This week I began my first week of full
control; I was a bit shaky on Monday but slowly eased into it, and can
confidently say my teaching has improved hugely over this time. We had three
sequential days in the classroom, which is a rare occurrence for this class. I
have learnt how important it is to include plenty of variety within their
learning, especially in this particular school environment. I have also further
developed towards my behaviour management goal, whereby it has become clear how
important it is to have a growth mind set.
My planning for this week had an overall
topic, the New Zealand flag debate. This integrated multiple curriculum areas.
In reading, we read persuasive articles for and against changing the flag. In
writing we discussed how to express our opinion and use facts and reasons to
persuade others to agree, with the focus on forming an opinion about this
debate. In inquiry we are focusing on cultural representation in art music and
games so this tied in quite nicely, and lastly in maths we surveyed our peers
about the flag, constructed bar graphs, and found fractions, percentages, and
decimals of these graphs. Integrating curriculum areas assists learning in
being authentic and meaningful to all students. The learning is linked and all
follows the same purpose. Using this topical issue really engaged students and
resulted in them wanting to participate in all aspects of learning. This focus
will carry over into next week as well, due to aspects of planning not being
complete and because there is so much more we can learn alongside this current
and relevant issue.
I firstly learnt how valuable it is to
include variety in the classroom. Each day had the same learning structure and
topical focus, however the activities included a wide range. After reflecting
on how Monday went, it became clear how important warm up’s are in every
curriculum area to focus their learning, initiate their thinking, and settle
them into the lesson. I began including quick 5 minute activities such as pair
debates, oral and written games, discussions around the learning intentions,
and co-constructing success criteria. The engagement levels increased immensely
after focusing more thoroughly on these introductions, making it clear that I need
to include these in my planning. We used lots of oral language to initiate
written work; this age group loves to socialise so oral activities are highly
engaging and great warm ups to focus their thinking. Reading included various
articles, a mixture of guided and independent work, as well as using the
‘Zaption’ interactive video online tool to create questioning videos related to
the flag. This tool was a risk; technology has not been used in literacy in
this classroom before, plus I have never used Zaption. However, after having a
look around it myself I knew it was something these children might enjoy, so I
took the risk! Turns out it really paid off. We ended up spending the whole
afternoon using this tool, making our own interactive videos and completing
each other’s. The engagement level was extraordinary, and it clearly showed in
their learning progress. I will continue to include warm up’s, oral language,
and variety in my planning to ensure this level of engagement is maintained
next week.
In our weekly team meeting, a major focus
was on behaviour management strategies. These teachers all have one or two
really difficult students in terms of behaviour issues, and have got to the
point where they are completely stuck; struggling to think positively, and
relationships are being hindered. They discussed different things we can do to
prevent these behaviours.
The first thing that stood out to me was
the quote ‘behaviour grows where the attention goes’. I have always been an
advocate for positive reinforcement rather than dwelling on the negative
behaviours. However it is vital not to ignore these. We need to focus on the
greater good and those students who are doing the right thing, however if
someone is being disruptive to others’ learning then we cannot ignore it. It
was suggested to give this student ‘think’ time; they need to take
responsibility for their actions. Rather than getting into an argument with
them, firmly but calmly tell them to bring their book to you and sit next to
you, or wait outside until they are ready to participate. There are ways to
deal with these behaviours without detracting from the positive vibe we want in
our classrooms.
Secondly, they discussed ‘fixed versus
growth’ mind-sets. As a beginning teacher, I am always striving to improve my
practice and believe I do maintain a growth mind-set. However, it became clear
how easy it is for experienced teachers to get stuck in their ways and hold a
fixed mind set without realising. If there are behaviour or learning issues in
our classrooms, somebody needs to be the adult and take on the responsibility
to adapt. If it is not working, then it is the teacher that needs to take a
step back, reflect, and adapt their approach to suit the behavioural and
learning needs. There is no use in thinking it is the student that is the
problem; chances are it is the strategies being implemented that are the
problem. It is crucial for me to be aware of these mind-sets and ensure I
always uphold the growth mind-set. It is all well that I have that frame of
mind now because I know I am still learning. However, teachers are always
learning; it never stops. Every child is an individual and there will never be
one way that works for all students. We will continually be adapting, every
year, every term, every week, and every day. Maintaining a reflective and growth
mind-set is crucial for all teachers.
Next week I continue with full control, and
the planning will be continued with similar focuses to this week. I will strive
to include strong warm up’s and conclusions in all lessons and continue to
include lots of variety daily. A new focus for myself is the introduction of
roles in groups. Every lesson will be structured around groups, teamwork, peer
assessment, and all having a specific role and responsibility within their
groups. This will ensure every student is participating and contributing to
their own and each other’s learning. I will also aim to maintain my reflective
approach, and try to seek feedback from my students about their learning and my
teaching strategies. My confidence will continue to grow, and I am sure this
will reflect in the engagement and achievement of all students.
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