My Yearly Goal

A week or two ago we came up with our yearly goals. Since I have moved down to year 1 and am still wrapping my head around the NZ system, I thought a good goal would be:

To develop an effective guided reading programme for year one students

Breaking it down, my plan of action is thus far:

1. Observe other teachers during guided reading, reflecting on what they are doing that is effective. Integrating those effective practices into my own teaching.
2. Seek and complete readings to help further develop activities to complete with children in small groups.
3. Look for and provide quality, level and age appropriate, interesting texts in the classroom through discussions with other teachers as well as children.
4. Make a list of all tumble activities currently being used.
5. Observe and discuss with other teachers what tumble activities they are using. Research other potential activities via teaching journals, the Internet and other sources.
6. Attempt a variety of different activities and reflecting upon their effectiveness, re-using, modifying or getting rid of where appropriate.
7. Change activities throughout the year as children’s achievement improves and to avoid boredom.
8. Ask children to explain the tumble activities to ensure that they are aware of what to do. Observe children completing activities to ensure they are doing them properly. Ask for children’s feedback as to the difficulty/ease of activities and to discover if children are interested.

In the week and a bit since I've made this goal, I've paid close attention to how effective my teaching has been. My activities (in my opinion) are not as great as they could be, nor are my children trained up in them well. Over the next few weeks, as I get my head wrapped around other things (planning and getting the room sorted out a bit more) I plan on having a few discussions (and hopefully some observations) of other teachers doing guided reading.

One area where I have started to focus a bit on at the moment is pre and post activities. I've already had the chance to look at a few from other teachers and have had a few discussions about which activities are good. I feel like the activities I've made for this week (week 4) are much better than the ones for week 3. I've been trying to use a lot of visual things and to get away from just drawing pictures for pre activities. I'm looking forward to seeing the end product of this learning journey and to updating my progress on this site.

More Observations

This morning I had the privilege of observing a class before school to see the transition from the interactive time to lesson time.  I also was lucky to see three teachers seamlessly team teaching in the hour I was in the classroom.

My focus was once again on building relationships and behaviour. This was the same new entrants class I observed last week, but in a different setting. The teacher I was watching did several things to make his students feel more comfortable.  As the children came in, he would greet them, ask them how they were, and ask them if they remembered everything they needed to do in the morning. He then sat down at a table and as a child came in, he asked the boy if he wanted to make a picture with him. The boy had wanted to go to the computers (a common thing in my class, I've noticed) but he changed his mind, sat down, and happily made the picture.  The teacher was very encouraging and asked several probing questions, while at the same time offering suggestions as to what could be done. More children joined the table but he continued to greet all the children in the room.

When the bell went, he reminded the children of what they had to do and they quickly got on the mat.  He had a friendly tone but also varied the volume. Being quiet got the children to listen (he did this a few times throughout my observation). I've done this in the past, but I think it's something to be a bit more mindful of in the future. For some reason, if you speak quietly, children tend to listen more.

Throughout all of his interactions he framed everything in a positive way.  If a child was not doing what he was supposed to be doing, he'd say: "Why don't you come over here and sit beside me?" and then give them a smile, both giving them a choice AND making them feel welcome.  Several times I saw him speak with children quietly and he had his hand on their should or back to help build that personal connection and let the children feel safe. He was very active while watching the other teachers teach and was aware of everything that was going on around him.

I think one thing I could be doing in the mornings is to get out an activity (a different one each day, and sit with it and bring the children to me). It's definitely worth trialling this and seeing how it goes.  Generally I tend to roam in the mornings, talking to several children doing different things.

Another thing I saw (and this was tiny, but still, I thought it was neat) is that the teacher used an actual hand for a finger space on the IWB when modeling writing. I need to get that image.  I did a quick search for it now, but couldn't find anything suitable.  I'll get it later, but that probably won't be in time for the lesson I'm being observed in next.

Observations Galore

Today I got to observe two classes (and several teachers) and was observed by two others (though one was unplanned). The focus of all was behaviour management and building relationships, which really are two interconnected ideas and cannot really be separated.

To start I saw a year 5/6 classroom at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day I watched (and joined in with) a group of year 0 classrooms in the sandpit and having free choice. It is always interesting to see a variety of classrooms in a given day.  No two are ever the same, yet there are always commonalities that you find throughout all good (great, outstanding, etc.) classrooms that show a common theme.  And there were a few things I picked up on in both of those observations.

