TBCS - Developing resilience - Judy-Anne

https://www.magic.co.nz/home/archivedtalk/on-demand/the-am-show/2018/11/doctor-reveals-how-to-improve-emotional-intelligence--resilience.html

Connections
Individual responsibility and commitment
Accountability
Emotional fitness- can be developed, but need to be proactive about it
Stress is not an inherently bad thing- its an indicator that you are doing something meaningful

Remember its not the person who is 'bad', but the action. We want people to feel guilt but not shame
People need positive experiences with others without being judged

What is the prestige economy of my children's friends eg sports, toughness
The goal is not to be good at emotional management, the goal is to get better
We are not always happy and emotionally in control

First steps
Get confident by trying stuff
Courage is like a muscle- you need to use it to develop it

Reflections:
Wish I had known some of this years ago. Might have done things differently.

Next steps:
Ensure I am teaching the children about emotions
Promote a positive prestige economy eg sports, kindness, compassion

• Undertaking PLD and further professional reading.

TBCS _ Early Academic Training Produces long Term Harm - Judy-Anne

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/freedom-learn/201505/early-academic-training-produces-long-term-harm

Studies have demonstrated an initial gain in academics with early direct instruction, however this tends to disappear by grade 4.
More concerning is the effect on emotional and social aspects though. With a long term study showing the 23 year olds who were in the direct instruction (rather than play based) group had more instances of friction with other people, were more likely to have shown evidence of emotional impairment, were less likely to be married and living with their spouse, and were far more likely to have committed a crime than were those in the other two groups.  In fact, by age 23, 39% of those in the Direct Instruction group had felony arrest records compared to an average of 13.5% in the other two groups; and 19% of the Direct Instruction group had been cited for assault with a dangerous weapon compared with 0% in the other two groups.[4]

He puts it much better than I do by stating that;
One possibility is that the initial school experience sets the stage for later behavior.  Those in classrooms where they learned to plan their own activities, to play with others, and to negotiate differences may have developed lifelong patterns of personal responsibility and pro-social behavior that served them well throughout their childhood and early adulthood.  

Reflection:
Rather scary to think of the long term effects. We are seeing lots of behaviours and attitudes in society that make it necessary for us to teach emotional and social skills at school though.
What would  this look like on a school leaver profile, key competencies, values??

Next steps:
Be very mindful and explicit of the questions/ comments I make
Encourage negotiation skills, personal responsibility, pro social behaviour

• Undertaking PLD and further professional reading.

TBCS - Number Agents Reading Discoveries - Judy-Anne

http://numberagents.blogspot.com/2018/12/reading-my-discoveries-this-year.html

Reflections:
Wow. One to one reading with each child each week.

Next steps:
So much to do with this
Print Literacy Development poster
Look into de codeable texts
Re -read the article
Re think reading planning
Read a chapter book to the class, rather than picture books. Maybe Enid Blyton as some are reading her at home already.
Try one to one method rather than reading groups for Laila and Violet to begin with.

• Undertaking PLD and further professional reading.

• Understanding and using a range of innovative, co-operative and inquiry learning approaches
• Providing opportunities for ākonga engagement in co-operative learning, and reciprocal teaching. 

• Planning with ākonga input.
• Structuring learning tasks so that all ākonga experience a degree of success, but also ensuring that they are required to stretch themselves to fully succeed.

• Monitoring of ākonga learning during the implementation of a programme of learning, so that the programme can be adapted where needed to better achieve desired outcomes for ākonga.
• Use of inquiry to inform planning and teaching.
• Checking to see if planning and delivery of programme is tailored to the strengths, needs and interests of ākonga.
• Using appropriate pedagogies to accelerate progress of ākonga who are achieving below national expectations.

TBCS - Five Proven Benefits of Play - Judy-Anne

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52136/five-proven-benefits-of-play

The authors of the article are asking doctors to prescribe play for kids.

The five benefits
1. Healthy brain development
2. Reduces obesity and associated diseases, particularly if children are running, jumping and climbing
3. Helps children manage stress
4. Helps families bond
5. Contributes to academic skills, in particular language development and general knowledge

Play is intrinsically motivated

Reflections:

I find it so much better when children are instrinsically motivated and just just looking for the next sticker or reward!
I have found the language that occurs as play is happening can be quite amazing and it is good to add the right comment or question too sometimes.

