Did you know that it is part of the Specialist Classroom Teacher's job description to find and share professional reading? Not something that I've been great at lately! But I have been wondering lately; what constitutes Professional Reading? Personally, I think that anything that prompts you to reflect on your professional practice and consider what you do and why - is definitely in the category of professional reading! Which leads me to this wee gem that I read today (a quick read - click the image to go right there) I know many of you would've watched Friends in the day - either in primetime slots or reruns! But the author does point to a worrying symptom of our society that directly affects us as teachers (he was a teacher too). Our job as teachers is to cultivate and grow the Ross Geller's of the world, but mainstream media does a lot of harm! It's just not cool to be a nerd! While Big Bang Theory has made up some of that deficit, I still have teary eyed girls in my classes thank me for showing them that it's okay to be a girl and a geek! I think most of you are well aware that I am unashamedly geeky, nerdy and dorky (yes, they all have different definitions) and that I cultivate geekiness in my classes. But, I wonder about the students who haven't yet found their little place in the school or in the world? The author sums it up quite well... Maybe it’s all harmless fun. Like the good-spirited laughter of a live studio audience? Maybe. But I am sincerely worried we have not done enough to cultivate intellectual curiosity within our culture. Anyway, if you don't have time to read the whole article - the author sums up with 4 key points
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What a busy term! I've had 3 drafts sitting in this blog since July waiting for me to complete and post! I thought I'd better get at least one completed and out there by the end of the term.
Recently, I was given this article to read as a part of some SCT training that I went to. I found this quite an insightful piece of writing and wanted to share with you with some key thoughts that I got from reading it. You can just go straight to the reading from here to read it yourself, or keep going to get my summary. We all know the feeling. It starts sliding in during the last few weeks of Term Two. Inevitably, there are reports to write, NCEA assessments are due in, the marking pile might be getting a bit high, behaviour management issues come up where there were none and all the while our Vitamin D is dropping! I watched my Year 12s file out of class this week and I felt sorry for them. They looked exhausted! They all have at least two assessments due this week. My Year 13 study class anxiously debated what's required for Excellence in the Chemistry Internal and all my Seniors have willingly worked in silence since last week. They're knackered! And the staff room isn't much better. There have been prayers and good luck charms for snow days. Jokes about pre-empting sick days. Normally very patient teachers talking about how they'd gotten so mad at a class. Don't get me wrong; "Perk Me Up" and the Fusball competition have been perfectly timed to help us 'dig in' for the end of the term. But underneath that, there are some tired looking people (me included)! But we're not the only ones! In the last week, I've had three emails from international organisations promoting and encouraging resources aimed at teacher well-being (some paid, some free). It feels like a good time to share some of these resources with you all. I know that I have started doing the "it's okay, I'll just do it in the holidays" thing. But, I also know that I would actually like to spend these holidays looking after myself. I'd like to use them to spend some quality time with my son before he starts school next term. I'd like to practise playing my guitar. I'd like to watch the rest of the Handmaid's Tale on Lightbox. So, I'd like to share some of the tips that I've gotten in the last few weeks. I'm not going to say that I'm going to apply all of them, because I have bad habits too! But if just one of them is helpful for you and encourages you to take a minute to look after yourself, then it will be worth it. A Sketchy Video by John Spencer A rejuvenating blog post by Angela Watson
Good New Habits by Ian Vickers - you can download the ebook here
Empower by John Spencer and A.J Juliani![]() This book comes from our staff resource library (located in the main library) and was just published last year. My interest was piqued by this book as I am currently making some changes in my classroom in an effort to improve my students ownership of their tasks. Like many of you, I have a number of students who are very good at following the instructions and giving the teacher what they want to hear in order to achieve the grade that they want. But, increasingly, I feel they are lacking those competencies and skills they need to move beyond school! Empower is a handbook of strategies and ideas to support teachers to make the learning student-centred and to empower students to take control of their own learning pathway. How does this fit with our vision?![]() This year we are focusing on two things; Engagement and Well-Being. As a school we are exploring strategies to make the work interesting for our students and help them to be more engaged at school. But what are our measures for engagement? If I were to look around my Year 12s class, they would all be working away quietly on their devices and when I walk around they would all make sure to have appropriate things on their screens. But all I can measure by this standard is compliance. They are making sure to be seen to be doing what they think I want them to do. But how many of them are really engaged in the actual task? How many of them really believe in what they are doing? If I asked them; how many would feel that they really benefit from doing what they are doing in my classroom? Spencer and Juliani really push for students to move from being consumers of information purely for the purpose of regurgitating the information and becoming creators of their own meaning and understanding.
