TBCS - Routines- Judy-Anne

Sometimes it is easy to take for granted all the great things our children do. It was awesome to arrive in class after break today to find all the children doing their readiing- either reading books or on Lexia. The part that was funniest to me is that on Friday we normally head to the library after break and don't do reading the normal way at all!  Sometimes it is extremely hard to change their routines.

The children have routines, but also choice within those routines (eg could be reading, Lexia, reading games, listening to stories on the ipad)








Next steps:

Continue with strong routines and regular communication about changes to routines.

TBCS - New student - Judy-Anne

There is a new entrant in Room 1 and at the beginning he settled into class extremely well and was great with listening and following instructions.
I feel now as though the honeymoon period is over and don’t feel I am doing very well with him.
I have been thinking about what to do about him and came up with some ideas while I was at Sally Clendon’s Literacy course.

Reflections:
It is quite difficult with one child starting in class by themselves. There is nobody else his age and they are all little and not always great at including new people. (egocentric)

Next steps:
.Find out his interests a bit more - things were a bit different with his transition so this wasn't really done as well as usual. We do know that he likes blocks!
. Let him play with the blocks outside so it doesn’t matter so much if he wants to knock them down while others are working
. Get a better supply of books just for him
. Print some books from Tar Heel reader for him
. Let him play more
. Make sure the others are including him
. Set up activities so that it is a good thing to be teamed up with him

The funniest thing about this is that on the first day back after the course I organised for this child to use one of the magnetic mazes for handwriting, not expecting him to do his handwriting in his book- but he used his book and handed it in like everyone else.
I had got him a big pile of library books, and made some sheets for him to practise writing his name and make his name with plasticine, pipe cleaners and magnetic letters. He sat at the table, read a book, put it in a pile of books he had read, then read another and another. He stayed at his desk rather than wandering the classroom as he had been doing.  He did a fantastic job of tracing his name- even other children couldn't believe how neatly he had written.
He had other children asking if they could come and read some of his books and use his plasticine too.
He sat beautifully when I called him over for memory verse testing and informed me that he had been tricking me when he was wandering around and bothering others in the class.

I told the class that I was so pleased with him that they could all have some free time. They were very pleased with him and he asked if he could go back and do his work, so went back to reading books. He did eventually change this to making a huge block tower.

I gave him a certificate for his fantastic work.

Day 2 and he is still working really well and very keen to be doing his work.

We haven't even got onto trying some of the items on my list yet!

• Involvement in appropriate PLD.
• Discussing my practice with colleagues and being open to new ideas.

• Personalising learning and making it meaningful for individual ākonga.
• Engaging appropriately with ākonga so they know their perspectives are listened to and considered.

• Engagement with subject associations, PLCs, local experts and community organisations.
• Identification of next steps and goals for ākonga.

TBCS - Assessment- Judy-Anne

And so it begins. So much has been going on that it hardly feels we have started teaching and it’s time for assessments. Some very pleasing results so far and some very excited children because they will be heading to Room 3 for their reading group.


Jan has confirmed that Reuben and Wilbur will both get some regular one to one time with an RTLit.

Lots more work required on basic facts in maths and addition strategies.

Some good work on simple sentence writing, although the difficulty does still seem to be capital letters and full stops  - they know, but just forget to put them in!

Term 2’s focus will be compound sentences.

Reflection:
I always find that I am behind as soon as school has started and that assessments come around too soon. There must be a way to start the year better. Or maybe things are starting perfectly well and I just expect too much too soon.

Next steps:
Check into other ways of starting the year
Remember to use the data to develop new goals, co-constructed / shared with the children and their families
Remember to note what children are finding easy / difficult and adapt the learning programme to suit

• Ascertaining and evaluating prior knowledge.
• Using assessment data to build my understanding of the relationship between my practice and outcomes of learning, achievement and wellbeing of ākonga.
• Gathering ongoing ākonga feedback on what aspects of their learning ākonga are finding challenging and using this information to adapt programmes and teaching to better meet individual needs.
• Using assessment data to co-construct goals and next steps with ākonga and whānau.

TBCS - Learning Through Play - My Why - Judy-Anne

Donna- Marie came in the other day, really to talk about Learner Support with me but I got side tracked- unusual!
She asked if I would be able to, can't even think of the word, but elucidate will do, my Why for Play Based Learning.
She helped me realise that I have read a lot and have lots of ideas floating but I haven't tried to pull them all together in a clear, logical fashion.

I do know that I am more in agreement with the idea of child directed free play than more teacher directed set ups and provocations. I am also trying to work out how we can be more involved with outside play and nature.

Next steps:

Sit down with my readings and brain storm my Why?

Brain storm more Hows.

Attend Nathan Mikaere- Wallace's next talk in Nelson- April 10?

