2016 Appraisal

I recently completed an appraisal for 2016. Please find attached link.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1__CfusRr9h6analE1ZIbk44ZwWLTEXViqmgEoDT7Sj4/edit

Culturally Responsive Practices

We recently hadMaria Tibble from Core Education talk with us about Culturally Responsive Practices, Cultural Identity and the role Ngati Whakaue and Te Rangihakahaka can have in supporting your teaching in 2017. She discussed the importance of Maori achieving success as Maori and our responsibilities as teachers to ensure this happens. I have also started to read Ka Hikitia Accelerating Success 2013-2017.

http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Strategies-and-policies/Ka-Hikitia/KaHikitiaAcceleratingSuccessEnglish.pdf

New Zealand Sustainability

I was fortunate enough to go on a four day science P.D course in Tauranga, which was excellent, I will discuss that in my next blog. The course is named after Sir. Paul Callaghan a New Zealand physicist. Sir. Paul passed away a few years ago but the course started with a clip from him based on the idea of sustainability in New Zealand. I have linked the clip below as I felt it asked so many questions with regards priorities within New Zealand education.

Integrated Programme

This term as a Year 6 team we had a greater focus on integrating the curriculum. The topic we chose was space. We integrated this across our maths, reading, writing and afternoon topic. It worked really well as the students were engaged and were able to have a greater depth of knowledge on the topic and they were not seeing things in isolation. In maths they worked on the idea of 3D shape to make nets that would be used to create space equipment such as rockets and satellites.
It culminated with them giving a presentation to parents and friends based on the scenario that earth has been destroyed and humans need to relocate. They were able to present the information in a way of their own choosing. Some made space clothes or Pontoons, iMovies, PowerPoints, posters and models.
It was a very successful unit and integration is something that we will look to do for the rest of the year.

Video Observation

As part of my ongoing professional development I am having a lesson I teach be observed so that I can view it back and gardner feedback from my peers too. I recently had a writing lesson recorded. You will find the lesson below.

Teaching as Inquiry

I posted with regards setting myself a teaching inquiry at the start of the year http://teacherandrewdoyle.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/goals.html after discussions with my tutor teacher, my year six team and a meeting with the Deputy Principal my inquiry has been set out for next term. The link below will outline the inquiry and the goals.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mZNnaC-vofdi9p7CRM0Y7yX4ABgQo96wpZg_2RRw2t0/edit

Questioning In the Classroom

As a teacher asking questions is what we do on a daily basis. The reasons we do this and the manner of the questions may differ. It is however essential that the child understands what is being asked of them.
Judith Thomas was presenting at our staff meeting on questioning in the classroom. She talked about four levels of questioning. The first level being based around more straight questioning. Who? What? When? Where? The level 2 being more the how? and why? The next two levels were about getting a deeper understanding of the topic more inference based answers and an understanding of the wider world.
For me personally I feel my choice and range of questioning is a strong point I encourage the children to access prior knowledge or use inference and most importantly I give them time to answer.

Goals

We emphasise the importance of goal setting to our students within a classroom context. We then measure and evaluate their progress and realign their goals accordingly. This goal setting is a vital aspect of a teachers practise too.
I feel sometimes that goal setting can be an internal conversation "I want to achieve this". I think it is important to externalise the goals that I have for the coming school year. I will use the SMART goal setting above to work toward my goal. Below I will list my primary goals for the year and then on further posts I will deconstruct each one using the above criteria

1. Achieve full teacher registration

2. Set out an inquiry based around the use of I.T in writing

3. Clarity in the classroom cornerstone of my teaching

These three goals are my starting point some will run the course of the year others may be achieved at earlier points.

Interlead Self Appraisal

As part of my assessment I complete an online self assessment tool called Appraisal Connector. A series of questions are asked with multiple choice answers and I answer as to which one I feel most accurately reflects where I am.
It gives back a feedback form and from this the avenues for improvement are clearly marked. I have provide a link below to my feedback form.

https://appraisals.interlead.co.nz/report/18177

Tutor Teacher

I have been fortunate to have two excellent tutor teachers this school year. My first tutor teacher went on maternity leave in term two so I have had a different tutor teacher from week 8 Term 2 until the end of the school year.
I have had a very positive relationship with my two tutor teachers. I have been eager to listen to their ideas and I have been able to use them as soundboards too. The clear depth of their curriculum knowledge and classroom experience allows me to get succinct feedback and a clear action plan as to what I need to adapt in my classroom environment, lessons or planning.
Their feedback also reflects the positive things that are happening in my class and positive reinforcement definitely helps to build my confidence as a teacher, especially when I can be very self critical.
It has also been very encouraging for my tutor teacher to say that they have taken ideas from my lessons that they have implemented in their own programmes.
Below I have the observation notes from my tutor from Term 3.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mq-ghxAsZaQ2dJRo8ZGqaFM3SX9tHt2jQdnCh_kg25s/pub

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xczPxnd6DTKaSLQ98CaJZ0daVMahJRtcg6W3YRChKIk/pub