![]() 1. Our job isn't to prepare students for 'something', it's to help them prepare themselves for 'anything'. The future is a big wide place and it will be a very different place to the future that we left school for. We are doing our students a disservice if we are not setting them up to be capable and successful for their future. 2. Self-Management isn't something that we can wait for the students to have in order to be able to empower our students. Instead, it is something that we need to actively teach our students so that we can empower their learning. 3. Empowering students to own their learning means taking risks (and encouraging students to take risks) in a risk-averse environment. NCEA and NZC reporting systems don't encourage risk taking. Our students are driven and motivated. But they seem to be motivated by success - rather than learning - so they are not keen to try something new. We are driven by annual reports and goal setting, so we are not risk takers either. But, if we want to produce students who are able to own and manage their own learning beyond school.... risk-taking is an essential skill. 4. The real world is messy. Real processes out there in the real world do not follow straight forward algorithms that always apply the same way every time. Even a checkout operator needs to be able to manage complex customer requests and problem-solve. Yet, our very orderly classrooms and nicely planned lessons don't reflect very many working environments. 5. No man is an island. Very little meaningful human activity happens in isolation. Even though most of the time we are the only teacher in the room, our students experience 4 or 5 different teachers on any day. We already know that we are able to get more traction with our students if we work in a cohesive way. Same for our students. They need to develop the skills to be able to effectively work alongside and with each other. Only got time to read one chapter?Chapter 12 is where the nuts and bolts of this book really are. It is basically just a big list of strategies to try and activities that could begin to empower student learning in your classroom. It is written in a way that is not subject specific and would allow you to choose and entry point that works for you.
![]() The amazing thing about having kids, is the ability to go back and watch some of your favourite TV shows (or reboots) with fresh eyes. Recently, we've been watching The Magic School Bus Rides Again. In this version, Miss Valerie Frizzle has been awarded a PhD and is now a Professor. But she has retired and passed the reigns to her sister; the equally quirky Fiona Frizzle. ![]() So what's so amazing about Miss Frizzle? Why would we consider cartoon characters role-models for teachers? Especially when they only has 8 students in their class, all with exemplary behaviour! So, let's have a look at how Miss Frizzle demonstrates the 7 Principles of Learning in action. 1. Learners at the centre.Miss Frizzle's class are a quirky group. They have a variety of interests, and are genuinely curious about the world around them. Miss Frizzle never seems to have a problem with throwing away her lesson plan in favour of pursuing one of her students "I wonder.." questions. And yet, she always seems to have all the required resources at hand (although a magic bus would probably help with that part!) At the end of an exciting field trip they are able to articulate what they learnt and how it applies to their in class activity. 2. Emotions are Central to LearningWhile Miss Frizzle's class exemplifies positive behaviour for learning, she does still have to manage reluctant learners, bossy students and those who don't believe in themselves. However, she is never put off by their mid-adventure meltdowns or fashion criticisms. On she goes, with an ever-positive attitude and gentle scaffolding of her students through the learning pit. Students are allowed to experience the highs and lows of not being sure about something and finding out the answer for themselves. The Frizz never gives in and just gives the answer - she always lets them experience it. 3. The Social Nature of Learning
4. Recognising Individual DifferencesEach of Miss Frizzles students has their own unique interests and skills. Jyoti loves to build things and explore new technologies. Keesha is the dramatic student of the class, she likes to stage productions. Arnold is nervous and dislikes change. Carlos is a bit of a joker, who loves a good pun. Dorothy-Ann is a bit of a book-worm. She is always the quickest to look up a fact and confirm someones observation. Tim loves drawing, especially comic book characters. Miss Frizzle doesn't just encourage her students to pursue their interests, she allows students to demonstrate their learning using their chosen format! 5. Stretching all Students![]() Miss Frizzle has high expectations of all her students. Not only does she encourage Tim to draw comics that demonstrates his understanding, but she pushes him to keep drawing even when he thinks the story is over. When Keesha's play looks to be less than she hopes, Miss Frizzle shows her how to use science to create a show-stopper! One of Miss Frizzle's favourite sayings is "Take chances, Make mistakes and get messy". Learning in her class is not just about meeting standards, it's real, deep and messy. And, she expects it of everybody. 6. Assessment for LearningMiss Frizzle could just answer the students questions. She could send them to a book or a website. But it's so hard to determine if a student has grasped an abstract concept by asking them to talk (or write) about it. Instead Miss Frizzle allows the students to demonstrate their new found knowledge and understanding by applying it. Now, this doesn't always go right the first time. Students are encouraged to test their own theories. What better way to assess a students learning, than by letting them test it themselves! 7. Building Horizontal ConnectionsWho knew that you could build a lesson about wind-resistance from a play about the three little pigs? Or one about eco-systems from a new teacher? Miss Frizzle does! One "I wonder" question can lead to extraordinary learning when you look for the connections and learning is so meaningful when students can relate it's value to their own lives. Want to read more about the 7 Principles of Learning? Try starting here
