Today I got to see a year 0 maths lesson with children working at stage 2. There were several things that the teacher did that I would like to take away.
Firstly, there were a variety of activities and the pace was pretty quick (though it didn't seem rushed). He first had them identify digits to 20, then had them count (using the flip board), then had them make sets of objects to 20, then pointed to numbers on the flip board and had them say them, then asked them to find the numbers on the flip board. So there were many skills that were needed for the children.
I had a look through the modeling book that he was using and I feel that I have been doing similar things lately (since the Maths PD we had a week or two ago), but that confirms what I've been doing. There were lots of cut outs glued in and lots of drawings.
The teacher also used counters (or in this case little plastic people) for the children to count, including using a counting tray. I have been using manipulatives, but I could be using a bit more. I will make an effort to use physical objects in my teaching in the future.
At the end of the lesson he also used the thumb stickers to have the children self assess how well they did. Each of them chose their own sticker and put it in the modeling book. This would be a useful addition to my lessons.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Activboard Training
Today I had activboard training after school. It was the first part of the training, of which I had the second part last year. Though I knew most of the things we went over today, there were a few new things that we did and I would like to start using in my new flipcharts.
Things I learned and could potentially use:
- Draw word on board. Undo one letter at a time, redo to see it again.
- Draw in white to get children's attention. Use fill tool to "reveal" writing.
- To delete, just click on an object, then click on the trash can.
- Embedding buttons onto a page (e.g. reset) so that children do not have to look for it on the toolbar.
- Turning off the box that comes up when a sound plays.
- Recording a sound on the disk and not just on the flipchart (so it can be used in iMovie).
Things I learned and could potentially use:
- Draw word on board. Undo one letter at a time, redo to see it again.
- Draw in white to get children's attention. Use fill tool to "reveal" writing.
- To delete, just click on an object, then click on the trash can.
- Embedding buttons onto a page (e.g. reset) so that children do not have to look for it on the toolbar.
- Turning off the box that comes up when a sound plays.
- Recording a sound on the disk and not just on the flipchart (so it can be used in iMovie).
Monday, March 4, 2013
Nikki Knight Talk
Today we had some Maths PD done by Nikki Knight. She talked about Modelling Books, Reflection Questions and Diagnostic Questions.
We looked at all of these things in depth and I took a lot out of this that I want to start using in my classroom.
For the most part my modelling books aren't bad. I'm putting in the dates and WALTs and who's there, but there are a few things missing. I knew they could be better, but today's session showed me some ideas that I'd like to use. For example, I saw some modelling books where students cut and pasted work in the book and where the teacher took pictures of the students working. Going through the Numeracy Project Books (the new Book 5) also gave me a really good resource for some diagnostic questions to use.
In discussions with other teachers we also talked about some interesting ways to do reflective questions after maths lessons (as opposed to just practicing the things they've learned). I'm hoping to get a set of questions to ask students at the end of maths every day and get that up and running by the end of the week as that is not a difficult thing to do. In fact, I'm going to go do that now.
I'm also going to look to make the activities/questions more relevant to the children. Looking at my modelling books (and thinking about what I've been doing), I realize I haven't been doing that as much as I could be.
I feel a bit energized to improve my maths lessons at the moment so the next step is to go and actually do some (or all) of these things).
We looked at all of these things in depth and I took a lot out of this that I want to start using in my classroom.
For the most part my modelling books aren't bad. I'm putting in the dates and WALTs and who's there, but there are a few things missing. I knew they could be better, but today's session showed me some ideas that I'd like to use. For example, I saw some modelling books where students cut and pasted work in the book and where the teacher took pictures of the students working. Going through the Numeracy Project Books (the new Book 5) also gave me a really good resource for some diagnostic questions to use.
In discussions with other teachers we also talked about some interesting ways to do reflective questions after maths lessons (as opposed to just practicing the things they've learned). I'm hoping to get a set of questions to ask students at the end of maths every day and get that up and running by the end of the week as that is not a difficult thing to do. In fact, I'm going to go do that now.
I'm also going to look to make the activities/questions more relevant to the children. Looking at my modelling books (and thinking about what I've been doing), I realize I haven't been doing that as much as I could be.
I feel a bit energized to improve my maths lessons at the moment so the next step is to go and actually do some (or all) of these things).
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Reading Observation
Today I got to observe a reading tumble in another class. I stayed for the whole time in the room so I could see all the aspects of the reading. I picked up on several things that I liked and could improve in my own practice and I also saw a lot of things I've been doing - so I'm on the right track :)
The similarities between our programs include some of the pre-reading activties and some of the strategies the teacher used with the guided group. The two activities I saw were a matching activity (a picture of animals and what they eat) and a drawing activity (draw animals that jump) and I've been doing similar things. What was slightly different was the follow up. The one group that did a follow up activity made some hats (their book was about hats).