Next steps:
I need to get more outdoor play happening. I have been reluctant to let the children outside too much without an adult but need to find a way. Maybe we all go outside , or maybe we have a class helper, or I check regularly or....

• Undertaking PLD and further professional reading.

TBCS - The Importance of Outdoor Play - Judy-Anne

https://www.naturalresources.wales/about-us/news-and-events/blog/why-it-s-important-to-learn-and-play-outdoors/?lang=en&fbclid=IwAR2mguqmZm2V0MpItKRH7EibGhXJlg5U41gZwvXJc5l5b2W2po_7a53Kdwc

Reflections:
What is our / my level of connection?
1. Being in nature
2. Connecting with nature - developing a relationship
3. Gaining knowledge of natural processes and systems
4. Developing understanding- what impact do we have?
5. Taking a personal position
6. Influencing others

Nana used to have a very strong connection with nature and would have been well up on the scale. I have a need to garden but don't feel the need to be 'out in nature' as strongly.
It would be good to do so more though- whether for reasons of physical fitness, weight or stress reduction!

In many ways this actually fits in well with knowing more about Maori culture too. There was a very strong connection to the land and obviously a huge knowledge of what and when to plant, harvest, fish, use for medicines etc.



Next steps:
Download and print poster
Work on developing school garden
Outdoor play opportunities are...?
Re visit Wales!
Outdoor classroom days each year
Camp week has been requested- first one for 2019 has been planned now!
Get out in nature more myself- Jimmy Lee Creek walk this weekend?

• Undertaking PLD and further professional reading.

TBCS - My Why - Judy-Anne

Lately the question of 'Why' seems to be being raised a bit for me. Donna Marie asked if I could explain my 'why' for play based learning and I feel that the question of 'why teach' was asked at the mentors course on Tuesday. It may not have been the tutor asking it but I am fairly sure it came up.

I'm not sure what my why was when I started in education now. I know it has been a long journey to get to where I am now - turning down kindergarten training due to poor timing, incomplete secondary training and  two playcentre papers before being told 'you should be doing this' when I was helping in one of my sons junior classrooms.

My diploma was completed part time, by distance and then I upgraded to the degree. My third placement was horrendous (found out later that my associate teacher had a reputation for that) so goodness knows why I kept going. my final placement was fabulous though and I started a number of children to school, was trul;y seenas the teacher of the class and had lovely feedback from management.

After about 6 months I  got a permanent position in a year 7-8 class in Murchison. The photo of the class looked terrifying, but it turned out that they had had a really rough year and once they realised I was going to stay we had a great time together. It was  great to learn that they loved the same sorts of games as the little kids because they were really just little kids in bigger bodies. My favourite moment is still when I saw one of the girls at the shops over the weekends and she was horrified - she truly didn't realise that I had a life outside school!

A few years later I heard via an associate teacher that one of the girls had particularly appreciated that I understood what her interests and passions for (they were not what mum wanted so it had caused problems, both for her and for me as mum was not happy with me.) It was tough as a first time teacher having a parent upset with me so I was pleased that I had done the right thing for the child in this instance.  Sometimes that is my why.

Since coming to TBCS I have realised that I am not necessarily there to be a reading, writing and maths teacher. Sure that is part of it but often what has kept me teaching is that there is a family (and it may only be one) who has a need of me for something else. One I could relate to because of family difficulties I had been through that they were struggling with too, one was a boy who seemed to keep it together better when I was around, I was a mother figure for him.
There have been a couple of families pleased to have their child in my class for longer than they had originally expected (due to changing year levels being taught) because it gives them more time to develop their confidence.

All of this is just a long winded way of me saying that my why is bigger than academics.
I want children to be able to leave our room and our school with  the confidence to give anything a go and to know that mistakes are a learning opportunity, not a failure.

TBCS - Appraisal Myths Reading - Judy-Anne

I found a pod cast involving the Teaching Council and ERO.
As far as I can gather the council wants appraisals to be about growth and development rather than compliance or accountability.
They note that there is a shared responsibility to meet the legal requirements of appraisals.  The council needs to ensure that the issue and renewal of practising certificates is based on  an appraisal of a consistent and reasonable standard, boards and professional leaders must ensure there is an effective appraisal process at their place and teachers and other leaders with practising certificates must participate in the process.

