2016! It's flying by...

2016!
This year is going so fast that I already feel as though I'm trying to catch up. Term one is almost coming to end and it feels as though it is my first year all over again.  Although I am definitely more relaxed about the amount of work that is required because I know more this year, It is still very overwhelming.

The part that sticks out the most so far this year is how different my class is from last year. I have stayed with the same year level so in my head that meant that I would be able to run my class in a very similar way to last year. First mistake for the year and it was a big one.  I am an organised person and felt that I was ready to go.  I was ready to go, but my children were not. They are so much younger than my class from last year and could not handle they level of work or the way it was being presented to them.  I used google docs often to send children work and they were on a self directed programme. Even though I introduced it slowly and in very small chunks, they were still not able to manage themselves. 
WEEK 5 is when I felt it all fall apart. It was just not working at all. The children were not achieving and I had not set them up for success. While this may seem like a negative, it was actually a huge positive. I recognised that what I was doing was not working. I could see where I needed to go but my main problem was that I couldn't see for the life of me, how to get there. I just couldn't see it. So, this led to conversations...with a variety of different people about a number of different things. 
I spent a number of hours talking with my collaborative 'buddy' about how she runs her programme and took a few ideas from there. Then I spent time talking with my team leader, she was able to give me a few ideas and so was my mentor. With a week full of talking about how I could change my programme I took the weekend to make some pretty large changes. I stripped my whole programme back to basics. Back to whole class teaching, all doing the same things at the same time. There are a handful of students who could possibly handle self directed learning but most can't. My next step is to figure out a way that some students can be planning their own day where others will not. Or maybe they can plan certain parts of their day. This part is still a little unclear for me but I can definitely see the way I need to go now. Baby steps in the right direction and checking progress as I go.  On top of that...
The thought of testing 29 children in three curriculum areas and reporting on every single one of them is freaking me out slightly but I am trying not to think about it too much just yet.

As the end of term becomes ever so close, I am reminded to think about all the things that I have been doing and not to focus on the things that haven't worked or that I haven't done.  

My first year is officially over

It's hard to believe that I have now been a teacher for a year.

This year has been full of ups and downs, trials and triumphs...but I made it, and so did the students in my class.

My biggest learning this year has been that you can't do everything at once and that if you try, you end up getting less done and the quality is less than desirable.  At times I really struggled with this because as the terms went on I felt like I should have been able to do more than I was. However, I was surrounded by people who encouraged me and told me to stay realistic about what is really achievable in a week.  This has been a very positive experience and the nature of the school and the people that make up the school have had a huge bearing on this.

The students though, are what make a classroom what it is.  I have been very lucky this year and the relationships within my classroom have been amazing. The families have been beautiful to work with and the children have responded well to me as a new teacher.  I have also had a very close relationship with my co-teacher, Belinda. She has been a crucial part of my year being as successful as it has been. Belinda was able to fill in the gaps that were left because of my inexperience or lack of knowledge in certain areas. Usually that was in the area of school procedures and events that have run for a long time with in the school. Unfortunately she is off to the south island next year and that will leave a rather large hole.  It's been such an honour to work alongside her and I have learned so much from her.

There have been many times where I have thought that maybe working part time was a cop out and that really, I should be working full time. On reflection I can see that it was absolutely the best way to go for me. It's not what I wanted at the time but it's what was on offer and I knew I needed to get my foot into whatever door I could. It has been great experience for me and given me time to ease back into working.  I have a daughter and I need to make sure that she is still getting the attention she needs.  I am a Mum first, a teacher second and that needs to stay that way.  I have had time to rest, soak in what I have learned and be the best I can be at this point in time.  As time goes on I will take on more responsibility with in the school context and this will be another learning curve. The learning will never stop, that is also something that has become very clear.

I have managed to do most things well this year and I'm pleased with the way I have finished. I've finished knowing that I have a full time permanent position to come back to in 2016.  The thought of having my own class to manage with out a second person is daunting but I do feel ready for the challenge.  

Term four brings flood of new learning...

Ready, set, GO!!!
As the beginning of the end has come upon me, I begin to see why term four is deemed CRAZY. 
Thankfully, I have been armed with a timetable that includes all of the testing that needs to be carried out over this next 9 weeks.  Many of these tests I have not ever done before for various reasons so it looks a little daunting at first glance.  I know that it will all be okay but it's always a little nerve wracking the first time.  
After a successful three terms I am excited to enter into this last stage of the year. As I have started to look at where some of the children are sitting, I can see the progress they have made and it makes me smile. There are children who have come along in leaps and bounds and seem to have found there place in the world. There are others who still have a lot of work to do but they also have still had a great year so far.  
The next few weeks will be busy assessing students and I really enjoy this part. It's a great opportunity to really chat with each person and find out from their perspective how they are doing.  Some of the quietest children open up and share what they find hard or what they would like more help with. It's a chance to give some positive praise when there is no one else around and only they are important in that moment. I'm looking forward to seeing what else we can achieve in this last few weeks. 

