22nd February 2013

Renaissance (noun): The spirit, culture, art, science, and thought of this cultural period. Characteristics of the Renaissance are usually considered to include a sense of individual human potentialities.

Only my third week in class, and I feel like it’s been so much longer in so many ways. I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking about this post, and what I wanted to write.

Right now, I feel like I’m undergoing a type of renaissance in my mind. Certainly, I’m becoming so much more aware of who I am, what I believe in, and why I do the things I do. I think that’s a wonderful thing, and I’m really glad it’s happening. If I’m not fully aware of what motivates me, and drives my behaviour as a teacher and person, I can’t truly be self-accountable.

Over the past few weeks, I have begun taking more responsibility for my own learning, which has involved communicating clearly about the type of learner I am (a top down, visual processor of information) and what I need in order to learn effectively (an explicit overall structure/timetable and clear expectations/roles of me as a student within that). At times, I've felt it’s been quite difficult to do. I’ve felt really guilty that I’m causing other people to be annoyed with me, or that I’ve asked them for something that means work for them that they don’t want/need. Or that I'm asking for something with reasoning that they don't quite understand/agree with. I’ve also felt really overwhelmed and scared, because I’m so frightened of failing in something that means so much to me. It has made me come very close to walking away from something that deep down, I know I’d love to do and might even be really good at.

My learning experience came this week from an amazing little student in my class. This beautiful little man has some significant difficulties in communicating, motor planning and moving which means he has to work so much harder than some of his peers, just to be on a level playing field. Combined with a less than perfect home life, one might forgive him for not being very passionate about school, learning and even life. Yet not once have these factors stopped him. This amazing little boy contributes to the lesson every time, and advocates for himself with a gusto that I find inspirational. When he struggles, and isn’t understood, he doesn’t give up. He simply asks, and asks until someone finally helps him. Sometimes he uses a loud voice, especially when he believes it's important! He has perseverance, and a strong self-belief that he will reach his outcome. He is so happy, and so vibrant.

And then it hit me. I’m watching this little boy, and admiring these qualities in him. Why do I feel like I can’t admire some of those qualities in myself? It’s something I’d be proud of my own child achieving, and something I hope I can inspire my future students to do.

Certainly, I’ve realised that taking responsibility for your own learning might mean needing to self-advocate, to ensure that you receive the educational experience you were looking for, and that you deserve. That people give you information in a way YOU understand. It doesn’t mean having an unrealistic expectation that everything needs to be perfect, or ‘go your way’, rather, that you have clear goals of what you want to achieve, and what you are prepared to do/accept in order to achieve them. It also doesn’t necessarily mean you advocate to others. Sometimes, as strange as it sounds, you need to advocate to yourself, for yourself too…

So, this week, I can say that I learnt some very powerful things that I believe will serve me incredibly well as a teacher:

• If I don’t have faith in myself, how can I expect my students to have faith in me either?
• Taking responsibility for yourself and your own learning journey is not always easy, and that self-advocating and negotiating is okay.
• That just because you have had a tough upbringing, it doesn’t mean you can’t be happy and achieve your goals alongside everyone else. No excuses.
• That it’s important I respect and listen to my students when they advocate/attempt to advocate for themselves. This will help to reinforce to them, that they are worthy of being heard.

I've mentioned before that I really believe in the importance of teacher-student relationships. After reflection this week, I also believe that defining and encouraging self-advocacy to a student (of any age) is a vital component in building strong, authentic rapport. Finally, I don't think self-advocation needs to be seen as troublesome in the classroom. When taught the right way, it can provide the student with the opportunity to be responsible for themselves, and to have a sense of ownership, and control over their learning. 

And I think that's a wonderful gift to teach.

15th February 2013

I can't do this reflection post without first explaining some of the events that happened to me over the past week or so.....

