TM Issue 25

PROFESSIONALLY & PERSONALLY

TeachersMatter The Magazine of Spectrum Education

The iSchool approach - what would Apple do? pg 14

The verbs and thinking tools of inquiry learning pg 18

Your real brain age - are you ready to take the test? pg 28

Change your happiness set point with gratitude pg 50

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Hi!

Hopefully you managed to squeeze in some rest and relaxation over the holiday period and have started Term 2 with a bang!

Issue 25 has many ideas that will ensure your bang continues throughout the winter months.

The sustenance of a teacher’s body and soul is always important.

Emma Lark, a foodie and teacher, provides some yummy inspiration for your lunchbox, and Rowena adds her view to the ‘carb’ debate. Dr Laura Markham explains how the use of gratitude can alter the influence of your inner critic and Helen Street explores how the changing nature of memory can affect how you think and feel. Both of these articles, plus many others offer great thoughts and ideas about how we can help our students in our care. Bette Blance’s powerful words offer real insight in to some of the reasons why our students may behave the way they do, and John Shackleton looks at how we are subconsciously shaping the way our students view the world.

As our students change, our teaching environments change.

Steve Francis discusses the idea of education reaching a ’tipping point’ and offers a fascinating look in to what an Apple iSchool could look like. Jenny Barrett looks at the use of ‘spaces’ in our classrooms and Lucy King offers another view of education, this time from a Cree Community in a Canadian First Nations reservation.

There is much, much more in this issue that I hope you will enjoy reading and learning from as much as I have. We are lucky to have so many fantastic contributors who are willing to share their vast experience and knowledge with us.

Have a wonderful term!

Live, laugh, play & learn,

We have a review of the Teachers Matter Conferences held at the beginning of the year in Wellington, H a m i l t o n a n d S y d n e y. E v e r y day was packed full of awesome speakers who imparted excellent ideas that we could all take back to our classrooms and work places.

If you missed the opportunity to attend this year, make sure you put plans in place to go to 2015’s ‘Simply the Best’ conferences!

Like TeachersMatter on facebook

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CONTENTS

In this issue

COVER ILLUSTRATION

BY VENIMO

p6 - Teachers Matter Conference review 6

Does the prior knowledge that your school and classroom rituals deliver empower students?

12

Comparing intrinsic and extrinsic movitation

ALAN COOPER

DR MARVIN MARSHALL

14

The iSchool approach

16

Top 10 essentials for professional development

Teachers Matter

MEG GALLAGHER AND KAREN BOYES

10

4

Teachers Matter Conference Review

18

22

STEVE FRANCIS

CATHRYN BERGER KAYE

The verbs and the thinking tools of inquiry learning ERIC FRANGENHEIM

Letting go of rules

KATE SOUTHCOMBE

p28 - Your real brain age 24

The Hauora / PE: an anti-bullying programme?

26

Using music to facilitate academic achievement

28

Your Real Brain Age: Are you ready to take the test?

30

32

38

What do your students do when they don’t know what to do?

40

Preserve your emotional energy by decontaminating your life

TERRY SMALL

41

How to make a great first impression with parents

How does personality affect teaching and learning?

42

How to negotiate with an antagonist

44

Skipping

46

What is generating a student’s behaviour choices?

48

Understanding the relationship between memory, the present and the future

EVA SCHERER

HEATH HENWOOD AND NAOMI DONOVAN

KATE MASON

5 tips for caring for our voice

REBECCA JANE FLANAGAN

34

A to Z of effective teaching: Letter I

36

Adventures of a Kiwi teacher on a Canadian First Nations reservation

p44 - Skipping

KAREN BOYES

LUCY KING

MAGGIE HOS-MCGRANE

MICHAEL GRINDER & MARY YENIK

MICHAEL GROSE

STUART FLEMING THERESE HOYLE

BETTE BLANCE

DR HELEN STREET

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MAGAZINE CONTACTS

To receive your own copy of the next issue, send an e-mail to magazine@spectrumeducation.com

Teachers Matter Magazine Team Publisher, Sales and Advertising Karen Boyes Editor Sarah Linehan Art Director Mary Hester / 2ndFloorDesign Printer Spectrum Print, Christchurch

Subscriptions Toll free (NZ) 0800 373 377 Toll free (Australia) 1800 249 727 Thanks to the educators, speakers and authors who contributed interviews, articles, photographs and letters.

Teachers Matter magazine is registered with the National Library: ISSN 1178-6825 © Spectrum Education 2014 All rights reserved.

56 p58 - Effective communication 50

52

Retraining your inner critic DR LAURA MARKHAM

Modern learning environments and technology JENNY BARRETT

54

Are you creating a world of possibility or impossibility for your students?

p74 - Eat naturally 62

Why pasta makes you go “Fasta”

ROWENA SZESZERAN-MCEVOY

64

Jokes

66

The Three Bears - sort of

BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

Parts of this publication may be reproduced for use within a school environment. To reproduce any part within another publication (or in any other format) permission from the publisher must be obtained.

The opinions expressed in Teachers Matter are those of the contributors and we love them!

All Enquiries Spectrum Education Ltd

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Street Address: 19 Rondane Place, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

JOHN SHACKLETON

Family Branding

56

Study skills

70

Postal Address: PO Box 30818, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

KAREN BOYES

Love your lunch box

58

NZ’s Fresh Approach to Effective Communication

60

AMY SCOTT

Procrastination 101!

ROBYN PEARCE

YVONNE GODFREY EMMA LARK

Phone: (NZ) +64 4 528 9969

74

Eat naturally

Fax: (NZ) +64 4 528 0969

CATARINA BENGREE

magazine@spectrumeducation.com

75

Live by choice not by chance

www.spectrumeducation.com

76

The last word: Are you unintentionally punishing the good students?

74

LINDA GUIREY

KAREN BOYES

Lioncrest Education Postal Address: PO Box 340 Cessnock NSW 2325, Australia Phone: 61 2 4991 2874 or 1800 249 727 info@lioncrest.com.au www.lioncrest.com.au

Quote

EARL NIGHTINGALE

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MEG GALLAGHER AND KAREN BOYES

Teachers Matter Conference Review At the Heart of Teaching & Learning

T

hree conferences in 10 days, in 2 countries – it must be the Teachers M a t t e r C o n f e r e n c e s – S y d n e y, Wellington and Hamilton – a great chance for teachers and school leaders to reconnect and refocus before the year started. The theme was at the heart of teaching and learning and all three conferences lived up to this. If you missed these great events here are some of the highlights…

Ian Lillico suggested that educators need to raise the intellectual quality of education and stop dumbing information down. He spoke about the importance of connecting content to life and being aware that the prediction is 40% of our 5 year olds in schools are likely to be self-employed when they leave school. This has huge implications for the way we teach and in fact what is centre front in our schools. “Developing resilience is paramount for our students,” he said.

Eric Frangenheim presented a rousing keynote on Simplifying Instruction in the Daily Classroom Curriculum. Being explicit in our language and instruction is the key; many students are failing because teachers are not being precise. A major question Eric posed was, “Why are we doing this?”

- a question for teachers to ponder as they connect learning to real life for students.

Teachers Matter

Julie Cross shared the emotional side of being Human, the need for teachers, in fact all of us, to look after ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually. She had us laughing one minute and crying the next!

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Bill Potter told us “You can until you can’t” and he reminded us that we often put up barriers to our success rather than giving it a go. Bill also reframed the profession of teaching, suggesting we are all ‘Youth Futurists.’

He asked some important questions: • What is one word for your passion?

• What do you want to pass on to the people with whom you work?

• What do you champion?

Karen Boyes lead the conference with her pearls of wisdom and knowledge. During the Collective Wisdom sections, she asked teachers to share how to develop creativity in the classroom. These were some ideas she offered: Allow kids space to get bored... it breeds creativity. Develop an environment where there is the freedom of playfulness and fun. Creativity is the ability to start seeing what isn’t there. Ideas from this Collective Wisdom session have been collated and turned into an e-book that is available on the Spectrum Education website.

During her keynote, Karen introduced the idea of Perturbation. That is, when you add pressure over time, transformation occurs. She explained that e-motion equals ‘energy in motion’ and that when students get frustrated or angry, this can be a sign of change starting to occur and that a learning opportunity is close.

Karen posed these questions...

• How do we add pressure with love, support and kindness?

• Who are your students becoming because of your teaching & learning?

Celia Lashlie gave us much to think about.

She reasoned we need to let boys be boys so girls can be who they are. The expectation that boys should be like the girls; sit still, have neat handwriting, work quietly etc is not working and schools need to readdress

the balance. Celia is an advocate for allowing students to be who they are, and not attempting to change them. She said every child is born full of magic and our job is to find that magic and help them embrace it.

While Celia talked about the need for strong boundaries for students, she also flipped this, telling the groups that as teachers we need to have strong boundaries for ourselves. “If you do not put down boundaries, then you will bleed out... you carry your soul with you and give, give, give, but it is imperative that you refill your soul or you will bleed out.

Cath Vincent came to “Wake up our WOW!” She discussed the three most valuable WOW assets - energy, confidence and motivation. “You can change a habit straight away... it doesn’t have to take 21 days,” was one of her take home ideas. She continued to say,”Any words that follow ‘I am...’ become true so think about how you talk about yourself.”

Cath encouraged us to find a positive thought to start each day with. “If you force yourself to do something it exhausts your WOW. You need to get your conscious and unconscious to agree, and then it becomes easier to make the change.”

Cath’s big question was: What is the micro change that you are going to make today?

MEG GALLAGHER AND KAREN BOYES

B

C

D

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1 and 2 - Karen Boyes in action 3 - Teachers engrossed in workshopping 4 - Craig Burton from School Branding Matters 5 - Gathering some collective wisdom

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F 7

MEG GALLAGHER AND KAREN BOYES

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I 6 - Motivation and leadership with Colin Cox 7 - More workshopping!

8 - Cath Vincent ‘Waking up our WOW!’ 9 - Mindmapping with Jo Lewis

J Workshop presenters included: Tracey Hughes-Butters, a maths nerd and self confessed technology whizz, showed us how to simply and easily use iPads within the classroom to enhance engagement and learning.

Terry Westblade, an experienced educator and former principal and the Director of Live Life Learning, spoke on The Science of Learning & the Art of Teaching.

Teachers Matter

Michelle Bunder, an innovative classroom teacher, shared her strategies for making the Habits of Mind come alive in her classroom.

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Bette Blance talked about Glasser Choice Theory

With an e-book to come is just fine!

Catherine Legg introduced us to the Philosophy for Children programme

In her fabulous way,

Pallas Hupe Cotter and Maaike Christie-Beekman were looking at our personal brands, attitudes, beliefs and choices.

Because of what you’re doing

They were certainly days packed full of practical ideas.

The wonderful Meg Gallagher emceed the conference with grace and flair and concluded each day with these poems: Teachers Matter Conference Day 1 With a whoop and a holler our day did begin Youth futurists of the noble profession all in!

First up was Bill Potter, Who gave us a lotta…

Giggles, laughter and fun.

He challenged us - think deep and wide

M a r i o n M i l l e r, an expert in Neuro Linguistic Kinesiology, taught us how to ‘switch on children’s brains.’

And never hide

Karen Stent shared the FISH philosophy; 4 ways to develop a great school and classroom culture.

So much to learn and take on.

Colin Cox talked about motivation and leadership

We wished they could’ve been long- er.

Jo Lewis shared some great work on Thinking Maps and practical uses for the classroom and beyond.

Thinking about what, how and why,

Our uniqueness from anyone.

A range of great workshops then ensued, Both for work and play, Filled ‘most half our day,

Karen finished our day For life-long learners one and all.

What are your kids becoming Is that action to which we are called.

Day 1 has been great, Day 2 don’t be late, Celia Lashlie will be first one to speak.

Thanks for the colour and fun It’s been great everyone See you tomorrow for a fab end of week.

Teachers Matter Conference End of Day 2 poem At the heart of teaching and learning, Is challenging the norms and being bold; At the heart of teaching and learning, Is being creative, not same old same old.

At the heart of teaching and learning, Is talking about the stuff that counts; At the heart of teaching and learning, Is a teacher, who is human as well!

At the heart of teaching and learning, Is doing our best by the children we teach.

At the heart of teaching and learning, Is waking up our WOW, it’s in reach!

Creativity the theme for collective wisdom time, So many ideas, Coming from our peers,

Next year we celebrate the 10 th Teachers Matter Conference – we have a lineup of speakers that are “Simply the Best”. We hope to see you there.

Energetic. Practical. Fun. Passionate. Inspirational

Presentations for Teachers: • Living & Learning with the Habits of Mind • Creating An Effective Learning Environment • The Many Ways the Brain Learns and Remembers • Developing Independent Learners & Thinkers

Parents:

• Helping Your Child At Home • Preparing your Child for Secondary School

“

Karen is the consummate professional who inspires the listener and creates opportunities for the learner to ask questions and structure their learning at the correct pace for change to occur.

- Mark Ellis, Principal

Students: • Study Skills for Success • Discovering & Exploring the Habits of Mind

Entrepreneurs:

”

• Success Behaviours for Entrepreneurs • Success Thinking and Living • It’s All Life – readdressing the work-life balance

“

Karen lives her philosophies and her delivery is relational, humourous, relevant and pertinent. She is an inspiring presenter and I am loving the impact she has had on my team.

- Lesley Johnson, Director: Read think Learn

”

To book Karen to speak at your next Professional Development Day, Conference or Function 2013 Speaker of the Year NatioNal NATIONAL speakers SPEAKERS associatioN ASSOCIATION of OF New NEW zealaNd ZEALAND

please call the Spectrum Office on 0800 37 3377 or 1800 06 32 72

93

ALAN COOPER

Does the prior knowledge that your school and classroom rituals deliver empower students?

Prior knowledge – it’s crucial “ We must empower people.”

- Lance O’Sullivan 2014 New Zealander of the Year

D

oes the prior knowledge that your school and classroom rituals deliver empower students?

Are they delivering the dispositions you want or are they sneaking other counterproductive ones, in under the radar that sooner or later will interfere with learning and disempower?

A crucial aspect of this is the prior knowledge and the dispositions being learned by each student as they interact with school and classroom rituals. In many cases, the dispositions so engendered, are even more important to the long term learning process than the prior knowledge needed to succeed seamlessly in the curriculum areas.

Macro - the school as a whole

Teachers Matter

Scenario one.

The pupils are lined up outside the door.

The teacher stands on guard duty. The behaviour is perfect. There is no noise, no scuffling, they just wait. The perfect class.

The teacher gives the signal. They enter the classroom and sit on the floor. As they do so, widespread subdued chatter breaks out. As the teacher gets ready to introduce me she claps her hands. Obediently the pupils clap their hands too and silence returns.

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This is the designated way, school wide, for classes to assemble and re-enter their classrooms after morning interval and the lunch time break.

Note the rituals: the lining up and the hand clapping. At no stage is the behaviour owned by the students. There is total teacher control - total teacher management - total teacher ownership. The students wait to be told what to do. They have become conditioned to waiting for the teacher to give the answer.

They have been robbed of the opportunity to become efficacious self-managers.

This is the sort of teacher that led Charles Handy, the futurist, to write, “When I went to school I did not learn anything much which I now remember, except the hidden message that every major problem in life had already been solved. The answers were in the teacher’s head or in her text book but not in mine…..That hidden message from my school I eventually realized was not only crippling, it was wrong.”

So the prior knowledge that he was learning about the power of the teacher would likely lead to a disposition to not strive for the answer himself but to wait for the teacher to provide it.

Sadly then, the students subjected to this sort of school wide ritual have implanted as their prior knowledge that they need someone, in this case the teacher, to manage their behaviour. The developing disposition from such regimentation is that each student is incapable of self-managing not in just this one instance but across the board. Moreover, within the brain the dendrites are grown and reinforced at each repetition of the practice. Thus yesterday’s past knowledge is reinforced and strengthened as is the disposition that has developed from it.

Scenario two.

The students quietly enter the classroom.

Conversation is muted as they move to their desks, cease talking, take out a fiction book and begin to read. Unobtrusively the teacher sits at her desk working on one of the myriad tasks she has to complete. On another day she may not even be in the room. After a few minutes she asks the students to close their books once they have read the next paragraph and get ready for the lesson.

Note the rituals here too: the informal moving into the classroom and the absence

of top down teacher control. There is total student control: total student ownership. They determine their own actions. The disposition being developed is that of self-managing.

Here the dispositions being formed in the brain are those of self-management: can do and efficacious.

Micro – the individual student in the classroom Prior knowledge will differ from student to student on a regular basis. Thus the disposition associated with that prior knowledge will range from having no disposition or fluffy unsubstantial dispositions, to having strong well defined and understood dispositions. Developing strong dispositions cannot be left to the lottery of chance. The prior knowledge needed to develop the strong dispositions needed for success in school and later in life must be taught. One way of doing this is to construct a progressive chart in the form of a rubric against which progress can be measured.

The rubric shown (page 11) is for a class developing dispositions needed for successful classroom learning. Their listening skills are non-apparent or deficient - their work ethic is non-apparent or deficient and their interaction with others is inappropriate or deficient.

First the stages are goals. Thus, the first stage (beginning) must not be a negative such as “Has yet to learn to look at the speaker,” because that is not a goal. Each stage is the prior knowledge needed to progress to the next stage. The overall disposition to be realised is a successful listener. Each level indicates achievement that will enhance that disposition. It is a carefully laid out path of continual improvement.

Along the way there are various stages of self-actualisation. As more and more sophisticated levels of prior knowledge are acquired more and more of the student’s potential becomes available or actualised thus providing a more and more sophisticated level of prior knowledge and from them more and more sophisticated dispositions from which to launch into deeper learning.

SELF MANAGING Beginner

Practitioner

Advanced

Expert

Listening

• Learning to look at the speaker.

• Learning to pay attention to the speaker • Learning to avoid interrupting with a comment.

• Mostly looking at the speaker • Mostly able to generally paraphrase what the speaker has said • Mostly waiting for a pause, before speaking

• Always looking at the speaker with some eye contact • Always able to generally paraphrase the speaker’s main idea and some supporting detail • Always waiting for a pause to join the conversation

• Constant eye contact • Constantly able to paraphrase main idea and supporting detail • Constantly able to join the conversation at an opportune time

Increasing Time on Task

• Beginning to start task on hand without waiting • Beginning to ask for help

• Reduction in distracting others • Mostly starts task immediately without prompting • Mostly asks for help or beginning to avoid reassurance from peers or teacher

• Always settles to the task at hand • Always completes task • Always feels able to ask for help or reassurance from peers or teacher

• Constantly blocks out distractions from others • Constantly completes each task with pride and confidence • Constantly seeks help and clarification from peers or teacher only after has a suggested solution.

Interacting with others

• Beginning to avoid hanging back • Beginning to avoid distracting • Beginning to avoid making negative comments

• Mostly participates without having to be promoted • Mostly avoids distracting others and self • Mostly avoids negative comments and substitutes positive ones instead

• Always participates without being prompted • Always avoids distracting others • Always provides positive comments

• Constantly initiates participation • Constantly provides a role model of positive interaction with others • Constantly provides a role model for positive comment that is supportive

Raising to the Consciousness Level – Thinking about their thinking All the above is of little use if it remains submerged in the students sub conscious unavailable and useless. To avoid this, students must raise the ever-increasing prior knowledge and the ever-developing dispositions to the consciousness level.

This requires structured and frequent metacognitive reflection on the part of each individual student.

Keeping a diary and recording each week, maybe in the last period on Friday, or more frequently when something significant happens, is effective but not always sufficient.

Variety is something the brain is attuned to, so by having variation from time to time will be significant intrinsic motivation for many thus giving impetus to the procedure. Just as importantly variety also creates, maintains and strengthens multiple pathways in the brain thus creating more trigger points and from that, deeper knowledge.

An easy variation is to have students write a letter to themselves detailing what they did to achieve the goal and/or what their hypothesis is for achieving the next goal.

This provides for what is referred to as

curriculum overlap in that it also provides for authentic practice in basic writing skills such as paragraphing.

Further variety can come from collaborative groups discussing their progress on the rubric and then reporting back to the whole class.

Where the range of student achievement is wide, have them grouped according to where they are on the rubric and report only to the teacher. This is an opportune time to place the Japanese proverb on the wall “None of us are as smart as all of us.” Draw attention in the feedback session to how many things another group included that your group had not thought of.

Do not overlook the use of role play. More senses are involved and therefore there are even more contact points for retrieving the information from the brain at a future date.

This will all be further enhanced if there is a requirement to add in some humour.

An added advantage here is that humour is going to release the chemical dopamine into the brain. Dopamine induces feelings of pleasure and thus rewards the learning process.

When undertaking this reflection, the starting point for students is to plan ahead, to hypothesise and predict what strategies and procedures they are going to use to

achieve the next step on the rubric. This is a crucial aspect of becoming a successful selfmanager. The teacher must restrain from suggesting a path and therefore stealing the learning from the students. From then on it is a work in progress where the student is required to pay attention, not just to the strategies and procedures that were used successfully, but also to what strategies and procedures they had to improvise when failure loomed.

The teacher’s role throughout is as coach or mentor, conducting an appropriate collegial dialogue with each student.