Enthusiasm. Both (well, there were actually 4, and all were doing it) teachers were super enthusiastic about the work and the children's ideas, though a bit moreso (understandably) in the younger room. Lots of wows, that's greats, and thanks for sharings (is that grammar correct? Just checking if someone is actually reading this ;) ). I guess that also fits into the valuing of everyone's ideas and making them feel like they have something to contribute. This was important  - even if the ideas weren't very good, the whole point isn't to get the good ideas (well, not the only point), but to get lots of ideas to consider and to think about. Enthusiasm is definitely something that was lacking at times for me last year (though not all the time).  I think I need to dig a bit deeper at times to find it and pass it on to the kids.  I control the mood in the room and if I'm happy, the students will be too.

Choices.  This is something I have always tried (mostly successful, but in moments of weakness, I've definitely failed) to do when dealing with behaviour.  In the first class, there were not many instances of misbehaviour but the one or two were dealt with calmly and the onus was put on the child to make a choice.  Most minor things were ignored (they were attention seeking behaviours anyway). This is something that is probably in need of work for me.  I'm usually pretty good at ignoring calling out, but sometimes my response is just automatic. I need to be more mindful of things and turn off the automatic response (this is where I wish I could remember the term that the guest speaker at boot camp gave these actions, but it's a perfect example of it - I respond without thinking. I need to train myself to stop and think in these cases - or at least in ALL of these cases). The second class had lots of misbehaviour and the choices given were different. They were more suggestions ("Wouldn't it be nice if we shared the toy with the other children? Why don't you...?") than actual choices, but the brilliance was that the kids saw them as making their own decisions.  I even saw one boy decide to remove himself from a situation so that he wouldn't get cross. There was also some coaching (with the same boy) about something that happend earlier.  He had not followed the class back from the sandpit and later the teacher praised him for listening another time and then talked about why he made the choice to not listen earlier.  He asked the boy  whether or not he had felt annoyed and then gave him some advice about dealing with that in the future. The conversation went so quickly but was so complex from my standpoint it was difficult to fully take it all in.  But the gist of it was, the whole thing was based on empathy and understanding (hey, that's a habit of mind, stated in another way!) and actually addressed the root of the problem instead of the symptom (which was the misbehaviour) while not completely ignoring it (the symptom). I'd like to think I do this most of the time, but I can definitely think of times when I don't. It makes me think of talks and classes where we discussed behaviour and that there is always an underlying cause (the need to feel significant, competent and in control were three things - I looked this up from notes I had in a previous PD session and I think the reminder is helpful) and that that cause needs to be dealt with... anyway, I'm rambling. This is definitely something I need to make sure I'm doing all the time, not just most of the time.

Language. It not only matters what you say, but how you say it.  Even though children may not be that great at inferential questions on reading tests (I kid, some of them are really good), they are extremely adept at reading between the lines in how a teacher says something.  Both teachers talked about "we" and "you can" and used very open language, letting the children know a) they are in this together and b) the kids have some control over things (oh, that's related to my last point).

Putting the onus on the children. A lot was said where the children were given the responsibility to do the right thing, and not just being told. For example, one of the teachers had to do some testing and asked the children to do something and then followed it up with: "Do you think you can do that for me so I can do a test?" That's a really powerful way of putting it since it gives the children responsibility and lets them feel like they are doing the teacher a favour. Earlier the same teacher, while explaining a reading strategy used herself as an example and said: "If I don't understand the book, what do I do?" which put the children in the place of the teacher and gave them the responsibility of teaching (so to speak). I'd like to think I've done this in the past, but I do feel like I could take more time to find opportunities to do so, which will have a huge benefit for both behaviour and for my relationships with my students.