This week has still been about settling into a classroom routine. For the students, teachers, and mentees! After feeling quite lost, and a little like a fish out of water, I finally received a copy of the class timetable for the room I'm in. Then I found out it was for DOTT times only. After some more asking, I received a copy of my class daily timetable, so I can now anticipate what lessons are coming, which is really helpful for planning my observations, especially in other classrooms. I can't wait to also see some of my mentor's plans for daily activities and what programs/formats she uses (ie. daily workpad). As yet, I'm not sure if they are completed, as she said she would send them to me when they were finished. After speaking with another residency student, I also discovered that the school also has a specific 'Planning & Curriculum Development' manual, (her mentor had given her a copy in the first week). Once I knew this was available, I was able to ask for it. Although the teachers in my class did not have a copy of the one for this year, one of the teachers in the room located an older copy for me. It was incredibly useful, and helped me to understand how the teachers plan their goals and activities for the year/week. The school takes the curriculum, goes through it, and then sets specific goals/targets for each year that the teachers must try and achieve in literacy, science and numeracy (this area is still be finalised). This year, many of the goals (especially in literacy) are set above the national benchmark.

I also found last week, (and a little this week) that with such a large class (and with the EA often out of the room preparing resources/running a guided reading group etc) that I was unable to observe a core literacy session that involved guided reading which I needed to do for my learning booklet. The teachers would break away into groups of four (each with 3-5 students) and I was left to manage/assist the remaining three tables (approx 18 children) who were to carry out an independent silent reading/activity. I understand that behaviour management of large groups of children is a skill I need to learn, but I felt disappointed that I was missing valuable chances to purely observe before I needed to start practicing.

Also, I discussed with my mentor last Thursday that I would be happy to carry out some speech screens on a Monday (in my own study time, not in practicum time), and she was going to do up a list of children she was concerned about. When I arrived on Monday, and mentioned to my Mentor I was there to do the articulation screens, I was asked instead to manage the large group of children during guided reading again, alongside get their lunches ready. I then reminded the other teachers that I was not there for practicum, and they said they had ran out of time for screens, as it was lunch! I managed one 10 minute screen, the children had lunch, and I was then asked to bring them back from lunch. I mentioned again to my mentor that I was there to carry out screens, but my mentor said she forgot about it, and that she didn't realise I wasn't in on a Monday for practicum. After a few hours, I decided to leave. I was asked by another teacher in the class about carrying out some screens on my practicum days, to make up for the missed screening opportunity on Monday but I declined.

Because I am still finding my feet, and trying to figure out how the three teachers in my room work, (alongside my site supervisor and principal), I was really reluctant to advocate for my needs over theirs, as they all seemed so busy & unable to help me. I was looking for some guidance, and I didn't find it. I wasn't able to meet with my site supervisor in the first week (she emailed us a list of questions direct from the professional learning booklet that we needed to answer instead). I desperately wanted to ask if there was any way I could be mentored within school hours instead of after school, if I could have had a copy of the policies and procedures manual for the school, if someone could show me where the toilet/photocopier/library was (or even give me a quick tour of the school), if I could be linked up to the school intranet, if I could have a class timetable, and if I could see some of the class planning documents! It was upsetting, overwhelming, and more than a little frustrating. I needed some guidance, and for someone to take initiative, maybe even just for a week, until I found my feet, and had a sense of structure.

And then, amidst all the overwhelming anxiety and uncertainty, the principal gave me permission to advocate for myself without fearing the consequences. It didn't solve all of my problems, but it made the greatest difference to how I was feeling.

Upon reflection, the experiences I've had over the past week, have made me understand how a young child must feel, walking into a classroom; not knowing what to expect, not understanding 'the rules', and wanting desperately to fit in and do well. How scary and overwhelming it must be when that child knows they are missing chunks of information (or that they don't understand) but they don't know what to ask for in order to fix it. I now also really understand why I need to build strong rapport with children as a teacher, to be approachable, so that the child feels comfortable in telling me how they are feeling. Even if it's not positive. In addition, I need to give children the permission to advocate for themselves by setting up appropriate channels of communication where they can ask for things from me without being fearful of the consequences.