Appraisal should be a chance for teachers to reflect on their practice and think deeply about the relationship between what they do and the outcomes for their learners ( well being as well as achievement), their colleagues and the Standard

 3 prongs
How does what I do impact on others?
How does it fit the Standards?
How can the Standards support me to work more effectively ?

So there is an evidence component but also a conversation component

It should be collaborative
How does the appraisal support teaching and learning across the school?

The council sees evidence in two ways
The teacher needs evidence that they have participated in a system eg observations, notes from conversations, evidence of a process
Relates to the Quality Practice Template and the Standards, evidence may be in it’s naturally occurring place, eg planning
Then could be conversations around your goals, an example of important practice and learning for you or could be focused on inquiry.
Check Evidence: Putting together a folder or portfolio

How are you using the information or evidence to improve your teaching

ERO is looking for alignment - a clear line of sight between what it is, what’s happening and what’s trying to be achieved and what the outcome of that is.
I’m assuming this means that we are actually doing what we say we are doing.

Evidence could be:
Notes from student voice
Planning
Examples of practice
Learnings from students
Piece of policy that helped you decide on that approach
Research

Feedback on observations
Readings
Notes from conversations with mentor
Evidence to show how students were engaged
What learning was like
What achievement was like

Ie evidence to help you understand the relationship between your teaching, the outcomes for learners and the Standards

Curate evidence in a way that is readily accessible, but also be able to articulate where the links are and how they’re made


Reflections:
There is no one right way to do appraisals.
We don't need tons of evidence- more of higher quality is better
Appraisal should improve my practice

There is a further reading about appraisal which I have also added to the blog. Appraisals are obviously a current issue

Next steps
I would like to get my Play based learning information sorted to properly develop my 'why' as well as improve my 'how,' as an inquiry for appraisal
continue to link blog to appraisal document

• Engagement with school management systems and appraisal documentation/practices that lead to regular goal setting and review.
• Professional learning and development that aligns with the goals or next steps identified in the appraisal process and renewal of my practising certificate.
• Professional leader and colleague appraisal conversations that inform decisions around PLD needs.

TBCS - Appraisal Tools Reading - Judy-Anne

Appraisal tools giving teachers autonomy


Reflections:
There needs to be an environment of trust so there can be a give and take of  authentic feedback and a robust discussion
Teachers should set individual evidence based goals or inquiries that will improve their practice the most and therefore improve learner outcomes the most
Better to have evidence of practice changing reflections
Appraisal should be a vehicle for school change and improvement
Appraisal should demonstrate a journey of growth and development


Next Steps:
Consider carefully- what practices have I changed?
Remember to record these things- I tend to change things and then move on

• Engagement with school management systems and appraisal documentation/practices that lead to regular goal setting and review.
• Professional learning and development that aligns with the goals or next steps identified in the appraisal process and renewal of my practising certificate.
• Professional leader and colleague appraisal conversations that inform decisions around PLD needs.

TBCS -All Strategy - Margaret-Steve - 5 June 2019

Using the ALL strategy in the classroom to improve writing outcomes for struggling writers

 https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Inclusive-education/SuccessForAllEnglish.pdf


Myself and Steve have begun using this process in class with the support of Mel.  We send the group out for 'pre loading' so when they come back to class they are pre prepared or primed to begin the task.  So far it has been a positive response from the students as they seem very keen to go out with Mel and are excited when they know the 'answers' or can contribute to the discussion.  This is especially important for those who dont listen so well as they get that repetition so they are clear on what the task is.

Reflection
Though positive experience it is very hard to keep this time consistent and we need to make sure we know exactly what Mel is prepping them with before hand.  It is too soon to tell how it is making a difference to their writing - we will know this when we test but the overall attitude and quantity of their writing is definately obvious.

Next Steps:  Get research from Steve and Mel on this as they attended the course.  Continue conferencing with all students one on one to check and help edit.  This has been working well as I can give them immediate feedback from them either sharing their work with me or have them sitting beside me and going through it together.  Brainstorming together - writing those ideas down for some of the students just to get them started.  Finding when they have free choice what to write they are more engaged also like in Room 1 though they still need help structuring and making sense.

Links to Standards

• Strategies used
• Structuring learning tasks so that all ākonga experience a degree of success, but also ensuring that they are required to stretch themselves to fully succeed.
• Providing constructive feedback and useful feedforward information.
• Helping ākonga to effectively set goals and self-assess