I also saw some little things being done on the teaching table that I have been doing in my class. Often, the teacher would start the sentence they were reading and would stop when she got to a hard word. She would ask a question about how she could figure it out, usually by looking at the pictures. I've been doing this to a degree, but she added another level of support in there by going over each picture BEFORE reading the page. This is something I don't do, and need to start doing. She also did some things that I wouldn't have even thought to do. For each group she had one or two words that she focused on (I've actually picked more, but I like this idea better). She made the word with magnetic letters and then wrote it down on a card. She did a few activities around this and at the end she had them put the cards in their bookbags so they could practice at home. Doing this is something I want to start immediately, which shouldn't be much of a problem seeing as I have all of the materials needed (and I'm trying to focus on words already).
Another thing I saw (and I've already increased my efforts to achieve this) is that the children were very independent in the class. They read their own tumbles and were able to sort themselves out easily and without much fuss. I think I've been babying my students a bit much and I need to teach them how to sort themselves out on their own. I already went over the tumbles with the children twice after this and helped them read it, so hopefully I can get them self sufficient quickly. Some of this also has to do with the way she's organized her resources and I will need to get on top of that a bit more, as most of my activities do not yet have a home.
The actual tumble activities were similar so I feel that I'm on the right track there. I saw a different site for games today (Literactive) and I'm going to look at that and add it to my list of games for kids to play. This can be made a bit easier by setting up some pages on my blog. Perhaps with pictures as links.
I got a lot of ideas today with this observation, but at the same time, it did show me the similarities between my reading program and hers. As my yearly goal is this, I hope to be able to integrate several of these changes in the next week or two and more beyond that. I also look forward to getting a chance to see other classrooms and to take things from their guided reading programs to use in mine.
The similarities between our programs include some of the pre-reading activties and some of the strategies the teacher used with the guided group. The two activities I saw were a matching activity (a picture of animals and what they eat) and a drawing activity (draw animals that jump) and I've been doing similar things. What was slightly different was the follow up. The one group that did a follow up activity made some hats (their book was about hats).
I also saw some little things being done on the teaching table that I have been doing in my class. Often, the teacher would start the sentence they were reading and would stop when she got to a hard word. She would ask a question about how she could figure it out, usually by looking at the pictures. I've been doing this to a degree, but she added another level of support in there by going over each picture BEFORE reading the page. This is something I don't do, and need to start doing. She also did some things that I wouldn't have even thought to do. For each group she had one or two words that she focused on (I've actually picked more, but I like this idea better). She made the word with magnetic letters and then wrote it down on a card. She did a few activities around this and at the end she had them put the cards in their bookbags so they could practice at home. Doing this is something I want to start immediately, which shouldn't be much of a problem seeing as I have all of the materials needed (and I'm trying to focus on words already).
Another thing I saw (and I've already increased my efforts to achieve this) is that the children were very independent in the class. They read their own tumbles and were able to sort themselves out easily and without much fuss. I think I've been babying my students a bit much and I need to teach them how to sort themselves out on their own. I already went over the tumbles with the children twice after this and helped them read it, so hopefully I can get them self sufficient quickly. Some of this also has to do with the way she's organized her resources and I will need to get on top of that a bit more, as most of my activities do not yet have a home.
The actual tumble activities were similar so I feel that I'm on the right track there. I saw a different site for games today (Literactive) and I'm going to look at that and add it to my list of games for kids to play. This can be made a bit easier by setting up some pages on my blog. Perhaps with pictures as links.
I got a lot of ideas today with this observation, but at the same time, it did show me the similarities between my reading program and hers. As my yearly goal is this, I hope to be able to integrate several of these changes in the next week or two and more beyond that. I also look forward to getting a chance to see other classrooms and to take things from their guided reading programs to use in mine.
Monday, February 25, 2013
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:
To develop an effective guided reading programme for year one students
Breaking it down, my plan of action is thus far:
- Observe other teachers during guided reading, reflecting on what they are doing that is effective. Integrating those effective practices into my own teaching.
- Seek and complete readings to help further develop activities to complete with children in small groups.
- Look for and provide quality, level and age appropriate, interesting texts in the classroom through discussions with other teachers as well as children.
- Make a list of all tumble activities currently being used.
- Observe and discuss with other teachers what tumble activities they are using. Research other potential activities via teaching journals, the Internet and other sources.
- Attempt a variety of different activities and reflecting upon their effectiveness, re-using, modifying or getting rid of where appropriate.
- Change activities throughout the year as children’s achievement improves and to avoid boredom.
- 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.
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.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
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.
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.
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