple of parents take a group of pupils for a morning fishing or to visit an exhibit at the aircraft museum, will be a good way to increase those connections.

For each unit, once I know which pupils are in that group, I will select the most relevant reading and writing learning outcomes to address, based on pupils' ability and next learning steps - these will be presented to the pupils for their comments and reflections on progress.

Wish me luck! I am off to start building up a class blog-post of online resources for each of Term One's topic units, as well as a Google Drive page for each unit (where the pupils of that group can look to find their independent task list, and I hope to also use the Google Drive for collaborated reflections and other shared tasks for each group/unit).

An absolute favourite prompt - Frosty Man and the BMX Kid

This video, promoting the beauty of New Zealand's scenery (and the have-fun nature of the general Kiwi population), is a favourite prompt of mine - it lends itself to all manner of writing ideas...

today we are using it as we plan our own movies for possible entry in the Great Southern Media Mash 5-day Movie Challenge; the pupils needed to see how a message can be shared via the medium of a made up story...