Was feeling good from about week 8 onwards as had finished CL comments! As we move forward with this I believe it will become more manageable to communicate more regularly and meaningfully, rather than the pressure to “get them done.”
General comments:
Some were really hard and I felt that I still didn’t know my children even after nearly 4 terms together (2 with some)
Some we really easy too - the vocal or stand out (+ve and -ve!) kids
Goal setting I found to be good, so I obviously knew my kids better than I gave myself credit for as all parents agreed with the goals set.
Once the GC and CL were finished I felt I could actually focus my energy on teaching and designing meaningful learning! - A thought for going forward - how to have the balance despite the workload?
EOY conferences were all very positive - funny how some kids react - some went hyper, whilst others were the opposite - note for self, next year prepare the kids more!
Direct Acts of Teaching (DAT)
Doing DAT in a 5 week rotation - 5 weeks of Maths and 5 weeks of writing worked really well as it was a decent amount of time to design meaningful learning and understand the kids needs.
When I was writing eagle I designed learning for the whole group rather than stations (that could be tailored to needs) as I found this more manageable. Evelyn suggested a more play based learning approach but I couldn’t as lots of other stuff was happening and I wanted to have control. I would also have wanted to make sure the kids who couldn’t manage themselves were sorted having everyone do the same thing was just easier - perhaps this was an experience in Universal Learning Design!
The last 5 weeks when I was Maths Owl, not much actual teaching happened with all the interruptions of end of term!
Maths
Love Muireann’s idea of having term 4 as a term of Maths strand whereby you link the knowledge and strategies learnt to other areas of maths.
Wished we had used the pebbles more - as they are a great way of making learning intentions really visible.
Perhaps an inquiry next year - use the pebbles (Maths first) as a CL tool - whenever a child achieves a pebble you post it as a comment. Might make comments more manageable and “real” and then would also help with my focus too.
Team
Working as a 2 was much easier than a 4 as we could both be more adaptable to kids needs and make changes more quickly - I did have to learn to let go which was a good thing!
Sad to be leaving current team as we “fit” together and trust one another.
Will be exciting keeping the same kids and watching them grow.
Nervous about joining an already established team and starting again - respect, trust etc - I need to make sure I speak up!
In the old team I did contribute by doing lots of admin type tasks which I enjoy so I hope i’ll still have that opportunity.
In the new team I would like to;
Look at playbased learning - will share the Pounamu 2016 BPP as a starting point
Use pebbles more
Keep up with our monitoring learning
Introduce SOLO
Ensure consistency
Leadership
From a leadership point of view as I am already quite comfortable with the management side of running a team I need to develop the skills to lead adults and find ways to grow team members.
Perhaps in the short term I will ask to lead an area (play-based learning?)
Coming up next year also have the Cyclone conference with Evelyn to prepare for - busy times ahead!!
What an amazing evening, such food for thought. We are doing lots of great things with our children but there are things to be aware of and changes to be made to my behaviour to get the best from the children.
Some of the take-outs and so whats;
Take out
So what
If you keep learning, your brain keeps growing - use it or lose it!
I need to keep learning so I don’t get dementia!
Face to face interactions spark the most neurons and when linked with the introduction of new information synaptic connections are created
Children working together is a great way to learn
Repetition is what keeps the connections as it is through repetition that myelin coats the connections (which makes them stronger)
Repetition of words, numbers, reading, writing, counting, problem solving etc is needed
Can take up to 90 repetitions for knowledge to become permanent
Keep the learning the same for longer - if they are not getting it, they need longer
Relationships are crucial in myelination
Build strong relationships with all children so it might not take 90 repetitions - they have an emotional response which makes things happen quicker
Learning is like a staircase - create the synaptic connection then you need myelination through repetition to consolidate the learning
Slow down! Give time for myelination to occur.
Need happy hormones for learning to occur - when endorphins are present, myelination happens faster.
Need happy children.
3 things that release the most endorphins;
Singing
Laughter
Movement
Need to do more of all!
When asked to be still ½ of the frontal cortex is focused on staying still so that only gives ½ to focus on the learning
Need more movement to stay alert, and encourage the whole brain to learn
3 things that give the biggest negative behavioural outcome;
Love withdrawal
Inconsistency
Punishment
Children need to know that you care for them unconditionally - you might not like the behaviour, but you still like the child.
Children need boundaries
Links with 1 - if punished then will behave through fear and will become insecure and will inhibit the development of self-control
3 things to give the biggest positive behavioural outcome;
Cognitive training
Induction
Reward
Need to teach them what to do - fill the brain with an image of the right behaviour
Induce them to want to do it - make them think it is their idea!
More attention you give a behaviour the more it grows (+ve and -ve)
Clearer you can paint the picture of the behaviour then the faster they will get it
Role modelling and coaching, focus on what to do, not what not to do
Do as I do not as I say
Up to the age of 7 the “More free play, less likely to go to prison”
More freedom and a focus on the children’s interests during Town Time
5x more cognition when playing rather than through structure
Give them play time
Intelligence is problem solving which is creativity
The more creative we can encourage the children to be, the better
Screens as well as relationships (not instead of) are fine
Use technology in away that supports the relationships in the habitats not replaces them - ensure see all children and that the focus is on what we do with the children not the extra learning tasks that might involve a screen!
One of my big steps is all about building,
growing and maintaining relationships. Last year Claire advised me to make one
positive phone call a week. Well I finally did it! I’ve had plenty of positive
conversations with parents at pick up and drop off but I made that phone call.
And what is even better is this particular parent usually gets behavioural bad
news so it was fabulous to be able to share something really positive about her
child. The child was also very proud of his actions and so our relationship
grew!
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;
Having had to think about each
child in my mentor group to write a comment I identified a group of children
who I need to build or develop my relationship with. To help foster these
relationships I had a group 6 and we played with the Beebots.
The session was great for getting
to know these children better; some children were much more verbal than usual,
showed great collaboration skills and perseverance, loved the hands on nature
of the task whilst others didn’t want to play with them or make mistakes and
struggled to verbalise.
When reflecting on the session I
started recording their thoughts about the Beebots and the process when in fact
the purpose (the why) of the session was to get to know the children better and
how I can support their learning. So here are my observations, what I need to
do and a goal for the children.
Child
Observations
How I can best support
Goal for the child
Boy 1
·Loved the hands on nature,
·Straight into it - didn’t need
encouragement to play
·Asked for explicit instructions
·Persevered as found it hard to think about
all the steps
·Liked working with a partner
·Make sure hands on tasks available
·Start building on thinking through all
steps needed
·Make sure all instructions are clear and
structured
Try before asking for help
Boy 2
·Loved the hands on nature,
·Needed encouragement to start playing
·Struggled to verbalise thoughts, feelings
and questions
·Make sure hands on tasks available
·Encourage to speak – don’t let others do
his talking
Speak out, ask for help
Boy 3
·Very enthusiastic and animated
·Straight into it, playing and experimenting
·Liked working with partner
·Hands on tasks (especially in areas he
finds hard)
·Spark curiosity so always this engaged
Try hard in all areas
Boy 4
·Loved hands on
·Confident and happy to share ideas
·Liked working with partner
·Usually quiet in habitat so find ways to
hear his voice – has lots to say
Share ideas during learning
time
Girl 1
·Enthusiastic participant
·Happy to help partner
·Persevered
·Give ways of supporting peers without doing
it for them
Challenge self to do harder
things
Girl 2
·Very reserved, especially when questioned
·Gave it a go initially but then didn’t want
to try
·Find ways of letting her know it is OK to
make mistakes, give things a go