Nearing the end of Term 3...

Challenge is around every corner...
As the end of the term approaches I find that everyday still continues to bring something new.  No day is like any other and that has both positive and negatives to it. As the year has progressed I can see the growth in both my personal and professional life.  When I look back at how I felt, how I spoke and even how I carried myself I can see a big change, a positive change.  This week I attended the PRT course on inclusive classrooms.  I always find these days interesting and always come away with something, whether it was something from the actual course content itself or just from conversations with other beginning teachers.  This time around I came away feeling incredibly lucky to be in the school I am.  Some of the other teachers in the room seem to be having a really difficult time, whether it was the school, their mentor or the other teachers around them.  I have had such a great start and am in a school where beginning teachers are valued just as much as the teachers who have been here for many years.  I think in part it can come down to attitude and also being aware that the relationship needs to be happening both ways.  The old saying "it is what you make it," or "you get out what you put in" are quite valid when I think about some of the situations others were talking about.  I went into the day wanting to get a clearer picture of what needs to be in my evidence folder.  I walked away feeling as though I have definitely covered all areas that I need to and will continue to just carry on in the same way.  

Parents...a big challenge!
I have a classroom full of lovely children and lovely families...but there is always one. 
I had my first difficult parent meeting last night and again was in a situation where I was extremely glad to be in a job share position and have my co-teacher there with me at the time for support.  I actually felt very proud of the way I handled it and came away from the meeting with a great result.  The parent, who was very upset and had a lot to say, left calm, satisfied and with some strategies that we can all use for this child in the classroom and at home. I have found that this term the children are starting to get very tired and their behaviour definitely starting to show in some children that hadn't reared it's ugly head until now. This being said, we are all tired and it's even more vital to stay focussed on what matters, stay calm and deal with each child in the best way for them.  The children are at the centre of this whole journey and I want to care for each of them in the good times and the hard...I am getting to experience the hard at the moment but I know that will only make the good times even better in the future. 

Term Three is already here...

The days and weeks have passed by so quickly that it is hard to believe what we still need to get through this term...

At the beginning of every term, my co teacher and I have a big change around.  Mostly in terms of how we plan and changes to the way we manage the classes learning.  This term we have made some quite big changes to the way we plan and I have to say that it seems to be working really well.  I have always used a tumble or task board for the groups that I had for Numeracy, but because Belinda was teaching strand, we were doing our plans completely independently.  We have decided to try it differently and do a tumble for all of the groups. Belinda is also teaching number to her two higher groups while I am still teaching the three lower (incl the target students).  It is much easier to organise and it puts the ownership on the students a little more as they are able to move through tasks quicker if they want to.  We have also implemented workshops into the literacy block that run along side our self directed learning programme. This means the children plan their day before we start and also adds the element of time management. This of course has had it's challenges...how do we monitor their work, their progress, where to go next? These are all things that we will learn, try and change as we go. We currently have a tracking system that the children fill in that links their work a central document that the whole class can access. This way, as teachers we can click on the child's work immediately and see if they have in fact finished and can give live feedback/ feedforward to each individually. Yes, that is a lot of work but in some ways it is really no different than if we were to go through all of their books and mark each one. This is just a new way and I'm sure with time, it will become a much more efficient way of doing things in the classroom.

In terms of my teaching practice, I feel that I have come along way.  I feel very lucky to have a mentor who is so incredibly passionate about all things education, but in particular - reading. I feel like I have had some really good training and support in this area.  As a result of this there has been some encouraging movement within my target student group. It has really shown me the importance of every ten minutes the students have with a teacher.  The target group (of six students) were receiving a supplementary programme of 10-15 minutes a day. This included repeated reading, buddy reading, vocabulary and comprehension of sentences.  I feel much more confident teaching reading now than I ever have and enjoy small groups when they used to be something that caused nerves and anxiety.  Small group teaching is amazing and I much prefer to do this now.

