Letting Go

This week I came back to work after being off for 3 weeks. Having a little ‘mini’ break made me realise how far my class has come this year.  Also suddenly having a migraine appear while teaching showed me once again how independent my class were. While I desperately tried to appear cool and calm as my eyes began to ‘fuzz’ over, my class just got on with what they needed to do. Everyone was doing their work and knew exactly what they had to complete. And although I was suffering, I couldn’t help but smile as it highlighted so many positives in our journey to a MLE.

Although we have experimented with our room layouts, sitting arrangements, designated areas, for me it has been more about the learning process.  This whole year one key statement has rung true with me; it is not about the building. Modern Learning Environments (MLEs) are designed to support ‘multimodal’ learning styles, as well as collaborative communication styles something you can still do in a single cell classroom.

I started off by trying to get the class to become more independent and learn at their own pace and style. To be honest, I found my students weren’t very independent and relied on me too much to tell them what to do.  I will be honest, it hasn’t been easy. There are times when I feel some students are not being productive and my main concern is will the work get completed? I know I am still driven by the ‘finished’ work philosophy and that can be quite a hard label to get rid of. Sometimes though, it is about the journey they are making to that final destination that can tell me more about their learning than the actual finished product.

I started off simple and blocked an hour per day to start off with. During that time, I took a mixture of reading and writing  groups. The rest of the class had the opportunity to do their set tasks for as long as they liked. The only criterion was that they had to have a certain number completed by the end of the week. Therefore they choose when they completed the activities not me. If there was any teaching aspect to any of the activities, I put a tutorial up on our class page where they could view it. That meant they could take their time to learn it, rewind, pause as much as they liked until they got it! Other activities were read to self or others, free writing (they wrote anything they liked), word study, touch typing, handwriting, blogging, spelling etc.

It was simple and starting off with an hour was manageable for me. It also meant the class learnt to self-manage themselves and make vital decision about how to make the most of their time. I would be lying if I said the whole class was perfect! Yes, I still had to direct some and set criteria’s for them but that is part of the journey. On the whole, most of my students were able to get on with their work without the presents of the teacher.

To an outsider it may have looked chaotic.  But the class was actually learning! It is one of those times where I had wished I had used a camera to record the beginning of the year to illustrate the progress they have made. What I see are children learning to manage their time, understand the way they learn and how to be successful – a lot of what we try to teach them as part of our school values.

Next term, I would like to try and visit a few other schools to see how they do this. I know mine is quite basic and I would like to expand so I have at least half the day set up like this.   

So why Twitter?

Because I needed a job!

Moving back to New Zealand I knew the job market would be tough. There were more teachers looking for jobs and less jobs around. But moving to Christchurch where they were still recovering from the 2011 earthquake and Education Minister Hekia Parata announcing school closures meant an even tougher job market.

I took the novel approach of ringing the principals first and asking whether or not they would consider my application. To be honest I didn’t want to spend hours filling out an application form to find out I wouldn’t even be considered for an interview.  Most were brutally honest. As one principal informed me, he had already received over 100 job applications for one position. One criterion was that applicants had sound knowledge of the New Zealand curriculum and could show example of this. Something I couldn’t do.

I got it! I hadn’t taught in New Zealand for over 10+ years, I had no idea about the curriculum at all. But secretly, I thought my experience in behaviour management, leadership, mentoring, and even curriculum development might have counted for something.

But the prospects of no relief work, no job and knowing no one in the teaching field to even help out in their class was beginning to get to me. I had used the internet to read up on Key Competencies, the curriculum, navigated around TKI but memorising what was on websites that everyone else knew inside out wasn’t going to cut it.

So I tried Twitter.

To be honest I wasn’t sure what I expected. I had always thought of Twitter as a place celebrities bragged about themselves or argued with others. I had never thought of it as a PLN (professional learning network).