I also fully appreciate now why a classroom environment/structure is so instrumental to effective teaching, and how it's vital to make sure that information is given in a systematic, and explicit way. Why, as a teacher, I cannot assume that a child has gained background knowledge on a skill/subject from another teacher/parent, or that he/she will remember a detail that I never made clear was important. How something so simple as knowing where the toilet/library is can make a big impact on how 'safe' a person feels in their environment.

In view of this week, and after handing in my assignment on 'effective teaching' I then asked myself:

As a future teacher, what could/would I do to hopefully avoid/improve a scenario where a child might feel overwhelmed or lost?

So I started a checklist of things I'd aim for (in no particular order):

1. I will set a course. By creating a strong routine in the classroom from the first week, I will hopefully provide a stability and framework for children to feel secure, and begin their learning from. I will try very hard to ensure that this routine is made visual/clear for both parents and children to see (ie in the classroom window or near the entry point). I will use a visual schedule for young/special needs children who can't read the timetable. Hopefully, this will provide a stability and an overriding framework for children to feel secure, and begin their learning from. This is especially true for 'top down' or visual learners.

2. I will create a communication book for parents, and a communication box for question/worries that the students would like to ask me. I will check this every day when I do have the time to read and reflect upon them. I will explain to the children that no question/concern is wrong, and that I very much value what both children/parents have to say. This feedback from children/parents partly feeds into to my concept of 'self-accountability'. It tells me what I'm doing well, what I need to explain better, and how I can assist my class in achieving their learning outcomes.

3. I will set up a strong behaviour management policy (in adherence to my school's behaviour management policy) with language (and gesture if appropriate) that the children understand. I will run through this (alongside what we are doing for the day) in the morning mat session. This will hopefully provide a boundary and contribute to a safe classroom climate where students feel they can learn within.

4. I will send newsletters home (initially with a term timetable) every fortnight to touch base with parents, and let them know of any events/changes/noteworthy news. This also allows them to be aware of the classroom workings, and provides a connection from school to home so the child can transition more easily.

5. I will make my teachings explicit from the beginning. I will let children know the skill they are working to achieve and WHY it's important. I will say it, and write it. And in the beginning, I will not rub my examples/workings off of the board until I know the children are confident in the overall structure and purpose of the task.

6. I will make time to assess my students formally and informally so I know who they are, and where they are at in terms of of skill development in areas. I will find out which hand dominance they have, what style of learning they have, and what they believe they excel in. I will also ask them what they want to learn and why. If they are comfortable in doing so, I will listen when they tell me about their home life.

7. As much as I can, I will give my students a 'place' in the classroom. Their own space to feel safe within and work from. I would anticipate it would be a desk, but if that's not possible, maybe a drawer space, or set place on the mat that has their name. I believe having their own 'space' contributes to the student feeling like they belong to the learning environment I would be trying to create.

And that's all I have so far....but I feel like this is an important list to have, so I'm going to keep it, and add to it as I go. Hopefully, one day in the future I can achieve every single one of them.

3rd February 2013

 I really love this quote. And I kept thinking about it this week, as I pondered some of the valuable experiences I've had, and situations I was lucky to observe.

I've been lucky enough this week to have been given the most incredible amount of valuable information, and I just don't know where to start in terms of organising and utilising it! It's all swirling about in my head.

I have never been to a workplace like the one I entered this week. The staff were amazing, and the culture they have created was one of belonging. It was welcoming, respectful, and the dialogue was open, and explicit. The Principal has created a system/team that fully encourages the sharing of knowledge, and further learning. It is expected that staff use an explicit learning approach, and that their teaching practices be assessed/provided with feedback to further develop their own learning journey's. There was a very clear,specific vision for the direction of the school, but also an understanding/offer of the support structures necessary to achieve the high expectations set on teachers.

I wanted to apply for a job on the spot.

My practicum classroom is quite unusual. One large room, 60 children, and three teachers, with one EA. It was an invaluable experience to see the creative planning of the room layout (there isn't enough room for each student to have their own desk/chair), and to watch the teacher's negotiate how best to achieve learning goals, and communicate effectively and cohesively with each other in front of the children. I can't wait to see it all in practice over time.

