Reflective Practice

This year our senior classes took our classes to have an authentic two night camp on a local marae.   Students were part of the p ō whiri and welcome onto the marae.  The only other context many of our students had was on the school welcoming groups to special assemblies.   These would often involve the kapa haka group taking the lead with the remainder of the school left to follow along. To support the children (and me too) to make the most of this fantastic opportunity, in class we learned the vocabulary, completed puzzles to help students remember the order of events.  The team leading the camp were very supportive of schools coming with a low base of marae based learning. There were teamwork activities involving paddling a waka down rapids in Kawerau, making poi, using a taiaha.  There were games played and links to local history through the carvings in the whare. My class loved playing Ki-o-rahi.  It was new and fun...and I promised w...

I had a look at my e AsTTle marking in a bit of depth because I don’t have enough to do already.  But I had a question. Why were my spelling scores low for my class? I think I found out. But I have no idea what to do with what I’ve found.   I analysed the data to help scaffold my learners to set goals based on their learning in writing.  What I found surprised me. For instance the rubric for Ideas.  There is a score for level 2, Level 4 and Level 5...but no rubric for level 3.  Why not? If I my students are at R3 it is equivalent to 2P, and R4 = 4B and and R5 = 5B.  ( I looked at each of the scores provided in the e AsTTle printout for my class. The rubric for Structure is similar.  R3=3B, R4 = 4P and R5= 5P. It is hard not to score my class above or below...especially a Year 6 student.  The Organisation rubric is fair. Each curriculum level is evident and it is 2P, 3P, 4P and 5P. Vocabulary again there is no level 3 available. ...

Links to other blogs that I have contributed to that show my reflective practice is part of my teaching journey.   https://susannelsonnztc.blogspot.com/ This is from the old format when there were 12 criteria. And my favourite blog from my year of learning through Mind Lab.  https://mindlabisahighway.blogspot.com/ The questions they presented us with to research and  to blog about were thought provoking and helped me to gain greater clarity with important parts of my teaching philosophy.  I enjoyed writing this blog and learned a lot about how I think about teaching within the context of NZ.

So I have decided to not continue using my last blog.  New pages for new standards...seems all a bit complicated really. The tags alone were a mystery.  So instead I am revamping my professional learning blog to be more of a journal where I keep my ideas online rather than in the hoards of copious notes I create when I do readings and PD etc.  It will change and develop and evolve as my ideas become more clear and we get some some professional development in this area...I'm sure it said we should work on things as a staff in the messages from the Education Council.  So until then.  I am mapping my own course.  One day I will even get my appraisal work on here.  But with names and data which are sensitive I will send a link to anyone who needs to see that.  So Ask.  I have have it...somewhere....in the abyss I call google docs. I have bits and pieces still in handwritten journals...yes I like to write my notes.  I will scan ...