Alan is an educational consultant based in New Zealand. As a principal, he was known for his leadership role in the use of thinking skills, learning styles and multiple intelligences, information technology and the development of the school as a learning community. acooper@clear.net.nz

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DR MARVIN MARSHALL

Comparing intrinsic and extrinsic movitation Teachers as motivators

O

ur future leaders and citizens are continually being short-changed.

The reason is that the world of education is continually using extrinsic or external motivational approaches to have students behave appropriately, act responsibly and put forth effort in their learning.

Extrinsically motivated behaviours are ones that are performed to receive some reward. Extrinsic motivation is in play when the reason for engaging in an activity is motivated by something other than the activity itself, such as doing what the teacher wants in order to receive a sticker or engaging in learning to get a good grade.

Teachers Matter

However, a much more effective approach is to prompt intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation involves doing an activity for its own sake, such as spending time on a hobby. Intrinsically motivated behaviours are ones for which the rewards are internal to the person by bringing satisfaction and joy from the activity itself.

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Let’s examine the difference between the two approaches. If a student picked up some trash on the school grounds because of serving detention, that act would be extrinsically motivated; however, if the person took the initiative to pick up some trash without being prodded or asked, the motivation would be intrinsic. Notice that in both cases the trash would be picked up. However, the desired goal would be different. In the extrinsic case, it would be obedience, whereas in the intrinsic case it would be taking the initiative to be responsible simply because it would be the right thing to do.

Using external motivations infers that what the teacher wants is not good enough for its own sake and bribery is therefore necessary.

Without even realising it, this approach is teaching values that sustain immaturity,

rather than values that produce responsible, successful adults. The assumption or hope of course is that when youth become older, these external approaches will transfer to internal motivation. They don’t! Instead, they encourage narcissism, as in, “What will I get if I do what you want me to do?”

A ver y important difference between the two types of motivation concerns building characteristics and values such as integrity, kindness, generosity, caring, perseverance and responsibility. These cannot be mandated. They require intrinsic motivation or, as I prefer, internal motivation because characteristics such as responsibility are not naturally intrinsic to many people.

ourself, and what we tell ourself has a direct bearing on our behavior, our performance, and our influence on others. In fact, a good case can be made that our self-talk creates our reality.

So many practices currently used in schools lack the characteristics so necessary for promoting responsibility and positive selftalk. Current practices aim at obedience, but obedience does not create desire.

This is especially the case when relying on rules. Without realising it, when a rule is broken the teacher often becomes a policeman whose job it is to enforce rules. Teachers enter the profession to be a facilitator of learning, a role model, a coach - not to become a cop engaging in

“So many practices currently used in schools lack the characteristics so necessary for promoting responsibility and positive self-talk.”

We c a n p r o m o t e t h e s e t y p e s o f characteristics by teaching young people that they continually choose how they act, what they say, how they say it, what to focus on, when to go along with others, when to resist, what they say about others and most importantly, what they say to themselves about themselves. This concept of self-talk is gaining more attention in educational, psychological and medical spheres.

If you are not familiar with the opening of my education book, allow me to share it with you here: Life is a conversation. Interestingly, the most influential person we talk with all day is

adversarial relationships. Using the term “Responsibilities” and teaching procedures is so much more effective than relying on rules. The proof is that if a procedure is not followed, the automatic response is to reteach the procedure, rather than to punish.

For a 3-minute video on this issue, go to MarvinMarshall.com.

The research shows concrete evidence that extrinsic rewards used as incentives can have a deleterious effect on intrinsic motivation as it pertains to learning. An activity dependent on the reward decreases self-determination.

In addition, it should be rather obvious that intrinsic motivation also underlies creativity.

DR MARVIN MARSHALL

A major point regarding the use of external approaches is made dramatically clear by the classic story of an old man.

An elderly gentleman spent each afternoon tending his large garden on his corner lot. A group of ten-year-olds began harassing him on their way home from school. After a few days listening to their jeers and insults, he decided to act.

The following day he met the boys as they approached his house. The gentleman told the youths that he lived alone and was enjoying the attention they were giving him. To show his appreciation, he told them if they continued showing him attention on the next day he would give them each a dollar. The next day they showed up right after school. They showered the elderly man with epithets and jeers. True to his word, the man put down his gardening tools, walked up to them, and pulled out a roll of bills from his pocket. He handed each boy a dollar and encouraged a repeat the next day, telling them that if they did, he would give them each a quarter of a dollar. The boys thought that it was pretty good and came back the next day to taunt him.

The next day at the first catcall, the elderly gentleman walked over with a roll of quarters and again paid off his hecklers. He then announced that in the future he would only give them a penny.

Do you think the boys came back? The sly gentleman’s plan was elegantly simple. He rewarded the boys and thereby changed their motivation from harassing him for the fun of it to getting the reward. When a meaningful reward was gone, so were they.

You cannot get around the simple fact that once a reward is successfully used as an incentive, the motivation for a similar future act cannot be accurately determined - that is, between engaging in an activity to get the reward or engaging in the activity because it is the right thing to do. The reason is simple. Rewarding changes motivation.

Please note that awarding after an act is an acknowledgment, not a bribe.

In a “behaviourist” approach, all behaviours are said to be under the control of some reinforcement contingency. The idea here is to reinforce what you want. A major problem in schools, however, is that if the teacher ignores inappropriate behaviour,

that behaviour is being reinforced simply by the fact that it is ignored. The automatic assumption from a student is that if nothing happens then it’s okay to do it again.

The most influential proponent of external motivation whose theory is used in education was B. F. Skinner, the Harvard University psychologist who worked with pigeons and rodents to reinforce desired behaviour. His theory of using external reinforcement for what a teacher wants can be observed today in Positive Behavioural Intervention and Supports (PBIS) that is proudly promoted in the U.S. Teachers look for good behaviour and then reinforce the desired behaviour by giving some reward.

Tom Sawyer was a better psychologist than B.F. Skinner. Tom inspired others to whitewash Aunt Polly’s nine-feet high, 30-yards-long fence. Here is how he did it.

On the Saturday morning that Tom was engaged in the project, Ben was on his way to the swimming pond and commented to Tom, “What a shame you have to work on Saturday.”

Tom replied, “This is not work. Work is something you are obliged to do. Besides, I don’t think there may be one, maybe two in a thousand who can do the work the way Aunt Polly wants it done. She’s not too concerned about her back fence, but the front fence is something she is very particular about.”

Ben asked, “Can I try it?”

Tom replied, “I don’t know. I’m not sure Aunt Polly would like it.”

Ben pleaded, “Please!”

In contrast to Tom Sawyer’s approach, behaviourists believe that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning. They rely on external sources to actuate change. They completely neglect the internal, which is a prime reason that neuroscientists do not rely on these approaches for humans.

Most classroom teachers do not realise that they are in the motivation profession.

Learning cannot be forced. Successful teachers realise that they need to motivate students to learn.

Unfortunately, a carrot and stick approach - used to train rodents, birds, and animals - is employed in much of today’s education.

Although behaviourism is touted for special education students who are given tangibles to reinforce desired behaviours, this approach is often used now (and in some cases mandated) for all students, as with PBIS. Although external sources can control, they cannot change people. People change themselves, and the most effective approach is to have people WANT to do what you would like to have them do. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States and previously Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during WWII, said, “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”

Most teachers use external approaches because they simply do not know how to tap into intrinsic motivation. “Discipline without Stress” at www.MarvinMarshall. com shows how to have students WANT to learn what teachers teach.

“Well,” said Tom, “What do you have?” Ben pulled out a frog and gave it to Tom. Tom pulled the same tactic on the next dozen boys who were on their way to the swimming pond. Soon enough, there were a dozen boys whitewashing Aunt Polly’s front fence while Tom was eating an apple and counting his loot under a nearby tree.

How did he do it? He enticed the boys by having them WANT to be engaged in the project. He knew what super salespeople know, namely, the best way to influence someone is to induce the person to influence himself.

Marvin is an international staff developer and best-selling author. His approaches demonstrate how using internal motivation and non-coercion is an effective and less stressful way to work with students. www.marvinmarshall.com

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STEVE FRANCIS

The iSchool approach What would Apple do?

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he name given to that one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once is the Tipping Point. International author, Malcolm Gladwell is synonymous with the term “Tipping Point” through his bestselling book. We are approaching a ‘tipping point’ in schooling.

I believe we are on the cusp of a massive change in schooling, as we know it. A number of factors align.

Technology now provides abundant, free and easy access to information.

Our multi-media drenched students appear to have shortened attention spans and are more difficult to engage.

Families are time poor and many of them are under financial pressure.

As a result of the rapidly changing job market, schools are endeavouring to prepare students for roles that haven’t been invented yet.

The proliferation of on-line lear ning provides access to free education.

Teachers Matter

Many schools are exploring ‘flipped’ classrooms.

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All of these factors lining up create a mismatch with our c u r r e n t m o d e l o f schooling. Schools were established in a different time - a time of industrialisation. In most parts of the world our current approach to schooling reflects these industrial roots.

Lock-step progression, a class of students per teacher and 9 to 3 hours could be seen as sacred cows from a time gone by. They don’t necessarily reflect the times we currently live in.

Given the impact that Apple has had on our world, I wonder what Apple would do if they re-invented schooling?

Apple’s invention of the iPod transformed the music industry. The way we purchase and consume music changed forever. The iPhone transformed the humble phone to a powerful, integrated ‘smart’ device. The iPad provided an easy, simple interface for consumers to access the internet.

What transformation would happen in education if Apple released the iSchool?

We are fast approaching a tipping point in education! The industrial model of education that has been providing compulsory schooling for around 100 years is about to be transformed.

Our current model of schooling was designed for the industrial age to produce obedient workers who were sorted and classified according to their level of skills and knowledge. We were preparing students for the Industrial Age that is fast disappearing.

The internet has changed forever, access to information. The traditional model of schooling valued the carefully controlled, release of access to credible information in a well structured and sequenced approach.

The proverbial jug of knowledge could be controlled and released as required to match the readiness and meet the needs of the awaiting students.

This slow and measured release of sequenced knowledge has been replaced by the fire-hydrant of information we know as the internet. Drinking from a fire-hydrant requires different skills to drinking through a straw.

The pace of change is frantic and shows no sign of slowing. We know that we are endeavouring to prepare students for jobs that haven’t been invented yet and to solve problems that we aren’t even aware of.

Students today require a different set of skills and as a result teaching today also requires a different set of skills.

In his latest book, “Stop Stealing Dreams – What Is School For?”, astute and acclaimed futurist and bestselling author Seth Godin argues, “It’s time to abandon a top-down industrial approach to processing students and embracing a very human, very personal and very powerful series of tools to produce a new generation of leaders.”

Godin makes the point that “large-scale education was not developed to motivate kids or to create scholars. It was invented to churn out adults who worked well within the system. Scale was more important t h a n q u a l i t y, j u s t a s i t was for most industrialists.” The structure of schools as we know them was based on the industrial production line model.

“Changing school doesn’t involve sharpening the pencil we’ve already got,” Godin argues powerfully. “School reform cannot succeed if it focuses on getting schools to do a better job of what we previously asked them to do. We don’t need more of what schools produce when they’re working as designed. The challenge is to change the very output of the school. No tweaks. A revolution.”

Resources available for self-learning are now abundant and accessible within a couple of clicks and often at little or no cost.

Access to education and skills improvement is far bigger than it has ever been before.

“Available resources and instruction have gone from scarce to abundant in less than a decade and the only barrier to learning for most young adults in the developed world is now merely the decision to learn.” Godin, 2014 For an insight into my prediction of what Apple would do if they released an iSchool, visit the Khan Academy on-line.

STEVE FRANCIS

“The challenge is to change the very output of the school. No tweaks.

A revolution. “ - Seth Godin

The Khan Academy is a prime example of abundant access and the potential for self-learning. The Academy’s mission is to provide a worldclass education for anyone, anywhere…. That sounds like it could have been written by the Apple marketing department. Every single day millions of Khan Academy students from all over the world learn at their own pace, and free of charge.

In 2004 Sal Khan began remotely tutoring his cousin in New Orleans from his office in Boston. When other family members also wanted to benefit from Sal’s tutoring, he decided to video the sessions and post them to YouTube. His cousins found the videos had the added benefit of allowing them to pause and replay the tuition if they didn’t understand.

More and more people discovered the videos and benefitted from Sal’s tuition, so he kept recording more. The Khan Academy now includes over 2500 videos, viewed by millions of motivated students around the world.

To unde rstand more a b o u t t h e K h a n Academy, watch Sal Khan’s TED video.

A number of teachers are using the Khan Academy and other structured, online learning environments such as Mathletics and Reading Eggs to support master y learning and flip their classrooms.

Students spend some of their class time online engaged in self-paced learning.

Instead of teaching whole class lessons, the teacher spends their time teaching individuals or small groups of students on concepts that they are struggling to understand.

The rest of the class time is used to understand and solve real world problems that apply the skills that the students are learning.

This approach has many benefits for students and teachers. On-line learning provides opportunities for students to master the concepts being taught. It is the ultimate in differentiated teaching. Students can pause and review the video as many times as they like. They have the opportunity to demonstrate their current level of skills and

knowledge and then move on to the next phase of learning. This ensures they spend more time actually in the learning zone. Mastery learning approaches ensure students quickly progress through less challenging activities.

This increases student engagement in real work as opposed to busy work.

On-line learning platforms such as Khan Academy and Mathletics also utilise some of the gaming techniques that students are used to.

• Progression through levels, • Persisting and retrying until you are successful, • Earning points and badges, and • Unlocking more challenging levels; are all strategies to increase student engagement in Xbox, Playstation and online games.

I’m sure that’s what Apple would do if they reinvented schooling!

What will you do?

Steve is a leading educator, author and professional speaker. He understands the challenges and demands of being a Principal. Steve works with leaders and staff in schools to help them reach their potential. He knows what it takes to create cultures and organisations that grow through learning and make the most of change opportunities. Steve developed the Gr8 People range of educational resources to help schools to “keep it simple”. www.stevefrancis.net.au

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CATHRYN BERGER KAYE

Top 10 essentials for professional development What makes a PD experience worth the time, the money, the effort?

1. Modeling Best Practices

2. Collegial Exchange

We’ve all sat through mediocre PD sessions: whoever is leading the session isn’t modeling best education practices in the delivery. Typically this can look like a straight lecture or an overabundance of wordy PowerPoint slides (as my friend DeeDee Rasmusen says, “PowerPoint’s have no power and no point”). When best teaching practices are in place—we know. The time flies by. The engagement is authentic. We leave inspired, especially when we have experienced best practices that we can now implement; we are ready to transform ideas into action.

Educators need time to interact and confer with their colleagues.

A PD needs to weave this in, in short and longer bursts. Whether you are with people you know or don’t know walking in, knowing more about everyone is an imperative walking out.

Plus there are knowledgeable people in the room. Let’s consider each person as being the keeper of some wisdom that deserves to be shared.

1. Teachers gather in Jakarta, collaborate to create definitions.

2. American International School of Johannesburg teachers dramatise learning strategies 3. Guilford County School, North Carolina, teachers draw quotes

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3. Practical Ideas Theory is great, elevating pedagogy a must. At some point however; What does this look like in application? What do I do?

How does this impact my teaching and student learning, or my administrative role? Give practicality a boost.

4. Cathryn Berger Kaye leads an interactive session on teaching strategies 5. Cathryn Berger Kaye engages Los Angeles teachers in building a student leader.

All photos except #5 courtesy of Cathryn Berger Kaye

D

Teachers Matter

C

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CATHRYN BERGER KAYE

E

“ Let’s consider each person as being the keeper of some wisdom that deserves to be shared.”

4. Moving from Relevant to Real

7. Engagement

9. Transparency

5. Refreshing

From the beginning to the middle to closing moments, we are engaged. Not because the presenter is pulling rabbits out of a hat. No more gimmicks. We want strategies. The presenter is consistent with varied styles and modalities. We are moving. We are talking.

We are drawing or sticking post-its on walls.

We are challenged and we also laugh. And each element is for a purpose. Ice breakers, no. They melt. We are seeking authenticity for engagement that the method and means of engagement is the ideal fit for what we are experiencing and learning.

Take good ideas, mix them up in a pot, add new spices, clarity, higher levels of student engagement—refreshed. However! We still need new ideas and ways of seeing. Let’s go for a hybrid including refreshing and new.

With purposeful experiences thoughtfully planned and led, a truly helpful PD presses the pause button often to consider: What was this process like? What happened? What did you learn? The modeling of transparency also reveals its importance in day-to-day classrooms and shows how this can be achieved in a variety of ways. This assists all learners and leads us to more moments when the learning process is revealed.

With students this helps them consider and think about the learning process and how to transfer learning processes from one situation to another.

8. Becoming More Reflective

Real has much more punch. Students want to be in real time gaining real experiences.

Another hypothetical simulation role play?

Some are fabulous. Others? Eh. When a PD includes real world opportunities for participants (when possible) or provides a clear road map for bringing this to your students, that’s what we want.

6. Deeper Inquiry Questions matter. The question under that question typically matters more. And how about the question under that one? Our students often find too easy satisfaction with their first idea for a question—and sometimes as educators we can as well. An exceptional PD pushes us well past that first layer into deeper questions which lead to deeper understandings.

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Becoming more reflective is quite different from reflecting. Reflecting is all too often a by-the-book process that teachers lead with students in ways that are quite predictable which can lead to predictable responses. In a PD, the processes call us to reflection because they are meaningful and raise thoughts with new angles and we gain perspective in a myriad of ways, anything but predictable.

This calls us to choose to be reflective, and models what becoming reflective by choice could mean for our students.

10. Takeaways We leave with much more than we had upon arrival. This is in our minds and in our hearts and in our hands—practical tools and strategies that makes heading back into the classroom or our administrative office an exciting possibility.

Are there more reasons? Of course. Ten will do for now.

Cathryn (cathy@cbkassociates.com) is an international education consultant and the author of The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Action and two books co-authored with environmental advocate Philippe Cousteau.

Visit www.cbkassociates.com.

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ERIC FRANGENHEIM

The verbs and the thinking tools of inquiry learning Task and topic

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or many students, understanding the purpose behind an assignment or a piece of assessment is a mystery. If given the assignment, ‘Antarctica – could polar bears live there?’ many students see the words ‘polar bear’ and ‘Antarctica’ and think “I’ll Google it!” to gain as much information as possible. As a result, they may simply respond to the topic, which isn’t the recipe for successful inquiry learning.

A more positive scenario would see students decode or understand the purpose of their assignment by realising there are two parts to the question. The most important part is not the topic but the task. This is determined by the verb or implied verb. Often students underachieve, not because they are incapable, but mainly because they do not understand the question, the purpose of the task within an assignment or inquiry. Teachers can improve student outcomes by explaining and focusing on the verb or the implied verb within any assignment.

For example, in the assignment above, ‘Antarctica – could Polar bears live there?’ the topic is clear but not the task. There is no explicit verb that guides students to understand the task. The Bloom’s Thinking Skills Framework gives students the tools they need to achieve higher order thinking. By using the Framework, teachers are saying, “Which picture or Bloom’s icon am I asking my students to act like?” This is determined by the verb or implied verb and is explained in the Blooms Level column.

If we take the foundation levels of Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain, it is clear that the task does not reside here.

Teachers Matter

The question cannot be addressed by giving infor mation (Remember- acting like an Internet data base with verbs of listing, telling), showing understanding such as cause and effect and reasons for something occurring (Understand – acting like an expert or AHA bubble with verbs of classifying, explaining, summarising) nor solely at the Apply level (acting like a formula showing ‘How To’ and solution making with verbs of calculating, demonstrating). Granted that a large part of the assignment will depend on the information collected on Polar Bears and the Arctic where they live and also of the Antarctic but to really make students succeed, a skilled teacher realises that students have to understand the task verb.

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So where does this assignment ask the student to focus their final efforts? Is it at the Analyse level (acting like a magnifying glass looking at all the component parts of the topic or proposition with verbs such as discussing, exploring, investigating)? Not quite, though this is a major part of the process.

In this case, the assignment task requires that students work at the fifth Bloom’s Level: Evaluate. At the Evaluate level, teachers are asking students to act like the Scales of Justice (as depicted in the graphic icon for Evaluate) where the students assess the analysed information in order to make a decision using verbs

ERIC FRANGENHEIM

such as argue, assess, decide, justify, determine, etc.

Antarctic), there is a greater chance that all students will experience greater success.

Note that the assignment does not ask them to work at the Design level (acting like an inventor, modifying or improving or creating something).

To ensure even greater clarity of research and expression and persuasion, students can also be encouraged to employ appropriate thinking tools or graphic organisers to assist them. Taken from the Bloom’s Thinking Skills Framework, teachers can clearly see which tools they can use for different cognitive levels. Let’s look at the levels of Analyse and Evaluate since this is where most of the activity will take place. Teachers can use thinking tools from the Tools column to assist students in organising their thinking and processing of the task or issue or problem.

The major tools to be used will be the Double Bubble Map to compare the two continents, a SWOT Analysis to look at the polar bear’s situation and then the Extent Barometer to decide to what extent the polar bear has a chance of adapting and living in Antarctica.

The assignment as it is presented above may be clear to some or many students but it is not clear to all students and our duty is to create clarity and explicitness in our classrooms. As a result, we need to ask ourselves if our language is clear for all students, and if it is not, then we have to reveal the implied verb or verbs and explain this is the task or major purpose of the assignment/assessment.