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_dgkva65KaB2wvleYT4PeV7YUPJEdFtWJDWf3AEgDcs/pub

Reading Observation Notes

Below are three documents that relate to the reading lesson observation that took place in Term 3. Following my reading lesson that was observed by Lorraine, Lorraine conferenced the pupils about their learning and their responses are noted below.  What was encouraging was the fact the students all acknowledged that they helped to decide what we were going to learn that day.
The next document contains the notes taken by Lorraine during the lesson.
 I was happy to see that the choice of resources chosen and the background information I gave was considered to be "excellent".
The final document is the rubric that reflects on where I sit and I was very happy to move to stage 4 on the rubric, the top stage on the rubric, on 4 of the six aspects and to be at stage 3 on the other two aspects.
 I also have a clear goal moving forward with regards to where I am going with co-creation of success criteria and W.A.L.Ts. This will remain my teaching inquiry moving forward.

Video Reading Lesson

Reading Lesson

In term two there was a whole school audit on how we teach and I along with every other teacher in the school was videoed for a reading lesson. I was videoed and then I reviewed my video and had a meeting with the person that videoed me, in my case the principal Lorraine Taylor. I then completed a rubric with Lorraine outlining where I thought my teaching sat.

That video and feedback form is linked here

Feedback form
http://teacherandrewdoyle.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/blog-post_65.html

Lesson
http://teacherandrewdoyle.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/blog-post_17.html

This process has been carried out again in Term 3 same principle but with the hope that some of the questions raised in the first session will be answered and my feedback rubric will have moved forward.
Watching ones self back on video is a very informative and analytical process and definitely allows for thorough self analysis. My lesson went well and the things that I had looked to implement namely co-creation of success criteria were present which was pleasing. The full video and feedback forms I will post in my next blog and you see the steps forward that I have made and the steps that I still need to make.

Teacher Inquiry/Success Criteria

My teaching inquiry over the last couple of months has been "I want the children in my class to help me co-construct success criteria. How can I achieve this and what do I see as the benefits? How can I then use this to get them to create their own WALTs?"
The co-creation of success criteria has become a feature of most of my lessons. I have found that the students are very capable of helping with co-construction of criteria. This gives them a greater understanding and ownership of their learning on the ground floor. I feel for me I have to have a clear vision of what success is in the lesson or else the lesson can lose focus.
The benefits for the students is that they are less passive and more active in their own learning goals and they can see if they are reaching the expectations that they set themselves.
The co-creation of WALTs is still a work in progress I feel that I need to know where I want to go in the next three, four lessons so that I can leave breadcrumbs for them to create WALTs and that is where my shift of focus will go to. I think this requires a clear vision in my planning and a clear understanding of what my students needs are. 

I have attached a link from John Hattie on learning intentions and success criteria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGyvDvOegXE

Post Reading Lesson Reflections

After my recorded reading lesson Lorraine interviewed the students and logged their responses. I watched the lesson and recorded my thoughts on the feedback form which I was given. Lorraine and I then had a meeting to discuss the lesson.

The whole process allowed for great reflection on how I teach and the things that I can add to my teaching to become a better teacher. The feedback was very positive, which is always good to hear, but the discussion with Lorraine also showed me a clear path in which to follow. 

From the way the lesson was set out and the responses elicited from the children it was clear that I was the driving force for the WALTs and that I was the one who quantified whether or not the children had done a good job. It is clear that I need to give the children greater control over their own learning with co-construction os success criteria, which should in turn lead to co-construction of WALTs. This is now what I intend my teacher inquiry to be based around and in my next post I will explain why.

Reading Lesson

A whole school audit of how we teach in Lynmore was taken in Term 2. This was to allow the school to have an overall view of the way we teach individually and collectively. It was to highlight our strengths, get us to reflect on our and teaching and guide us to become better teachers. 

Each teacher in the school was videoed during a typical reading lesson.

The school principal Lorraine videoed my lesson. She then interviewed the students involved in the lesson. The lesson is shared below. 

After the taping I watched the video and held a meeting with Lorraine to discuss the lesson. My next post will outline the nature of that conversation and how it will inform my inquiry and change my day to day teaching practise.

Observations of my Teaching

As a provisionally registered teacher observations of my teaching happen on a regular basis. It allows me to receive feedback about my teaching from my tutor teacher and team leader. It can highlight where my perceived strengths and weaknesses are. It also provides a very quantifiable measurement of improvement or lack thereof. Below are some links to feedback forms from my tutor teacher and team leader. My tutor teacher and team leader outline positives, pose questions and I look to implement change in my classroom practice based on their questions. I also look to answer the questions they pose.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MY9_oivo3P_EKaqFR24h9jA9bDMSMHJahNK-UV_Tfbg/pub
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f60kicx4v0guedk1jaQN1Lr6mnaltipmSUt3lzESaQg/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xK_Oh58psTwuNfv-naPAdM0VmiudcSd3UuZvkE1VV4g/pub