I consulted with my class at the end last year about how the year had gone? What did they like, what did they dislike, and If they would change anything, what would it be?
one overwhelming thing that came forward was the desire to learn more Science. The year fives who were moving up to Room 4 also asked if it could be done when they will be in my room. This happens when MOTEC is on for the Year 7&8s. The class enjoyed the little research I had allowed them to do and wanted to do more. They wanted to range of things we learned to increase and to do more art...
New Year's Resolutions are all the rage at the beginning of the year and no less so as a teacher of a class of young people. We always look at what we do and deliberate over how we can do what we do better. We are of nature never satisfied with what we have done in the past and dream of the effect we will have on our next group of student's progress and desire to continue learning.
One thing I heard over the holidays which I thought was memorable was about new year's resolutions. The person said that most resolutions are wishes. Willpower is enough to get you started, but you need to form habits to continue and to make real change.
In my class this year, I want to change. I want to do better then last year. I want my students to learn more about God's wonderful creation and about how amazingly they have been made. I want them to marvel more at God's power, majesty, and creativeness. I want them to know individually how much God loves them and that they can have a personal relationship with him.
Over the last couple of years, I have made a priority of Bible reading and prayer and encouraged the learning of memory verses that I have chosen to help them. This has gone well and the students have begun to understand God's Word in a deeper way and I want to continue this and go a step further.
This Year
The way to make habits in a classroom is to change the class programme and intentionally give time for subjects that need including and to change the way some things are taught to accomplish the best results.
What I plan to change or include:
- Teach Math in groups so I know each student has the foundations necessary and include Maths Buddy as a secondary teaching tool.
- Teach Science as a subject to increase the student's wonder and knowledge of God and the world around them.
- Teach Geography as a subject so the students are more aware of the greater world and people groups around them and give them the skills to read and interpret maps.
- Programme time for students to research topics of their choice and interest giving them skills to research, skills to become discerning about what they read, and the desire to continue learning wherever they are.
- Allow time for students to record what they have learned and develop the oral skills and confidence to report back to the class in an interesting manner what they have learned. This will, in turn, allow the further use of digital skills in the form of Powerpoint presentations movies, etc.
Have I bitten off more than I can chew?
Time will tell!
To have Student Agency, the students need to be confident in the basics, excited and enthused about their learning and realise that the more they learn, the more they have to learn. If I can be the spark in this, I will have done my job.
I will report back on each change and reflect on how each is going.
Learning focused culture
- Providing opportunities for ākonga engagement in co-operative learning, and reciprocal teaching.
- Adapting lessons to ensure they address ākonga needs and interests as they arise.
- Helping ākonga appreciate the value or importance of what they are learning.
- Providing opportunities for co-operative learning, peer tutoring, reciprocal teaching and inquiry learning to occur.
- Undertaking a detailed evaluation of learning programmes and their impact on all ākonga, that takes into account ākonga feedback.