Therefore, to ensure all students understand the assignment, a better question would be: ‘Antarctica – argue that polar bears could live there’; or ‘Antarctica – justify how Polar bears could live there’ or ‘Antarctica – decide if Polar bears could live there’. Immediately, students are clear they are being given the task to judge, assess or determine whether or not the polar bear could adapt to Antarctic conditions.

Once students realise they have to act like the Scales of Justice and make a decision as well as support that decision with material they have gathered and analysed relating to the topic (the transferability of polar bears to the

Thinking Skills Framework We now will look at a possible sequence of thinking tools to assist the students in addressing this assignment.

Using Multiple Thinking Tools (The following is taken from our latest resource, innovative students’ companion.

Assessment: where to start and how to succeed!’ and is written for students) Background Sometimes an assignment task may not be as simple as using one Thinking Tool to complete the task. For example, the assessment task may be to “Discuss the relationships between parents and children in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet”. You could use the PCQ Extension (Thinking Tool to match the ‘Discuss’ verb) for this but prior to this, you also may want to ‘Compare’ the relationships with a Double Bubble Map. In most of your major assignments you will need to use a number of Thinking Tools.

Case Study Science: Discuss the chances of a polar bear surviving in Antarctica? Justify your response.

Step 1: ‘Compare’ the Arctic and Antarctica Polar bears live in the Arctic (the North Pole) not Antarctica (the South Pole). So, to begin this assignment, you will need a deep understanding of the two regions by comparing the two.

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Step 2: ‘List’ the Characteristics of the Polar Bear Now we need to look at all the characteristics or the attributes of the polar bear – How fast can it run and swim?

What does it eat? How does it defend itself?

We need also to look at the attributes of some of the other animals in Antarctica, as many will be a food source or a potential predator to the polar bear.

Step 3: ‘Analyse’ the Polar Bear I t ’s n o w t i m e t o carefully examine the polar bear!

What are the polar bear’s strengths and weaknesses? What possible opportunities and threats are there in Antarctica for the polar bear?

Step 4: The Decision and Justification Finally, it is time to reflect on all of the research contained in your different Thinking Tools and decide on the chances of a polar bear living in Antarctica.

Teachers Matter

• D o u b l e B u b b l e Map – What are the major characteristics of the two regions and are they so similar that it would not make any difference whether the polar bear lives in the Arctic or Antarctica?

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• A t t r i b u t e L i s t i n g Organiser – What are some influential characteristics of the polar bear in comparison to those of its major ‘competitors’- is the polar bear fast enough to hunt food in Antarctica? Can it

ERIC FRANGENHEIM on the information analysed in the previous question. For more clarity and explicit teaching, the question could be framed as “Decide if all students should be taught to cook”.

defend itself from potential predators?

• SWOT Analysis – Delving more deeply into the polar bear itself, does the polar bear have what it takes to survive in Antarctica?

• Extent Barometer – Transfer the material from the 3 Thinking Tools to the Extent Barometer. This justifies your decision.

This information can now form the basis for your assignment and you can now make a decision and justify or support that decision.

Taking into account the genre in which you have been asked to present your work, you now are well armed with the tools to complete the assignment.

Final Tip The Thinking Tools are designed to organise both your thoughts and research. It is worthwhile taking the time at the start of your assignment to carefully choose which thinking tools are the best ones to tackle the task. If you are unsure of which ones

to use, seek assistance from your teacher.

In particular, you need to ask your teacher, “Which are the major verbs?” Spending a few moments getting this part of the process right will keep you on track and save you time in the long run. This, in turn, will give you more time to concentrate on ‘digging deeper’ and aiming for those extra marks.

In conclusion, having a clear focus on the verb in any question or assignment or assessment is the key to successful learning. Using the Bloom’s Thinking Skills Framework, it is useful for teachers to ask this question: “Which picture or Bloom’s icon am I asking my students to act like?” Make sure that the verb or task is clear, that the students then focus on the topic with the task as the end in mind and offer or suggest a few thinking tools or graphic organisers from the Tools column to make your students even more successful in tackling their assignments.

Let’s try another assignment question to investigate how the Bloom’s Framework can successfully guide learning. The question, ‘Discuss the idea that all students should learn to cook’ is to be found at the Analyse level since the verb ‘discuss’ is asking one to act like a magnifying glass, looking at as many component parts to this topic as possible. Meanwhile, the question ‘Should all students be taught to cook?’ is at the Evaluate level since the implied verb here is ‘to decide’ if this is a good idea and for students to act like the ‘Scales of Justice’, making a decision based

Eric Frangenheim is a former history teacher and co-director of ITC Publications, which promotes thinking in learning throughout Australia, New Zealand and in several other countries. w w w. i t c p u b l i c a t i o n s . c o m . a u eric@itcpublications.com.au

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KATE SOUTHCOMBE

Letting go of rules And reinforcing appropriate behaviour

Teachers Matter 22

certain things to happen. For example, in order to feel relaxed, the house needed to be spotless, dishes had to be done with no washing piled up anywhere and the garden had to be tidy. Consequently I rarely felt relaxed at home and spent much of my free time accommodating these rules to the detriment of my health and well being. In the area of personal relationships, most of us have rules about what needs to be in place before we feel loved or before we will give love, and adhering to these rules may prevent

us from feeling connected or developing sound long term relationships. As I explored my own rules, and considered whether they were useful to me or not, I discovered that others also had less than useful rules that were creating conflict in their lives.

I noticed that parents and teachers had lists of rules that hindered not only their own happiness but that of their children and I began to look at how this impacted on their relationships with the children in their care. Anthony Robbins uses the

PHOTO: MAREK ULIASZ

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ehaviour change has always fascinated me - but I always skate around the process of changing my own behaviour. It is so much easier to support others, share ideas and assist people in changing their behaviour that it is to consider what changes are needed in one’s own life. Over the years I have been challenged as I come to ter ms with some of my own limiting rules that have controlled what I believe are undesirable behaviours. These rules sate what conditions need to be in place for

KATE SOUTHCOMBE

“ Rules need to serve us so choose them carefully.”

example of a father of quadruplets who, when asked how he coped, simply said he had fewer rules! After all, as Robbins points out, the more rules you have the more likely it is that someone somewhere will be breaking them! The tendency to look for rulebreaking behaviour seems almost hard wired in us and the result is that we often miss noticing desired behaviours, simply taking them for granted. In behavioural terms we extinguish the desired behaviour by ignoring it, and we may inadvertently reinforce the undesirable rule-breaking behaviour by giving it attention.

I worked with one parent who was having difficulties with her child’s behaviour and we discussed how we could use positive reinforcement to increase certain desired behaviours. However when I asked them what the child did that was appropriate and could they ‘sell’ their child to me, they struggled to find anything positive to say about the child. I can appreciate that when you are down and upset about them it is hard to notice, let alone thinking of anything good, but if we want things to change we are going to have to climb up out of our well of negativity and find something about them that is fabulous no matter how small.

So what actions can you take? Consider these options and experiment with them before you need them – try to train yourself in a calm, relaxed environment when you feel great about your child or children – set yourself up for success.

If a child makes a request try at all costs not to knock it dead even if it is unreasonable or stupid to you. Is there any way you can accommodate it by asking questions?

Ask her what she thinks you will say and why...chances are she knows full well you don’t want her to do it or have it but by getting her to verbalise it you are valuing her thoughts and opinions. After all, she has asked you when she could have just gone ahead and done whatever it is. If it is something that could be planned better suggest that you both sit down and plan it – valuing her time and ideas will give you the opportunity to develop critical thinking and planning skills.

Start looking for things children do that are remotely praise worthy and say thank you more often. Ignore all unwanted behaviour as much as possible – choose your battles and change those rules.

Allow children to be more involved in the decision making process and enable them to make more decisions. The more perceived control they have over their own environment the happier they will be.

The more someone does for you the more likely you will want to do, or give back to them, be involved in their activities and be proactive rather than reactive.

Keep focussed on what is working. We get what we focus on! Look for what you can reward. Parents often need to ignore rudeness – let it wash over you – you know they love you. Teachers often need to consider what they can ignore and instead look for every tiny thing the child does that you could possible reinforce and go for it – it works!

Catch yourself doing well and reward yourself too!

Rules need to serve us so choose them carefully. The one I have attempted to take on board is another example shared by Anthony Robbins ‘ any day above ground is a great day!’ It’s not about lowering standards – it’s choosing empowering beliefs about yourself and others in order to feel loved and less stressed – its taking you for ward and not backward – it’s moving you in the direction you want to go.

Remember we will resist change at all costs because we are parents or teachers or partners and we want to be in charge – we will find excuse after excuse as to why we shouldn’t allow this behaviour and that behaviour but the bottom line is (I hate saying that but it needs to be emphasised) if you want change you have to change something you are doing first. If we can shift our focus away from our rules, we will have abundant opportunities to reinforce appropriate behaviour and ultimately feel happier and more loving.

Kate provides individually tailored professional development for Early C h i l d h o o d C e n t re s a n d s ch o o l s on evidence-based behaviour management. She also consults for parents of children with specific behaviour concerns. kate@eprtraining.co.nz

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EVA SCHERER

The Hauora / PE: an anti-bullying programme?

Can it really be that simple?

S

ome time ago a friend who is a primary school teacher shared with me his concerns about how to teach the HAUORA concept.

The Hauora is comprised of 4 different elements: Taha tinana – physical well-being, Taha hinengaro – mental and emotional well-being, Taha whanau – social well-being and Taha wairua – spiritual well-being It is a holistic topic that can be difficult to impart to students.

Teachers Matter

How do we teach each element of Hauora k n o w i n g t h a t c h i l d r e n ’s b r a i n s w o r k differently? Their limbic / emotional brain and sensory system, rather than their logical neocortex brain should be engaged. To be effective you cannot talk to students about Hauora. TV screens and computers will not teach your students social well being - you need to engage them with a process. They need to practice, feel and be engaged with Hauora.

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Using the whole body with all its senses through interacting with their peers seeing them when they are happy and feeling happiness with them, seeing them when they cry and being ready to help – this is what teaching Hauora is all about.

Hauora is about empathy and empathy builds social, human connections.

It creates spiritual deeper values.

Sharing meaning with students peers is what influences the development of a healthy, balanced brain and personality.

The Hauora brings to our education system the opportunity to avoid what Albert Einstein was afraid of:

A peer massage programme run in New Zealand called Children Massaging Children (CMC) is being used to teach Hauora, and here is their story.

It is the school holidays in Auckland and “Children Massaging Children” programme is in action as part of a Holiday Programme at Woodlands Park, Kereru. The children are excited, as today they will have massage lessons and practice “real” massage on each other.

The lesson is being run by Yoka, trained CMC Instructor and Sports Massage Therapist. She will teach massage techniques that are similar to those Massage Therapists use in their clinics.

The two main benefits of this are learning empathy and enhancing brain metabolism by the secretion of endorphins or good mood hormones like serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, all of which are natural antidepressants and released by the body after only 15 minutes of massage.

The children sit in silence as Yoka gives a short explanation of the first techniques they will be using (back massage), which is followed by a song. You can see the smiling faces of children. They love it.

‘Scratch, scratch, like a little Siamese cat’, says Yoka, ‘play the spine like a gigantic piano; knead like making some dough to make (some) bread’. The song lasts for four minutes and at the end, the children change roles so that each gives, as well as receives a massage.

“For the next technique,” Yoka says, “We will use a beautifully smelling massage wax for a hand massage’. In the CMC programmes, smell plays a vital role.

Sense of smell is important as it positively influences young brain development.

Fragrances stimulate the sense and can stay on the skin for a long time, thus prolonging the impact of the lesson by producing neuropeptides or ‘feel good’ mood hormones over a longer period.

EVA SCHERER

The hand massage is named Hand Aerobics and Yoka tells the stor y of three generations of a family being like the fingers of one hand; Father is the thumb, Mother is pointer, Tall Man is Grandfather, Ring Man is Grandmother and the child is Pinkie or the little finger.

All fingers in the hand family need a massage. The children pair up and the 45-minute lesson goes very quickly.

At the close of the lesson the centre manager expresses her deep surprise and says, “If I had not seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it.

Here are my ‘boisterous’ boys performing so quietly without any interruptions or hassles for the whole programme. What an uplifting picture.” The next day she reports to Yoka that the children spontaneously repeated the lesson by themselves without instructor, music or wax. They remembered all of the techniques. Why? Because they enjoyed it so much.

The majority of teachers do not need to be convinced about the value of the programme and the confirmation that educational establishments recommend proper touch gives them more confidence to give to their students the experience of positive touch.

“Hauora is about empathy and empathy builds social, human connections.”

In 2006, Jill Morgan from the Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay carried out research on the Children Massaging Children (CMC) peer massage programme. She found that as well as decreasing the level of violence in the classroom and enhancing academic performance, the CMC programme improved relationships between students and the father/male figure at home. Her follow up research in 2011 confirmed these benefits.

CMC is about building empathic societies, friendly peaceful classrooms and joyous and happy students and teachers. This is the concept of Hauora - this is CMC - this is bullying prevention.

Eva is a professional body-worker and owner of several Sports Massage clinics located at YMCA’s around Auckland. She is the CEO of the charity Child Connection Trust whose aim is to introduce positive touch and massage into mainstream education system as prevention for bullying, child abuse and family violence. Eva is a pioneer and thought leader in the field of Right Brain Learning and her userfriendly programmes help children to relax, teaches them empathy and demonstrate how emotional wellbeing and positive self-perception enhance the quality of learning. www.childconnection.org.nz

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HEATH HENWOOD AND NAOMI DONOVAN

Using music to facilitate academic achievement Shaping brain pathways for success

M

usic is taught because it is exciting, creative and powerful. It teaches children creativity, providing scaffolding and laying foundations for a child to learn and create in all areas of life. Music is special because it has a way of impacting on the heart, mind, soul and spirit of a child, stimulating thought and imagination in a unique way.

Despite the many benefits, music education is not receiving the level of support it needs. As a result of inadequate attention and funding, music has struggled to compete in an increasingly crowded curriculum, resulting in a decline in the percentage of students receiving quality music education.

In 2006, research involving more than 15,000 students in the USA, revealed that students learning a musical instrument outperformed non-instrumental music students from their own socioeconomic status at all year levels, in all subjects. Further, by the Ninth-Grade, low-socioeconomic instrumental music students’ results surpassed those of the highsocioeconomic non-instrumental music students in all subjects.

This research was supported by a 12-year study linked to Harvard, Stanford and Columbia universities that tracked more than 25,000 students. It found that across

“I would teach children music, physics and philosophy: but most important music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning”. – Plato

all backgrounds, music students get higher marks in school tests than students who do not study music. In particular, that participation in music programmes makes a significant difference to students from low-income backgrounds and that sustained music participation is highly correlated to success in mathematics and reading.

Recent research finds that provision of music in Australian schools is inadequate, with 63% of primary schools and 34% of secondary schools not offering music. Only the states of Queensland and Tasmania have specialist music teachers who teach a dedicated music curriculum.

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The very things that promote literacy and numeracy are the arts, beginning with serious arts education in the early years. A creative, thinking nation is based upon the time devoted to a quality arts, and especially music, educational programme.

Early sustained music learning is actually the frame upon which education itself can be built for children, especially those from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Early music training allows them, and under-achieving students, to make significant gains.

PHOTO: ANDRES RODRIGUEZ

Teachers Matter

However this is not a worldwide trend, with the five top countries (Finland, Sweden, South Korea, Shanghai and Hong Kong) in the international ranking of school systems surpassed Australian scores in reading, writing, mathematics and science. They all have a far better school music education than Australia.

Music education may contribute to their academic success and obviously it does not get in the way of, or interfere with, other learning.

HEATH HENWOOD AND NAOMI DONOVAN

These results correlate with music because the majority of learning done during a music lesson is taught using patterns. Singing, playing or listening to music directs students to listen and hear in new ways which exercises their aural discrimination. Learning a rhythmic and melodic phrase employs the same skill required for reading and comprehension.

The connection with sound and reading is that when you’re learning to read you need to connect the sounds of words that you’ve heard for many years with the symbol on the page. So you’re matching a sound to a meaningful connection. Music is almost entirely comprised of this. For example, matching a word to a melody, a melody to a rhythm and a rhythm to a steady beat. Thus, people who had musical training are better at hearing speech in noise.

Music education facilitates student academic achievement by improving recall and retention of verbal information, cultivating creative thinking and improving the brain processing speed of sounds. In order to comprehend music, hearing, in the form of focused listening and strong concentration, must occur. Adults with music training early in life have a faster response to speech sounds than those who had never been taught music.

Recent research has found that music uses both sides of the brain, a fact that makes it valuable in all areas of development, through better developed cognitive and learning skills. Music affects the growth of a child’s brain academically, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Music trains the brain for higher forms of thinking. Through musical training a young mind can be permanently wired for enhanced performance. Research at the University of California has found that learning and playing music builds or modifies neural pathways related to spatial reasoning tasks, which are crucial for higher brain functions. This study showed that preschool children who received basic piano keyboard instruction scored an average of 34 per cent higher on tests of their reasoning skills.

Apart from the stated academic benefits of music, there are extensively documented behavioural, cultural and economic benefits to schools and the wider community for intensive study of music.

One of the major positive benefits of school music programmes is that they have been found to improve standards of student behaviour and commitment to study, and generally to lift the morale of schools.

Important life skills such as discipline, dependability, courage, perseverance and taking pride in your own work are some of the things which can be gained through experiencing music.

In an era of major parental concern about the lack of positive discipline in schools and the problems caused by disruptive children, this is one great benefit which school music can bring to the school community that many parents will welcome. A child involved in a music group (even if only playing a recorder or glockenspiel) will be extending their social and intellectual domains as well as developing concentration, teamwork, selfconfidence and emotional sensitivity.

Furthermore, as an important part of school life, music programmes can bring the school community together, raise the school’s profile in the community, as well as boosting the morale of the whole school community.

Music is a skill that people carry for life, unlike sporting skills. Music has the additional advantage of developing the creative capacities for lifelong success, such as sharpening student attentiveness and creativity, strengthening perseverance, developing better study habits and improving self-esteem.

A two-year Swiss study involved 1,200 children in 50 schools. They were taken from regular classes for three additional one-hour music classes per week. At the end of the experiment, despite missing regular classes, these students were better at languages, learned to read more easily, had better social relations, demonstrated more enjoyment in school and had a lower stress level than those who remained in regular classes.

Research from Harvard University found that students who study music and participate in school bands were far less likely to become involved with drug and alcohol abuse than other students. A further study conducted in Rhode Island found significant reductions in the arrest records of people who were involved in music.

In Australia, research by Caldwell and Vaughan found that participation in musical programmes dramatically reduced truancy by up to 65%, followed by higher rates of academic achievement by students compared to those in matched schools which did not have music programs.

As emotional beings, every child requires an artistic outlet. Music may be your child’s vehicle of expression. Learning music improves social and emotional wellbeing.

Caldwell and Vaughan’s research showed that longer-term participants in music programmes showed the highest percentage of students with high rates of social and emotional wellbeing (resilience, positive social skills, positive work orientation and engagement skills. Music education has well documented benefits in the socialisation, cognitive development and academic achievements of students.

In an era when schools are increasingly focused on improving standardised test results in literacy and numeracy, the research and experts point to a balanced approach that incorporates the teaching of creativity in schools, including the teaching of music.

Heath is an educator, community leader and works with schools and parents to ensure best practices are adopted in the classroom and at home. He currently teaches at Yeppoon, and coaches teachers to develop pedagogical practices. Heath also works with P&Cs Qld facilitating parent learning in the Capricornia area. He recently competed in the world land sailing championships finishing in the top 10. Heath is married with two teenage children.

Naomi has taught early childhood music education for Encore Music, run a successful and long standing private teaching studio and is an experienced accompanist. Naomi currently teaches primary school music at a variety of schools on the Keppel Coast where she is able to put her vocal, instrumental and musical directing skills to good use.

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TERRY SMALL

PHOTO: LIGHTWISE

“ You can choose to have a healthier brain!”

Teachers Matter

Your Real Brain Age. Are you ready to take the test?

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Your brain may be younger or older than your actual age.

D

r. Vincent Fortanasce, professor of neurology at USC, has developed The Real Brain Age Test. He says that people can outlive their brains!

Alzheimer’s and other types of brain diseases leave clues. These clues can be used to determine your real brain age.

If you want to take the test keep 2 things in mind:

There is a lot you can do, at any time, to improve the quality of your brain.

This is not a “real” test, but rather a broad assessment of your general risk at any point in time.

Take a sheet of paper and number from 1 to 25. Answer true or false to the following statements:

TERRY SMALL

1.

I get seven to eight hours (or more) of sleep each night.

2.

I eat at least five or more servings of fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants daily.

3.

I eat at least one serving of blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries daily.

4.

I eat baked or broiled fish high in omega-3 fatty acids at least three times a week.

5.

6.

I take fish oil supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids or flaxseed supplements at least five times per week.

I take folic acid supplementation with my daily multivitamin.

7.

I take a low dose of aspirin daily.

8.

I drink red wine or grape juice at least five times per week.

9.

I exercise most days of the week for at least thirty minutes each time.

10. I read challenging books, do crossword puzzles or Sudoku, or I engage in activities that require active learning, memorisation, computation, analysis and problem solving at least five times a week.