Current sources are:
Longworth Education
Tara O'Neill and Learning through Play face book page
Leslee Allen and Number Agents face book page
Nathan Mikaere -Wallis, Brain Wave Trust

Standard 4 - Learning Focused Culture

• Discussing my practice with colleagues and being open to new ideas.
• Promotion of positive and appropriate relationships with and between ākonga.

TBCS - The Chemistry of Learning- Student Agency - Judy-Anne

https://www.tabithaleonard.com/journal/2018/8/18/deepen-teacher-inquiry-series-part-24-52db4-fm2wh-3c62e-zga39-2m9y9-yw4h6-h524y-hrken-36geb-r7ggh-7xe6b-9yba8

TBCS - PRT Programme - Judy-Anne

I finally got around to sorting through the Provisionally Registered teachers paperwork we had at school. Managed to get it down from one box to 2 folders, plus one folder of an outline from the Education Council to check. I discovered that lots of the good stuff which was in the TBCS folder was actually from templates from the Education Council. Good thinking not to reinvent the wheel Lyn! 

It was great being able to throw out lots of bits of paper- including multiple copies of the now out of date registered teacher criteria. It also means I now have manageable amounts of information to follow, access and store. Although the mentoring process is not supposed to be a 'tick the box' process it does give me  some good guidelines. 

Now Margaret and I just need to sort out a process for recording our meetings and communications. 

My plan is to observe her this afternoon with a focus on Behaviour Management. 

It's funny how everyone is concerned about their behaviour management!

TBCS - 2019 Planning - Judy-Anne

Following on from play centre training when my children were young and the readings, research and observations I have undertaken recently I know I want to focus on learning  through play. My question all year has been how to do that well in a single teacher classroom.

I have now discovered Number agents for maths - using drama and play for maths learning so will read that ASAP to get help with maths ideas.

We have discussed what to do about iPads in the class as they are due to be updated. We are debating whether to just have about 4 available for a group or maybe start the year without devices and then either earn the right to use one, have everyone start on devices in term 3 or leave devices until their second year at school.

Easy enough to use The Daily 5 for reading and writing.

Possible Big idea for 2019 could be related to The World, giving us the ability to study different cultures. Tonga would be a good start as Tim is Tongan, also Australia as Louise and Keith lived there and France as Sarah lived there. Lots of art opportunities there! Could also look at places where different stories in The Bible took place. Lots of options.

Having wandered down to the area where we planted natives when I first arrived at Tasbay I think we should do some weeding in there and then use the area. It would be a great place for huts and reading for instance. Eli loves reading so I can see him enjoying that. He has been enjoying the animal encyclopaedias I recently put back in the classroom. I wonder if he would like to look for bugs too - William certainly would.
Apparently Karaitiana doesn't-need to check with him on Monday if that is why he didn't help weed, he didn't want to feed the eels either.

Start PMP term 1. It has been suggested that we purchase a container, insulate and power it and make it our library. Hopefully we can use the library for PMP next year.

Wonderings?

How does the idea of less devices or starting with devices later fit with the work we have been doing with Rob and Learning Architects?

How do I set up enough provocations or react to children’s interests in a timely fashion without burning myself out completely?

TBCS - Outdoor Play - Judy-Anne

https://outdoorclassroomday.org.uk/

There was a post on The NZ Teachers Facebook page on Tuesday about Outdoor Classroom Day, set for Thursday November 1. Craig and I had discussed spending time working with the two classes together as he has the year 6s while the seniors are on their tramp. We were thinking of doing some follow up watercolour sessions following our visit to the Sutter Art Gallery.

With the information about increasing well being by being outside and with my increasing focus on learning through play we decided to make plans to participate in Outdoor Classroom Day.

Checking the weather suggested Wednesday was our better option to be outside so we planned a walk down to the Domain. We spent time on the playground, had a look at the area where we helped with planting by the waterways a few years ago, made lots of noise through the underpass and got extremely muddy in the estuary. 

On Thursday we spent most of the afternoon outside. Children played on the playground, made a shelter around a iconic table with boxes, made blanket forts all round the playground and tried the new outdoor games I got from a Bed, Bath and Beyond sale. ( skittles, pick up sticks and badminton, with the croquet saved for another day)

It was great to see them running the games for themselves, generally problem solving for themselves and just generally getting on with entertaining themselves. One group of the older boys spent quite a bit of time relaxing on a blanket on the spinner and many of the younger children were down the field playing all sorts of running round and make believe games. 

Laila and I checked out the native planting area and think it will be good for box huts and reading once we have done some weeding. The weeds are easy to pull out at present.

We will be printing cerficates for room 1 and 3, the year 6s and Trent from the Outdoor Classroom Day website and Project Dirt.

