TM Issue 30

PROFESSIONALLY & PERSONALLY

TeachersMatter The Magazine of Spectrum Education

Teaching with the teen brain in mind p7 Check out how 2 schools are using gardens to teach environmental skills

Learn how to become a more explicit teacher to enable greater learning

p34 & p54

p32

Using the space between stimulus and response effectively p56 NZ$15 / AU$15

Leaders in Developing Teachers

ISSUE 30

Here’s how you can ensure Study Success with The Ultimate Study Skills Pack Ensure your students know HOW to study with this simple, colourful and practical desk flipbook. With 31 individual strategies, 10 minute quick fire lessons – suitable for mentor and form time, plus student and teacher workbooks, your students will be on their way to study success.

Tip and lesson topics include: • An Intro to Study • Learning Styles • Study Environment • The Brain • Memory Techniques • Personal Wellbeing

Also coming soon: Exam Tips Flipbook

The Ultimate Study Skills Pack is $449 + p&h plus tell us you are a subscriber to the Teachers Matter Magazine and we will also send 30 copies of the 27 Study Tips for Success Poster FREE. Order your copies today (NZ) 0800 37 33 77 (AUST) 1800 06 32 72 or email us at info@spectrumeducation.com “Passing exams has far more to do with technique than intelligence. Give your students the gift of proven techniques that guarantee results.”

Karen Tui Boyes NZ Educator of the Year 2014

editor’s note

Hi

there,

I can’t believe we’re in Term 4 already! Spring has definitely sprung – the tui and kereru are feasting in the kowhai trees – and the weather is gradually warming up. It’s wonder ful to see that big yellow circle in our sky once more.

As I said in Issue 29, I have been back in the classroom part-time and have found the ideas in past issues of Te a c h e r s M a t t e r r e m a r k a b l y practical and motivating.

This issue is no different, with a huge range of articles to dip into that offer useful ideas to use in your ever yday work and personal life.

As a parent, I love hearing about my sons’ adventures in their class gardens as they help me pull weeds at home! In this issue we have

two schools who have shared their experiences in using hands-on involvement to develop sustainability and environmental knowledge and skills in their students and school communities.

Following the ‘hands on’ theme, there is also a story from Irma Cooke, describing how her students used their prior knowledge to develop healthy food prototypes. The recipe provided is delicious!

A n n e - M a r i e F l e m i n g ’s a r t i c l e is marvelous and hit a real chord with me. I reflected on conversations I have both in the classroom, and at home, and wondered if my tone of voice when questioning can sometimes affect how people respond. I am now more mindful of this when talking to those around me.

Another piece of writing which really resonated with me was Bill Sommers’ article discussing whether higher test results should be the only e n d g o a l o f e d u c a t i o n . Wi t h the changes to our education system currently being expressed by our Minister of Education, I believe this is a question that New Zealanders n e e d t o a n s w e r. A s B i l l says, surely we also want compassionate and ethical people who will contribute positively to our world?

Have a wonderful last term of school and enjoy the sun!

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CONTENTS

In this issue cover illustration by ksuksu

p13 - Socrates Editor’s note

20 Genious hour

36 A to Z of effective teaching

karen boyes

7

Teaching with the teen brain in mind

22

38

Is beauty really that important?

9

10

12

Sarah Linehan

Maggie dent

Student driven learning Stephen Lethbridge

Using collaborative teams for professional development alan cooper

5 tips to improved leadership andrew murray

miriam bell

Teaching the science of the heart

clark wight

Kanuka Simpson

24 Why do kids need

routines and structure?

40 Advertorial

dr laura markham

44

Increasing learning effectiveness

3 simple strategies for summary writing

46

Using ‘emotional hooks’ to motivate and inspire young writers

Albert Einstein

16

Should higher test scores be our only end goal?

eric frangenheim

18

Managing difficult behaviour

bill sommers

miriam bell

20 ideas for how to best use your classroom time

Quote

The importance of assuming that children will know the answer anne-marie fleming

42

29

deborah barclay

14

Skill Builders

Time out for teacher well being!

Quote

Socrates

26

13

Teachers Matter

p38 - Is beauty really that important?

3

4

p26 - Time out for teacher well-being

30

lauren rivers

maggie hos-mcgrane kate southcombe

32 Am I causing my students

to underperform?

Sonya Carey, Fallon Braithwaite, Hailey Cundall and

Trudy Francis

34

48

Essential teacher’s guide to building strong familyteacher relationships

Michael Grose

Sustainability and environmental education

wharepapa south school

Subscribe today

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 2015 All rights reserved.

p56 - Using the space between stimulus and response effectively

p70 - Avoiding avoidance in the classroom

49

Using Nurture Cards to build self-confidence

62

50

Do we need tutors?