11. My total cholesterol is less than 200.

12. My LDL (“bad”) cholesterol is less than 110.

13. I have “longevity genes” in my family, with members who lived to 80 and older without memory loss.

14. I am not obese (less than 20 pounds overweight for a woman, less than 30 pounds overweight for a man).

20. I do not have metabolic syndrome (high triglycerides, central obesity, and hypertension), also called Insulin Resistance Syndrome.

21. I do not have a sleep disorder such as snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea or untreated insomnia.

22. Daily uncontrolled stress is not a problem for me.

23. I have a strong support group and enjoy many activities with friends, colleagues and family members.

24. I have no problems with short or long term memory.

25. I am ready to prevent Alzheimer’s and am willing to do whatever it takes.

Now please go back and count how many of the 25 true or false statements you marked “True”. Write your score on the sheet of paper and then use the following key to determine your Real Brain Age and risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Keep in mind that your score points out a general direction. It will give you useful information that will be easy to understand and apply to your diet and lifestyle habits.

2 3 - 2 5 - C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s ! Yo u a r e aging well. Subtract 15 years from your chronological age for your Real Brain Age. You are presently healthy with a youthful, productive mind. Keep working to become even healthier. Unless things change in your life, your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is extremely low.

20-22 - Not Bad! Subtract 10 years from your chronological age for your Real Brain Age.

15. I eat a Mediterranean style diet (high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and olive oil as the source of fat; little red meat).

You are doing a lot to take care of your physical and mental health. Check the specific questions you marked “false” and be sure to pay attention to changes you need to make.

16. I use olive oil and spreads with no trans fat instead of butter or margarine.

15-19 - OK. Your Real Brain Age is the same as your chronological age.

17. I have never smoked cigarettes.

That said, you have a mild risk of Alzheimer’s disease, so pay attention. Carefully review your results to see what changes you need to make with your diet, exercise, mental stimulation, or rest and relaxation.

18. I have normal blood pressure.

19. I do not have diabetes.

12-14 - You have a moderate risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Add 5 years to your chronological age for your Real Brain Age. While there’s not a lot of disparity between your chronological age and your Real Brain, it’s important that you review the quiz and circle any of the statements that indicate some work is needed. Talk to your doctor about your Alzheimer’s risk factors.

0 - 1 1 - Yo u h a v e a h i g h r i s k o f Alzheimer’s Disease. Add 10 years to your chronological age for your Real Brain Age. You may want to call your doctor and talk openly about health problems you may have. Ask if you’re doing all you can to manage these problems. Flag responses that may help to decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Well, how did you do?

I scored 21 out of 25. Considering what I do for a living....I wasn’t real pleased.

But, I feel good about now having four things to work on in the New Year. I plan on bringing them up with my doctor because I believe any changes should be discussed with a physician.

Dr. Fortanasce’s recently published book is called “The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription - The Science-Proven Plan to Start at Any Age”. I highly recommend it! I have no financial interest in recommending it – ZERO! I do believe that if you are serious about taking care of your brain this is a book you should read.

We used to believe that Alzheimer’s just occurred randomly. Neuroscientists now know that damage associated with this disease begins long before any symptoms show up - even while you are “at the top of your game”. You can choose to have a healthier brain!

Te r r y i s a m a s t e r t e a c h e r a n d learning skills specialist. He has presented on the brain for over 30 years and has a wealth of teaching experience and extensive involvement in applied neuroscience. http://www.terrysmall.com

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KATE MASON

How does personality affect teaching and learning?

Judging or perceiving?

T

eaching is full of rights and wrongs, new ways of handling old problems, curriculum changes, different teaching and learning styles. To add fuel to the never ending fire, I ask you, how does your personality style impact your teaching and can the personality of students influence their learning style?

As a teacher, parent and a personality profile facilitator, I have witnessed the impact of how knowing ‘who you are’ and what makes you ‘tick’, can improve your teaching style and help you understand your students.

I use The Myer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a personality profiling instrument which provides tools to help build understanding about ourselves and others and how to work with our differences. It sorts our preferences into four areas, Introversion/Extraversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Perceiving.

These preferences are innate, just as the hand that you ‘naturally’ write with is. You can use the opposite but it requires greater effort and concentration lacking the ease and familiarity of the preferred hand.

Teachers Matter

Today I am looking at the MBTI preferences Judging and Perceiving and how these affect the way we teach and how students respond.

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Judging and Perceiving Preferences. What are they?

When determining how much structure or flexibility an individual needs in the world the Judging and Perceiving types have different outlooks.

Those who use their Judging preference prefer order and structure in their world.

They are usually organised and planned.

They are comfortable with the timetables, lists and diaries that are used to define

“ How knowing ‘who you are’ and what makes you ‘tick’, can improve your teaching style and help you understand your students.“

their movements throughout the days and weeks ahead. They enjoy working progressively on the completion of one project before beginning another and find deadlines easy to meet.

Then there are the Perceiving types. These people prefer flexibility and adapt easily to change. They enjoy responding to the moment and are not bound by lists and timetables. Time is taken exploring all options before decisions are made. They get pleasure from working on several projects at once and they are energised as the deadline nears, they make deadlines….just!

J’s and P’s in the classroom These two approaches to ‘the world’ impact both teachers and students in many ways, both positive and negative.

The positives of the Judging teaching style are that work is usually marked and returned promptly, lessons are well structured, expectations are made clear and ground rules set and adhered to.

One negative of the Judging preference for order and structure is that it sometimes overrides the humanitarian aspect of teaching. For example, my daughter dreaded being late for a particular class where the classroom door was closed the minute the lesson began and the ‘offender’ was made to wait outside for a period of time without any question of validity for the delay. This method certainly got students into the teacher’s class on time but his need for control made this a process of humility rather than a desire to be there.

The positive aspects of the teacher who prefers the Perceiving style is that they create a relaxed classroom environment with ease, where flexibility allows various new incidental experiences to be enjoyed.

The timetable is effortlessly altered to fit in with the changes that occur during the day to day running of the classroom.

However, this too has its negative side as discipline and classroom routines that are important for learning can be neglected and the subject matter that needs to be taught and reinforced ceases to be the focus.

My daughter had some teachers for whom she was never on time. Being a P herself, she would blithely say, “I don’t need to be on time for Miss Mason’s class she doesn’t care, she wouldn’t notice anyway.”

Be aware of who you are! These are extremes, are you too strict or too lax? Most teachers, whether Judging or Perceiving types do find ways of creating a classroom environment where students want to be on time!

My daughter is always on time for teachers she respects and admires!

Judging and Perceiving teaching and student preference and the marking process.

When an assignment is given and a due date set for submission the students who prefer the Judging preference who will work steadily towards the deadline. My ‘Judging’ son even finished an essay before the

KATE MASON

teacher had assigned it to him because he knew what the topic would be and wanted to get it out of the way!

My ‘Perceiving’ daughter however, delays much of her work until the final days, sometimes hours, before the assignment time limit. She is then however, energised by the last minute adrenalin surge as she throws herself into an “all nighter” to get her work finished on time.

Can you relate to these scenarios?

These Judging and Perceiving work styles are different but the end result is that both children get A’s for their work.

Perceiving types can meet a deadline but are also happy to postpone it. A frequent frustration for my son are his Perceiving preference teachers, who often change the deadline at the last minute for Perceiving students who had not yet completed, some not even started, their assignment. His outrage is that the last minute Perceiving students are rewarded for their tardiness and given extra time with no loss of marks and his effort at meeting the due date is not rewarded!

The opposite in this scenario is the ‘Judging’ teacher who does not compromise, even when lateness can be justified and fails students for not meeting the deadline.

However, it is a fact of life that when students join the workforce, no matter what their preference, finishing tasks on time is a life skill that they need to develop and school is the place to foster this expertise. Strategies should be in place for overdue work, such as loss of marks for each day the assignment is late. This gives the student consequences thus allowing those who complete their work on time to be rewarded and those that hand it in late to be penalised.

The negatives of these two teaching and study styles are as follows.

The J’s desire for quick closure can throw them when new information is disclosed near the deadline and they may have to rewrite all or sections of their work to include this.

The P’s last minute dash can sometimes be too late if they underestimate the time needed for researching and putting their work together. Therefore their dilemma

is that their work can lack important information and the flow that is needed.

Balance is the key.

We are all unique, but in understanding and acknowledging the preferences of both yourself and your students you can teach with greater knowledge, clarity and empathy.

How much structure do you need in your world?

Let’s find out!

Based in Adelaide, Kate has been a successful businesswoman for over 25 years. She has experience of diverse sectors such as teaching, food and fitness. Kate is trained in personality profiling, specialising in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. She is highly experienced in the relationship between personality, people and performance.

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REBECCA JANE FLANAGAN

5 tips for caring for our voice Your most important resource

T

he Arts connects the human heart and soul with a deep and intrinsic yearning to make an imprint on our world. Music in particular, bonds us as human beings. It becomes a key to that treasure chest of memories we all have inside of us - and is especially powerful in helping us relive childhood memories.

It gives us a voice, especially those whose voice is quiet or often unheard. It puts feelings into a tangible medium, and gives us an amazing way to communicate with each other and our environment. It knows no boundaries or limitations and crosses all genders, races, religions and all time.

It gives us the gifts of expression, creation and of reflection. Best of all, music has the power to evoke joy, love and happiness... why wouldn’t we want our children to have access to that kind of magic?

Daily exposure and interaction with the Arts nurtures imaginations, fosters creativity and will enhance your learning programmes in an inclusive,

Colourful rainbow scarves are a lovely musical experience that combines movement and music

Like all the best learning experiences in early childhood, music activities simultaneously promote development in

Teachers Matter

“ Like all the best learning experiences in early childhood, music activities simultaneously promote development in multiple domains.”

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holistic manner. Musical activities offer opportunities to experience self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficacy, engage in pretend play and symbolic thinking, develop cultural awareness, cooperate and build relationships, develop fine and gross motor skills, make connections between home and school, support body awareness, practice cognitive skills and concepts, develop literacy and language skills, and much, much more!

multiple domains. Campbell & Brewer said, “Singing engages both hemispheres of the brain, and adding movements such as tapping, drumming, playing instruments, or dancing enhances brain engagement even further by stimulating the frontal lobes”. I passionately believe a happy child is one who sings, but this needs to be role modelled by teachers and parents, all the way through their education.

In our classrooms and learning environments we make sure all those little bits and pieces in maths and literacy kits are put away respectfully, instruments are played with care and stor ybooks are looked after by the children…. but how often do you think about taking mindful precautions to care for your own internal instrument – your voice? You are your very best resource, and special care must be taken to ensure your tools of communication are kept in the best shape possible! The best part is the steps you take to care for your voice also have additional benefits for your health in general.

Here are 5 tips to support the care of your voice – your most important resource! ♪♫ ♪ Gross motor and core strength exercises - Exercise is vital for vocal care as it increases your cardiovascular strength and breath stamina. Yoga is one of the best activities as it focuses on posture, alignment, strength, balance, breath coordination, mental clarity, concentration and relaxation. Tai Chi, a fluid Chinese

REBECCA JANE FLANAGAN

Singing with props brings to life the imagination of young children

martial art, teaches you to “centre” your energy while building a sense of connection to the breath. Swimming conditions your heart and lungs, tightens your stomach, expands your back, strengthens your tiny rib muscles and increases you breath capacity.

Simple walks are fantastic as well, best done in nature. Clear your mind, monitor your breathing, focus on your core and make sure to maintain your posture (no hunching of shoulders!) The more you strengthen your diaphragm, the better control you will have of your voice as an instrument. ♪♫ ♪ Drink plenty of water - Ensuring good hydration is one of the most important things you can do. Drinking water supports the health of your mouth, nose, throat, larynx, vocal chords and lungs. When you are talking or singing as a profession, it is important to drink water every 20 minutes.

Our bodies and brains need a constant supply of water to function well. In order

to keep your larynx moist and healthy you need to drink water from morning to night. ♪♫ ♪ Take steps to reduce your stress - It is difficult when you feel under pressure and behind in work and chores, but if you do not make a plan to minimise your stress you will find it is much harder to solve rather than prevent problems. Get enough sleep, take time to rest when you feel especially “under the pump”, practice meditation exercises, notice illnesses coming on and take action, eat a healthy diet and look into vitamins and supplements. Smoking of course is a massive no no, and alcohol intake also takes a toll on your voice due to the dehydrating effects. Take the time to do something pleasurable for yourself every week, and celebrate the beauty of you! Health and happiness is a continuous cycle that we must nurture.

♪♫ ♪ Provide spaces for quiet play and communication – Indoor/Outdoor learning programmes are fabulous as the children’s space is doubled and the noise level in the classroom is minimised.

Spending lots of time outside in the fresh air is also extremely beneficial for the health of your vocal chords and well being in general.

In winter it is important to wear a scarf around your throat, especially outdoors.

Musical instrument use in the outdoor environment is best as children can bang and play as loudly as they desire. Model the way we go over to speak to friends, making eye contact and using body language, rather than calling across the learning environment. Designing little nooks and nurturing play spaces supports small group play for those children who enjoy less robust play, this can be done outside as well as in, with mud pie kitchens, cushions and seating under trees and shady spaces, cubby and dens, garden exploration. ♪♫ ♪ Try to cut back on your words – As teachers we often spend a lot of time talking…. But we should try to spend more time listening, observing, noticing and responding to the children. This is not only helpful for your voice, but in understanding the children and taking the time to be quiet and in the moment. Speaking in a regular talking volume level is best, so think of other ways to focus the children - i.e. use musical instruments, body language and songs that the children join in with to attract attention, transition and gather together. Encouraging children to sing and speak in a kind voice is just as important as using those gentle hands and words.

Rebecca is a passionate early childhood teacher, talented storyteller and trained opera singer. She is an advocate for play based learning, connecting children with the nature and the importance of music and the creative arts which is reflected in her specialised programme. www. musicalexperiencesforchildren.com Rebecca is also on Facebook: w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / MusicalExperiencesForChildren

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I

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN KAREN BOYES

A to Z of effective teaching A by-the-letter guide – with one letter in each issue Icebreakers

Impulsivity

Intrinsic Motivation

From simple activities, such as a name game, to more complex games, ice breakers are designed to have students connect with your content and other students quickly at the beginning of a lesson. These activities are designed to have students ‘wakeup’ their brains to enhance better l e a r n i n g . Tw o m a j o r k e y s t o success however involve novelty and purpose. The same activities repeated can cause the opposite effect - turning the brain off the ‘not this again’ syndrome is important to avoid. Ensure starter activities are new and different and not used every day. Having a key purpose is also paramount. A student asking ‘What am I doing this for?’ is also important to avoid by ensuring your icebreakers have a purpose or link to your content or key learnings for the lesson.

The brain is wired both biologically and environmentally for impulsivity.

Under major (or sometimes minor) stress, the brain automatically jumps to a biological impulse programme.

Often referred to as the fight, flight or freeze response, it is designed to keep you safe. For example, if someone jumps out from behind a tree and scares you, you might automatically scream, jump or gasp for breath.

Yo u r h e a r t s t a r t s t o p u m p a little faster and your adrenaline levels go up. It might then take you a few seconds to evaluate your environment, to realise that this is a friend playing a trick on you. The environmental response is often a learned response and happens because of practice and experience.

The word intrinsic means from within. Having internal motivation suggests that the reason someone does what they do is not for any external rewards, nor to please others, however they are driven by an internal incentive and drive.

This may be because they just know it is the right thing to do, or there may be an internal reward, such as satisfaction, erasing dissatisfaction or a personal goal or dream to achieve.

iI

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“Ensure your icebreakers have a purpose or link to your content or key learnings for the lesson.”

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN

i

NOPQRSTUVWXYZ KAREN BOYES

Intelligence

Internally referenced

There are many views of what intelligence is. Howard Gardner in 1983 defined intelligence as an individual’s ability to use a learned skill, create products or solve problems in a way valued by the society of that individual. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences are widely used in schools. In 1985, Sternberg defined intelligence as the ability to per form skills (analytical, creative and/or practical) with accuracy and efficiency, while Jeff Hawkins in 2004 described human intelligence as being measured by the capacity to remember and predict patterns in the world, including mathematics, language, social situations and the properties of objects. Whilst it is clear that there is no agreement on what intelligence is, one interesting discovery is that the more grey matter in the frontal lobes the higher people tend to score on intelligence tests.

Someone who is internally referenced is often a very independent thinker and operator. This person uses their own set of behaviour criteria or rules to monitor and manage their personal conduct. They often respond using themselves as the primary judge or source of behaviour, possibly operating outside of a set of established norms.

NOPQRSTUV

Karen is a leading authority on effective lear ning and teaching in Australasia. She is the founder and CEO of Spectrum Education. A highly skilled and dynamic presenter, she works with teachers, parents, students and corporate clients. www.spectrumeducation.com

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LUCY KING

Adventures of a Kiwi teacher on a Canadian First Nations reservation 49.9 degrees North

“If

you had known what it would be like, would you still have taken the job?”

I’ll confess that this question floored me for a moment.

In early January, I took up a position teaching Grade One on an isolated Cree (Canadian First Nations) reservation in northern Quebec. Four days later I was 950km north, trudging back to my lodgings despondently through -35 degrees Celsius, dazed and overwhelmed by my first day on the job.

Teaching can be a pretty stressful occupation. Of course, I knew this already. Back home in We l l i n g t o n I t a u g h t f o r t w o y e a r s a t a n intermediate school and even with supportive colleagues and 30 fairly well-adjusted students, it wasn’t rare for me to wake up at 5am with my mind racing about the tasks ahead, or to finish the day feeling drained and overwhelmed. This is all part of life for beginning teachers, after all.

Teaching on the reservation has taken this to a whole new level, however. A sense of humour is essential, as my days often feel comically disastrous.

Kids microwaving aluminium foil to “see the fire”? Check. Bleeding noses and torn clothing from fistfights over Lego? Absolutely. This is not to mention the hungry tummies, itchy heads and rings of exhaustion under their eyes – the small, cumulative hardships that weigh down on the littlest members of low socioeconomic communities.

Two months on from that overwhelming first day, however, I am now feeling at home in this beautiful community. And what a pay-off there is for accepting the challenge.

The Cree are an ancient people, whose ancestors have inhabited the land they call ‘Eeyou Ischtee’ (Eastern James Bay region) for around 7000 years. Ouje Bougoumou is the southernmost of the Cree settlements, and sits on the edge of Lake Opemiska, surrounded by gently rolling hills of boreal forest. Many locals still run their traditional trap lines in the bush around the community, living in camps for months in the winter to hunt rabbits, moose, caribou and beavers.

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LUCY KING

The intimacy of village life is charming for a recovering urbanite. Stories and family ties are the network that holds everyone together. I live on the same road as several of my 12 students, five of whom share the same surname and almost all of whom are first or second cousins. In a community so small that Google Maps doesn’t have street names for it, directions are given relative to the homes of prominent individuals. Big city anonymity is a thing of the past, but the smiles and waves from kids practising their ice hockey on the street or zipping past on a skidoo as I brave the cold for a weekend walk are ample recompense.

I have been forced to revaluate my own expectations and beliefs, laid out in relief against this unfamiliar cultural backdrop.

Recently I dropped by a student’s house on my way home, intending to deliver a book she had forgotten and hoping to meet her family.

I had seen an adult enter moments before and could hear music playing. I was puzzled, then, that no-one responded to my knock at the door. I tried multiple times, waiting uncertainly for several minutes before finally walking away disappointed. I later learned that the Cree do not knock or answer knocks at the door. I was informed that I should

have just opened the door and walked in – an action so invasive in my own cultural context that I can barely imagine doing so.

I am frequently met with looks of friendly bewilderment when I explain that I am from New Zealand and ended up here more or less by accident. And indeed, while I explore some of the Cree Nation’s rich heritage – in particular through participating in a women’s sewing circle and attending local feasts – I am also sharing some of my own culture with those I meet.

In the classroom, a small Kiwi toy who has become our mascot, and a beautiful edition of Gavin Bishop’s ‘Essential Maori Myths” have helped me to achieve this. Though my students are very much free spirits (I spend a lot of my time just trying to keep them inside the classroom!) they sat, mouths open, enthralled by the exploits of Maui and other Maori heroes. New Zealand might as well be Jupiter to these kids, but a lot of Cree myths have anthropomorphised animals and natural features as well, and the students could easily connect with the tales. One favourite moment was when a taniwha who has kidnapped a chief’s wife is tricked into a trap and killed.

“Just like a rabbit snare!” one boy commented.

My journey here has only just begun. I plan to remain in the north for the next academic year, so there is plenty of time yet to practice my moose-hide beadwork, pronunciation of Cree words (try Aanischaaukamikw for size!) and strategies for engaging these lively, loveable children. I am lucky to be here, joining a proud people as they work to maintain centuries of tradition while simultaneously engaging with the economy and culture of modern Canada.

Would I have taken the job, had I realised the challenges it would entail? I am proud to answer a heartfelt ‘yes!’

Lucy began her career in 2011 teaching at a Wellington intermediate school.

She is currently studying part-time towards a Masters in Education and teaching at a community intervention prog ramme for at-risk youth in Montreal, Canada. Lucy has a blog 49above.wordpress.com.

37

MAGGIE HOS-MCGRANE

What do your students do when they don’t know what to do?