I was a clumsy Twitter user (and probably still am). I had no clue what anything meant and then suddenly I also had to pick up on the jargon New Zealand teachers loved to you as well!   I will admit it was daunting and at times I did feel a little out of my comfort zones.

 I think SherylNussbaum-Beach’s analogy of Twitter being like a river sums it up. The river keeps flowing but sometimes you might just walk past and have a quick look, sometimes you might hang around and dip your toes in, other times you might spend hours swimming around.

And it is true. The wealth of knowledge I gained in the space of a month was amazing. It linked me to teacher’s blogs, articles, videos and probably the best thing edchatnz. -free professional development! I learnt that in 140 characters you can say and learn a lot.

Once I got over my fear, I stopped lurking and joined in with my first edchatnz and haven’t looked back. To be honest, I am not sure if it did help me get a job but it did other things;

• I connected with others who are moving towards a MLE or who experience/expertise in this.
• New innovated ideas to use in the classroom.
• A wealth of knowledge regarding blogging, QR codes, gamification and that is just for the students!
• Teachers sharing resources and lending quick support to peers with similar interests.

The list could go on!

Most of all, it allowed me to connect with some amazing people (who one day I hope to meet). It has shown me that there are other like-minded people out there and numerous individuals willing to share their knowledge and expertise.  And it is those people who are on Twitter that are making changes in the education system. Challenging the norm and taking risks. So I like the idea that I ‘hang out’ with those kinds of educators!

Having only been on Twitter for over a year I can honestly say it is the best decision I made. Yes, I do try and convince others to join as where else do you learn something new every day?

How do I want to teach?

How do I want to teach?

When I heard this I thought straight away of all the wonderful ideas and in my mind it seemed like a simple answer. Now I am not so sure. How do I articulate my ideas well enough so a complete stranger will feel my passion?

The next step as part of our MLE is to work out how we teach and what we want for our students. This has nothing to do with us designing a building but it helps them design it for us. So if I wanted an outside area where students could collaborate and work without the glare of the sun, they would design something to cater for that.

So many ideas and thoughts!

To me some characteristics of 21st century learning:

It is collaboration.

It is creativity.
It is critical thinking, risk taking and problem-solving.
It is research and information literacy.
It is digital citizenship.
It is responsible use.





So how would you articulate your ideas and thoughts to show what you wanted in a classroom?

Where are we sitting?

Reflections about the changes that have been taking place in the classroom. This will be a few posts as lots has happened!

Term three as been all about continuity for the class room. In term 2 (mostly) we changed the room physical and also changed our learning styles. New ideas were developed, new ways of thinking and learning posed. Therefore term 3 meant continuing with this and not making any more radical changes.

Also I have been off work so have been unable to implement anything else.

So how has it been going?

FEEDBACK: Where are we sitting?
One part of changing my room to a more MLE has always been about the children’s involvement and feedback. The last thing I wanted to do was implement something that they didn’t like. So a lot of the time I would propose the idea to them, get feedback and then run with whatever the outcome was. The only rule I had for them was they had to give it at least 2 weeks before they gave me their feedback.

Feedback has been great. The children have been very honest! Personally it can be very hard hearing negative feedback on ideas that I thought were amazing! But it did give me insight into how they thought and saw things. Which to be honest is what this journey is all about.

What really surprised me with this class was how many of them didn’t like sitting low to the ground. This surprised me as I had read and seen so many MLE with cushions and beanbags. There is this encouragement of moving away from children having their ‘own’ desk and research showed children enjoyed working down low or up high. In particular the girls (mainly my yr 6’s)  didn’t enjoy it at all.

They preferred instead to bring chairs over. So my next step is to find maybe stools to cater for this as although I appreciated their feedback, the chairs are annoying!  One thing we did do as a class is use the area around the IWB as our ‘collaboration’ area. We created two sections using the tables in the room and put more chairs then were needed. That way when we needed to all come together I didn’t have students grabbing all the chairs around the room.



Tables at the front where we collaborate.