The official observation went really well and for the most part, I got some really good positive feedback about how I've built some relationships with my students and how they are really comfortable with me.  I'm really proud of that to be honest.  It's not so much that I've learned how to do it in the last few weeks or months, but that I've rediscovered my ability to do that after a rough patch.  The same went for the other feedback from another teacher.  I didn't even think I was being watched, which makes it doubly pleasing to know that I'm doing the right things.  Honestly, it was some of the first real positive feedback I've had about anything significant in my life in a long time.  The flipside was also that all the things that were suggested were things that had popped into my head during the lesson as needing work.  Which means that I'm in tune with how my teaching is going and I'm not completely clueless.  With all that positiveness, needless to say I was in a good mood at the end of the day, which, surprise, surprise, affects my willingness to work hard.  I guess the point is to try to find the positives in life and school so that I do have that reason to put the effort in. I think last year I got so bogged down that I lost a bit of focus and the effort slipped away bit by bit.  The effort is back now and the important part is to make sure the motivation stays and that I'm feeling fresh and relaxed.  And on that note, I'm off  to watch a short dvd before bed.

Catching Up

I have been negligent when it comes to reflecting on the blog (though definitely not in real life - even though writing does help focus my thoughts and I get a bigger boost out of it).  This is definitely something I need to find the time for.  At the moment things do seem a bit hectic and crazy, though experience has taught me that it can't last forever. I just have to put my head down (so to speak) and get things done, one at a time (also allowing time for myself).  There is a tough balance between meeting all the deadlines and giving myself time, and I feel like, compared to the first go around here (term 3 last year) I've at least taken some time for myself to do things I want to do (and, I'm running regularly again, which is helpful) so I'm not getting too stressed about things. No excuses for not doing this, just an explanation.

So below, I'm going to reflect on several things that have had a huge impact over the last few weeks, instead of doing them one at a time (the difference for me mentally seems a lot easier, though in reality, it is all the same amount of reflecting).

Boot Camp
The week before school started, all the teaching staff took off to beautiful Whitianga. Like most people (or so they said), I was nervous and unsure of what to expect. In the end, I had what I would call an amazing week, despite the fact that I barely slept at all in the four nights we were there.  The biggest thing for me was the coming together of everyone, getting to know each other and feeling like a team. There certainly were some work-specific things to be learned during the week (drama and memory games, the new planning structure, a bit better understanding of the HOM, review of the behaviour system among, an extremely interesting and fascinating talk on memory and how we learn, among many others), the biggest value (one that probably can't be measured by a number) was the connections we made and the confidence I got in dealing with the other members of staff.  Last year, coming in during the middle of the year, it was hard for me to become comfortable with the other teachers since we only saw each other briefly before and after school and there wasn't any time to really make bonds. This week was a perfect opportunity to do so, and I'd like to think I seized it.  Since we've returned I've felt pretty good about how I get along with all the staff members, despite everyone being in super busy and super stress mode.  I also got a boost of self confidence during the week when some of the new staff members started looking to me for questions.  That was something that didn't really happen last year, and I'd like to think that that is something I can help with in the future.

New Beginnings - New Relationships (and Some Old Ones)
I touched briefly on my better relationships with staff members above, but I want to talk more about relationships.  Last year was a tough year for me (2012, not just the school year specifically).  I had a lot of upheaval in my life (starting at about 1am on New Year's Day in fact) during the year and it was often difficult to deal with.  Part of my problem was that I didn't have any solid relationships in my life (note to self: this should be a lesson into itself - you didn't do so well without relationships, how will the students do any better?). It was hard to make new ones as I was so concerned with sorting other things out (and to a degree, I've still got a few of those things to sort out, but I guess the approach has changed).

Anyway, having a chance to start anew this school year has been refreshing. I was at the point last year where I didn't really know how to fix the things that had been going wrong, and I needed some time to step back from them and think about it.  So this year, I have made a big effort to get to know my kids and to win them over so to speak. I don't have many students, but having identified the ones that will have some greater difficulty with school (behaviour wise, but also confidence in the classroom wise) I've been making an effort to make those students feel both safe (to make mistakes, and from danger), valued and cared for. Maybe this is an easier task with 5 year olds compared to 8 and 9 year olds, but I feel like I do have a pretty good connection with my students after 9 days.  They make mistakes, but they accept those mistakes and take responsibility for them. I let them know they won't lose me or my calmness if they do make mistakes. They know that we're in this thing together and that I am there to help them, NOT to berate them for not being perfect.  I guess that's the essence of what the children need to feel when it comes to dealing with me.  Last year the stresses of the classroom got to me and I was unable to see this at points.  It turned into an us vs. them environment (I'm exaggerating a bit here, but there was conflict at times) and that was not beneficial for anyone involved.  I've taken steps this year to help me avoid getting into those traps and to be able to calmly step back from the situation and leave emotions at the door (or wherever we leave them). So far it has paid off and I feel my classroom has a really positive vibe and the children are set up to thrive.