Part 4: How do the Habits of Mind ‘fit’ with the Primary Years Programme?

In

my previous three articles about aligning the IB Learner Profile and the PYP Attitudes with Costa and Kallick’s Habits of Minds. It’s very easy to see how some of these fit together.

With others it’s not so simple. A couple of the ones in this part don’t seem to readily fit into either the Learner Profile or the Attitudes, though obviously they do have an impact on how students behave when confronted with problems that they don’t immediately know how to solve.

Creating, Imagining and Innovating - PYP Attitude: Creativity The PYP Attitude of creativity is defined in the following way: “being creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to problem solving and dilemmas.” It’s easy to see why Costa and Kallick have chosen this Habit of Mind. Students who are faced with

“ We want students who are creative thinkers and who care passionately about what they do. ”

Teachers Matter

Gathering Data through all the Senses

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Costa and Kallick write that information gets into the brain through the senses and that most linguistic, cultural and physical learning is derived from the environment by observing or taking in through the senses: “students whose sensory pathways are open, alert and acute absorb more information from the environment” when compared with students who do not use all their senses.

Responding with Wonderment and Awe - PYP Attitudes of Appreciation and Enthusiasm I think both of these attributes are contained in Costa and Kallick’s description of this Habit of Mind. The attitude of appreciation refers to the sense of wonder and beauty in the world and its people. This leads them to be curious about the world. The attitude of enthusiasm refers to how students learn: enjoying learning and willingly putting effort into the process. We want students who are creative thinkers and who care passionately about what they do. This gets back to intrinsic motivation - these students seek out problems to solve and enjoy figuring things out by themselves. These are the building blocks of being a lifelong learner.

a problem to which the answer is not immediately apparent need to think about the problem in different ways and consider alternative possibilities. They write that creative people are uneasy with the status quo and so take risks and push the boundaries, and that they are intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated. They are open to criticism because they are constantly seeking to refine their technique.

Maggie has been teaching for 30 years, 24 of these in international schools. She is currently Elementary Tech Co-ordinator at the American S c h o o l o f B o m b a y. M a g g i e i s a G o o g l e C e r t i f i e d T e a c h e r. www.maggiehosmcgrane.com

Finally a book for parents that explains and demonstrates the Habits of Mind in the home ...

Raising Caring, Capable Kids with Habits of Mind is all about ensuring that children leave home with the wider skills they will need to thrive throughout their lives.

The Habits of Mind movement created by Art Costa and Bena Kallick in the US is tried and tested in schools. But this book breaks new ground in taking the Habits of Mind out of the classroom and into the home.

Clearly explained theory and research is complemented by really practical and useful examples for parents to try out.

This book offers wonderful support for parents across the world who want to help their children succeed and thrive. Parents who adopt these methods can help their children become powerful learners, well-equipped for the 21st century world in which we are raising them.

Raising Caring, Capable Kids with Habits of Mind provides many engaging stories and examples for parents to their help children succeed and thrive in school as well as in life. There are practical tips that apply to daily life with children _ for issues big and small _ everything from managing homework to resolving arguments between siblings to encouraging the reluctant child.

This is essential reading for every parent and a must on every schools resource library shelf...

To order please contact Spectrum Education www.spectrumeducation.com

MICHAEL GRINDER & MARY YENIK

Preserve your emotional energy by decontaminating your life Feeling overwhelmed?

By understanding the connection between location and memory, we can set up our school life and home so that unpleasant or volatile experiences are kept separate from our everyday life. In other words, we can use the principle of decontamination to preserve our emotional energy.

Decontamination is a process in which we use one set of non-verbals (such as location, posture, eye contact) for volatile information and a different set of nonverbals for other communications. By sorting our non-verbals consciously and systematically, we avoid the mistake of bringing negativity into the neutral or pleasant parts of our lives. We don’t allow bad news or stress to contaminate the good stuff, and as a result it is easier to maintain our emotional energy.

Teachers Matter

Decontamination: The Home

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When we contaminate our entire home with non-verbal reminders of work, it’s harder to rest and refresh ourselves for the next day. It’s better to have one consistent location at home where we stash any work-related objects such as lesson plans, our briefcase, or our laptop; ideally, these reminders of our professional life will be in some location far from where we eat and where we sleep. When we work on

school stuff we put the material back in our consistent school storage location.

The concept of decontamination has endless applications. You can sort between various home activities, too. For example, paying bills vs. having a game night with family, parenting vs. romance, etc.

Decontamination: The Office You can sort the non-verbals of one of your professional responsibilities from the nonverbals of other professional responsibilities.

Think of positive interactions such as greeting students at the door compared to meeting with a student when evaluating their work. When you consistently match your non-verbals to the current situation, you cue yourself and others to know what to expect. You are seen as fair when you systematically use location, voice tone, facial expression, etc., that are in sync with the task at hand. For example, you would not give stern feedback in the same location and with the same voice tone that you’d use when you are complimenting a student.

What other ways could you sort the nonverbals of your professional setting? How would it work, for example, to have one set of non-verbals for working on the budget, and a different set for sharing successes of the previous day? Pleasant tasks vs. unpleasant tasks? Routine work vs. strategic planning?

In each case, pay attention to your energy level and notice the difference between the times when activities are smushed together and when they are cleanly sorted. Whether big situations or ever yday activities, separating different parts of your life will help you preserve your emotional energy and keep negativity at bay.

PHOTO: GUSTAVO TOLEDO

Y

ou probably remember exactly where you were the moment you learned of the 9/11 attack on New York’s Twin Towers. And what about the 2011 earthquake in Japan? Your memory of unique events is forever connected to the place in which you experienced them, and whether the event was traumatic or pleasurable, going back to the same p l a c e c a n b r i n g b a c k t h e m e m o r y.

Locations have memories.

Michael is the United Sates national director of NLP in Education. He has pioneered the practice of using nonverbals to manage classrooms and create a safe learning environment based on influence instead of power.

Mary has had several successful careers. Amongst them she founded a Houston, Texas education c o m p a n y. S h e i s a l e a d i n g consultant to Montessori education in the States. She has been Michael Grinder’s collaborator for several decades; editing the ten of his books. She currently is developing a training manual for teachers, which blends Michael’s work, NLP and Glasser together.

MICHAEL GROSE

How to make a great first impression with parents Setting the right tone from the beginning

Sitting on the counter in front of the office administration area was a silver plaque. On it were printed the words: ‘Director of First Impressions – Sue’.

Almost immediately I was given a friendly smile, accompanied by a cheerful greeting, from ... you guessed it ... Sue. She invited me to sit down and make myself comfortable as she paged the person I had come to see. Needless to say I felt very welcome!

Importantly, this initial friendly greeting set the tone for the rest of my visit at the school.

The school leadership team in this school is smart.

They obviously understand the power of first impressions. Set the right tone at the very first visit and future interactions will more than likely have the same positive feel. This is so important, especially for those parents you rarely see, and for those who weren’t comfortable at school when they were kids themselves.

And just as a good first impression sets the scene for positive partnerships with parents, a bad first impression can have the opposite effect. Your school’s reputation may never recover.

All staff members need to be aware of the power of the first impression when meeting with parents, not just the staff on the front desk.

Here are some very practical ideas to help you make a welcoming first impression with parents.

Greet them with a smile: Putting a smile on your face not only makes the other person feel welcome, it makes you feel better too.

F o l l o w y o u r s c h o o l ’s s c r i p t w h e n answering the telephone: The first contact many parents will have with your school will be by telephone so it helps if everyone on staff follows a similar script. For example:

“Hello, you’ve called Smith St School. This is Jenna. How can I help?”

Find out what they prefer to be called: One way of welcoming a parent you are meeting for the first time is to ask them what they would prefer to be called. This is very effective way to break the ice with parents from a different socio-economic or cultural background than yours.

PHOTO: GRAHAM OLIVER

I

saw something in the front office of a school recently that I’ve never seen before.

Dress appropriately: People make very quick decisions about others based on external cues such as dress and appearance.

Sloppy, casual clothing doesn’t make a good impression. Dress like a professional and you are more likely to be treated like one!

Make sure they are comfortable: Sometimes environments are set up to favour teachers rather than parents during meetings and interviews. Consider the comfort levels of parents. Do they have somewhere comfortable to wait? Is there water available? Is the seating appropriate for adults or are you making do with children’s furniture?

In his book Blink!, author and social commentator Malcolm Gladwell claimed that most people make snap decisions about others based on minimal cues, then look for information to support their decision.

This is why making a poor first impression with parents can be so hard to reverse: from the first meeting on they’ll be searching for evidence that will support and reinforce their initial negative view.

MAKING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION WITH PARENTS • Greet with a smile • Get their name right • Answer the phone properly • Dress professionally • Consider a parent’s comfort

Big three points: 1.

The first impression sets the tone for all other interactions that you and other staff members have with parents.

2.

Making a great first impression is the job of everyone in the school, not just the people in the front office.

3.

Be genuine and sincere in all interactions with parents.

On the other hand, a positive first impression puts you on the front foot and preconditions parents to see you positively in future interactions. They’re more likely to be led by you and take your messages on board.

So don’t leave it up to the staff on the front desk to make a great first impression. Make sure every teacher and staff member in your school, in their own way, is a ‘Director of First Impressions’.

Michael is an author, columnist and presenter who supports over 1,100 schools in Australia, New Zealand and England in engaging and supporting their parent communities.

He is the Director of Parentingideas. www.parentingideas.com.au

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STUART FLEMING

How to negotiate with an antagonist When strengths go wild

T

he final bell has gone.

Students are running and yelling and skating and pushing and walking their way off the school grounds. You breathe a weary sigh – another day is over.

Well, almost.

Where most parents are simply tracking down their child in the maelstrom and heading straight home, one mother doesn’t.

You watch her stride across the concrete, making a determined passage to your classroom door. Your palms are suddenly sweaty, your heart heavy and any thought of making the much-needed yoga class disappears as the door bursts open and she storms in...

--//-Let’s not continue that story. We’ve all been there: in the firing line of someone’s vehement disappointment, frustration or anger. It’s not a pleasant situation. Many times, we are not even the cause of their aggravation – we simply happen to be the ear they choose to chew. Their reality hasn’t lived up to their expectations and they confront us with an emotionally-charged situation we most certainly didn’t ask for.

So what do we do?

Step 1: keep breathing.

Step 2: refrain from biting back, no matter how much you would really, really like to.

The repercussions are rarely worth it.

Step 3: consider the st re ng ths of t he antagonist.

What..?!

Behavioural strengths. We all have them – a unique combination of preferences which govern our conduct (whether we think consciously about it or not) on any given day. But when we are feeling unwell, or stressed, or things are going wrong, our strengths can flip to the ‘dark side’.

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Let’s look at the multitude of behaviours you see in the parents of your students; in your colleagues; even in your loved ones, and consider them from four different perspectives. So as to give it structure and since cranky pants people are still of this world - though some do seem quite alien we shall use the metaphor of Nature:

Water

Earth

When Water elements are under stress, they can become hesitant. They put people ahead of the task, thus neglecting the agreed objectives. They can become overly sensitive.

Earth elements are firm. They are confident in the way they walk and talk. Goals, control and achievement are important to them.

They like dealing in facts and they are decisive. Does this sound like anyone you know?

When Earth elements are under stress, they can become blunt. The feelings of other people can be neglected and they become demanding.

Negotiating with Earth: they value results and solutions, so use words like “I’m certain” and “You will gain”. What confident steps can you take, or say you’ll take, to bring the issue to a satisfactory close – swiftly?

Air Air elements are clear. Orderly and focussed, they rely on their ability to think things out.

They excel in finding logical solutions and making sense of situations. No doubt you know someone whose pantry is neat and tidy, with all the labels lined up?

But when Air elements are under stress, they can become critical. Focussing on small details, they neglect the big picture and can get stuck on a particular point.

Negotiating with Air: they value knowledge and quality, so use words like “Evidence; your consideration; pros/cons”. Can you provide them non-emotional logic and structure to their frustration? They will appreciate time to consider their options.

Water elements are calm, though their favourite quote may just be “Beware the fury of a patient man”. Caring and considerate, these folk have a desire for harmony and are careful with people’s feelings. They are pivotal in holding teams and families together.

N e g o t i a t i n g w i t h Wa t e r : t h e y v a l u e relationships, honesty and integrity, so use words like “I can help you” and “This will benefit your child by...” Can you create an opportunity to talk their concerns over, strengthening the relationship you have?

Fire Fire elements are bright and spontaneous.

Looking at the positive side of life, they love to explore possibilities and inspire others to see bright futures.

But when Fire elements are under stress, they can be easily distracted. (I call it the “Oh-Look-Something-Shiny-Syndrome”).

They can neglect the practicality of a situation and be very casual about the eventual outcome.

Stuart is co-director of FizzLogic, a facilitation and training company committed to putting the fizz back into team dynamics and company culture.

An experienced personal coach and trainer, he creates learning moments that explore diversity and promote creativity, collaboration and fun. www.FizzLogic.com

STUART FLEMING

Of course there are far more than just four versions of a cranky parent - Nature is far more diverse than that. We each have all four elements within us, so our strengths – and our stress-points - are blended. But everyone leaves clues.

--//--

• Look around at your colleagues. Who is easily distracted?

• Consider your students. Who strives for perfection?

• Picture your family. Who calls a spade a spade?

Play with the metaphor. Test it against the behaviours you encounter. And remember to keep breathing!

ILLUSTRATION: ALMIR1968

Negotiating with Fire: they value potential, so need to hear that everything will work out in the future. They don’t mind if you use the word “Wow!” Be enthusiastic when explaining what steps you’ll take to rectify the situation.

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THERESE HOYLE

Skipping

Rekindling children’s love of new and old games

S

kipping games and rhymes have been featured in children’s play for hundreds of years and in countries all over the world. Skipping is believed to have originated when rope-makers were forced to jump over strands of hemp as they twisted them together.

When I see children skipping in the playground, there is a never ending stream of rhymes both new and old; children’s faces are filled with smiles and laughter, whilst lunchtime supervisors merrily join in. Skipping is one of those activities that is inclusive of everyone - young, old, athletic and not so - it seems to bring joy to all involved and is of minimal financial cost to schools.

Sadly, during my years of running ‘Positive Playtime’ Training courses in schools a frequent cry from teachers and lunchtime supervisors has been that children don’t know how to play with a skipping rope or the traditional skipping rhymes and games we used to play.

With many children playing less outside due to the appeal of computer games, fears of stranger danger and busy roads, what was once a familiar site in most neighbourhoods and schools across the country, seems to have diminished. In fact I frequently see ropes in schools, wrapped around children’s waists and used to play ponies, not what they were intended for!

I believe there is a role for us in reigniting children’s love of skipping and in teaching the traditional games and rhymes, which can then be passed down to the next generation and not be forgotten.

Traditional Skipping Rhymes There are hundreds of rhymes with new ones or new variations being added all the time, but the really old traditional ones still continue to be used and many of these are featured in my book 101 Playground Games.

Some rhymes are obviously products of an older tradition, recited with little understanding but enthusiastic actions: I am a Girl Guide dressed in blue these are the actions I must do: Salute to the King and bow to the Queen, and turn my back on the washing-machine.

- still surprisingly popular considering that the last king of England died in 1952!

The rhyme is recited to the rhythm of the skipping and actions performed for each line - salute, bow, and turn round completely.

I encourage teachers to teach skipping skills and games once a term in their PE lessons.

Teachers Matter

Initially, I suggest they teach children how to skip solo, this gets them warmed up learning some basic skills. The good thing about skipping is that it can be taught simultaneously to people with a range of abilities and allows different abilities to shine because of its non-competitive nature.

All children can strive for their personal best; so everyone succeeds in their own way.

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Once children have learnt basic skills they can then learn more complex moves that require greater agility and skill. Children also love the long rope games, many of these can be taught in groups in the playground.

You will find that students enjoy learning new tricks which they love to show off to their friends.

THERESE HOYLE

In some of the schools I have consulted with, they invite a trainer like me or a professional skipper to run skipping workshops. He/she trains a few students during the afternoon, teaching them skills and tricks and then the whole school is invited to see a performance. After school many students take up the opportunity to join in further skipping workshops.

Schools find these days are such a success that skipping fever hits their playgrounds and they are swarming with children skipping for months afterwards.

Benefits There are many benefits to children skipping, most notably the physical activity it offers. Child obesity levels are rising with the current statistics showing that of children attending reception class (aged 4-5 years) during 2011-12, 9.5% were obese. It is therefore imperative schools encourage exercise, and skipping is an ideal activity to suit all capabilities.

The British Heart Foundation’s ‘Jump Rope for Heart’ campaign is aimed at highlighting the health benefits of skipping. The events began 27 years ago and have had over 25,000 schools and youth groups sign up. Hazel Mackie, an event organiser says, “As well as being a great deal of fun I believe that skipping improves fitness and acts as an antidote to playground problems such as bullying.”

The British Skipping Association also points out that it is an activity not only suited for recreation, but also for a cardiovascular workout. This combination of an aerobic workout and coordinationbuilding footwork has made rope skipping a popular form of exercise for many athletes.

Peter L Lindsay and Denise Palmer’s research further highlights that in many respects traditional games are more beneficial to children’s health (for example their cardio – vascular endurance) than formal syllabus games.

In addition to the physical benefits of skipping, participation in skipping as a group or individually with others aids inclusion for all children, encourages a purposeful playtime and helps combat bullying.

There are obviously many additional health and wellbeing benefits and these are just a few: • increased muscular strength • greater flexibility • improved coordination • strong bones • children playing co-operatively in organised spaces • increased emotional wellbeing • opportunities for socialising, building social skills and developing friendships • the promotion of children’s learning, imagination, creativity independence and interdependence

A game for schools to copy and laminate – extract from 101 Playground Games by Therese Hoyle

I Like Coffee, I Like Tea 10 minutes Age Range: 5-9 Ideal Number of Players: 2 Equipment Needed: Two person skipping rope How to Play: This is a two person skipping game.

The first player skips and sings: ‘I like coffee, I like tea.

I like… (child’s name), in with me.’

The person named then joins in and they jump together with the new player singing.

‘I hate coffee, I hate tea.

I don’t like… (child’s name), in with me.’

In this instance the first player is named and out.

The first player runs out and the rhyme starts again.

So sing, have fun and get that heart pumping, here’s to a happy winter of skipping!

• fun and joy • the development of confidence and self esteem • stress reduction Skipping can also improve your skill: • better timing and rhythm • improved balance • improved agility

Therese is bestselling author of 101 Playground Games and 101 Wet Playtime Games and Activities.

She runs Positive Playtime and whole school social, emotional and behavioural skills programmes nationally and internationally. If you wish to develop her ideas further please read her books, available from Spectrum, or contact her direct for in depth advice on designing and developing your playground. therese@theresehoyle.com www.theresehoyle.com

ILLUSTRATION: SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI

Like any equipment, a skipping rope needs to be introduced and rules enforced as to how it’s used. It also needs to be cared for and stored in a safe place.

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BETTE BLANCE

What is generating a student’s behaviour choices?

Using discipline as an opportunity to teach

H

arvey! Even just hearing the name for this teacher sends shudders down her spine. He is only a young lad of 10 but he seems to have magical powers over her. She wakes up at night worrying what to do about him. She thinks of him as she prepares the family meal. She has even begun calling her own son Harvey, particularly when he chooses behaviours that are unacceptable in the home. She had put her mental health in the hands of a ten year old. How could this be?

Harvey is a bright young lad. He has parents who are loving and kind. When he is motivated, nothing will stop him or hold him back. He can achieve the highest quality work. When he is not motivated however, he chooses behaviours like annoying others, refusing to begin or complete work, disrupting his own learning and the learning of others.

Why does he do this? What is behind these choices in behaviour? There are many possible explanations.

Teachers Matter

Harvey is deliberately out to get attentionin particular the attention of his teacher

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Or he just does not enjoy the work he is being given Or he wants to pick and choose what he does rather than being told Perhaps he wants to test out the boundaries the teacher had set Or he would rather socialise than do the work.

Whatever the reason, they are his best attempt to get what he wants, but it is at the expense of his own learning and that of others.

The five needs provide a useful framework for understanding where the behaviour is generated from and which of the needs are, or are not being met.

F o r t h i s t e a c h e r, u n d e r s t a n d i n g h i s behaviour is a key to taking back control of her mental health.

If Harvey wants to check where the boundaries are, he wants to feel safe. This behaviour meets his need for Survival.

According to William Glasser we all have five basic needs. The need for survival and safety; the need for belonging and connectedness; the need for power and competence; the need for choice and freedom; and the need for fun and enjoyment. We constantly live our lives in different ways to meet these needs.

If he would rather chat than do his work he wants friendships. Belonging is the need he is attempting to meet If he wants to be the centre of attention and to be recognised, this meets his need for Power.

BETTE BLANCE

If he doesn’t want to be restricted, it is about the need for Freedom.

If he is bored he wants some excitement, he is looking for Fun. These genetic needs won’t go away and he will meet them one way or the other.

Up and clean or down and dirty. At the moment he is meeting them in down and dirty ways. He will continue to meet these needs that way until he learns another way that is as needs satisfying as those he is currently choosing.

Add to this mix, Harvey’s unique genetic profile, which means that he will have one or more of these needs that are stronger than the others. The strength of the needs play out in the classroom in different ways.