This has worked quite well. Students have the opportunity to either sit on the chairs, or the floor with cushions. This is definitely one thing I would like in the new school. But instead of one main area, I would like two. This is because there are times when I want to collaborate with the class but don’t like the constraints my IWB area has. I have a tendency to move to the back of the class where I feel I have more space and movement. Maybe that is something I need to think about?

Is it because when I am at the front I feel like I am doing the ‘teacher talk’ type of teaching rather than having a more student centred feeling?

I am not a ‘front of the classroom’ teacher. You will find me on the floor, at the back or sitting beside a child at the tables. So for me that freedom to move around the room is important. Therefore it is important that my students have the opportunity to do this as well. They have enjoyed not having 'assigned' seat and the fact they can move around the room freely.

Freedom to work where ever they like

Some haven’t enjoyed the change. I have had a few students who found it hard to move away from having their own desk and tote tray. These students, I have noticed are the ones who find it hard to develop friendships. It has taken them a while to adapt to the changes but I do think it has been a positive move for them. I am seeing more independence in them and they have slowly seen the benefits in their own learning. I also found that some students don’t understand what type of learner they are and through a lot of discussion and modelling, they have developed a better understanding of this.

 We had talked as a class about bringing in a low table in but once again they were not keen for that. My girls wanted to cluster together. They have decided to incorporate 3 tables and tend to sit around this. To outsiders this may sound awful and the image of girls all talking and chatting rather than doing work. But it is the complete opposite. They actually encourage each other and work extremely hard. They are also very independent in the fact that they know what place in the room is the best place for them to work in. So they will move away straight away into smaller group areas or to the quiet areas depending on the lesson.

We don’t line up anymore! I worked out by the time I left the staffroom after every break ( we have 3 as we have two 30min lunch breaks) waited for them to be in line etc. I had wasted nearly 5mins. Imagine that in a week- 25 minutes of learning. So instead they just go back into class and carry on with what they need to be doing. It is great! Children actually make it into class faster than they used to lining up. I think it gives them a sense of responsibility and the knowledge I trust them enough. To be honest in the real world how often are they going to line up? They need to learn to be self-directed learners and understand how to get on with a task with having to be always told.

My kitchen is like my teaching- it is forever changing.

 

 

I have made a radical change and turned my utensil so the handles now face to the back. Yes, I know I may have joined this club late and it was so last year. But for the life of me I can’t understand why I have been putting my utensils the other way round for all these years!

Dare I say it; teaching can be a little like this as well. We get comfortable with what we are used to. We are all a little bit weary of ‘new fads’. It’s the ‘been there, done that’ mentality that we are all saying in the back of our heads. To be honest, fashion is a great example. It comes and goes and then somehow re invents its self again.  Look at how popular vintage and retro is now? Who would have thought the formica table would be back! Therefore we sometimes question the new and scoff that in a year or two it will disappear.


'A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but noting ever grows there'. - Unknown

Some of us stick to what we have always known even though it may not be the most practical solution. My utensil draw is fine both ways but a very simple change and now I can see what each one is rather than playing the ‘guess who that handle belongs to’ and it is a lot faster. No wasted time hunting for something that usually ends up being right in front of me.

Things are changing. When I was at school, it was normal for a teacher to get out the OHP (yes, showing my age) and all we did was copied out copious amounts of work. I am sure if there had been a drama element to history I would have learnt more!  

Worksheet were in, textbooks were trendy and the more maths books you used up was a sure sign you were learning.

But… that is not how it is these days. Sometimes we have to break with what we are used to and branch out. Learn new things and give it a go. I have no idea about QR codes, I’m not a wizz with technology, and I am trying to understand SOLO and many more new ideas that flood my Twitter account. One of the best things a teacher can do is continue their professional development. Learn new things, challenge the norm, and take a risk. We ask it all the time from our students but are we willing to do it ourselves?

I always question myself and my teaching. If it has been a success, fine don’t change it. But if you are not seeing any progress or year by year the same issues are arising maybe turning something around could work.

