This week I started to learn New Zealand Sign Language, along with my students. We are lucky enough to have our office administrator who've done a course on NZSL, so I used her to teach us a few signs.
I was also very happy when I came across tweets with videos by Sulzy (@sasulz)! In one of her videos she showed how to sign "How are you?” & “I’m feeling _____.”
So, I practised and taught my students this the next day.
This was the best experience for me in a long time! Students also had a lot of fun learning this new language during this year's New Zealand Sign Language week. The best part for me was when seeing students this week, some of them greeted me in sign language and signed how they were feeling! I will definitely continue with learning and also show my students!
1. Recap Appreciative Inquiry & Sharing of Teaching as Inquiry
Adjusting the lens we look through - Making a conscious decision to look for strengths.
Coaching skills to be used - active listening - without interruption and reflective questioning at end.
Genuine Inquiry - open minded, declarative statement or genuinely open and non judge-mental reflective question
Positive does not ignore deficits but instead focuses on the solution
2. Evaluating Effectiveness
Hard data vs rich data - formative, making sense of the work children are doing, the shifts they are making.
Appreciation - how do we talk about the hard stuff - challenge each other - to ask a probing reflective question does not show lack of appreciation - the way the question is communicated is possibly the key - today and the way we are working together is about digging deeper - in a non judge-mental way. Holding up the mirror
Sometimes in our work as Principals, DPs, or HODs we work in a mentor role where there may well be an element of judgement and direction in a learning conversation, but this approach is not about mentoring - it is about listening to understand and asking probing questions to deepen understanding and to require the presenter to deepen their reflection.
3. Knowing they impact
Knowing they impact - if we are to be innovative as a profession and if we are to make a difference for kids we need to work through ways of knowing and justifying what works and why. - as a profession.
The way you think about your role as a leader or teacher defines the way you work and the impact you will have.
4. Oral language focus - What has been the effect of the work you have been doing with students?
Ask reflective questions - in line with coaching- levels of reflective questioning.
Have levels of questioning for students.
5. Disrupting the status quo
How can we create a learning system where all young people leave as successful learners.
Not about cruising through the system or dumbing down learning.
What are the rich skills we want to assess? (that would enable this goal)
What do young people need to know/do?
6. Bus stop activities
7. Evaluate well-being
Discussion: Looking at ways the current system might impede well-being and success.
Evaluate personal identity, language and culture (Do I know the language of mine)
We become our stories – so... What are the stories we want to tell about Reporoa? What does it mean (look like, sound like, feel like) to be an actively involved, confident, connected member of our community?
What is already working well in our community? Who are our success stories? What worked well for them?
What part do you play in this? What is your responsibility in this story?
What do we expect from each other and from ourselves?
~ "The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it." - Warren Bennis
I've always believe in creating a positive learning environment for my students and where they feel that they are excepted. It is also important to establish a strong learning environment where students can experience success.
Dalton and Smith (1986) believe it is important to 'organise materials systematically so that the students have easy access to them.' It also states that for students to 'function independently they need to know what resources are available, where they are housed and how to collect, use and return.'
Therefore, Room 4 got a complete overhaul, with a variety of learning opportunities, lots of little corners for students to work at and to use resources (easily displayed) when necessary and if they so choose.
Dalton and Smith (1986) believe it is important to 'encourage children to learn with different people, for example by themselves, with a partner, in a small group, with older and younger children or with adults.' We will [again] have learning buddies (not set) in our learning environment and engage with the older students in the school via buddy reading.
Cultural awareness is important as students come from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures. I believe my learning environment should embrace the diversity and uniqueness of all learners to enable them to be confident in their identity, language, culture and abilities. I will use and develop the use of te reo and tikanga Māori in our learning environment and will be responsive to Māori celebrations (Matariki / Māori Language Week). Karakia plays an important part in my daily programme, as is the participation in a weekly Kapa Haka session.
McGee and Fraser (2008) said that 'caring and a sense of community are related to feelings of belonging in the classroom, and students' motivation, achievement and efficacy beliefs are enhanced when the feel they belong'.
Having a positive classroom community also creates a sense of self worth and belonging which will help to develop a 'team work attitude'. Students were learning to use the Virtues of 'Respect' and 'Co-operation' on the first day...!
References:
Dalton, J., & Smith, D. (1986). Extending Children's Special Abilities - Strategies for primary classrooms. Victoria, Australia: Ministry of Education Victoria.
McGee, C., & Fraser, D. (2008). The Professional Practice of Teaching. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited.
~ "Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere" - Chinese Proverb ~