While it is tempting to try and control what Harvey is doing – turn off the tap more tightly - with more reprimands and bigger and more severe consequences, teachers have more chance of helping students to be successful with changes they make in their approach to dealing with the misbehaviour. In teaching students to meet those needs in a productive ways, teachers can change the washer. It is not quick, it is not easy, but it is possible, even with the most challenging child.

“ These genetic needs won’t go away and he will meet them one way or the other.

Up and clean or down and dirty.”

Seeing discipline as an opportunity to teach a better way to behave, gives teachers the best chance possible of helping the Harveys of this world to become more productive class members and ultimately more productive citizens.

If Harvey has a high need for Fun, he will constantly choose behaviours to get what he wants to meet that need. This is a driving motivation for him.

He will meet this need one way or the other, either in productive ways or unproductive ways. If things are not fun for him he will act out in variety of ways to make the classroom more fun for him.

The behaviours to meet the needs are like a dripping tap. They won’t go away, but like the dripping tap, we can bring about change when we change the washer.

Bette has been following the work of Dr William Glasser and Choice Theory Psychology for more than 40 years. She is president of the William Glasser Institute - New Zealand and is currently a member of the Glasser International Board representing Australia and New Zealand. The Glasser Quality School movement in both countries is making a difference in the lives of children and teachers. bette@betteblance.co.nz

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DR HELEN STREET

Understanding the relationship between memory, the present and the future.

How fast was the car going?

B

ack in the mid 1990s I was living in the UK, based at the University of Sheffield.

During the four years I spent there, I was repeatedly reminded that a real-life experiment could be a far more powerful teacher than any amount of theory. One of the most effective in-class experiments we conducted in Sheffield was with first-year psychology students. The experiment aptly named ‘How fast was the car going?’ still sticks clearly in my mind.

‘How fast was the car going?’ involved showing the 200 plus students seated in the room a clip from the movie Smoky and the Bandit. Anyone as old as me may well remember the mustached Burt Reynolds

Students who were asked about the car speed when it ‘crashed’ into the wall always reported a significantly higher speed than those who were asked about the car speed when it ‘hit’ the wall. Thus, we can see that by merely changing one word in the question (i.e. crashed versus hit) we were able to influence the memories of our students, and the subsequent answers they gave.

This is an incredibly powerful experiment because it demonstrates that our memory is, in part, dependent on our current thoughts and feelings. This is true to such a degree that we actually remember things differently when different thoughts are presented now. In the case of the ‘How fast was the car going?’

but that they offer some validity for their current unhappiness and distress. Yet, when these same individuals have been through successful therapy, and are feeling happier, their memories become noticeably more positive. Not only will they now report happier childhood memories, they will swear that these new memories are true and accurate, just as they had done about the old memories prior to therapy.

These examples, along with many others, demonstrate that memory is not necessarily a very accurate way of recalling the past. Rather it is more reflective of where we are now, and how we are thinking about the future. Such is the power of thought and of our current emotional state of mind.

I see this effect in my own children frequently.

When they are happy and full of energy after school, they recall happy events about their day. If hunger or tiredness strikes later on in the evening, their memories change to reflect their changing mood and energy levels.

Suddenly their great day has become one they barely survived.

As teachers, an understanding of the changing nature of memory and perception can be enormously helpful in supporting our understanding of how children are thinking and feeling right now.

Teachers Matter

Smokey and the Bandit photo courtesy: southernoutdoorcinema.com

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and the glamorous Sally Field battling their way through this action comedy. The clip we showed students showed a car colliding with a wall. Following the clip, we asked half of our students to guess ‘how fast the car was going when it hit the wall’. The other half of our students were asked to guess ‘how fast the car was going when it crashed into the wall’.

None of the students knew what anyone else was being asked.

Every year, without exception, the answers given varied significantly depending on the question that the students had been given.

experiment, it did not matter who was more accurate in their answer. What mattered was the knowledge that memory is not an accurate tool working in isolation. Rather, memory is strongly influenced by how we think, feel and use language in the here and now.

We see a similar effect when we look at the relationship between people’s current mood and their memories of childhood.

Often individuals suffering from depression or anxiety will report unhappy childhood memories. They will be confident that their unhappy memories are not only accurate,

If a child has unhappy memories about last week at school, it may well mean that something is bothering them about this week, or about their expectations of the future.

Thus the comment ‘I have never liked maths’ may be more about anxiety connected with a future test than any accurate memory of maths last week or last term. Similarly, the more desirable comment, “I have always loved maths”, may simply reflect a current jump in learning or increase in confidence.

This is not to say that we should start doubting or challenging students’ memories of past events. Rather, it is to say that by carefully listening to the way a student recalls an event,

we can learn a lot about where they are now, and how they see their future. In simple terms, a myriad of bad memories often equates to current distresses and fear about future events.

The really good thing about all this is that it means we can help students deal with distress by focusing on how they think about the present and the future, rather than diving into the lengthy process of deconstructing the past.

For example, it can be time consuming and uneventful to spend excessive time examining the reasons that a good music student recalls that they ‘never enjoyed being part of the orchestra’. Far better to focus on their fear that continuing to play an instrument during Year 12 seems daunting and overwhelming. As such, it may be more encouraging to suggest how music can help during a time of pressurised study, rather than trying to reflect on how great things were last year. “With Year 12 upon us, your music may be a really great way for you to manage your stress” shows greater understanding than “I remember you looking so happy after the concert last year”.

Similarly, if a student is feeling anxious about a friendship not working out, it is a survival mechanism to remember the friendship as not being great in the past. Thus, when 10-year-old Jane says she doesn’t like Emily and doesn’t want to sit with her, it is not necessarily helpful to remind Jane how she and Emily were inseparable all last term. Far better to find out what is bothering Jane right now and what, if anything, she is scared about in the future.

Many experts in autobiographical memory (i.e. our memory of our life stories) suggest that the true purpose of memory is to help us plan for the future. We have no real need to produce an accurate representation of our past; we do have a need to plan for a satisfying and longterm survival. As such, a great memory is not so much an accurate recollection of past events, but rather it is a memory that helps us move forward effectively in life.

It is of course important to bear in mind that unhappy memories often do relate to events or encounters that were genuinely distressing when they occurred. There is indeed valuable past content relayed in people’s memories of past events. However, we need to also be aware of the influence our current thoughts and feelings have on our memories and on our future expectations.

There is no absolute truth out there as far as the social world is concerned. Everything we perceive is shaped by a mix of our past experiences, our current thoughts and expectations, and our feelings. Some interpretations are healthy in that they result

in a healthy emotional reaction and productive behaviour. Other interpretations are unhealthy in that they create disabling emotional reactions and unhelpful behaviour. When a student is overwhelmed or distressed in some way, it becomes easy for them to fall into the habit of remembering the past in particularly unhelpful ways.

Michael Carr- Gregg "

Stressed students are more likely to catastrophise and assume that one problem means that everything from now on will be a disaster (I remember how I failed my test and this means I am going to be a failure in life).

They are also more likely to attribute negative events to themselves (i.e. they are more likely to remember how they were responsible for causing that argument with a friend) rather than accepting that the environment may also have played a part (remembering how they were both struggling with the 40 degree day).

Stressed students are also more likely to focus on any single negative aspect of a memory (the question they didn’t understand), as opposed to the many positive aspects (all the questions they answered well).

At times the glass is remembered as being half full for our students and that is great.

At other times it may appear to have been perpetually half empty; this is when a healthy shift in current thinking can really change this perception for the better.

The most important thing is to help students to remember that there is always more than one way to interpret a past event or situation.

Interpretations can be unhealthy or healthy; they are always there because of a reason.

Negative interpretations do not always need challenging but they can be useful indicators of current fears that need addressing.

Helen is an applied social psychologist with a passion for wellbeing in education. Helen is co-chair of The Positive Schools Conferences (www.positiveschools.com.au) and regularly presents seminars and workshops for schools. In May, she will publish her third book, a collection of essays co-edited with Neil Porter, Better than OK: Helping Young People to Flourish at School and Beyond.

Helen’s previous books include Life Overload and Standing Without Shoes (with George W. Burns). She also contributes regularly to the education blog, www.positivetimes.com.au

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49

DR LAURA MARKHAM

Teachers Matter

“ Concentrate on naming, savouring, and feeling gratitude for the blessings you do have”

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DR LAURA MARKHAM

Retraining your inner critic How to change your happiness set point with gratitude

“Y

ou are a great wizard. You can use your powers to practice white magic on yourself instead of the other kind. The most basic way to do that is to concentrate on naming, savouring, and feeling gratitude for the blessings you do have - your love for your kid, the pleasures of eating the food you like, the sight of the sky at dusk, the entertaining drama of your unique fate. Don’t ignore the bad stuff, but make a point of celebrating the beautiful stuff with all the exuberant devotion you can muster.” Rob Brezsny If your inner critic is keeping you from the joyful life you want, here’s a sure-fire strategy to retrain it. Research shows that feeling gratitude transforms our biology and our moods by flooding us with oxytocin and creating more oxytocin receptors, among other changes. Gratitude can actually change our happiness set-point, which is our usual happiness level. Naturally, all those good feelings make us more compassionate parents.

3. When the upsets of daily life loom large, retrain yourself to find something positive in the situation.

This may feel artificial at first, but you’ll quickly notice that your attitude really does depend on your perspective.

“Thank goodness she had this meltdown at home instead of in the store.”

“I’m getting better and better at dealing with his anger calmly.”

“This is a chance for him to get out all the tension from starting the new school.”

“At least this came up now, so I can see how upset he is about it and address it.”

“She cries with me because she trusts me.”

“How I handle my child’s emotions will make a difference for the rest of his life.”

Here’s how to use gratitude to tame your inner critic:

“This isn’t a disaster. It’s an opportunity for growth.”

1. Daily gratitude practice. Every morning, train yourself to find at least three things to be grateful for. Make it part of your morning ritual, so that you remember to do it – as you brush your teeth, nurse the baby, drink your coffee, drive the kids to school, whatever. Can’t find the time?

Make it a morning ritual with your kids and let them chime in. Studies show this practice makes us feel measurably happier within a week, and raises our happiness “set-point” continually for as long as we do it.

“Being a parent is a chance to be a hero.”

“True, my child sometimes drives me crazy. But what about those parents who so desperately want a child and can’t have one? Or who mourn a child? I am lucky, lucky, lucky to have this child, upsets and all.”

Can’t find your gratitude? Even during tough times, there is so much to be grateful for. Remind yourself of what you already know: You are so lucky to be alive.

2. Every day, find a moment to sit with each of your kids and feel appreciation. How did you get lucky enough to have this child put into your arms? Don’t let your inner critic steal this precious moment. Instead, remind yourself of how much you love this child. Let gratitude wash over you. Pour your love and appreciation into your child.

You just changed your physiology, and your child’s, to make both of you happier and healthier.

L a u r a i s t h e f o u n d e r o f w w w.

AhaParenting.com and author of Peaceful parent, happy Kids: How to stop yelling and start connecting. Laura trained as a psychologist, but she’s also a Mum, so she translates proven science into practical solutions.

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JENNY BARRETT

PHOTO: ANTHONY BROWN

Modern learning environments and technology Ewan Macintosh’s 7 spaces

Teachers Matter

E

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wan Macintosh is a Scottish gentleman who advises whole countries on digital strategies. A few years ago he put together a video about seven different types of spaces that might be incorporated into a school (http://vimeo.com/15945912). These seven spaces are a wonderful place to start brainstorming what technology you might like to include into a new look learning space. They are a good starting point because you begin by thinking about the purpose of the space and the type of learning that you want to achieve and then you add in the technology, so the decisions are pedagogically-led rather than technology driven.

The first of his spaces is the secret space.

He has two takes on this. Firstly it enables students to interact with each other privately or secondly to be alone without distraction. The former can be met by flexible furniture that allows students to swivel around and easily communicate one on one or, in terms of technology; it could be access to an instant messaging platform, monitored or not depending on school policy. This kind of communication is possible through Google apps for example. The latter is being catered for with niches or booths where students can withdraw for some quite time or to concentrate. Technology needs here are minimal - a tablet or an iPad that can be taken into the secret space to read an e-book or conduct research, produce and create work.

The next space to consider is group s p a c e s . W h e n h e t a l k s a bout group spaces he poses the challenge to leave the space as wide open as possible and to have the hanging walls, the furniture, the objects and the lights required on the side and students drag over what they need and create their space. This an extreme take on a flexible learning space but schools should aim for display solutions to be adaptable to ensure it can be used for as many learning “purposes” as possible. There are many different forms of learning that take place in groups. So a mobile touch screen for example could be rolled into a “group space,” a nest where small teams can interact with a decent sized screen instead of crowding around an iPad. Or a teacher running a mini-lesson in a

JENNY BARRETT

“check-in” or seminar space might use it whilst the students relax on couches and they have a discussion. Then the groups can come together and students can share their findings, again using the same display, perhaps divided into four using a connectivity solution that allows multiple devices to connect at once.

These kinds of display solutions could also support another of Ewan’s spaces, the “publishing space”. Publishing spaces can take many forms such as simply putting a poster on a wall.

However, in the digital age, students also want to show their work to the world and become part of a community, maybe through a blog, maybe as part of a social network. A mobile display device might allow students to use digital signage software and broadcast their work across the school or into public spaces for parents and visitors to share too.

A “participation space” is interesting too. This is a space where “theor y is made practice”. We liken it to what Suzie Boss in Edutopia magazine refers to as a “Tinker Station” or a “Maker Station” and have frequently found that a science trolley or something along those lines hits the mark. All the equipment that you need for experiments and ICT such as digital microscopes and data loggers to explore, measure and reach conclusions. Visualisers linked to a display in these spaces make all the difference too, allowing for “visible thinking”, again a quote from Suzie Boss. Students on the other side of the room from the tinker station can see what a group of students are doing and can watch, make suggestions and get involved. The recording function on the visualiser also means that the students can video their tinkering and keep it for reference, comparison or to share with other groups.

The “performance space” requires an area where students can be something they are not, where they can act out, role play and explore but in a different way to that above. A green screen area immediately springs to mind. Students can literally be who they want and where they want. It should be set up so that students can easily capture and edit their performance.

Lastly, “data spaces” is a curious one that would be interesting to see in action here in New Zealand. He encourages the continuous provision of raw data for students to interpret and use. Sharing school data such as power use is Ewan’s suggestion, broadcasting it around the school to inspire students to save power. It would certainly be possible with the data logging elements of the science trolley in the participation space, or perhaps

“ The decisions are pedagogically-led rather than technology driven.”

A “watching space” is where ICT has historically been found in schools but much of the talk around modern learning environments pushes the sage on the stage to the side lines. Ewan Macintosh urges that schools value that lecture moment just as in the TED Talks: “create genial spaces for lectures, spaces that thrill and delight and celebrate those occasional moments of lone insight that only a real, living, flesh and blood teacher or visitor or student can offer.”

Areas with powerful audio, the option to record video and opportunities for the audience to engage should be available.

When there are no talks taking place this could be (two of Suzie’s other ideas) the Skype On space where students can call outside for input which is left up and running so that students can respond t o p i n g s , o r t h e Vi d e o B o o t h w h e r e students can quickly and easily video their thoughts and conversations. Such a space would also lend itself naturally to being the performance space too.

by fixing a weather station outside.

Digital signage could make sharing this information possible or schools could choose to share data that is of interest to the current inquiry – weather statistics from around the globe, share prices or pollution levels for example.

Making these kinds of spaces in your new modern learning environments, even in your traditional four walled classroom is not difficult and again Ewan Macintosh has ideas on how to do it cheaply and cheerfully (a wigwam for your secret space!). Hopefully the above gives you some ideas for how to integrate your existing or new technology and online learning environments into these spaces.

Jenny is the CEO for Breathe Technology. Her enthusiasm for technology came when thrown in the deep end whist teaching in Taiwan. She has supported classroom teachers to use educational technology in the UK and NZ. www.breathtechnology.co.nz

53

JOHN SHACKLETON

Are you creating a world of possibility or impossibility for your students?

Limits or no limits?

O

ver the years I have had the opportunity to speak to many people I’ve met on courses, at meetings, or just in ever yday life. As someone who devotes a great deal of time to personal development and considers it to be a vital part of growing as a person, I am always surprised how many people limit themselves in what they can achieve both through their beliefs and through the excuses they make.

Teachers Matter

Let me give you an example. My wife, in recent years, has taken up running.

It was a surprise to me; she had never been keen at all in the past! But she has found a group of like-minded friends and they train together, and the group is growing all the time. She has one friend, however, who spends a good deal of time bemoaning her excess baby weight that isn’t shifting. So the group suggested she join them and start running. Her response to this was ‘I don’t run’. And she refuses to try and continues to moan about her weight. Let’s just look at that statement, ‘I don’t run’. Clearly it’s not actually true.

She has two legs and healthy lungs. The only thing stopping her running is her belief about running - that she can’t, or rather won’t. Consequently she doesn’t lose weight and continues to be unhappy about it. If we allow our beliefs to stop us attempting new experiences then we stagnate and we don’t open ourselves up to the possibility of finding we can be good at things and derive pleasure from.

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We n e e d t o r e a l i s e t h a t i t ’s n o t j u s t us that gets affected by limiting selfbeliefs. Adults have a lot of influence, both consciously and unconsciously on children who will imitate the behaviour of the important adults in their lives.

Needless to say the lady I mentioned earlier is constantly frustrated by her children’s inability to attempt new tasks and their usual response to being asked to

do something is to refuse, cry or outright ignore her. She doesn’t recognise that they are imitating her method of dealing with new experiences and that, as the most important person in their lives,

the making of excuses. Making excuses is very common. What is less common is the ability to recognise an excuse as an excuse, instead of passing it off as a reason! When I was swimming competitively I had lots

“ Limiting self-beliefs have a very negative effect on people but another factor that is lesser but, nonetheless, just as insidious is the making of excuses.”

she is their role model. I find it ver y frustrating to watch this happening as her children’s future is being compromised by her attitude. However, in cases like this, it is not possible to effect change externally - however hard it is to stand by and observe, change can only happen when she is willing to take steps.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work whether I am coaching an individual or presenting to a group is to see the light bulb moment that happens when people recognise their use of limiting self beliefs and see that it is within their power to change if they make the choice to. I can see the leap they have made when they come to set a goal which is always bigger and more ambitious than anything they have considered at the beginning of our session.

And the resultant rise in their self-esteem when they achieve their goal is also great to see, their personal growth continues and they see the possibility of moving on to bigger and better experiences.

Limiting self-beliefs have a very negative effect on people but another factor that is lesser but, nonetheless, just as insidious is

of reasons why I hadn’t made it into the national team. I wasn’t tall enough, my hands and feet were too small to be effective and I lacked natural talent. Of course none of these were true – there were shorter swimmers out there with little feet going five seconds faster than me, but I chose to overlook them in my efforts to make my theory work! It wasn’t a physical inability that was causing me to fail, it was a mental inability to succeed. I had trained my brain to expect failure through my negative approach.

What I needed to do, as well as work hard in the pool, was work on my own self-belief, to take the positive from my achievements and build on them, rather than seeing only the bad bits. It was at this point I began to swim faster again and, just as importantly, to enjoy my sport which, in turn, led me to work harder and continue improving my results. Becoming aware of passing off excuses as reasons made me realise when my self-belief was slipping and I could then consciously take steps to make sure I could cope again.

PHOTO: MARIDAV

JOHN SHACKLETON

So, what can we do to make sure the children we have influence over have every opportunity to grow into confident learners that love to embrace new experiences? We have to realise that the buck stops with us, that every action,

every reaction, every utterance we make is subconsciously shaping the way the children view the world - we can make it a world of possibility or a world of impossibility for them. Which would you prefer? I think the choice is obvious!

With a sports psychology and sports coaching background, John now shows international business audiences techniques that exercise the biggest, most powerful muscle in the body – the brain. www.JohnShack.com

55

KAREN BOYES

Study skills

Getting back to basics

It

has long been discussed that there are different ways people learn and take in information.

Some of us prefer to read or watch, some listen and talk and some prefer the hands on ‘doingness’ of learning. What neuroscience tells us is that no matter what your preferred modality of learning may be, In this article I will discuss some of these strategies in the classroom, and when studying, that are beneficial to recall.

As you look down the options choose a combination that suits you.

Use colour: Traditional notes are often taken in blue or black and if you are using a laptop, tablet or phone, your text is black.

When your notes are all in the same colour they are monotone and monotonous to the brain, page after page of sameness. The brain loves novelty, different and colour.

Teachers Matter

The best colour to make information stand out is red, however if all your notes are red – they won’t stand out any more. The same holds true for highlighting -if everything is highlighted it all looks the same. Use colour to create interesting notes that you want to go back and re-read.

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Draw pictures and diagrams: No matter what your dominant learning modality is Eric Jensen, world expert on the brain and learning, states that 70% of information comes in to our brains through our eyes. The brain

loves pictures and diagrams. Compare a newspaper from last century to now… text based papers have transformed into picture filled tabloids. Pictures grab attention and can say so much more, so much faster. The old adage, a picture is worth a 1000 words, is true here.

Either live in class or later when you are summarising your notes, draw pictures, symbols or icons to help with recall. If you can’t draw – do it anyway – at least your pictures will make you laugh and be memorable!!