Changes need to take place even the small ones can make a difference.

Move out of your comfort zone.

'You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something NEW'.  - Brian Tracey

If you've been teaching for around 14-and-a-half years, you could be about to ask your one millionth question.

Having spent the weekend couch surfing on Twitter (literally) following #edchatnz I began to question myself and my teaching. Not in a negative way but in a positive way. I began to realise that a lot that was being tweeted, I was doing or knew about.
It made me realise that maybe I need to be more open and share my teaching journey. So the idea is to write a few blogs about what I have done in the past and doing now.
This one came about while reading all the tweets during Steve Mouldey presentation at the Edchat.
Having spent the last 10+ years with Ofsted breathing down my throat you do develop some nifty skills and questioning was one of them. When observed, inspectors needed to consider whether: “teachers use questioning and discussion to assess the effectiveness of their teaching and promote pupils’ learning”
Therefore headteachers in our very regular observation used to follow a lot that was outlined here so that we all could ' be 'outstanding' teachers. Yes, many did turn up with the class list to make sure you asked every child!
Teachers are great at asking questions!
• Teachers ask up to two questions every minute, up to 400 in a day, around 70,000 a year, or two to three million in the course of a career
• Questioning accounts for up to a third of all teaching time, second only to the time devoted to explanation
• Most questions are answered in less than a second. That's the average time teachers allow between posing a question and accepting an answer, throwing it to someone else, or answering it themselves.


In a traditional teaching classroom, the questions are very teacher centred. Hands go up, teacher picks a frantically waving hand (which is usually accompanied by noise??), question is answer, response is usually a' no' (if they got it wrong) moves on to next waving noisy child who answers it correctly to which the teachers responds with either a ‘yes’ or ‘ well done' and then quickly moves on as they are aware they need to get this lesson done.
But has any real learning taken place? Has any of the class had the opportunity to reflect on their own thinking and learning? Have the children had the chance to ask questions as well? How do we then go about appropriately checking for understanding?
We end up ‘pinging’ all these questions out into the room but all that is coming back are ‘general’ answers. We also don’t allow children to ask questions. Majority of the questions asked in a classroom are from the teacher!
Effective questioning can be used to:
• Identify where pupils are currently in their learning
• Expand and deepen their learning
•Develop critical thinking skills.
•Increase motivation or interest
•Nurture insights
•Stimulate independent learning
"Good learning starts with questions, not answers," says Guy Claxton. The consensus is that questioning leads to more effective learning - and more enjoyable teaching - than explanation alone.
So how can we improve our questioning techniques?


Questioning is an integral part of a teachers everyday life. But if you're going to be asking millions of questions, it's probably worth making sure you ask the right ones in the right way.
I love asking questions! A colleague of mine will tell you I tend to great him most days with a question.
These are just a few things I do in the classroom. I am no expert and all these ideas have come from readings, professional developments other teacher etc.
• Ask fewer questions- As they always say 'less is more'.
• Prepare key questions
• Involve the whole class (multi choice, on line, moving to a place etc)
• Think, pair, share
• Provide think time- 5- 10 seconds. If you’re asking deeper questions you need to allow the class to have time to think and ponder their answer.
• Try no hands up
Stop now and think of your class and I bet you can name those same 3 who always put their hands up? How often do you go straight to them for the answer? The 'no hands up' is great. I was one of those students who hated putting my hand up to ask a question- the fear of being made to look silly not wrong. Research shows that student's main fear is not of being wrong, but of looking silly. Such "peer fear" is the main obstacle to students answering and asking questions Lots of children are like this. It also means that you are more likely not to always choose the same students as well, meaning you are engaging everyone. Try using lollipop sticks (where you have the entire classes name on sticks and randomly pick one out) or the IWB that randomly picks children names or like me, I just pick. Even if they are not comfortable at answering the question, offer two or more options and let the student choose one e.g. 'phone a friend' where they get to ask someone else to answer the question.
• Avoid NO!
We can't always be right but what we need to do is foster an environment where children feel safe to answer questions. Reward every answer regardless by the way you respond.
“What do you mean by…?”
“Can you give me an example?”
"What are your reasons for saying this?”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Let me see if I understand you. Do you mean…?”
“Could you explain your answer further?”
“Can you rephrase your answer?”
• Ask more ‘open’ questions, question the answer, develop deep thinking questions, Ask why?
Blooms Taxonomy provides a structure for developing questions that encourage students to think on different levels. In order, the levels are:
Knowledge (facts, recall, recognition)
Comprehension (translation, interpretation, extrapolation)
Application (to new or unfamiliar situations)
Analysis (break into parts)
Synthesis (combine elements into a new pattern)
Evaluation (apply criteria to defend the conclusion)