Next steps:

Weed the native area

Weed the garden

Plant more

Plan Outdoor Classroom day for May 23 2019, possibly asking local ECE centres to join us

Try croquet

Get good storage containers for the new games, print and laminate instructions for the games

TBCS - Play Ideas - Judy-Anne

https://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/learning-tools-and-resources/play-ideas/

TBCS - Play IS Learning - Judy-Anne

Play is learning

TBCS - Outdoor Classroom Day - Judy-Anne

Outdoor classroom

TBCS - Science Hub - Judy-Anne

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/

TBCS - Camping Ideas - Judy-Anne

100 themes

50 activities

Ultimate Camo Resource

• Undertaking PLD and further professional reading.

TBCS - Anzac rocks - Judy-Anne

We painted rocks for Anzac Day then hid them over near Jester House on the walkway. We read some books about the war and discussed it a little too. Most children had something to share about members of their family who had been in one of the wars. 

We also tied this in with a pyjama day so wore our PJs across the road and even happened to come across a couple pruning trees with a very long handled tool. Love those unplanned things we can happen to be part of sometimes.

TBCS - Tasting - Judy-Anne

I have had tasting and / or cooking sessions in my classes for quite a few years now. Generally I find they will try all sorts of things when everybody else in the class is and when there is no expectation that they have to like it, or eat lots of it. We try a small piece and if we don't like it there is a bin. This class have been the least keen to try new things that I have had so far but maybe they like savoury things more than sweet. Most of them were really keen on the fresh beans from our wee garden. We will update our list again for next term and see what else they would like to try.

Banana and choc chip muffins

Naan bread

Naan bread

Quince jelly- a particular favourite every time. 

Toad in the hole

Shared breakfast

Black boy peaches

Persimmon

Baked apples

TBCS - Life Education with Harold - Judy-Anne

Mental health, resilience, conflict resolution are all things we seem to need lots of work on. Ingrid and Harold always have lots of good lessons and lots of good quotes and tools to use. 

When someone is upsetting you, use your WITS

And BLOW it away

Little problems- we can work them out ourselves

Big problems are ones we need help with

TBCS - Design for Learning - Standard 5 - Judy-Anne

• Gathering ongoing ākonga feedback on what aspects of their learning ākonga are finding challenging and using this information to adapt programmes and teaching to better meet individual needs.
  

TBCS - Teacher Inquiry - Teaching Standards - Judy-Anne

I am interested in learning more about Play Based Learning and how I can do that well in  a single cell, single teacher classroom.
We have lots of resources available and lots of places to look for help. I recently attended a New Entrant Hui on this topic, and visited a number of preschools and schools last year looking at this issue. They were all multi teacher situations though.

Action Plan:
. Research Learning through Play
.Revisit readings from previous trainings and visits.
. Store all that paperwork in a central place on Google drive
. Consider class environment- what needs changing or purchasing?


.

TBCS - PLD - Play Based Learning - Judy-Anne

Play based learning at Kaimai School

New Entrant Teachers in the area had a meeting to discuss Play Based Learning this afternoon.
This was one of the people worth watching.

I will add my notes from the session  and a link to Nathan Mikaeer Wallis- what 3-7 year olds need to know too.

Reflection - Judy-Anne - Time management

As the term ticks by I once again feel I am getting further behind. Am I doing something wrong in terms of prioritising my work or are the expectations too high? Maybe it is a mixture of both. It definitely does become the tyranny of the urgent! How much paperwork is necessary- do I need to put info about reading only in the reading plans for instance or should it go in the planner as well? Can I use Teacher Aide support more effectively?

Action plan:
 Trial having planner open on desk each day and write notes directly in. This might also help me note changes to the timetable! Because we have such a routine I don't tend to note the changes on paper, just in my head.


Action plan:
Use release days to prioritise setting up systems which take time to organise but will save me time once they are set up! eg ensure Andrea and Mel can access learner support information and their reports can be filed there and our discussions can be more effective, get IEPs set up in conjunction with learner support register and set reminders for when these need updating. Does the calendar need another colour for Learner Support stuff?

We had a fantastic preschool playdate on Friday with Oasis Motueka. They were a great bunch of children and teachers/ parents and coped really well in the school environment. One girl even climbed our fort even though she has never played on the smaller one at preschool. Her teacher was delighted.
This afternoon we worked on an abstract self portrait following videoed instructions. I joined in with the children doing my designing and colouring at the same time.
Both of these things helped to remind me that sometimes it is more important for us to stop, join in and talk than it is to be constantly teaching the next thing. The taking time bit is when our relationships are strengthened and we find all sorts of odd things out about our families.

It is also very Biblical to rest and to develop relationships.

Action step:
Join in with the kids play. Encourage their play. Continue to look into play based learning- what can we do more effectively?