64 Are you heading for

burnout?

52

Study skills

roxanne gately

sarah carman

karen boyes

54 Welcome to our

‘Kid’s Patch’

Kauwhata Primary

School:

Enviroschool Vicki Saunders

56

Using the space between stimulus and response effectively

terry small

58 Parenting style traps

yvonne godfrey

60 How to bring rainbows

and sunshine to your

wet play days

Diminish your clutter and reduce stress

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!

robyn pearce

john shackleton

All Enquiries

66

Superfood sale at a school Berkley Normal Intermediate’s canteen

Spectrum Education Ltd

Irma Cooke

Street Address: 19 Rondane Place, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Postal Address: PO Box 30818, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

68 Promoting picture books:

Mem Fox

Phone: (NZ) +64 4 528 9969

Barbara griffith & tricia kenyon

magazine@spectrumeducation.com

70 The Last Word: Avoiding avoidance in

the classroom

karen Boyes

73-74 Useful Products &

Services Directory 75

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New

Fax: (NZ) +64 4 528 0969 www.spectrumeducation.com 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

Dr laura

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e h t r o f h t g r u o o p Sup ride thr e rs y c p n e m c te ac h e s bu e l ados, te e ns and re n a p r o f

BOOK S& E BOOK S

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Adolescence Unplugged: Surviving and Thriving in the Teenage Years A self-paced, six-week online course for anyone who lives or works with adolescents.

Maggie Dent draws on almost 40 years of knowledge and experience in teaching, counselling and raising teens to unplug adolescence and offer strategies for supporting and raising healthy, happy and resilient teens. $200.

IN ONL

E

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RS U O C

Dare to Be an Exceptional Teacher A 46-page guide for busy teachers to help them become even more effective, competent and exceptional. $18 Taking the High Road: An Ebook for Adolescents A concise, practical, accessible guide for anyone aged 12-25 to help deal with the challenges of adolescence. $9.95

E ON LIN R NA SEM I Saving Our Adolescents* A 1.5 hour seminar covering adolescence today, decoding teens and their changing brains, practical tips and strategies for living and working with adolescents, and guiding adolescents to find their spark and keep it lit. $20 (video on demand) $30 (DVD-add postage & handling).

Teachers Matter

*NB this item is included as bonus material in the Adolescence Unplugged online course.

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Availa ble for downl oad now from www.maggie dent.c om

www.maggiedent.com

Maggie Dent quietly improving lives

Maggie dent

Teaching with the teen brain in mind 10 top tips

O

ver the past 15 years there has been a massive outpouring of research that explores the human brain.

Many theories have been tossed out, other newer ones are now considered the norm and much debate has been had in the corridors of our universities as neuroscience touches every corner of academia.

“The idea that the brain can change its own structure and function through thought and activity is I believe the most important alteration in our view of the brain since we first sketched out its basic anatomy and the working of its basic component, the neuron.” Norman Doidge, The Brain that Changes Itself.

As a former teacher it would have been really useful to have this fabulous research at my fingertips when I was in the classroom, and I am deeply grateful to Tim Burns, Norman Doidge, Daniel Siegel, Barry Cohen, Sheryl Feinstein, Eric Jensen and John Medina (just to name a few) who have expanded my knowledge of this fascinating organ.

Put simply, when one neuron connects to another neuron via a synapse, which occurs at the end of an axon, via dendrites, new learning occurs. Simple eh? Neuronal ‘highways’ can be strengthened through repeated and focused thought as well as repeated activities and the stronger they are, the better they function.

The first key concept as educators to always keep in mind is neuroplasticity, which essentially means that the brain has the capacity to change all the way through life.

“ Brain pruning challenges the way that our young teen students see themselves, their parents and the world.”

Almost everything a child does from birth onwards involves building connections between the neurons. As Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson write in their innovative book, The Whole Brain Child, “Findings from various areas in developmental psychology suggest that everything that happens to us — the music we hear, the people we love, the books we read, the kind of discipline we receive, the emotions we feel — profoundly affects the way our brain develops.”

The human brain continues to evolve from primitive times and the executive functioning part of the brain, also called the prefrontal cortex, is the last part of the brain to mature, often not until the mid 20s. In fact, there are many adults who still struggle to use their prefrontal cortex especially when they are exhausted, stressed, hungry or in pain — think of road rage, troll behaviour online and family violence.

Knowing this can help many teachers and parents understand the confusion and angst that can happen during adolescence.