Throw the ideas around the room. Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce is a great technique.
"Asking good questions is the basis for becoming a successful learner," says Guy Claxton. "If children aren't asking questions, they're being spoon-fed. That might be effective in terms of getting results, but it won't turn out curious, flexible learners suited to the 21st century."
It is about getting students to think more critically enabling them to have a better understanding of what they are learning. Effective questioning isn't a one-way process. If we asks the kind of questions that stimulate thought and debate, there's a strong chance our students will also start to ask more.

Spinning less plates.

Time is an issue with me and probably most teachers as we never have enough of it!
Having spent the weekend on Twitter following edcahtnz it opened my eyes up to a lot of things. More positive's than negatives and even some 'pat on the backs' when I realised I was already doing some of this stuff already.
Oddly enough the negatives had nothing to do with words like 'I can't so that' or ' my school won't allow/go for that' ' we have always done it this way!' but more 'where am I going to find the time?'.


I work full time (which I love!) and have two small children but sometimes juggling both can be extremely hard. One of the reasons I made the decision to drag my husband (who is from South Africa) away from the UK to NZ was because we (more him) had no work/life balance. We were out the door by 7am (navigating the M25!) everyday and not home until 6pm ( or even later) most nights. Not great when you also had two children under the age of 4 and no family support network! Although the move here ended with us moving to Christchurch and my family lives in the North Island!


Now this is not a cop out for me but a reality. I am not limiting myself but instead taking smaller steps rather than huge ones! Something that we need to also teach children to do. You are the only one who limits yourself. So rather than just make the excuse 'I have no time' I have readjusted. I know time is my Achilles heel but I have found a way around it - less is more. Spin less plates rather than a lot!


At the moment where I work, we are going through the process of moving into a MLE so we have already done a lot of work with Core Education. We are also going through a whole different mind set in the way we see teaching and learning. I already do a lot in my classroom and tend to 'jump' on new concepts/ideas all the time. Therefore, that is covered - a compulsory PD requirement from work. So what could I do myself beside just follow people on Twitter without feeling like I was spinning to many plates and unbalancing my 'work/life balance?


One thing that stood out for me this weekend was all the things I was already doing. I realised from a few tweets that 'talking tins, kung fu punctuation, post its, questioning, peer evaluation are being used a lot by others but there are those who had no idea about them. Most of those mentioned have been part of my everyday teaching for the last 10+ years.
So, I decided to try blog a few of these things and how they have worked for me and in the past. I am no expert but one concept that came from the edchat tweets was about sharing and letting others know what you are doing. This is a BIG step for me as I always think others do it better and it also means letting my guard down and accepting that not everyone will like my ideas and thoughts.


Heck, it will take me at least a week to plan out one blog! I am very envious of those who seem to do it with such flair!


Other things I want to try and do:
Connect with other Chirstchurch teachers via this
I think by doing this, I will probably end up spinning a few smaller plates as well.
Learn more about Google Doc thanks to @chasingalyz blog
So thank you EdcahtNZ and everyone who was there tweeting. You have given me a lot to think about.