TBCS - Alone - Judy-Anne

Couldn't have said it better so won't even try to! Suffice to say that I need some 'alone' time - things are getting overwhelming in my life and I need time to just stop and rest.

Alone By Bret Lamsma, Sunday, July 1, 2018 12:00 AM Scripture Reading: Mark 1:9-15 The Spirit sent Jesus out into the wilderness. . . . Mark 1:12 I’m kind of an introvert by nature, so my friends know that I like to spend time alone. Don’t get me wrong—I like spending time with people too. But there is something about being alone that energizes me. My drive to church is about 25 minutes, and that’s an important part of my day. Along the way I can spend time alone preparing for my workday ahead, and on the way home I can spend time preparing to be a dad and husband. Jesus often spent time alone. At the very start of his ministry, he spent 40 days alone in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan. What did he do in all that time? He no doubt spent a lot of it praying, fasting, and being energized for his mission by his Father in heaven. This was a vitally important time for Jesus’ preparation to do the work he had come to do. Likewise, we need time alone with God. When we are alone with God, spending time talking to him and listening for direction through his Word, we are being prepared for our mission here on earth. Our faith is formed as we seek God’s guidance and wisdom. But in the busyness of life often the first thing we skip is time with God. Schedules get in the way, and time passes. We’d like to spend more time with God, but we can’t seem to fit it in. Here is your challenge for today: find some time to be alone with God as he prepares you for his mission in your life. Father, help us to find time alone with you today. Prepare us for the mission you have for us, and form our faith in amazing ways. In Jesus, Amen. .

Sharing PLD knowledge, relevant readings and research with colleagues.

TBCS - Craig - Marae Hosting

On the 8th September 2017 the school was asked to host the Nelson Christian Academy who were visiting the Marae.
Matua Shawn had been teaching Kapa Haka at school and the students had several waiata ready.

Those of us who had not been to the Marae were welcomed when we arrived. We bought some kai with us for a shared time of food and songs.
We were told what was expected from us and then we prepared to welcome the Nelson Christian Academy.
We got to sit on the left side of the Marae and were involved in waiatas and our students were given an opportunity to give their mihis.

As hosts, out students ran stick games and taught the visiting students various games. We also hosted a time of Kai and helped clean up afterwards.

It was a really positive time and included a second visit the following week as N.C,A was too big to come in one visit.

The school's relationship with the Marae was strengthened...

• 1 & 3 Attending cultural events at school and in the local community.
• 1  Developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with whānau, hāpu, iwi and other members of the local Maori community.

Margaret - Fostering tuakana/tēina relationships during Maths

During maths there are quite often students working on completely different lessons of varying levels which I find challenging trying to get to everyone to help.  During my observations of Steve in the class, I noticed he allowed the other students to help each other when they became stuck.  Quite often the other student could explain it in way that was understood and reinforced their own understanding at the same time.  This takes the pressure off the teacher to get to everyone and gives the students an important role.  I actually asked the class after one maths session where I saw many "teachers",  "Who had helped someone/been helped by someone and did they learn something new"  Finn had sat with Francis and showed him a different way to work out long division which Francis finally got.  I could see that both were quite pleased with the outcome.  I still need to reinforce the difference between helping and telling though and check some are not doing the work for others.

• Fostering tuakana/tēina relationships.
• Providing opportunities for ākonga engagement in co-operative learning, and reciprocal teaching. 

Margaret - Writing songs using cooperation

(Video still to come)

During our devotions unit, the students were learning about cooperation.  Part of this was learning that cooperation makes music - meaning we create great things through cooperation.  The students task was to work in groups - randomly selected - to turn their own chosen nursery rhyme into one new song.  The class focused on 1 cooperative skill ( listening, pulling our weight, working well together) each session and rated themselves and their group at the end.  The unit ended with the students performing their song in front of the class and having the class judge how they thought their group worked together.  The class came up with some neat songs ( a little bit silly) but most managed to put differences aside and get the task done.

Next steps: 
- video the students performing their songs to post on seesaw for parents
- Self Assessment on their group linked to the skills learnt.
- in future cooperative tasks link to skills learnt in this unit.

Standard
Learning Focused Culture
Strategies:

• Understanding and using a range of innovative, co-operative and inquiry learning approaches.
• Monitoring ākonga closely to ensure they are treated respectfully and are included in all aspects of school life.

TBCS-Steve-Te Reo-Prayer-Rm 4

This Prayer was created by a previous student and her father translated it into English. It has been used in the past by Room 4. Margaret has reintroduced this prayer to the start of the day, creating a conduit for Te Reo.
Actions: continue this process daily.
Add to shared drive so all students have access to it.

TBCS-Steve-Standards 4&5-June 2108

Teaching Standards No 4  & 5 Learning Focused Culture & Design for Learning

• Observations in my classroom that focus on the learning environment.
• Observing other teachers practices and approaches in the establishment of an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
• Effectively incorporating digital media into the learning environment.

• 4: Understanding and using a range of innovative, co-operative and inquiry learning approaches.
• 4: Effectively incorporating digital media into the learning environment.
• 5. 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.
• 5: Personalising learning and making it meaningful for individual ākonga.