The journey of adolescence sees the human brain undergoing some amazing, ancient and biologically wired changes to enable a child’s brain to become an adult brain. While the same principles of ‘use it or lose it’ and anything we practice frequently equals improvement still apply, there are some unique challenges for teachers of adolescents, especially our teens, in the classroom.

The initial brain pruning that occurs in the first stage of adolescents — for girls roughly 18 months before boys — often creates very unexpected, confusing changes for our teens. Forgetfulness and a decline in organisational skills are clear signs that brain pruning is happening. Even our best students can forget major assessments, leave their backpack on the bus, walk to the wrong class, forget what day of the week it is and forget things that they previously found easy to remember. Being mindful of this in our classrooms and helping students with gentle reminders, visual reminders and reassuring them that this is a normal stage of brain development can really help our teen students not feel completely overwhelmed by these changes.

Brain pruning also challenges the way that our young teen students see themselves, their parents and the world. This is often the beginning of self-criticism, self-loathing and negative thinking patterns that can become permanent. This window is when many psychiatric disorders manifest themselves and teen depression is at a frightening level in our modern chaotic world.

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Maggie Dent

If that is not challenging enough, without an understanding of how the neurotransmitters in the human brain work we can unintentionally make things worse. An overload o f c o r t i s o l p l a y s havoc especially with teens who, without a prefrontal cortex, struggle to manage heightened stressful times. The classroom tantrum is similar to the toddler’s shopping centre tantrum in that both can be viewed as an event of the brain, a massive cortisol discharge, so that the teen can return to a calmer state.

The feel-good brain chemicals of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins are very difficult for adolescents to be able to create on their own. The capacity to self-regulate one’s emotions, moods and physical energy is another one of those invisible capacities that we can find hard to understand.

Teachers Matter

Humans are biologically wired to survive first, and to be smart and happy after that. If we always keep this in mind, this overriding invisible drive to survive, we can understand how important it is for teens to feel safe in our schools.

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illustration: ksuksu

Teens can struggle with moods, an ability to concentrate, and have difficulty managing distraction and frequent change, and this creates an overload of the stress hormone cortisol. Many of us who have experience teaching in secondary schools have seen irrational outbursts, uncharacteristic behaviour and been confused about what is going on behind those glum, grumpy faces.

Research shows that the intensity of feelings and emotions in adolescence is heightened and they do feel things much more intensely than before adolescence or in adulthood.

10 top tips for teaching with the brain in mind: 1. Happy calm teens will learn best.

2. Repeated activities consolidate strong neuronal pathways — however boredom does the reverse! Keep it interesting.

3. Always remember all teens struggle to maintain good brain chemicals.

4. Educate them about the importance of sleep — deep sleep creates spaces for new learning in the brain every day.

As John Medina writes in his book Brain Rules for Baby, “The brain is not interested in learning. The brain is interested in surviving. Every ability in our intellectual tool kit was engineered to escape extinction.

If you want a well educated child, you must create an environment of safety”.

5. Encourage good quality food — it helps stabilise moods and improves concentration.

Our teens are coping with hor monal changes, physical changes and brain changes while living in a more chaotic, crueller, faster paced world than we grew up in. Essentially, for our teens to perform well in our schools — emotionally, socially, cognitively and psychologically — they need to be surrounded by staff who understand the unique challenges happening within those amazing brains.

7. Educate teens about what is happening in their brain and how it impacts their world.

8. Teach them how to help organise learning with brain friendly strategies.

9. Suggest teens take extra fish oil to improve brain integration.

10. Positive enthusiastic relationships with teens based on mutual trust and respect creates the best environment for teens to learn in.

Lastly, keep in mind how to keep your own brain in the best shape. Exercise, eating well, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep and yes this is also possibly why we have a secret lolly drawer – for a much-needed serotonin kick on a tough day at the coalface.

6. Water is the only liquid that hydrates the brain and removes fuzzy brains that can cause concentration problems.

Maggie Dent is an author, educator, and parenting and resilience specialist with a particular interest in the early years and adolescence. She is the author of seven books including Saving Our Adolescents. www.maggiedent.com

Stephen Lethbridge

Student driven learning Shifting the control

If

you walk into JJ Purton Jones’ room you will see students doing a whole lot of different things at the same time. There are some students working on their reading, others are tackling maths and then a few more writing. In fact each and every one of them could be working on something different. Visitors often comment, “Where is the teacher?”

Agency for us is an extension of Assessment for Learning Practices. Our primary goal is to shift the locus of control from adult to student. This has been a long journey for us that started with the work that Evaluation Associates did before I started in 2006. Since then we have used Formative Practice as the umbrella for all our professional learning.

