Margaret- Deliberate Acts of Teaching - Writing

Writing in Room 4

Link to Standards

Design for Learning 

Design learning based on curriculum and pedagogical knowledge,
assessment information and an understanding of each learner’s strengths,
interests, needs, identities, languages and cultures.

Elaboration

• Select teaching approaches, resources, and learning and assessment activities based on a thorough knowledge of curriculum content, pedagogy, progressions in learning and the learners. 

Harness the rich capital that learners bring by providing culturally responsive and engaging contexts for learners.

One of our targets is to lift the achievement in Year 8 Writing.  As part of our strategy to do this, we are again running the ALL program with a small number of students in Room 4.  Alongside this, we also aim for daily journal writing where students choose to write about whatever they are interested in without worrying about spelling, punctuations, etc.  The aim is to have students choose at least 2 pieces of writing from their journal each term to edit and publish with support from the teacher.

The context for learning: Learning how to summarise using newspaper articles in preparation for writing our own articles related to our Japan topic.

Wednesday 12 February 2020
Mel/ALL group:  Mel took a group of 4 out including our Year 8 student to discuss the activity of reading the news article/highlighting main words in each paragraph and then summarising orally.
Back as a whole class we then read through the article altogether.  We highlighted the main words in the first two paragraphs together as a class.  The class was then asked to read through the next paragraphs in their groups and record the words. Mel worked with the ALL group for 10 minutes while I worked with others needing support.  When Mel left we moved that needed support together and read through paragraphs one at a time.  Students had to come up with 20 words to summarise the article. We finished by going around the groups sharing what we thought the article was about.

What worked well?  The ALL students showed a good understanding of what was expected with some needing support to stay on task. 2 manages to do this independently 3 still needing support.

Next Steps:  We will do another article next time again scaffolded before letting students complete independently.  More time to discuss unknown words to develop comprehension.  Review who needs to be in the group as 2  seemed very capable but will try them out on a few different activities first.

Wednesday 26 February 2020
After looking at who actually needs to go out with Mel we chose our 4 who need that extra support.  Today we began our Get NZ writing topic which was writing a poem of our naughtiest moment.  The discussion time with Mel beforehand meant that the group came in ready to start immediately after our introduction.  They had their idea.  I did get them to write out the questions to answer which took a lot longer than I had hoped so perhaps for this group have the questions printed up to simply answer.  Some had lots to say verbally but did not get much written down.  Could we record their ideas for some of them and they write out the final copy just to get ideas started.

Links to Standards

• How am I planning my learning programmes and selecting appropriate teaching strategies to best meet the needs of my ākonga?  I think about what skills are needed for the end product eg a newspaper report advertisiing Japan and structure each lesson around this skill unitl they can do this independently
• How can I improve my pedagogical content knowledge in areas where my ākonga struggle to master new skills or knowledge?
• How can my knowledge of human development, especially cognitive and social development, inform my planning and teaching?
• Do I effectively analyse and use assessment data to inform my teaching and planning?
• Do my own and the school’s systems generate the formal and informal assessment information that I need to plan for and effectively support my ākonga? 
• How can I use the schoolwide assessment data effectively to inform my practice?
• What other formal and informal sources of data could I be using?
• How do I know that my ākonga are progressing?

Margaret PLD 2019

Professional Development Undertaken 2019

January - Beginner Teacher/Mentor Course

First Aid Course

PD with Rob - using IT in the class, strength finders

June/July - NZ Christian Schools Teachers Conference in Tauranga

August - Beginner Teachers Writing Workshop
     

TBCS - Margaret - Conference - Building Relationships that Thrive

Josh McDowell Power Point 

Website 

Josh McDowell –

Personal Notes from Course

Displine is worthless without relationship

Truth is worthless without relationship

Discipline without relationship leads to rebellion

Affirmation – affirm their feelings

Rejoice with those who rejoice.  Weep with those who weep Romans 12:15

Share in their sorrow, rejoice in their happiness

(Blame, suck it up, quote scripture) identify in their hurt

Finding out what is wrong – what are you feeling.  Feeling questions not thinking questions

Share in your kids sorrow and happiness

Acceptance

Romans 15:7 Therefore accept each other just as Christ accepted you so that God will be given glory

Your child will rise to the level of your opinion of them.

Appreciation

Give them a sense of significance – done or said something worthwhile

Matthew 3:7  This is my son and Im well pleased in him

The sweetest sound is praise – XENOPHON

Availability

A sense of importance

TIME  Matthew 19:14  But Jesus said “Let the children come to me

Spend time with your kids otherwise they wont come home

Affection

Give them a sense of them a sense of their lovability

John 15:12 Love each other as I have loved you

Verbally, express appropriate physical affection

Approach

Sense of connection – connect with what what they are interested in

Give them a sense of What Im interested in Mum is interested in

Accountability

Responsibility  give limits and boundaries (with relationship) without leads to rebellion

Wifi protection

So the next generation will know - book

TBCS - Margaret-Conference - Improving Religion in Class

Intentional Chart 

Septic Religion – Shaun Brooker

Notes from Course

Sean Brooker Website 

Worldview chart – use this with students

What does the Bible Say?

What do others say?

What do I believe?

We think by osmosis they are going to get it.  We need to be more intentional

Intentional sheet

Christians(students) who have walked away – you shalt not rather than proclaiming life – relate to our students.  How they deal with mercy and grace and justice

Rules – we don’t do this at a Christian school – not an understanding of the rules but understanding of a relationship – he has promises for us

Discpiline/disciple – how does it help them with their walk with the lord and represent him well.

Prayer – daily, set words you should pray, not based on reality.

Laying hands – praying for each other

Risk – what do we not want it to turn into – a wishing well, repetitive prayers, meaningless prayer

What is the intention – worship – why?  Time to reflect on the words/verse

Verse of the week – before prayer – each contemplate what it means

Worship - Student led/inspired – assembly leaders to talk about the words before playing the song (like a worship leader at church)

Verses – themed/or based on what are the key verses you want kids to know when they leave.

Seans – memorisation plan on website – how so we make it relevant for what they are going through tomorrow.