I've also gotten a boost in confidence from the way most of my former students are coming to visit me in my new class. Pretty much every day I get at least one student from the Crafty Foxes coming to see me, and frequently offer to help me (another note to self: it can't hurt to get some help getting things sorted out). It makes me feel like I must have done a good job with them if they still want to come see me (and I'm more than happy to oblige them and have a conversation with them).  I've also had several other students come into my class that I didn't teach. On Friday, a student who was mentioned in a staff meeting as having a rough time at the moment came in my room.  We had a conversation about the caterpillars for a few minutes.  She told me lots about them. It's funny how such a simple thing could make me feel like I was actually doing something worthwhile. I'm glad I had that opportunity and even more so that I took it.

Phonics Again
I had the opportunity to observe my tutor teacher again, as well as another teacher this week in phonics, as well as getting a chance to be observed and to try it on my own.  The learning curve was certainly steep, I'd say.  The biggest thing I've picked up is to get the kids comfortable and confident with saying the sounds. Lots of speaking (a comment to me during my observed lesson) and lots of actions (my observation of the other teacher) have had a big impact on the children's enthusiasm. Phonics is such a short (but important) part of the day.  It's something that will come second nature, once I've had enough practice doing it myself. Getting to watch two different experienced teachers do this has given me a good idea of what it's all about and has been more helpful than watching just one (the commonalities vs the personal flair).

Planning
With the move from year 3/4 to year 1 there has been a big change in planning (not to mention the fact that we've changed the way our planning looks at school). Sorting out the format as well as the content of my planning has been a tough task to say the least. I got loads of helpful feedback on my planning for week 2 and then a good amount for week 3 (mostly with respect to detail and making sure that any teacher could pick up my planning and know what to do).  This weekend has been full on with sorting out week 3's planning, but at the moment I have my head wrapped around it for the most part.  The next step is to start doing my planning in a more efficient manner -as that is what takes up most of my time (well, to be honest, the flipcharts take up most of my time). My plan is to chip away at things during the week - complete one subject a day, including the flip charts. That way I won't spend so much time on the weekend.

I also had a good look at some other resources this weekend (but will have to have another good look at them in the future, when I do next week's planning), including the Numeracy Project books as well as some other examples of planning given to me by my team leader.

Moving Forward
This week I've got some observations of other teachers and an observation of my teaching. I have to say I'm looking forward to getting some feedback on my teaching and to getting some ideas from other teachers. I've still got some organizational things to do in my classroom (labels on a few things), but I have had some good feedback from students (including several who aren't in my class) about how the room looks.  With the recently added fish and the caterpillars (among other things) there are several things to get the children talking in my room, and for that I'm pretty proud.

Phonics and Running Records Observations

It's been a long while since I wrote, mostly because I was exhausted at the end of last year.  More is coming, but right now, I need to get down some observations while they are fresh in my head.

Today I watched my Tutor Teacher do a short phonics lesson and later, a running record.  Generally, there was not too much that was different from my past experiences but there were a few things that were and I got several tips out of the whole thing.

Every phonics program is different and the one we're using here follows that.  The progression of activities was (and this is mostly for my memory) say the words with the same sound (in this case "ssss"), then show the cards, ask the children which sound each word makes.  After that, the children are shown the the sound and are asked to write it on the white board.  Then each word is said and the children write down the sound they hear (in this case "s") once for each time they hear it.

There were some things that were not really phonics related that were helpful as well (and perhaps things I've already seen, but it's always good to be reminded).  My TT was very clear with the students when giving instructions about using the pens and used a lot of ways of saying things (eg "Push your pen cap on until you can hear it click.") She also made sure the pens and whiteboards were down on the ground before they started and gave clear warnings as to what would happen if they played with them.

The running record example helped to clarify a few things that I was unsure (mostly what types of things I need to put in the written boxes).  Nothing really game changing that needs to be mentioned here except that I now have a better picture of what I'm doing.  It was also helpful to be observed and given pointers, as some situations that I'll encounter this year would not have happened last year with the year 3s and 4s (eg, one student just made up the story by looking at the pictures today).