Teachers regularly use the Evaluation Associates Teacher Competency Matrix to plan their next steps; they gather data and iterate new actions to move toward enabling students to make decisions about their learning.

Some people would say that JJ’s class looks like a free for all and that there is an absence of teaching. If you spend time watching and listening to the children talk about what is happening then you would realise that there is a lot of teaching, it is not necessarily just from the teacher. You see, to run a class this way takes an organised on to it teacher and is actually a lot harder than a regular teacher led classroom.

The students have good data and the teacher can structure teaching clinics that students opt into around this data. The beauty of the way things run in JJ’s class is when the students say, “I’ll run a teaching clinic Miss PJ!”

“A lot of teaching is happening – not necessarily from the teacher”

Each and every student can explain what they are doing in their ILPs (Individual Learning Plans), and more importantly they can tell you why they have scheduled their timetable in that way. But it gets better…

JJ runs an Adventure learning time, an extension of Google 20% time. Again, some people see this as a teacher opting out of teaching. Yet the rigour is amazing! I recall a student coming to my office and saying “Mr L, do you have the NZ Curriculum?” to which I handed over my copy… she then said, “I need another 26 because we want to map our Adventure Learning back to the curriculum documents” I cannot wait to see what these students with a great sense of autonomy and agency do this year.

Stephen is a Dad, Husband, Principal, sport mad, gadget man. He is all about learning and growing leaders of the future. He is moving into his ninth year of school principalship at Taupaki School and believes in growing leadership capacity at all levels in school. He has value his involvement in the OUR Education Network for the past seven years, learning from amazing leaders from around the world.

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alan cooper

Using collaborative teams for professional development How to avoid focussing on the parts and look for overall strategies in teaching

“We

all need people who will give us feedback.

That’s how we

improve.” Bill Gates

Despite the constant stream of new strategies and techniques that the education world is flooded with, it is very rare for these new strategies and techniques to significantly improve either the teaching or the learning.

This is because these strategies and techniques are imported from outside the classroom and not personalised to a specific group of students or a specific group of teachers. Thus teachers are • never quite sure exactly what to do to connect these strategies to the every-day personal practical teaching and learning dilemmas in their classrooms.

Teachers Matter

• isolated within their own classrooms with no follow up or provision for the regular mutual collegial support that leads to what Peter Senge calls a learning organisation; “a place where people continually expand their capacity to create the results that they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”

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• encouraged to micro manage, focused on a part, rather than look for overall strategies and interlocking, mutually supporting practices.

One proven way of avoiding all this and, at the same time working toward a learning community, is through collaborative teams using systemic inquiry. When this is done the focus goes beyond curriculum delivery to the search for continuous on the job learning, aimed at continuous improvement.

To make this possible the administration must put in place structures that provide for

AN ACTION PLAN

• time,

Starting the cycle Formal groups of no more than six and no less than four are established to reflect on stories from the teachers’ own classrooms.

The aim of these stories is to capture the very essence of teaching and learning at the grass roots. Then through group reflection, increase the personal practical knowledge of each teacher.

• a working culture where it is safe to explore and assess instructional strategies and practices through collegiality, • routine procedures/rituals to expedite this, • a s e n i o r m e m b e r o f t h e administration taking a personal interest, • Not only does this give added status to the activity, but more importantly any manager who does not know what is going on at the work bench (in this case the classroom) is at risk.

• Most principals benefit greatly from participation in the collaborative team process. It keeps their feet on the floor.

Such an approach benefits both teachers and the students.

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”

Bill Gates

Regular sacrosanct time-tabled slots for these meetings are non-negotiable.

Research on collaborative group work has found that the optimum meeting time is thirty minutes, extended to 45 minutes if the flow warrants it - but no longer.

Optimum frequency of the meetings is fortnightly.

The topic to be discussed must be a big picture topic that will provide for long term involvement that may last years.

Other requirements must be a degree of motivation, a degree of difficulty that challenges, and relevance to day to day classroom activities.

Depending on the idiosyncratic nature of the group and the school aims and objectives, initially a command decision from the designated administrator may be required to nominate the topic. If the school is about to embrace an innovation such Flipping or Mindset the general topic would be obvious. If it is a broader view such as literacy, a specific sub set such as Close Reading may be needed to provide focus and through that precision and accuracy.

A command decision has the disadvantage of the group not initially owning the project. However because it is their own personal opinions and experiences that are central to the action - the reflection – there is still opportunity to ensure the reflection

alan cooper

is relevant, practical, in the moment and therefore owned.