Talk about information: When studying and wanting to recall information, it is often helpful to talk out loud. Have you ever asked someone to remind you to do something? Do they need to? For most people I meet, when they ask someone to remind them, they recall by themselves. Neuroscientists suggest by speaking ideas out loud you can increase memory up to 90%.

Plus it does not matter who you tell. Tell your cat, dog or teddy bear – apparently it is the act of speaking out loud rather than the response that is important.

You might consider recording your notes on your phone.

“ The more ways information is put into your brain, the easier it is to retain and recall.”

Reorientate your paper: When taking notes reorient your paper to landscape as this is more brain friendly. Blank paper can give you a more creative flow rather than being bound by the lines. It also makes it easier to draw pictures and diagrams which enable you to make more visual notes.

If you mindmap, start in the centre and work outwards. Use symbols to make important information stand out. It can be as easy as drawing a key for a key concept and an exclamation mark to highlight something important.

Find a study buddy: To make study even more effective find someone to study with. It is helpful not only to talk about the concepts but also to be able to clarify to someone and challenge your thinking.

Use flash cards: An oldie but a goodie. Flash cards are highly effective in helping you study and increase your recall. If you are learning a language write the foreign word on one side and the English on the other. Simply test yourself on which one you know and don’t know.

Remember it is the cards you don’t know that you need to spend the most time revising. You can use this idea for many subjects. If you have the plot

PHOTO: STEPHEN VANHORN

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Doodle:

A plan which can include:

Many people doodle mindlessly while they listen or concentrate. Doodling in class is often frowned upon by the teachers as if you are focusing on the drawing, you are will not be focused on the lesson content. If you are a doodler my suggestion is to draw pictures and diagrams relevant to what the teacher is talking about. This will give you memorable visual notes and help you stay focused on the lesson at the same time.

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Research shows that when you frame important information your eyes go directly to what is in the frame.

If you can’t draw or doodle pictures then frame the important information.

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57

AMY SCOTT

NZ’s Fresh Approach to Effective Communication Get Dotted!

P

urple dots are everywhere…you know the people. They are constantly talking - even to themselves in the supermarkets. There doesn’t appear to be any stopping and thinking. And actually that is exactly right – purple dots don’t stop to think as they don’t need to. They process information by talking about it. We don’t feel quite so self conscious at the lights now talking to ourselves…as people assume we are talking on our hands free mobiles.

These are the family members or work colleagues that you might send to the workshop to get you a hammer. Three hours later they return without the hammer, having half done 7 other jobs… they have every application on their computer open at once, to other people they don’t seem to be very organised or focused when completing tasks and have the habit of being late to meetings. We just process information in a different way from you other dots.

(Note from the purple dot author – yes I have 7 applications open at the moment, I’m halfway through getting dinner prepared, doing internet banking and have stopped to make 3 phone calls – this is me focusing on getting this article done!)

Teachers Matter

Red dots – hang in here. If you’ve made it past the extremely purple opening paragraph you deserve a big gold star.

You are superbly organised and you do process information by thinking everything through. In fact you will not open your mouth until you’ve thought everything through. It will be rational, logical and add up. You have a craving for facts.

58

You don’t like waffle and can find those purple dots incredibly irritating. They always seem pretty over the top to you. You’d probably concede that they have the odd really excellent idea, and to their credit they are fabulous at getting projects kicked off, people motivated and things happening… however you find it highly annoying when they don’t complete the last 20% of those projects. In your eyes you think that they have the attention span of a goldfish.

Thank goodness for the yellow dots of this world. They love to organise people and complete projects on time. Yellow dots can naturally spot typos from 30km away (a small purple exaggeration – maybe 3km away then!). To the other dots, yellow dots can appear to be fussy and perfectionist in their tendencies. This isn’t the case at all.

They just like things to look the way they like things to look.

If a yellow dot sets a table or organises their office in a certain way, then move things at your risk! Yellow dots process information by creating complex colourful pictures in their mind. They almost have a photographic memory. It pays not to change plans with a yellow dot at the last minute and always be on time when meeting them.

Finally we have the blue dots. These are the strong, hands on people who will ensure that the jobs actually get done. Our blue dots are intuitive – they can size up a situation by how it feels to them. They process information by getting a feel for it. This is hard to explain as the process is a feeling process. If you are blue dot, you don’t need to read this article closely and distill the facts, think it through or create a picture in your mind, you just need to get a sense or a feel for the information presented. Blue dots tend to do more listening than talking. They sense what is really happening in situation.

All communication breakdowns occur when one or both parties expect, assume or demand. If you have an understanding of how the different dots process information, you are less likely to expect, assume or demand. This means clearer communication, less confusion, lower stress levels, happier staff, greater efficiency and improved client service. (Also sets you up for a happier family life too!)

Of course we are all a mix of all 4 dots, but predominantly work out of 1 or 2 dots. It certainly helps to identify what combination of dots you are, as well as what dot your boss is, your staff, team members and also your family members.

It is pointless asking a purple dot to work on something that requires detailed analysis.

They’ll drown in detail – just give them the big picture of what is required and leave them to it. The yellows not only love detail, but they need to know when it is required.

The reds need to know where they fit in the scheme of things and want the facts and figures. The blues need to know the why behind the project or task. Why are you asking them to work on it? Why is it required in the first place?

You can’t get any more grassroots than effective communication – it is truly something that we all need to get to grips with, whether we are chief executives or truck drivers, parents or teachers, accountants or stock agents or business owners or employees.

New Zealander David Dickson spent 20 years researching communication models and personality profiling systems from around the world. In true kiwi spirit, he distilled the nuts and bolts from the fluff and developed “Get Dotted!” – a simple yet meaningful effective communication tool. “Get Dotted!” is being embraced by corporates, organisations, businesses, communities, schools & families throughout New Zealand & Australia.

Amy is recognised as an expert on communication & speaks throughout Australasia & New Zealand. She is also a proud purple dot! Dubbed as the “human dynamo” from Central Otago – this girl cannot drive tractors but she can talk! Friend her on Facebook at AmyScottSpeaker or email amy@amyscott.co or go to www.amyscott.co

PHOTO: AYELET KESHET

AMY SCOTT

59

ROBYN PEARCE

Procrastination 101!

A crash course

O

ne of the most frequently asked questions I received from people during events and workshops was how to beat procrastination. Office workers, parents and the elderly- it seems that no one can escape the ‘head in the clouds’ syndrome.

After all, procrastination is something that comes and goes, which we all suffer from on a regular basis. But that doesn’t mean it has to affect your productivity levels, or prevent you from completing your daily tasks.

Below is an inter view I did with Tim Lawrence in 2002 for Espy Magazine. The information is over a decade old, but the advice still proves to be useful up to this day (I find the methods covered in the interview below to be more effective than those complex productivity apps).

What are its symptoms?

Ask any procrastinator, and they’ll give you a lengthy list! But seriously, the external symptoms are things not done in a timely fashion. Internally, it’s often a feeling of inadequacy, frustration, stress and tiredness.

“ Procrastination is often linked to lack of clarity about what’s important to you.”

For those who need a crash course, here it is- Procrastination 101!

Define procrastination?

The art of putting off until tomorrow that which could, and should, be done today.

Any facts on it?

L o t s ! B u t l e t ’s k e e p i t s h o r t f o r t h i s interview. One key point, I believe, is that procrastination is often linked to lack of clarity about what’s important to you.

If you’ve got clear and exciting goals, procrastination ceases to be a sexy option.

Instead, what’s really exciting to you helps to impel you forward, and into action.

However, not to trivialise the topic, for some people are really challenged by it, there are other reasons, apart from a lack of goalsetting that I’ve identified.

1. Inability to prioritise 2. Poor self-starter skills.

How can you beat it?

The quickest way to answer that (and hey, I’m into saving time, right!) is to give you a summary of the 10 tips in my new book ‘About Time – 120 tips for those with no time’ Chunk big tasks into smaller tasks – then nothing seems as daunting.

• Use a mind map for quick clarity • Eat your vegetables first! Do the hard thing first and the rest is a breeze.

• Beware of majoring in minor things • Develop a ‘Do it NOW’ attitude • Start with the end in mind, mentally rehearse it, and the end will be as you picture it • Enjoy and celebrate every small milestone of success – it is a key tool to help you overcome procrastination • No time to work towards a big goal? Use the leftovers Enjoy creative procrastination. Put off until tomorrow that which won’t advance

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y o u r l i f e p l a n b y b e i n g d o n e t o d a y.

Give yourself the gift of prime time to do whatever you like, including doing nothing – if that’s your choice.

Indecision is a thief of time – learn to weigh up the balance sheet of each situation quickly and get on with it. Only rarely does it really matter which way you go.

Any experiences you’ve had?

Is this self-confession time?! Plenty, here’s one.

Some years ago, in the very early days of my time management business, (when I was still in shock that people were asking me for help,) I had two filing cabinets to clean out and integrate into one larger one. Believe it or not, I actually like cleaning up cupboards, drawers and miscellaneous messes.

However, with a background in sales, and a pretty new business to get off the ground, I didn’t want to use commercial time for this kind of activity, and used that as an excuse to keep deferring – for months!

Finally, it became such an issue that I couldn’t avoid it any longer. I decided to put some time aside that Easter, only a few weeks away.

However, on the Thursday before Easter, after listening to all my friends talk about the fun things they were off to do, I was sorely tempted to forget the whole idea and go play.

I still remember standing at my office door (I have a home-based office), and having one of those conversations with the little inner voice/ conscience/strong-minded responsible part of me. Finally, with a mental shake by the scruff of the neck, I stepped into the office, began to pull out files and sort them into piles on the floor. I knew myself well enough to realise I couldn’t ignore a big mess all weekend. The funny thing was, it took only 10 minutes to get past the initial reluctance, and I found I didn’t want to stop. By mid-afternoon the next day the whole thing was done, and I still had plenty of play time, feeling great!

ROBYN PEARCE

How have you personally beaten it?

I think the example just given probably covers that. The key point in that story is that a beginning task, no matter how small, gets you moving. And once you begin, it really is easy. In fact, it releases such a charge of adrenalin that you wonder why you took so long. And of course, every time you beat it, it’s easier the next time, for the memory of success enters your sub-conscious, becomes part of your cellular memory, and helps to reinforce better habits in the future.

Robyn is known around the world as the Time Queen, helping people discover new angles on time. Her website, www.gettingagrip.com, offers many resources. She is a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional).

PHOTO: BLOOMUA

Another very powerful technique I use is to make a commitment to someone else.

It might be the dentist, the accountant, or someone to do exercise with. Find an ‘unreasonable’ friend, who won’t let you off the hook, and you’re more than half way.

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ROWENA SZESZERAN-MCEVOY

Why pasta makes you go “Fasta” A continuation of one of the biggest food debates.

T

he BIG food debate of the last, well long time has been, is carbohydrate good or bad? Should we dump the rice, pasta, cereal and potatoes and eat tuna, chicken and tofu instead? Are carbs the bad guys that have made us the fattest we have ever been in history? If you want a flat tummy and firm butt, does that mean a lifetime eating plan devoid of great spaghetti bolognaise?

Not just the biggest food debate but also the most controversial. And why does the topic of carbs versus protein create such emotion and passion from the folks who believe their view is the right one? With the exciting risk of creating more passionate discussion, let’s have a look at the simple common sense and the “facts” (as the science has presented them) so you can decide for yourself (if you are undecided) about whether or not an Italian eating style (pasta) or an Asian eating style (rice), will make us fat or sick?

Here we go…

Teachers Matter

Epidemiological studies (Scientific studies of large population groups) show that both the Mediterranean and Asian populations, who eat traditionally, are the healthiest populations in the world.

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The human body needs all 3 macronutrients to function (yes alcohol is a macronutrient but believe it or not, we can function without it!!). We need carbohydrate for brain and muscle function, protein for growth, rebuilding and repair and fat for energy, warmth, internal organ support and hair and skin that is healthy.

There are 2 types of Carbohydrate: Processed, high in calories with little nutritional value.

Unprocessed: predominately low in calories and high in nutritional value. How can you tell the difference? Take a look!! If a food still

“ Carbohydrate and protein have the same number of calories per gram”

looks like it came out of the ground - fruit, veggies (yes even potatoes), chunky, brown and stone - ground bread, brown rice etc, it is unprocessed. In a can, tin, box, bag, bottle or white in colour (sugar, white flour, polished white rice) and it has most likely been through a fair whack of processing!

If you want to maintain a great physique: High levels of muscle for protection, strength and a fast metabolism and lower levels of body-fat for health and a tight body (fat is soft and hides your muscles); the number of calories you eat does make a difference. If you eat 3000 calories and only burn up or use 2000 calories, the 1000 extra calories, regardless of which macronutrients they came from, will end up in fat storage on your body. Yes, our storage tanks for fat are situated all over; however the larger number of storage sheds seems to be around our tummies, hips and thighs.

Carbohydrate and protein have the same number of calories per gram (approximately 4.5) and fat has 9 calories per gram. FACT: you would need to eat twice the amount of carbohydrate or protein for the same number of calories from fat.

Your brain can only function on one substance - Blood Sugar/Glucose...

Mmm the simple form of Glycogen w h i c h i s C A R B O H Y D R AT E . N O b r a i n function, no life!! Quick Note: what is the substance given in a hospital drip to keep a person alive - Glucose!! (Carbohydrate)!!

Without carbohydrate in your system your body CANNOT burn fat. Carbohydrate is the initial energy source burnt which then allows your body to tap into its fat stores.

(Think the wick in a candle - no candle, no ability to melt the wax) When you sprint, exercise at a high level, push your body hard for 2-3 mins, the only macronutrient your body uses is stored phosphates and glycogen (carbohydrate).

Sprinting and hard training makes you fitter and stronger.

AND EXCITING NEWS…Fit people burn fat faster (even at rest!!) and more muscle/ bigger muscles mean a much faster metabolism (your body’s measurement for the number of calories you burn throughout a day).

Butter, oil, margarine is already fat so your body requires no energy to take fat from your bloodstream and pop it into your fat cells. (When fat is sucked out of your fat cells - liposuction, it is yellow, lumpy and large.

Quick note: A kilogram of muscle is half the size of a kilogram of fat!! Now imagine the energy (and ingenuity) it takes for your body to turn carbohydrate - an apple, potato or even a bowl of Coco Pops into the yellow lumpy stuff that is fat. Your body can convert carbohydrate into fat but it is a very long, hard process that requires a massive amount of energy (calories) to make it happen. The research is strong to show that carb to fat conversion (De Novo-lipogenisis) only happens in severe cases of overeating.

ROWENA SZESZERAN-MCEVOY

So why has Carbohydrate, not fat, been given such a bad reputation and why do people who eat very little carbohydrate lose weight?

Great question!!

If you are a non-exercising individual, or LSD (long slow distance) exerciser, you do not burn calories very fast - of any kind, but definitely very few carbohydrate calories.

The largest number of carbohydrate calories is burnt when you exercise hard. Your body stores around 2000 calories of carbohydrate - in your brain, muscles and liver, so as a non exerciser or LSD’er, when you eat large amounts of processed carbohydrate-high in calories, you will not use them. Remember, 3000 calories in, 2000 calories burnt and your body has nothing to do with the extra 1000 but to store them. For a non-exerciser, LSD’er, who need very little carbohydrate, when they eat less they are simply eating less calories overall. Less calories in, more calories burnt off, from any source, will mean weight loss. Take bread, pasta, rice, cereal and potatoes (deep-fried), but more importantly, cake, biscuits, pastries and lollies and out of any diet and you will have a massive reduction in calorie intake!!

So the BZILLION dollar question…What to do if you want to lose weight, burn fat fast and have a lean, tight, toned, strong, fit body???

Here are the Simple Solutions…

• Train, lift, run, walk, cycle or swim. GO HARD for short bursts!!

• Get strong - really strong!! YOU will have a faster metabolism and the only energy source you burn when you lift weights is CARBOHYDRATE • Get fit, really fit, and you will burn fat faster - at rest.

• Fitness comes from pushing you body as hard as you can, for as long as you can.

• Sprint then walk, cycle flat out until you are puffed then cycle slowly until you get your breath back-than go hard again.

Warm-up, push hard, puff, then slow down until you get your breathe back than go again.

• You will get fit very quickly, your workouts will be more fun, more interesting and more rewarding because you will see results very quickly.

• You will burn a stack of carbohydrate while you are exercising and your calorie/fat burning speed will increase dramatically at rest and logically, when do we want to be burning fat fast - for the 20-30 mins we are exercising or the 23.5 hours we are not?

• Which athletes have a leaner, tighter more toned physique-sprinters or walkers?

And who eats mostly carbohydrate?

So if you want to eat (and enjoy) your pasta…

Exercise FASTA!!

Rowena is the founder of The Max, a group of private and prestigious fitness business colleges in Australia and New Zealand. She is an internationally requested speaker, is on the board of a medical college in New Zealand, has written 13 books and is the editor of MAXimum RESULTS magazine.

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THINGS TO MAKE YOU SMILE

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S E K O J

Q: How can you make seven even?

A: Remove the ‘s’!

Q: What happened to the astronaut who stepped on chewing gum?

A: He got stuck in Orbit!

Q: Why did the baby strawberry cry?

A: Because his parents were in a jam!

Q: What is a baby’s motto?

A: If at first you don’t succeed cry cry again!

Q: What two things can you not have for breakfast?

A: Lunch and dinner.

Q: What is the world’s longest punctuation mark?

A: The hundred yard dash.

Q: What color is a burp?

A: Burple!

Q: What’ sa A: Strawb scarecrow’s favor ite fruit? erries!

Q: How d oy A: Take th ou make seven a n even nu e s out! mber?

Q: What’ s th A: Your te e best thing to pu t on a pie eth! ?

S E L D D I R 64

Play is the highest form of research.

photo: Alena Ozerova

Albert Einstein

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BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

Promoting picture books The Three Bears (sort of) Author Illustrator Publisher

Yvonne Morrison Donovan Bixley Scholastic

ISBN

978-1-77543-068-1

T

his book is both an entertaining and unique retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A woman reads the story to a boy, but he doesn’t just sit there quietly and listen to the story, he isn’t prepared to accept it at face value. He questions everything about the tale. First, he wants to establish what sort of bears they are (Grizzly bears? Sun bears?), and why they live in a cottage instead of a cave.

Younger children will be attracted to the expressive faces of the characters, while older kids will enjoy the humorous exchanges between the woman and the boy.

1. Plot changes

Teachers Matter

As she told this classic stor y, he posed scientific questions and comments that made her change/embellish aspects of the stor yline, identify the changes he caused.

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2. Questions to ponder.

• How do you know that the child is a boy?

• How old do you think the boy is and why?

• How and where did he get his information about bears, temperatures etc?

• Who is reading the story? Is it his mother or another adult, and if not his mother, who is she and where are they? What makes you think this?

3. Vocabulary Building • Brainstorm words to describe how she feels as he questions and comments during her reading.

• The characters have very expressive faces. Select an illustration and choose one word to describe how the character is feeling. Repeat on another page.

She read….

He questioned or commented

Her response was….

There were 3 bears

What kind of bears?

Polar bears

They lived the woods

Polar bears don’t live in the woods.

Grizzly bears

..in a cottage

Why not a cave?

Nicer than a cave and abandoned.

..cooking porridge

Bears eat raw oats and fish

BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

4. Reader’s theatre Tw o s t u d e n t s w i l l r e a d e a c h r o l e i n character – the know-it-all questioning of the boy and the exasperation of the woman.

5. Take another tale and rewrite in a similar conversational way E.g. Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs etc.

6. Illustrations • Explore and discuss why Donovan Bixley illustrated this story the way he did.

Think about the use of collage, cartoonlike and child-like sketches and pseudoscientific figures.

• Search the illustrations for examples of quirkiness that Donovan has included.

Eg calendar, ducks on wall etc.

• Consider the font and layout. Why is the child’s speech depicted the way it is?

7. Scientific concepts What are the scientific questions posed and the explanations offered by the woman?

Barbara has been a primary school teacher for 36 years.

She has specialised in the teaching of literacy for more than 20 years and recently retired a position as a Resource Teacher: Literacy, which she held for the last 16 years.

Eg how can 3 bowls of porridge be three different temperatures?

8. Research on bears Find out what you can about the bears introduced at the beginning of the story.

Bears Polar Grizzly Spectacled Sun Black

Colour

Habitat

Eats

Endangered?

Other facts

Tricia has been involved in the field of literacy for 17 years, firstly as a Resource Teacher: Reading, then as a Resource Teacher: Literacy.

She is passionate about books and reading and feels privileged to be in a position where she can share that passion with students, their parents, and fellow teachers.

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YVONNE GODFREY

y l i m Fa g n i d Bran

ue? q i n u y famil r u o y How is

“ Define your brand and let it be a foundation for your yadult’s future.”

T

he first 20 years or so of a child’s upbringing lays the foundation on which they build their adult lives. It’s a parent’s responsibility to be a positive role model, influence and help their children establish a foundation based on the family’s culture, values, beliefs, traditions and worldview. I call it ‘Family Branding’ – the things that make each family unique. Branding is more difficult if the parents separate or if two brands combine in a blended family – but no matter the challenges, it is worth working on.

As children become young adults (yadults), they may veer away from the family’s brand, but at least they have had a yard stick by which to evaluate and formulate their own brand.

Teachers Matter

At home, we are moulded and fashioned by the following factors:

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Heritage Our DNA, inheritance and legacy are all part of our heritage.