Testing…

Gloss, Probe, e-asTTle and the list goes on. Wow! I’m sorry, you want me to keep teaching my students and test each child individually across atleast three different curriculum areas all at the same time? Oh sure! Not a problem…

What a busy couple of weeks. I would never had made it through with out the amazing support and help from the best co-teacher in the world, Belinda.  Together we have planned and organised who would do what, when and how.  There has been very little pressure put on me and a huge amount of support from my team and others outside my team.  Doing the testing has actually been very enjoyable for me. It’s been very useful in terms of having one on one time with each person in the class and you get to see them in a different light for a moment. While it has seemed like there was just so much to do, I have managed and I think I have done everything I needed to do.  I am sure I will soon find out if I haven’t.  I realise I am very lucky to have a second teacher in the class who is able to test her groups which leaves me with more time to get mine done but I think this will set me up well for the future.  Starting with fewer has allowed me the time to spend more time on them and become more familiar with what it is I am doing.  I have found it very hard to keep up with ‘normal teaching’ at the same time but have done the best that I can for a first timer.  I am looking forward to getting report writing underway in the next couple of weeks as well as being scared at the same time. So many children, so many things to report on and so many things to consider. But again I can feel calm in the knowledge that my team are amazing and will support me 100%.

Week Eight

Knowing that I have finished all the testing I needed has made this week a lot more calm. It has been great to be able to celebrate with students as their learning moves upwards.  This has been a spring board into new learning this week because students are feeling so positive about their success.  I have been able to more energy into my group work and this has been enjoyable for both myself and the students.  Report writing will be happening this coming weekend and I’m feeling both excited and apprehensive.  I’m so glad that their will be two of us doing the report writing together. It just means I can ask questions and get feedback straight away and Belinda knows the students too so we can use both our thoughts and ideas. 

I’m extremely happy to be staying on at Huapai School for the rest of the year. Originally I was only here until the end of this term which would have meant I would be currently looking for a job. I really enjoy being here and feel as though I fit.  I’m beginning to feel much more confident and can see that I am making progress with not only my own practice but that the children are doing some great learning and moving towards their goals. There is still a lot I need to improve and that will never change, but I can see the areas I need to work on and the areas I do well in much clearer than before.  It’s hard to believe that eight weeks have already gone and I know the next three weeks will fly by, particularly while the report writing is happening.

The halfway mark...

Week Five

Its about confidence in my class..more children lack confidence than behave badly.  Not that I am complaining at all. I know I’m quite lucky to have minimal behavioural issues in my class however in some ways I think that building confidence and independence in children is much harder to do than to manage behaviour.   There are children in my class who are, for want of a better word, pathetic.  It is very clear that they have had everything done for them and are not expected to take responsibility for much at home. They ask repeated questions and expect to be told every little step over and over again. They don’t start their work because they don’t have a pencil and when asked if they have looked for a pencil they say they don’t know where to look.  This is not even a joke and the child expects that I will find a pencil, put it in his hand and tell him what to write.  Some are so unsure of themselves that they ask questions they know the answer to just to be sure. I understand that we are all different and we all come from different backgrounds and different expectations are laid on us all, by ourselves and by other people. My challenge is to bring these children to a point that they feel confident in themselves, confident enough to ask questions and take risks without fear of getting things wrong and understand that making mistakes is part of how we move forward in our learning. I often share with the children when I make a mistake, especially in small groups however I think I need to spend more time talking to them about the importance of having a go. I’m unsure as to exactly how I can change things in my class to ensure that children are more confident. It is something I may have to work with individuals in this case and spend time with them to find out exactly what it is that is holding them back.  This will be an ongoing goal, to see all my students comfortable with making mistakes and knowing that it is ok and it helps them move forward in their learning.

Week 6

Last week we had a teachers only day that was dedicated to finding better ways to integrate Maori culture into our school, and how to get more out of our maori and pacific students. The day was not what I expected at all. These days are professional development days so my expectation was that we would be talked at for most part of the day and there would be lots of information thrown our way.  While there was information and there was some talking, it was mostly done by staff, not the facilitator.  We had some amazing sharing time and got to see sides of people in our school that we wouldn’t normally get to see in a normal school day. Often we are running around busy, even in the break times so the chance to talk, on a deeper level very rarely comes up.  One of the main things that I felt run through the day was how significant building relationships with our families within the school is. I’ve always known that, but I guess I’ve always focussed on the children in my class and not necessarily their parents.  Ana shared about the importance of food in the maori culture and that a simple offer of a cup of tea while talking about a child's learning could make all the difference. Trying to get these families into our school to sit down and talk about their learning is hugely intimidating for them and they would rather not come at all. But if we were to offer to come to them or just sit over morning tea with them, we may get further.  It has made me think about what I could do better in terms of relationships with the families in my class. There are a handful of  parents that I see often outside the classroom but I don’t often stand and chat with them…maybe this is something I will start.  The interesting part was that overall the Maori students are under achieving in our school by a long shot. However, in our class we only have two maori students and they are two of our top students across the board.  Why? What is different about them? Is it ethnicity, is it culture, is it family, is it circumstances?  The day was eye opening in many ways and I am looking forward to doing more in our classroom that lines up with the Maori culture. I do know that it will be a long slow process for it to become a natural part of our school and classrooms.