First group session This ownership is further enhanced when the group undertake their first task which is to bring to the first meeting a narrative story from their classroom which is relevant to the topic and present it to the group. To add punch the incident ideally should be one that pleased, distressed, or puzzled. As a general guide, the reading time for these must be no longer than two minutes (strictly enforced) and presented in narrative form.

A selection process follows to decide what aspects of the stories are to become the basis of the next several months’ discussion.

There are many ways of doing this but a strategy that gets the group immediately active, as well as interactive and working interdependently, is ideal. Brainstorming does this. The topic needs to be broad such as, “What did I find of interest in the stories.”

Guidelines are an absolute for this to encourage/demand precision and accuracy and an interdependent collegial culture.

• Total time for the brainstorm is restricted to two minutes. This will cause the circle members to understand that urgent, quick-fire response is demanded.

• N o v a l u e j u d g e m e n t s - p o s i t i v e o r negative, verbal or n o n - v e r b a l , o r anything else that may blunt any group member’s contribution.

• There are no bad ideas. Wild or different ideas open up other w is e u nk n ow n possibilities.

• A scribe records all the topics and carries on to keep broad minutes for the rest of the discussion.

After the brainstorm discussion follows to locate common strands or categories across all the stories. This needs to have a time limit too. Six minutes is long enough in order that urgency is maintained but longer may be fine if the flow warrants it. The aim here is to go from the particulars of the individual stories to the bigger picture where issues are more universal.

Guidelines are needed here too, in order that no one person can monopolize the conversation/discussion.

• Each person must speak at least once, initially by strict rotation, even if it is just to agree with another’s comment. Over time this provides the fertile ground for some participants to find their voice.

Everyone’s voice counts.

• No one may talk for more than one minute. This has the effect of having the teachers think about what they want to say in order to be more effective.

For more detailed requirements and a progressive path see Facilitating Learning through Collaborative Groups, Teachers Matter issue 22.

The final stretch of this first session is to select, through consensus, which of the newly created categories will become the focus over the next several months. A back up can also be used – plan B – in case the first choice causes the group to dry up.

The scribe completes summary minutes.

Immediately afterwards, whoever is the facilitator adds to these minutes an overview of the procedure for the following sessions.

One proven option is asking these three organising questions in order. Therefore the proceeding sessions would examine: • Why did this happen?

• What does this mean?

• What are the implications for future teaching and learning?

By knowing what is to happen in each session each person has time to reflect, albeit informally and at first spasmodically, on the previous session. Members’ thinking then has time to morph into so much more than was originally imagined. Deeper learning is thus advanced.

Procedures are best when they become rituals. Thus, each of these three questions and the three sessions in which they will be deliberated on, follow the same basic procedure each fortnight as in session one: brainstorm, categorise, and select one category for next time.

On completion of this cycle, the chosen implication for teaching and learning must be tried immediately in the classroom. This practical test will become the basis for the next cycle in a fortnight’s time, when the participants will tell their story, as they did in session one.

Continuing the ritual The above reflective cycle modelled on Art Costa’s concept of feedback spirals is designed for continuous ongoing learning.

Therefore there is no end to the spiral.

Having completed one cycle, the start of the next has been seamlessly reached.

A lack of transparency can hinder, especially if the students, the customers, are sidelined.

There is a rich source of data to be tapped here. By publically displaying abbreviated circle minutes where both teachers and affected students can view them, diverse, random feedback from informal chatter is added to the potential pool of data.

Interdependent thinking is developing.

When this happens it is clear that a learning organisation, as described by Senge, is establishing itself.

More than just a token or random student input is justified. Not only is their view possibly a fresh divergent one, but also a form of quality control either confirming or questioning the view of the circles.

Such input can be generated by having the students keep a personal or class blog where they are required to write a weekly constructive comment about their view of the teaching and learning. These are for reading and noting, never for marking.

A long term commitment is needed: years rather than months. The approach described here is not for the trendy!

Alan Cooper is an educational consultant based in New Zealnd. As a principal, he was known for his leadership role in thinking skills, including Habits of Mind, 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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andrew murray

5 tips to improved leadership

O

nce a term I take time to review how I can be a better leader. I believe this is a great practice whether you are a classroom teacher or a member of a senior leadership team. Here are 5 quick tips that I should always remind myself to do.

Engagement Talking to students about their interests and life outside of school is so important.

Research shows students who are able to connect with teachers on a personal level are more likely to be successful in school.

This doesn’t mean friending them on Instagram though!!! My experience is that the same works for parents as well.