See PLD, 

Observations:
Mathematics: our students have individualised lessons based on their pre-testing in each area of the maths curriculum. The complete a standard 'diagnostic', work through the lessons that they did not master. This sets the 'enquiry'. Recording said lessons dates and scores on their printed diagnostic. Upon completion they recheck (swat) any areas they found difficult and then with the teachers approval they compete a comprehensive diagnostic.
Students may be set lessons from any level including lower i.e. a yr 6 may go to year 5 subtraction  using 7 digits, to master this strategy before returning to the lessons in year 6. This is not uncommon.
This allows students to have control over their learning (to a degree). They are able to use the video training on line (visual and audio), the teacher and their peers for assistance.

Outcome and Actions:

Students us a range of approaches to lessons.

Teachers support this process and track to ensure they understand.
The digital confidence is in their use of said programmes, recording their achievements on their 'Google Drive'.

TBCS - Having a go - Judy-Anne

I have been wanting to develop a list of songs for assembly with appropriate links for a wee while and finally had a go at organising it tonight.

I tried setting up a google doc and the first song went in easily but I couldn't do the next one without putting it in a word document and then uploading the file. That seemed like a very inefficient way so I searched the different google tools and google sites seemed appropriate.

I now have two songs on a google site, saved in the Room 4 shared drive (because they are in charge of assembly.)

I think there are still improvements to be made because I am not sure that we should have to open the songs in another wind but I am still quite proud of myself for giving it a go and getting something worked out for myself.

So next problem is how to get the videos to insert into a blog properly!

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 - Craig - PLG

Photo taken on the way to PLG

On the 29th May, I attended my second Moutere Hills Cluster PLG.

It was a chance to talk about how things were going for each of us and to encourage each other.

we shared together about what was important for us at the moment.

We discussed various topics together including..

- Developing relationships in large teaching spaces with double classes.
- Getting 'invisible children' involved. (What interests them? Front loading - make the kids experts
Use the sticks - no hands up - after elbow buddies, Sheena Cameron - the oral language book)

- Enabling oral language skills and confidence.

- Keeping balance with all of the expectations of class and school.
- CRT time being used up with assessment.
- Literacy targets.
- Understanding children with autism. 
- Keeping up the concentration of students.
  ( Brain gym )
https://blog.cognifit.com/brain-gym-activities-keep-brain-young/ https://ilslearningcorner.com/blog/2017/01/19/2017-01-brain-gym-simple-brain-gym-exercises-to-awaken-the-brain-for-learning-readiness/)
- Catering to a range of abilities. 
and for me
- Developing better writers and ways that technology might aid that.

I was given these resources.

Brainframes

Episode 52 - Prepped and Polished (Teaching students to overcome writing difficulties.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4-2xBNukUs

/

We were all encouraged to join the Learning Support network.
Hub 1 was free...

Learning Support Network

• 3 Discussing my practice with colleagues and being open to new ideas.
• 2 Being an active member of professional learning communities.
• 3 Appropriate and professional communication with colleagues, ākonga and whānau.
• 3 Establishing collegial relations by participating with colleagues in staff activities, and taking an interest in what others are doing through positive professional interactions.

Margaret - Using Shared Document on Google Drive

As a class we tried  working together on a shared doc where the students had to watch a video and make comments on the pros and cons.  The task was set up on the class screen so I could see everyone who was working on it.  It was quite interesting to see them work out where they could type when someone else was there and they soon realised they could add comments to their classmates work.  It was great to see them adding positive comments to each others work as they read through and I felt this really helped those struggling writers or those who are always asking what to do as it was being modelled right there in front of them.  I could also add my comments and corrections for students to fix when they told me they were done.  This was done in real time so feedback was immediate.  I felt this worked really well especially with the students adding such positive comments which led to quite a positive atmosphere.
Next steps :  Find out how to freeze parts of a shared doc such as instructions so students cant change anything
Continue to discuss expected behaviours (not messing with other peoples work, encouraging comments only) when working collaboratively in this way ( the same as any other situation) and have these displayed around the room.

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- Learner Focused Culture - Standard 4 - Judy-Anne

We had a very exciting writing session recently when I set the children a writing task in  the activities section on See saw. They were to tell me about their perfect day but could write about it, draw about it, record it or tell me about it any other way they could think of.
Most of the younger ones chose to draw and / or record about it and were generally quite independent but helped each other a little.
The older ones generally chose to write about it. Portia discovered the emoticon button and was soon adding pictures to her writing, closely followed by Phoebe, then Willow and Brianna. They soon discovered a way to get the right picture to come up for particular words too. Sometimes they added the word to the story and sometimes it was just the picture. They spent at least 40 minutes writing these stories and only stopped because of the bell.


Portia got quite frustrated and was asking for help with selling her stuff on Sumdog. A number of children offered her help and she was very soon coming over to show me how much more money she had in her bank now.

The children are getting very good at asking each other for help rather than asking me.

Steve-TBCS-Beginning Principal Hui-

The next Nelson Marlborough West Coast Beginning Principals Hui will be held on Monday 25^th June at the Ministry of Education 19 Haven Road, Nelson. The agenda is attached FYI.
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1r2kmVeEZ1L__cWue8_TVQlqTmk5N9Nmm