From the beginning, behaviour management was key. Rules were established from the very first mat session, and reinforced at assembly. Due to there being sixty children, and one classroom, noise has to be kept to a minimum, so there is much signing, and encouraging the children to sign, as opposed to calling out and talking. This was monitored very strictly with a 'traffic light' system. The management of such a large group is also maintained from the entry points to the classroom. Children are divided into several groups; one from the door they enter from in the morning (which also dictates where their bags are placed, and when they attend music/science), and three different groups (colours) for art lesson rotation. I did draw up a floor plan to add to my journal, but my scanner is not playing nice, so it will have to wait to be added.

The first day was also lots of fun! I checked off at least a hundred thousand stationary supplies (no, I'm not exaggerating...I don't want to see another HB writing pencil for the rest of the year), and got to watch behaviour management implementation from the get-go. I even tried out a couple of management techniques I learnt in the intensives (eye-contact, proximity, and gesture). I had to stifle a little giggle at how well proximity works on year one students (does it wear off, I wonder?). I also held a 'Simon Says' mini mat session whilst the teaching staff organised some tasks, and I got to observe a couple of informal reading assessments too.

The assessments really got me thinking about a few things. They were held in a class full of children, moving about and talking. It must be very difficult for teachers to have ideal conditions/time to carry out an assessment, and if the conditions were not ideal, then how representative is the assessment of a child's full abilities? How, as a teacher, will I get around this? And will the assessments I carry out tell me about a child's strengths too? Planning lessons to a child's strengths makes it easier to build scaffolding for learning new information. We know children hold multiple intelligences in varying strengths/combinations, and thus it feels important to me to have that kind of understanding of a child too. I wonder if that's something I will just build as I get to know the children better. I just wouldn't want to lose them/their motivation to learn before that happened.

Part of the assessment I observed also relied on a child's expressive language to explain what the book was about (i.e. to check reading comprehension). It made me think of a situation where a child may have dyspraxia, an expressive language difficulty, word finding difficulties and/or high anxiety levels. These issues may not necessarily impact on their reading comprehension, but would affect their ability to verbally express the meaning they've just gained from the text. Will they get a lower score than they actually deserve, and will this mean they might be placed in a group that doesn't challenge them adequately? I can see how this would be a a potentially significant issue for a teacher. I really need to make sure as a teacher, that a child is working in their own 'zone of proximal development'...but if the assessment I'm using has limitations, and there is limited time allocated for formal assessment (ie. no repeated tests), then what other options will I have to get a representative sample?

On another note, I saw two children in the room who cried today, from what looked like really high levels of anxiety. One apparently cries whenever it's writing time; he looked defeated before he'd even begun on the writing task. He's only in Year One. It was really difficult for me to see this, and it got me thinking about the podcast from Lorraine that I listened to before intensives started...about the high levels of adrenalin affecting learning, and our ability to retain information long time. Teacher's are not trained Mental Health Workers, or Psychologists...and the wait lists for these services in an education setting (especially after Kindy & Pre-Primary) are very long; that's if a child is eligible in the first place.

 So what would I do?

 I found myself wanting to know why he was so upset...was it a matter of some postural/sensory support? Motor memory/programming/planning? Strength? Lack of confidence? As a future teacher of over 20 children (who may not be in a school as supportive as the one I'm in)...will I have time/skills to assess a child like him, and link him in with other services if I needed to? Would a parent actually be willing to engage with other services, even if I could manage the first step? How would I bring it up? Will I learn what are the referral criteria/red flags for various services (Speech/OT/Psychology/DCP), and what the formal referral processes are? And whilst a child is on the wait list...what would I do in the meantime to best support him?

Well, I think that's enough writing, and questions! I have a pile of notes I wrote from the Staff P.D days about the specifics of a classroom set up, social skills programs, and explicit instruction, but I'd like to re-read and research some of them further before I reflect on them. Plus I need to catch up on some unit reading!

Where does the time go...?