Teachers Matter

Be a Reflective Practitioner

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Thoughtful reflection on what was accomplished today and what could be improved for tomorrow. The first classroom teachers in seventeenth century started the day with meditation. There is a lot in this. Think about how you can improve by reflecting on the positive and negatives of each day? This requires an honest selfassessment that will guide future pedagogy.

Have the courage to admit when you didn’t get it right or do your best in order to make the next day better. This can be hardhitting. Every Friday in my school we do this for five minutes.

photo: BartPhoto

How can I be a better leader at school?

Thank You Saying “thank you” to a member of the support staff is something I try and do once a day. Like in many schools my peers are awesome but I must admit the support staff are even more so. However, they are most likely taken for granted every day. They do the hard yards. They take the difficult phone calls, put on the band aids and bring you some cake when you need it most.

Their dedication is unmatched and I bet if you think about it so are yours.

Thank You Again.

(It is so important I wrote it twice) Students deserve daily praise, but teachers deserve just as much. It’s easy to take a teacher’s devotion and commitment for granted, but a bit of reassurance might actually reactivate a teacher in a moment of need. Scratching that extra meeting hen reports are due can be placed in the same category.

Thank You Have a Laugh Make sure you keep a sense of humour especially in trying times. I often ask myself, “Will I be worried about this issue in a week?” Remember it is only your work.

Thank you for giving your all in the classroom today.

Andrew Murray is the Deputy Principal and Principals Nominee at Sacred Heart Girls College in New Plymouth. In Term 2 and 3, 2015 is on secondment t o N C R S wo r k i n g w i t h C a t h o l i c secondary schools.

photo: WavebreakMediaMicro

“wonder is the beginning of wisdom” - socrates

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anne-marie fleming

The importance of assuming that children will know the answer They know more than we give them credit for

I

read something last week that suggested that adults speak to children far too often as if the adult knows everything. It stated that a lot of adults perceive children as vessels to be filled, as lesser beings who need to be given all the answers. I’m not sure that this is really true, but it did make me think: What if I went into conversations with children assuming that they knew everything? Instead of saying “Let’s use our imaginations...” or “What do you think?” with a tone that suggested they might need to use their imaginations. What if I asked the question certain that the child already had the answer? I was intrigued.

Teachers Matter

On Sunday night, we had a big family dinner. In attendance, was my 32-month old niece, Elena. After the dishes were dealt to and the bathing finished, she and I headed for the bookcase where we chose a few books to read before bedtime. We snuggled down and she selected her first book. I was delighted to see that her choice had a squirrel as the main character. Elena asked me what a ‘sqwiwel’ was. We discussed this.

I also mentioned that they have long bushy

I can so relate to that kind of hair day.

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tails that wave along behind them when they run. My niece promptly flopped out from under the duvet onto her tummy: “Do I have a tail?” she asked, patting her bottom.

“No, you don’t,” I laughed. It seemed I had the perfect opportunity for my question.

The article popped into my head. “What would your tail look like, Elena? If you had one,” I asked: not in a curious way, but with a tone that said ‘I know you’ll know.’ Quick as a flash the response was, “A pink one. A fluffy pink one.” “What kind of tail do you think Daddy would have?” She questioned.

“You would know that,” I replied, “What kind of tail would Daddy have?” I asked.

“A blue one. A long one...not fluffy,” she replied, knowledgeably.

We discussed various textures and how to describe them using her stuffed animals as examples. “Mumma would have a white smooth one. A short one,” Elena stated for the record. “I can see that,” I replied. We then carried on with our reading, (which also involved a discussion about a koala bear character and what kind of tail he had). I couldn’t put my finger on it, but when I turned the light off and walked down the hall, I was sure that something quite special had just happened.

The next day, I texted my sister a picture of a koala bear’s behind. I told her that I’d promised Elena the picture, as I wasn’t 100% sure if koalas had any sort of noticeable tail. Wanting to ensure she knew she could rely on me to follow-up on things, I had searched koala bear butts first thing (now there’s a phrase you don’t want to say too often). Kath, my sister, texted back, “Oh! That’s what she was going on about.

She got into bed with me this morning and was whispering in my ear all about tails and Aunty Annie, and I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about.” It seemed to both of us that the conversation I’d had with Elena the night before had been special for her too.

Just in case you were wondering...no tail The reason for this is of course obvious.

