Week 7 - Observing, observing, observing

Tuesday 8 April - Wednesday 9 April 

The last two days at SBL have been busy and productive. I managed to observe two quality shared writing lessons and gathered a lot of valuable information for my assignment. 
I enjoyed conducting my maths investigation and having an interview with a year 3 student on his understanding of time. It was great to be able to see what level he was at and then be able to reflect afterwards about what direction I think it would be beneficial to take him next time (if there was to be one).

Wednesday I was in a senior class that was meant to be at camp but because of the weather they weren't and had to improvise and do some camp style cooking at school! It was a fun insight to what a normal camp out might be like with a class and I already know that parent help is vital! The children's tasks for the day were to cook brunch, lunch and dessert for each of them in their team and to present their best dish to the judges. I was lucky (I think!) to be a judge with two other parents. It was great to be able to spend some time with parents. The hall was set up with 6 gas cookers and not very long into cooking breakfast the fire alarm was set off. Oops! So plan C was to take the cookers outside and under some shelter because of course it was still raining. The children did such a good job of working together, creating some decent dishes and then did a fantastic job of cleaning up. It was a busy, fun day and very tiring, but overall I really enjoyed being able to be a part of it. It was a relaxed way to chat to the children and also to talk to the parents. 

Week 6 - Absent

Tuesday April 1 - Wednesday April 2 

I was unwell and so didn't attend SBL.

Week 5 - Conditions that support learning

Tuesday 25 March - Wednesday 26 March

I feel like the wealth of information I have learnt in these past few days has been fantastic. It has been one of my best weeks as far as connecting and engaging with children and especially the teachers.

I particularly enjoyed the time we got to spend with our mentor teacher discussing what the best conditions are to support learning. A supportive learning environment includes making sure the learners are safe emotionally and physically. As the teacher you are warm and caring meaning you listen to the learners with empathy and respect. The learners understand the purpose of what they are learning (What, Why, Where, When and How). They will have the opportunity to investigate, deliberate and debate. The chance will be there for feedback and also to celebrate. All of this is wrapped up in fun and purpose! 

I learnt that it is important that the children get the chance to apply their new learning. This can be done by reading out in front of the class, getting to take it to the principal, or having it published by the teacher. It sparks encouragement and helps them to believe in themselves. 

In the classrooms I observed learning buddies and groups in action. I consider this a valuable way of creating a supportive learning environment. A couple of children I spoke to mentioned they learned best when they were able to discuss it with their peers and when they got a chance to have some fun while applying what they had learnt. 

Developing relationships with the children is so important. I know I will make special effort to get to know my learners so I can identify their needs quickly and help them out in the best way I can. 
When I see how well some teachers manage their class I often think they have eyes in the back of their heads. Maybe we get given those when we graduate.... ;) 

Some wonderful things I noticed about one teachers I had the privilege of observing was his humility and ability to admit when he was wrong. You can never underestimate the power of apologising. It makes you relatable to the children and they see you as human! Praise is always offered when appropriate and it is always related back to their school motto of Pride (for example, the teacher will praise a student for showing integrity by being honest.) 

I enjoyed observing a fitness session. It was short, sharp and lots of fun. An easy game of Simon Says was turned into little challenges and at the end of each challenge the teacher checked in with the learners to evaluate what they needed to work on. It was great! 

Week 4 - The vision.

Having planned and prepared my PE lesson in advance, I was still nervous about the approaching session. I think it was a combination of not having seen the children for 5 days and lack of confidence in myself. I find that a little hard to deal with as right now in the stage I am at in my life, I am very sure about where I am at. However, I took it as extra adrenaline to bring energy and excitement to my lesson. Some kind words from my MT made me remember that I am only just beginning to learn how to do this.
I was fortunate enough to be able to observe my peer take her PE lesson before mine. She was very good at "dancing in the moment" during her lesson and adapted some of her games to keep the children engaged. It was quite hot out so she encouraged them as the time went on by telling them they didn't have too long to go before they could run off for a drink and head back inside.

When I gathered my group for our lesson, I immediately felt at ease when I saw them. I have developed relationships with my group and it was a great feeling to get excited to be taking them out again.
This week I was more prepared and had set up my equipment and boundaries before we went outside. I made sure to deliver some expectations to the children before we went out and then when we arrived outside. I drew out the time we spent on each skill practising activity which allowed me more time to gather data on their skill levels. All learners had improved from last week's lesson which was neat to see. Overall the lesson went well, the learners had fun and we were back inside before the heat got too much.

I enjoyed spending some solid time in a year 3 and 4 class. It was particularly neat to be an active help during an afternoon exercise of planting some seeds in cd cases. I get immense enjoyment from speaking to the children and getting to know each unique individual. It is a privileged position we as teachers get to be in and I take pride in making sure I don't take that for granted. Watching children understand and then grow even more is just so special.

Week 3 - Organisation and management in Health and PE

This week at SBL (and EIT) has been particularly challenging for me. I was nervous about taking my first planned PE lesson and was feeling overwhelmed with worry that I wouldn't know what to do or say. I was stressing out that I wouldn't know the right things to say to the children the way I have observed the teachers at my placement school speak.
However, the lesson went okay and the learners seemed to have fun, which was what I was hoping for in the least. I made sure to repeat what we were out there to practise and achieve and then to re-cap with them when we had finished. I learnt that to begin with you cannot be over prepared. I will also make sure to have my area and equipment set up before we head out and to find a quiet space to chat to the learners about expectations and boundaries.
It was really helpful that we were able to observe Mrs X take her year 3 & 4 students out the day before. I learnt some handy tips for taking PE lessons like having the children sit in the shade so the sun isn't in their face and therefore they will be more likely to pay attention to you speaking. At the end of the lesson asking the children how they think they did is also beneficial. It keeps them engaged and gives you as a teacher a better idea of what stage they are at with that skill.

