Innovation Incubators

Being part of the II team is a phenomenal experience. It is great to be able to have the time to sit back and actually think about and analyse our daily practice as mentors. What should we be focusing on? – and this links to our PD around Clarity in the Classroom  too.  Helping to draft statements that our school will use to guide our thinking and learning about what happens in the habitats is quite a responsibility. It is great to be able to help marry the theoretical perspective to the reality of day to day and what this might look like for us all.

Watch this space for more details.....

Double loop inquiry

Whilst preparing to present to the staff about my desired reality and my big steps with regards to my writing inquiry it struck me that I very easily slip into the “tick, done” mentality. Having to look at my writing inquiry was a good sanity check to ensure that I walk the talk – I firmly believe in a cyclical approach to my learning – plan, do, review and repeat, but it is sometimes nice to have closure.

A conversation with Claire about a double looped inquiry that doesn’t stop actually made me realise that I do really build on the learning and so the inquiry loop becomes many layered and almost gathers it’s own momentum. My job is to now build on this momentum so I keep learning and my students keep benefiting.

Roll time reformed

I put together a practice pack for Nate for those times when we're waiting. This worked really and others asked for the same thing so now this is what greets me at roll time;

Notice the good, let the little stuff go

Following on from our SPS team PL where we have been focusing on, and learning about, relationships we were asked to Think Pair (and Share if we were brave!) about the relationships we have formed with the children we work with.

I looked at my mentor group and the main messages I have communicated. 4 things came to mind immediately;

• Growth Mindset and what it means
• Doing the right thing
• Routines
• Making good choices for learning

For my mentor group all of these messages have an element of building, growing or maintaining relationships which is my second; 

After a discussion with Muireann, we have identified a small goal which I will work on over the next couple of weeks - notice the good, let the little stuff go. Reflecting even after a day it feels good - staying so positive with the children makes me feel more joyful and if i'm just not feeling it then i'm going to "fake it til I make it" as someone(??) once said!

Publishing time in Pounamu (term 1, 2016)

At the end of the term all Pounamu children were able to publish their favourite piece of writing from the term. A great way for them to have an audience for their work.

Here is the work by last terms Spaceships;



Here is the work by last terms Rockets;



Here is the work by last terms Hot Air Balloons;



Here is the work by last terms Aeroplanes;

Writing Reflection

To help with my Writing Inquiry and see what my next steps are I looked in more detail at my chosen 3 students to analyse the good, the bad and the brilliant.



My big realisation from looking at their writing is that having looked (studied!) the progressions, this really helped me pinpoint (with Jill's help) what their next steps were.

My next steps are to;

• keep this analysis going - do it again at the end of the term,
• feedback to the children their specific goals
• based on what happens next with these 3 then perhaps have 2 levels of goals for each child
• be more confident in my ability as I have had a positive impact
• create and display some exemplars so children have a bench mark - they know what "good writing" looks like.