Values Values come from our beliefs and reflect the things we consider to be the most important in life. Our values lay the foundation for the ethics, morals and worldview that we adopt.

Worldview Worldview is how we see the world, how we want to see it and what we believe to be true. Our worldview dictates the pathways, approaches and stands that we will take on certain issues.

Culture Culture is passed on from generation to generation and is absorbed from our environment, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity. Our food, clothes and music all display our cultural bent.

Traditions Traditions vary tremendously from family to family and county to country, which can be clearly seen in the way we celebrate events and achievements and how we ‘do life’.

My family background or branding My earliest memory is from when I’m aged four. I am sitting with my brother Peter (six) and my younger sister Katie (three) in a cow bail that Dad made into a play pen so we would be safe while he and Mum milked the cows. With three very young children, life was hard going for my farming parents. For them, life was mostly just work – day in and day out, with little time to play.

When I was five years old, we left the farm and moved into Whangarei in Northland, New Zealand. Dad became an agent and auctioneer for a livestock company. He would spend hours on the phone dealing with farmers and organising their stock for sale. During the school holidays, Dad would take me with him to the stock sales and I would proudly watch him conduct his auctions. People often told me that he was the best auctioneer they knew, and I don’t think it was said just to make me feel good.

He would jokingly put me up for sale as one of the lots and I loved hearing him give me a huge build up to the crowd, before he would take me off the market just in time!

YVONNE GODFREY

One Saturday morning when I was seven, Dad took me into his office in town. I was gobsmacked as I looked at the 30 or so manual typewriters lined up in rows.

They sat silently, taking a well-earned rest from being banged at mercilessly all week by typists sporting beehive hairstyles and short, bright red fingernails. Dad told me to wait for him in the ‘typists’ pool’ as it was called. While he was gone, one of his colleagues walked up to me and asked, ‘Hello little girl, who are you?’ I stretched up to my full seven-year-old height with my arms firmly at my side like a little sentinel and replied in a clear strong voice, ‘I’m Stan Taylor’s daughter!’ In my mind, this made me famous by association. It never occurred to me to tell him my own name. That just didn’t seem to be as important as belonging to my Dad. I was part of the Taylor tribe!

My mother was a top nurse with a lot of post graduate training. She was highly intelligent, and was constantly thinking up better procedures and systems for the hospital. She was very attractive and always well-groomed and she taught us manners and social etiquette. My parents taught us to do things properly. And even though we didn’t have a lot of money, I always felt that we were ‘classy’ people.

The Taylor brand was signified by hard work, excellence and service to others.

Mum and Dad separated when I was ten, but because that brand was ingrained into me, I have continued to use it as a benchmark for everything I do, with a couple of adjustments. You might notice that our family brand was all about ‘doing’ and not about ‘being’. I have realised that any quality done to excess becomes a weakness. Hard work, for example, can lead to burn-out, excellence can become perfectionism, and serving people can end up becoming people-pleasing. So I have added fun and enjoying people into the brand that I now share with my husband and daughters, so that it retains balance. In addition, everything I do is done to the glory of God who gives me life.

Values instilled in you as a child will carry you through adulthood I left New Zealand for Australia when I was seventeen to be near my brother Pete who had moved there before me. I had all my belongings in one small bag, $60 in my pocket and a one-way ticket on a Russian ship bound for Sydney. Pete shared his flat in Bondi with two mates, and neither of them had any regard for personal hygiene or housework. The place was a haven for cockroaches who had assumed squatters’ rights. I arrived close to Christmas and the flatmates went to their parents’ homes for Christmas Day. Since Pete and I didn’t have anywhere to go, we went to the Wayside Chapel in the heart of Sydney for Christmas Dinner.

is to help and serve others. For all of their differences, Mum and Dad modelled this brilliantly to their kids.

It’s important to establish traditions and rituals in your family because, chances are, your yadult will take the traditions they loved as children into their adult lives.

Traditions that revolve around celebrations and fun or regular events are the ones most likely to be remembered.

Ask your children what things positively identify your family. Build on those. Ask them what things negatively identify your family. I’ll let you decide what you want to do with those! Define your brand and let it be a foundation for your yadult’s future.

T h e Wa y s i d e C h a p e l w a s a n i c o n i n Sydney, led by Rev Ted Noffs, a celebrated eccentric. Mainstream clergy gave him a wide berth but he personified Christianity in action. Had his colleagues looked past his idiosyncrasies, they could have learned a lot from this unpretentious saint. Wayside Chapel was a homeless person’s sanctuary.

No one was turned away, and by midday on a hot Sydney Christmas Day the place was packed with the lame, the poor, and the unlovely. Feeling uncomfortable but grateful, Pete and I took our places as guests and received our hot dinner with all the other misfits.

From Guests to Hosts We soon realised why we felt uncomfortable – it was because we were on the wrong side of the table! With hardly a glance at each other, we swapped our guests’ ‘hats’ for hosts’ ‘hats’ and began to help with serving the Christmas pudding and custard to the others. Then, we flew into the kitchen to finish our day by washing the dishes, happy as clams knowing that this role of being involved and contributing suited us much better. The concept of Peter and me receiving charity when we could have been giving it was unacceptable to us. We needed to be consistent with our family value, which

Yvonne has worked with hundreds of yadults (young adults) equipping them with confidence, clarity and competence to seek their path in life. Yvonne’s book ‘Parenting Ya d u l t s ’ b r i n g s p a r e n t s a n d educators tools to transition their young adults into the ‘real world’.

027 249 5444 / 09 413 9777 yvonne@miomo.co.nz

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EMMA LARK

L ve your lunch box

Say no to warm, soggy sandwiches!

Being a Teacher is hectic! More often than not we have only moments to inhale our lunch before we head out to duty, take a sports team for lunch practice or attend a meeting. It makes it that much harder to enjoy your lunch when all you have to look forward to is a warm soggy sandwich in glad wrap. Here are some ideas to help put the “love” back into your lunch box.

Bacon, Avocado, Cheese and Corn Quesadillas

I went to a cafe recently and got the idea for these little beauties. The mix of all these ingredients is just so right! If you have time, pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds before eating them, but they are just as good cold!

This recipe makes enough for two lunches, so you can share if you like. Make it the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients 4 large wraps 6 rashers of bacon 1 avocado ½ cup grated cheese 1 small can of whole kernel corn, drained Dice the bacon into small bits and fry quickly until cooked, leave to cool.

Place two wraps out flat and spread a thin layer of avocado over each one. Sprinkle over the bacon, cheese and corn. Place the second wrap on top.

Teachers Matter

Spray a frying pan with oil and let it reach a medium heat. Add the wrap and let it cook until it is golden. Flip the wrap and cook again on the other side. Before you flip use a fish slice to press down on the wrap, the melting cheese will help it stick together and hold better when you flip it. Once both sides are cooked remove from the heat, place the quesadilla on a cutting board and cut it into four pieces. Let it cool and pop it into your lunch box.

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Repeat this process again to make your second quesadilla.

EMMA LARK

Moroccan Chicken Apple and Peanut Slaw This is a delicious salad that you can add to your repertoire so that you needn’t have to have a green salad everyday of the week. It is also really important to include protein into your lunch to help keep up your energy and keep those irrational cravings down to a minimum. The recipe makes enough for quite a few servings so you could have it for lunch over the week or add it to your dinner.

Ingredients 300g of chicken breast (this will make enough for two lunches) Moroccan seasoning, to taste. ¼ green cabbage ¼ red cabbage ½ red onion 1 apple 1 carrot ½ cup of roasted unsalted peanuts

Fry the chicken breast with Moroccan seasoning to taste. Once cooked, leave the chicken to cool while you make the salad.

Thinly slice up the green and red cabbage and place into a large bowl. Dice the red onion and add it to the cabbage. Grate the apple and carrot; place it with the rest of the ingredients. Using clean hands mix the peanuts through the salad.

Place a serving of the salad into a container for lunch. Thinly slice the chicken breast and place over top of the salad. Keep in the fridge overnight.

I like to eat this without any dressing at all but if you want to add something, aioli would be perfect!

Scrunch Slice Some of you might call this Weetbix slice, but in my house we call it Scrunch. It is the only recipe my mother ever religiously made for us. This recipe is simple and tastes fantastic. Have it in your lunch box for morning tea or share the “love” with everyone and take it to school for a morning tea shout.

Ingredients 1 ½ cups crushed Weetbix ¾ cup sugar 1 cup flour 1 cup coconut ½ teaspoon vanilla essence 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons cocoa 175 grams butter, melted.

Pre heat the oven to 180˚C. Line a 22cm square baking pan with baking paper.

Mix all the dry ingredients and the vanilla together. Make a well and pour in the melted butter. Mix well and place into the baking tray, packing down the mixture with your knuckles.

Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Set the slice aside to cool and make the chocolate icing.

Chocolate Icing Ingredients 2 cups icing sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa ¼ teaspoon butter or margarine 2 tablespoons of water, approximately ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl.

Add the butter. Mix in enough water to make a spreadable consistency. Flavour with vanilla essence.

It is best to ice this slice when it has cooled a little but is still warm. Sprinkle some coconut over the top of the icing for decoration.

Emma is an experienced New Zealand teacher who is a passionate foodie.

She works four days a week so that on her fifth day she can pursue her passion for food on her blog, Lark’s Larder. Emma believes that food is about bringing people together. She enjoys a challenge in the kitchen, loves food styling and crafting recipes. www.larkslarder.com

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EMMA LARK

Quick and Easy Savoury Sticks This is a very simple idea but the reason I love it is because you can vary them as much as you like, and quite frankly it makes you feel that you are eating something that little bit more special. They are also great for that 3pm slump!

Ingredients A selection of...

Chorizo Cheese of your choice, cut into cubes.

Cherry tomatoes Cucumber sliced and diced into quarters.

Thread your ingredients in any order at all on to a kebab or bamboo stick. Eat with a little bit of relish or chutney. Delicious!

Sport and Leisure Studies: Making a difference to our community Expert researchers in health and physical education, sport, leisure and movement studies.

Teachers Matter

To find out more phone: 07 838 4629

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Faculty of Education Te Kura Toi Tangata

www.waikato.ac.nz/education www.waikato.ac.nz/education

le e l b b a lial ls!! i a a v va oools a w ho w o NoN frosrcshc fo Access LIVE Study Smarter tutorials in these 45-minute interactive presentations.

International presenter Karen Boyes from Spectrum Education will share many simple and practical ideas.

Study Smarter Te c h n i q u e s f o r s t u d y i n g S M A R T E R . . . n o t H A R D E R

WEBINARS Study Smarter Webinars can be held in the comfort of your classroom; they are an easy and effective way to help your students study smarter and pass exams.

Webinar 2 Study Smarter: Understanding Your Learning Styles

Webinar 1 Introduction to Study Smarter: Memory Webinar 4 Strategies Study Smarter: Goal Setting for Success

Webinar 3 Study Smarter: Setting Up an Effective Study Environment Webinar 5 Study Smarter: Preparing for Tests & Exam Techniques

Call to book your school today! 0800 37 33 77 or email us at info@spectrumeducation.com www.spectrumeducation.com

Education is the key to the future.... studying smarter, not harder, is the key to success.

CATARINA BENGREE

Eat naturally Get your life back!

Food should be used to nourish our bodies in a positive way and that should be the end of it. Yes it’s important to eat healthily but not in a way that deprives us of our favourite foods. This is because deprivation only serves to make us crave what we are missing out on. Ironically once you allow yourself to eat the so-called unhealthy food, you actually won’t want it. As it is no longer forbidden it doesn’t have the same appeal as it had previously.

“ Food should be used to nourish our bodies in a positive way and that should be the end of it.”

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The key is to learn to eat “naturally”.

This is a process of eating which simply enables you to listen to your own body so you can eat what your body wants and needs and stop when you are satisfied.

When you are truly listening you will find your body doesn’t actually want too much sugar, fat or salt and it will actually crave the healthy nutritious foods instead.

Accordingly you will eat these foods most of the time. However, when you really need an unhealthy option to fulfill you emotionally, you will be satisfied with a small portion, because now you are listening when your body tells you to stop.

Eating “naturally” gives you the best of both worlds, enabling you to eat in a positive and empowering way and put food in perspective. However this takes conscious thought and will not happen overnight. Often we have spent years eating in negative ways without even realising how we are eating. We have got into little habits, which are very difficult to change until we focus on what we are doing every time we eat. Once we start to eat mindfully instead of mindlessly, then it is possible to change.

It also enables you to make positive changes in other areas of your life, as your brain is no longer solely focused on food, weight loss and body image. You will find you are at peace with food instead of constantly fighting with yourself to achieve an unrealistic weight or body size. If dieting and food obsession is holding you back, learn to eat naturally, so you can then be the best that you can be.

Catrina formed her company “Nourish ‘N Nurture Ltd” after recovering from 20 years of food and weight related issues including depression and bulimia. In 2009 she attended a 10 week Personal Development course and discovered she wanted to share Natural Eating with as many people as possible. She has a free e-book available on her website: www.nourishnnurture.co.nz

PHOTO: KONSTANTTIN

F

or a lot of us, food is the first thing we think about when we wake up and again the last thing we think about before we go to sleep. It has become an obsession with so many of us as we strive to have the perfect body, stay fit and healthy and be as thin as we can possibly be.

Unfortunately this obsession then spills over into other parts of our lives to the detriment of everything else. Food is just food. We don’t have to be “good” or worry about being “bad”.

LINDA GUIREY

Live by Choice, not by Chance Believe positive intent

E

very day your choices not only shape your lives, but influence the choices of those around you - family, friends, even students. Every day you choose what you say, think, believe and do and every day you have no control over what others say, think, believe and do - but you do have a choice of attitude.

It is that attitude that will define you and will determine how you respond to criticism, change and adversity.

Every day you influence the choices of others, just by how you choose to be - so now is the time to become intentional with your thoughts and accept responsibility for what you choose to say, think, believe and do. You have the power and ability to actually think any thought you choose, and you have that same power and ability to ignore or dismiss any thought you choose - the important thing is to become intentional and in control of your thoughts and emotions, rather than your thoughts and emotions controlling you. But it takes practice, commitment and intent.

What you think in your head, determines what you see. If you think someone doesn’t like you, no matter what they do or say, you will be looking to prove yourself right. If you think “change” or a particular situation is not a good one, you will be looking for all the reasons to prove yourself right. If you think your partner is selfish - that is all you see and you will miss any acts of generosity. It’s like you are seeing everything through a negative filter and when that happens, you no longer see possibilities and opportunities. Every choice you make creates consequences for other people - like the ripples caused by throwing a pebble into a pond.

We often focus on the ripples that other people cause rather than our own ripples because it is so much more enjoyable to stand around the coffee machine at work and complain about the behaviour and mistakes of others, than it is to reflect on your own behaviour. But every day you should be asking yourself - what have I given to others, what have I received from others and what trouble have I caused.

What you also say in your head about yourself, determines what you will see - this is your self belief. The most important words you will ever hear are the words you say to yourself, so in order to change yourself belief or self talk, you need to change the words you use. Be more intentional with your thoughts, choose to be proud of who you are, choose a gratitude attitude and be thankful every day for the people you meet and for the life you have - and this change in turn will positively influence the lives of those you come into contact with.

Gratitude is something we don’t demonstrate enough of. Have you ever walked into a cafe and smelled the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee, but when you have been there a while, you can’t smell it any more. That is because you have become used to it. The same happens in relationships and life. You get used to the comfort of the relationship and then the romance or excitement that occurred initially is gone. However you can reignite that passion and excitement by being grateful for the experiences, and for each other, every single day. It is said that gratitude is the single biggest contributor to a successful marriage - being grateful for the times you share, being grateful for the joy you bring to each other’s lives and being ever so grateful for the family that you have, the times with your kids, the beautiful people that your children can grow up to become.

Do you take a moment to stop and ‘smell the roses’, or to appreciate the sunrise, the sunset or just a beautiful view or sky. When you are more aware of what you have around you, and you decide to really appreciate what you have, you become so much happier.

Gratitude and positivity are not just words or ideals. If you can become more grateful, if you can create a more positive attitude, then you are likely to become happier, healthier, have better relationships, be more successful and live longer. So I know what I choose!

It is so important to choose your thoughts and it is just as important to accept that you cannot choose the thoughts of others. Your thoughts are your thoughts and therefore someone else’s criticism is really just their thoughts spoken out loud. Your choice is what you will do with those words - will you take the criticism personally and allow it to affect your day or your life, or will you take a moment to ask yourself whether there is any amount of truth in what the other person has said and if not - “don’t own it”!

Don’t own someone else’s words about you those words are their thoughts, nothing more.

One of the most profound shifts in thinking can come from these three words: “Believe Positive Intent” By ‘believing positive intent’ you are giving yourself time to breathe for a moment, to reflect on what has been said or done, and to take a step back rather than be in ‘reactionary’ mode. You will find that it is so much easier to not react to the words or actions of others, and to understand that other people are entitled to their opinions - what is important is what YOU think inside. The same thing applies to the written word - emails, texts, Facebook. “Believe Positive Intent”, breathe and don’t react.

I say all of this because I have experienced it.

I was always a positive person, but through becoming more grateful for the world around me every day, by being more intentional with my thoughts and being able to not own the criticism of others, my life has been transformed, in ways I never thought possible.

I don’t have to look to external gurus or inspirational heroes to find that higher self belief and inspiration. I just have to choose to find that strength within. I choose to Live by Choice, Not by Chance.

Linda - The Choice Champion - is a speaker, coach, trainer and author who speaks about creating positive change in your life through understanding your choices. Linda was voted Best Speaker in New Zealand for 2012, in the Corporate Events People’s Choice Awards. Linda is also an artist and uses her artwork in her presentations as they reflect the messages she shares. www.lindaguirey.co.nz

75

THE LAST WORD: KAREN BOYES

Are you unintentionally punishing the good students?

How 3 classroom behaviour management techniques may be doing just this.

Teachers Matter 76

processional effect of trying to get the disruptive students to conform.

Group points This starts in junior classrooms and continues throughout high school with house points. Often desks are clustered together and group points are dished out for being attentive, having tidy desks,

“ If we don’t teach students to be responsible for their actions who will?”

- Celia Lashlie

PHOTO: DMITRIY SHIRONOSOV

It

has recently come to my attention that many of our ‘good students’ are unintentionally being punished within the school system for simply just ‘doing the right thing.’ Talking to several groups of students lately, they have told me “That it is often just the way it is.”

They seem to quietly accept this. Steve Simpson might call this an unwritten ground rule, or maybe it is simply a

KAREN BOYES

being ready for instruction, having work completed on time or a myriad of other predetermined or random criteria from the teacher. With a quick glance this seems to be a valid way to reward students until you look a little deeper. One child complained how unfair this was; “I’m in a group with ‘x’ and we never get group points. I have tidied his desk, done his work and even hurried him to sit down, and we still never get the points. It’s just not fair!” Of course every classroom has an ‘x’ student; the one that perhaps does not follow instructions, is talkative, highly kinesthetic or lacks self control.

Maybe the idea is to put them in groups to allow peer pressure to help these children conform, or to provide good models for them to imitate. The challenge from the well-behaved student’s point of view is that they feel they are required to rebuke, chastise and discipline other students, distracting them from their work, and it is not their job to do this.

Due dates Another area where good students feel aggrieved is when information is due back on a certain date. This maybe an assignment, homework sheet or a notice for an up and coming trip. Many students work hard to complete their work, albeit often the night before, to discover when they do the right thing by handing it in on time, students that have not handed it in, for a multitude of excuses, are told, “Bring it back by Friday.”

This behaviour undermines the need and importance of deadlines. Students because apathetic to the deadline because there are no consequences. At the Teachers M a t t e r C o n f e r e n c e i n J a n u a r y, C e l i a Lashlie spoke about the importance of holding boundaries for our learners; “If we don’t teach students to be responsible for their actions who will?”

Whole class reprimanding Todd Whittaker, author, speaker and educator discusses what great teachers d o d i f f e r e n t l y. H e a s k s “ H a v e y o u ever been into a shop with a sign that states, ‘Shoplifters will be prosecuted’?

He continues to ask, “Does the person shoplifting know it is wrong?” Of course they do – the only people the sign affects are the wholesome, trustworthy people.

Upon seeing the sign they may become nervous or extra conscious that someone is watching and might think they are stealing, even when they know they are not.

The same holds true in the classroom.

When the entire class is reprimanded for the misdemeanours of the few, the students that were causing the trouble usually know they were wrong and are not bothered. This approach, again, causes angst and anxiety for the wellbehaved students as they may start to feel guilty as they wonder if there is something they have done wrong and don’t know or can’t recall.

A great technique is to verbally affirm the good students by saying something such as, “I really appreciate those who have handed their assignment back on time.

Thanks.” This sends a clear message to those that have done the ‘right thing’.

They know who they are and will take the praise. Those that have not handed it in possibly don’t care and by not mentioning them publically, they might feel excluded and want to be in that good group the next time. Of course consequences should be given to those not doing the right thing – however not publically.

Save all you public attention for those that deserve it.

Karen is a leading authority on effective lear ning and teaching in Australasia. She is the founder and CEO of Spectrum Education. A highly skilled and dynamic presenter, she works with teachers, parents, students and corporate clients. www.spectrumeducation.com

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