Want to watch the Magic School Bus Rides Again - try Netflix Effective Classroom Management - Six Keys to Success![]() This book comes from the library of Linda Miller. I borrowed it from her when doing some observations of a junior class at the start of the year. I would have to be honest to begin with and say that I didn't love the narrative style of writing in this book. However, the information presented in it aligns nicely with the Learning-Focused Culture and Teaching standards and Tātaiako. The book is written by a team of three education lecturers, researchers and teachers. At it's core, it's about the Process Communication Model - a way of looking at communication based on personality types (Kahler. T, 1982, 1997). The authors argue that a large percentage of teachers are from three main personality types (you can be more than one type, it isn't a 'fit people in a box model') but we have to teach students who come from all six. The 'other three types' are generally the ones that we struggle the most. The authors propose that by understanding the needs of all of the personality types (our own and those of our students, we are better prepared for developing positive relationships with all students. How does this fit with our vision?
5 Key Ideas to Take away![]() 1. There are six personality types; Workaholics, Persisters, Reactors, Dreamers, Rebels and Promoters*. You can have aspects of traits from more that one, but one or two will be strongest and this can change over time. 2. Teachers are often Workaholics, Persisters or Reactors (the job lends itself to those main types) and so most find it easy to work with the same personality. However, the other three personality types can be challenging to the way that most teachers naturally want to do things. 3. The authors propose that by understanding these personality types and what they need to feel successful, teacher are better able to build positive relationships with all students. 4. Good student-teacher relationships have a positive outcome on student achievement. 5. It is possible to learn how to manage a classroom in such a way as to meet the needs of all students, if you understand what each student needs to feel engaged. * Some of these words have negative connotations and have changed names on the newest version. Only got time to read one chapter?If you think you are interested, but not sure if you've got the time to invest in the whole book; I would definitely recommend chapter 4. It cuts to the chase and talks about how to motivate and engage the various personality types. You could easily read it without the forwarding information about the different types as they are fairly easy to recognise (we probably have many of these personalities in our classes!). Pages 49-60 will give you a pretty good picture.
![]() Over the summer, I read a book that has been pretty popular with teachers for the last few months. Disobedient Teaching by Welby Ings. But what is the appeal of a book that is based on a behaviour that teachers work so hard to quell? In my old school, one of the things we could give detentions for was defiance. Yet, it is a trait that this book actively encourages! Ing's book begins with a detailed description of a person who defied the system, failed hard, broke the rules and is extraordinarily successful. The man he describes is a teacher. Passionate about his student's successes and well-being, this teacher is defiant towards a system that works on rewarding those who are best able to work that system. He tells stories about the times that disobedience cost him greatly and the times that he was rewarded for his creative thinking. It is not a book for those seeking to climb the ladder of promotion, nor is it a book for those looking to maintain the status quo. It is a book for everyday teachers who aim to do the absolute best they can for the students they have in front of them. It is a book for teachers who know that the value of education is not measured in credits, but in "aha moments".
DON'T READ THIS BOOK
if you don't think you can be challenged and not toppled if you like the status quo DO READ THIS BOOK if you are open to being challenged about your thinking if you think that we can make the system work better for the benefit of your students If you think you'd like to give it a read, it's been labelled and filed in the staff section of the school library. I think we even have two. |
AboutThe role of the SCT is to support teaching staff to do their jobs to the best of their ability. With some education and a few sticks, we are able to create the means for teaching and learning. In this blog, I hope to provide you with a few sticks to help you on the way. Archives
May 2019
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