I really enjoyed spending time in a year 1 and 2 class. The teacher appreciated having the extra hands to help the children with their writing and reading and I was thrilled to be able to actually make a difference in some children's learning. The teacher had organised the class into learning levels for reading, writing and maths. This made it easier to organise the day and to know what the children will be doing, for both the teacher and them. It is a great way to manage a class.

 

 

The learning buddy system encourages the learners to foster positive relationships with one another and help each other learn. It is definately something I would like to implement in my classroom one day.

 

I appreciate the time we get to spend with our mentor teacher. She really helps to smooth out all that we are learning and need to apply. We discussed what professionalism is and how we should apply it in school and made mind maps to refer back to. I have also decided my extra curricular activity will be taking a line dancing group starting in term two. Very excited about that!

So overall I had a challenging, but again, a very rewarding and extensive learning week. I'm looking forward to next week's challenges!

 



Week 2 of SBL

What were the highlights?

I loved seeing the children again. It feels great to have already developed a relationship with some even if it has been brief. What I enjoyed most this week was experiencing a whole day in just the one class but then having different ages each day. It allowed me to see different ways teachers approach their lessons based on the age group they have. I especially enjoyed the fact that the first teacher I was observing really made me feel like a part of their class for the day and involved with helping the children learn.
My second day at SBL I saw many teaching techniques that I would like to incorporate into my own classes one day. I liked that the teachers manner was calm, sincere and his instructions were clear and concise. The learners understood what they were about to do and why. I also like that when the teacher was correcting the learners on an issue he linked it back to PRIDE. I noticed this deepened their understanding.
I especially enjoyed seeing the beginning of a Kapa Haka session.

What were the challenges?

With a class so on to it and organised as my class I was lucky enough to be in on the second day, there wasn't an awful lot to help out with. It was hard just sitting there with nothing to do for awhile but at the end of the day it wasn't for that long.
I found helping out during a Maths session a little bit challenging but actually found out I learned a lot in the end. Teaching children to actually learn how to do an equation is a lot more of a task than just showing them how it's done. If you don't make sure they understand how they got the answer you risk the chance of them not retaining the information.

What did I learn?

It is so important to understand and know what it is you want the learners to get out of a lesson.
Learning buddies is a great system.
Giving positive reinforcement to one learner, and letting them know why they are receiving it, helps the other learners in the class by giving them a guidline of the requirements.
Getting the learners to rate how well they think they are doing on a certain subject allows them responsibility for their own learning and along side that teaches them 'Integrity' by requiring them to be honest so they get the most out of their learning.

My first two days of School Based Learning

What were the highlights?

Meeting the children in each class was my biggest and favourite highlight. As soon as we walked into the first class room on our tour I felt at ease and knew in my heart that I am on the right path.
There are a lot of classes in our school so it was great to see so many different ways of structuring and operating a class room.
I really enjoyed reading a story to a small group of year twos. They were attentive and curious and also enjoyed telling us random facts about themselves when something in the story triggered a memory. The children seemed to enjoy the story.
I was pleased when on the second day I got to take a group for reading, assist a group writing a story and then go through marking it with them and also got the chance to help a young boy one on one with some maths he wasn't quite getting the hang of. I noticed when I praised him on what he was doing well he became more open to trying the more difficult questions. He responded well to me after a little bit of chat about his new baby brother and started to engage and actually understand how we got to the answers.

What were the challenges?

Taking a small group for a game was a brand new challenge for me. I had prepared a game to play with them and made sure I knew the rules and expectations but translating that into reality was definitely different. I learnt that right from the start, before the game has even begun, you need to communicate the boundaries, the rules and what the purpose is. I will also be making sure I get a whistle and if I forget to take that I need to decide on a signal that will bring the game back in control. It is so helpful if you know the kids names too. It will be great when we know them better.

What did I learn?

You are reflecting on the spot 24/7. You need to be engaged with those children and aware of what is going for them so you can step back and change the way you are approaching a lesson if necessary. You need a lot of common sense and listening to what your gut instinct says is important.
It is BUSY. It is tiring. It is challenging and never the same. Most of all it is immensely rewarding and there is no other work I would rather do!

Values and beliefs

As a person I value open communication and honesty in all areas of my life so I believe in my role as a teacher this will be key to how I approach my student, parent and co-worker relationships. I am empathetic and accepting of all races and cultures so this will allow me to look at the bigger picture and approach each situation with the necessary care.

My first reflection

The first week and a half here at EIT has been challenging and exciting. I have been ready for this for a long time now so I was just pleased we were finally kicking things off.
It was great to meet to my fellow classmates and I was even happier to find out they were all a diverse bunch of people and all lovely.
The information has been coming at us at a steady stream often feeling quite overwhelming! However a lot of it has been about all of the support that is readily available to us so that has settled my nerves a bit. From here on I am looking forward to getting stuck into my assignments, getting involved in different aspects of EIT and growing more as a candidate teacher.

Until next time xoxo