RTC 9 - Diversity

When thinking about diversity in the classroom it is very easy to get caught up with a narrow vision of the cultural diversity when RTC9 actually talks about the "varied strengths, interests and needs of individuals."

With this in mind, what do I do to ensure I meet RTC9?




Here is CS talking about Maths

During Tinkering Time some students talked about the mechanisms we built last year and wanted to make a seesaw.


Also during Tinkering Time some students started using the Jenga blocks as Dominos - the thinking about how to get round a corner and off a bench was amazing!

Diversity in the Habitat

I had a page set up to show how I respond to the diversity of the students...but I think I accidentally deleted it!

So here are links to the IEP and IBPs created during 2016 to help support the individual needs of some of my mentor group;

SU IEP Term 3

SU IEP Term 2

DL IEP

NC IEP

PQ IBP

TN IEP

Writing Inquiry 2016, final analysis

This was quite a large goal to choose to focus on - following my chosen 3 and using the learnings to help all.

I did loose focus in the middle, and this was due to other pressures which clearly tells me this turned out to not be a priority for me.

I have definitely learnt from this inquiry though. Firstly, the scale of this inquiry was too big. I would have been better to choose one element of the writing process to look at which would have given me a better focus. Secondly, it has shown me the rate of change in these children. Child 1 is still not writing clearly, but he has made massive progress. Child 2 has also made incredible progress, and child 3 came in at a higher level than the other 2 and so her progress isn't as obvious.

This also links to the progressions as to get from level 1.3 to 2.1 is a big jump.

My Yellow Side

In a brief chat with Claire about the Maths Whizz cards I suggested that we make a website / blog that teaches students / mentors / families how to use the cards. Each team could create a series of videos and then the learning will become much more powerful!

I then wanted to get started straight away!!

Term 3, 2016 Reflection

Going into term 3 I was very apprehensive about the number of students Eve and I would have between us and I was below the line, blaming and thinking dark thoughts! Had a 1 to 1 scheduled with Ben for the end of term which actually happened at the beginning of term 3 which was just as well!

The 2 week break gave me a chance to put things into perspective and bring myself to be back above the line - accepting of the situation and thinking creatively on how to manage things.

One of my biggest concerns was managing NW between the 2 of us and supporting Eve as much as I could. I still feel he needs extra support which we simply can’t give given the fact that there are 53 other children who need us.

Working my way through CL comments was another area of concern - just the sheer numbers, and to start with it was a daunting task - 108 comments to write in 9 weeks! Getting to know what 27 children could do, what their next steps were and how I could best support them was (and still is) a challenge.

Highlights and lowlights from term 3;

• 5 weeks of teaching maths and eagling writing then swapping
• This worked and we are carrying on this term. 5 weeks is a good length of time to start and finish some learning
• Amount of time teaching maths has been great but being an Eagle has been hard - felt like I was pulled in too many directions
• After a chat with Claire we decided to use the environment more wisely so Owling of Maths has moved to the more closed in Theatre and the Eagling is now in one area - the bay and gallery.
• 2 weeks in to term 4 and it is working much better
• As a team we have 2 weeks of teaching reading then 2 weeks of town time
• This also works will as it means you need on put your energy into one thing which should result in a better outcome!
• At concept time Eve and I worked together
• Working with just one other was great
• Our planning wasn’t great though so our outcomes weren’t always clear
• I took over towards the end when I had the “brilliant” idea of role plays to demonstrate understandings and then filming on the green screen (far more work than anticipated!)
• While the structure of reading was great had some high needs (DL) which meant I always felt rushed and under pressure when doing guided reading. I don’t think I did the best I could have for the children.
• Taking this into account for term 4 we are in a much better place as Jill is taking our able readers and so I feel comfortable that their needs are being met
• Have also tried reading a new book every-other day which I am really enjoying as reading can now be fun again as we talk about the story and words and meaning and can have more emphasis on strategies
• At the end of the term there was a frantic rush to JAM the children
• I didn’t get all children done as I ran out of time
• Having talked to Claire since she has pointed out that JAM is just a snapshot in time of what a child can do and will have changed already so to not stress about doing the others!
• Instead I will focus on making sure pebbles are upto date
• CL comments were as hard as I thought they would be! This was partially caused by my desire to including everything in the comment.
• I’ve learnt not to do this, and focus on one highlight!

Something I read over the holidays was a book by Biz Stone one of the founders of Twitter and in it he says that constraints make you more creative. So my (and Eve’s) challenge is to use the constraints we have and be creative in our solutions.

Nathan Wallis (The Brain Guy)

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!

Reflecting on my use of Te Reo Maori

Writing review end of Term 2, 2016

Looking at my chosen 3, plus the CL comments for our Skippers/Pounamu children has sparked some ideas for writing time.





Whilst punctuation is a surface feature need for child 2 and 3 they also both needs support with structuring their writing. This held true for others too.
To try and help their learning in this I decided to start with a SOLO rubric on punctuation with examples.



The examples are displayed so that the children know what they are aiming for.

As well as working on punctuation, a deeper feature that I want the children to learn is how to structure their writing so it has ideas, order and flow. To help this I focused on writing a recount which the children do all the time...interesting to note that they had no clue what a recount was! Just shows how explicit we need to be when teaching, and that we need to use the language of learning.

This has all just started and Eve is now the writing owl so we will have to see what happens next!

Use of Maori in the Habitat

A very proud moment for me - Eve gave me a chocolate fish (real, not virtual) as a thank you for using Maori everyday, whenever I can, in the habitat. Ka pai me!!