How do we as adults feel when someone asks us a question with a tone that says, ‘I’ve asked you this question because I know you are wise and knowledgeable about such things’? We feel valued. We feel

anne-marie fleming

“It’s not just the tone of your voice that’s so important when asking children questions, but also the way you feel when you ask them.”

heard. We feel important. How often do we allow children to feel the same way? As a teacher, you’re taught to wait 7-10 seconds for children to answer questions. Sometimes in a busy classroom, that can feel like an eternity. When teaching children to read, the importance of ‘the wait’ is critical; giving the child enough time to use all their strategies to decode a word they don’t know. It can be tough not to jump in with the answer.

So my question to you is this: what would happen if we asked children questions more often with a tone that said, ‘I just know you’ll be able to explain this to me’? If we gave them plenty of time to think of their answers, without expecting a response straight away. What if everyone spoke to children without condescension or the burning desire to correct them all the time?

(A point I’ve often had to make to student teachers). And just for a bit of fun: if you had a tail, what would yours look like? ;)

For me, I’m taking away from this conversation that i t ’s n o t j u s t t h e tone of your voice that’s so important when asking children questions, but also the way you feel when you ask them. It also reminded me of the importance of ‘the wait’. Children know more than we give them credit for, more than we can possibly imagine.

As for my tail? I’m thinking it would be fluffy like a squirrel’s, wag like a dog’s and be white with pink spots. Too much?

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

What kind of tail are you?

Ann-Marie is a Primar y trained teacher with 17 years experience in the classroom and over 6 years as a Deputy Principal. After a short stint as Acting Principal during the school mergers and closures post-earthquake in Christchurch, she decided to take a well-earned break. As well as spending more time with her family and new husband, Ann-Marie writes a blog on her website myglobalclassroom.org

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bill sommers

Teachers Matter

Should higher test scores be our only end goal?

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Myth information

M

ost of us in education who have been around for a while have seen many things come and go, come and go, and come and go again. My friend and colleague, Art Costa said that if you do nothing new in education, you will go through the same movement three times in your career. I agree; we keep going through back to the basics.

I also agree with the back to the basics movement. What are the basics of the 22nd century? I am your guy.

What was good enough for me was not good enough for my kids. Now, as a grandfather, what was good enough for me and good enough for my kids will not be good enough for my grandson.

bill sommers

“I also want ethical, compassionate people inheriting this planet, not just high test scores.”

PHOTO: MONKEY BUSINESS

In the U.S. less than 20% of charter schools are doing better than the public schools, yet we hear that charters are the way to go. Politicians and policy makers keep promoting charters that will create competition. Competition is supposed to make public schools better. Hmmmm. It seems that some charter and private schools cherry-pick students which eliminates high poverty, special needs and ELL students.

He will live in another world.

Recently I attended a conference sponsored

by Learning Omnivores in Phoenix, Arizona. The lead learners were Dr. David Berliner and Dr. Gene Glass who wrote the book The 50 Myths and Lies That Threaten America’s Public Schools. What impressed me about the book was the authors had research to support their myth busting challenges to conventional thinking.

There are five themes in the book which are: Charter Schools, Funding Issues, Theories Making Schools Better, Getting Results and Career & College Ready. I will touch on a few of these.

Most countries, if you correct for poverty, are equal to the top test scores. George Lakoff, the master of metaphor said that if your opposition gets you talking in terms of their metaphor, you will lose the argument.

Think about how we spend most of our time debating how to raise test scores. Has anyone stopped to think whether or not that should be the goal? High test scores, really?

Yong Zhao told our Learning Omnivore groups in January that we will never win the race for top test scores with China. He is a product of China’s educational system.

He said that their schools are basically testprep. He also said that only 10% of Chinese students can work for multi-national firms because they can only work within a structure and do not have enough efficacy and creativity required to be working for innovative companies.

On the subject of competition, most business literature I read desires collaborative work environments. Yes, there is competition for goods and services. Working within a business or school requires working together for common goals. Could a common goal for education be developing capable young people who will contribute positively to the world?

There is an African Proverb which says, “If you want to go quick, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Maybe we should re-examine what we want for our world and our kids. Maybe there is a different end game other than higher test scores. Yes, we want kids to know things. I also want ethical, compassionate people inheriting this planet, not just high test scores.

I highly recommend the book, 50 Myths and Lies. It helped me get clear about what business, government, and some educators tout as the answer and what might be underlying assumptions which may not be the best for the long run.

William (Bill) A. Sommers, Ph.D. has over 40 years of experience in education. June 2014 was the 5th time coming out of retirement to be a principal. Bill has co-authored seven books on leadership, reflective practice, PLCs, and Habits of Mind.

He has served on several university faculties and is a former president of National Staff Development Council.

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megan gallagher

Managing difficult behaviour Part one: Distressed or deliberately defiant?

R

ecently, I attended a course hosted by Compass Seminars entitled Distressed or Deliberately Defiant? Dr Judith Howard presented her information from a research, neurobiological and personal perspective which was powerful and at times profound.

The focus was on children who have suffered significant, chronic trauma that has caused neurological pathway differences due to an interruption in normal attachment development.

Teachers Matter

The course started with an introduction to the basics of neurobiology and attachment theory to ensure we had a starting point for the discussion that would follow. This was also recommended as the approach to take if sharing the course information with colleagues, for if we don’t know what we are dealing with, then we will struggle with implementation.

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first. When we are stressed, we have two neurotransmitters functioning - explosive adrenalin which spikes and abates, and then the slower to rise and slower to drop cortisol. Often we go in to talk with the child about the ‘poor behaviour’ when the adrenalin has dropped off but the cortisol is still rising, and so the child then reacts again as they have not regulated properly yet.

Long term we are actually performing external brain surgery... we are aiming to rewire the brain, building strong positive pathways where there are only weak ones, if any at all. The strategy discussed at the seminar is quite similar to the one outlined in this blog post http://www. thedistractedmom.com/why-punishmentsdont-work/ which is in alignment with strategies shared by Judith.

In addition to the strategy already discussed, some other management aspects are:

The basics of this fit well with the Magic Brain by Glenn Capelli and the glitter jar concept that I have been working on lately with my class (with the exception that breathing is often not a good first strategy for these particular young people because they can’t quite control that in the heat of the moment).

• Ensure that the child has a mentor (not the classroom teacher)

Neurologically, the big message was: when these kids react, we are not dealing with someone choosing to behave badly; we are dealing with a brain stem and some dysfunctional pathways. In that beginning moment, there isn’t reasoning, the cerebral cortex is offline because the brain stem is running the show!

• S c h o o l p o l i c y n e e d s t o r e f l e c t t h a t common practice behaviour management strategies may work for the majority but that for some, the strategies we employ need to flexible so we can best meet the needs of the children concerned

Behaviour management at this time is about helping these kids find a safe place to calm down and supporting them to regulate

• Have a team that work together around the child • Know that it is OK for you to have a bad day as a teacher; it is OK for you to ask for help

• These kids will test your love and care, they don’t trust easily... they will push back... they will not make it easy, but if they are giving you a hard time it is possible that this is actually a complement in a strange

way; they think you are worth it to test the relationship • Reframing your own internal dialogue when working with these ‘tough’ kids is a really helpful, mentally healthy strategy.

The thing we need to come back to is that the science is there and as Judith stated emphatically, we cannot afford to ignore it... the science can and should be informing our practice. What works for 80% of our kids is great, but we need to ensure that we do what we can to support the other 20% in ways that work for them.

Part Two, which will appear in Issue 31 of Teachers Matter, will outline some practical ideas for the classroom.

megan gallagher

photo: Luis Louro

“The science can and should be informing our practice. ”

Megan is a committed learner. She has been a teacher and an educational leader who has specialised in health education for a number of years. She is an avid promoter of building resilience in our students and selves.

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2. Will used ‘SketchUp' to design a new local sports facility that could house the many sporting clubs in the Waimakariri area. He then built a scale model and priced his design, including land purchase.

miriam bell

3. Ethan showing the development of his copper rose design, from first attempt, through to Mark V. These are being sold through a local boutique store, and are made almost entirely from offcuts and scrap.

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6 1. Jack acted on the results of an earlier survey our class undertook as a part of a statistics unit regarding the state of our local community swimming pool. Using ‘SketchUp', he updated the changing / toilet facilities to meet current regulations and user suggestions, and redesigned the landscaping, utilising native plants and retaining. He then made a scale model from customwood, priced the project, and has submitted his design and costings to the local pool committee.

4. Jake and Liam are intently working on a gun cabinet, made according to legal requirements. Materials and tools were provided by a local builder.

5. Hannah learned to crochet, and sent scarves over to a Romanian orphanage.

6. Some children using software to design characters for an online game that they created.

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Genius hour

Allow your students to follow their passions

As

Teachers Matter

a t e a c h e r, G e n i u s H o u r is exhausting. It clearly underlines the weaknesses in your classroom management and the gaps in your instruction. The rewards however, are myriad. Enabling students of all academic abilities to follow their passions, create something that they value, and reflect intelligently on their growth, make this concept incredibly worthwhile.

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However, clear scaffolding is vital to ensure that children are aware of expectations and have something to frame their thinking. They need to know that their work has a purpose.

They need to be accountable. They also need to know that failure is a crucial part of the learning process. Students have to develop resilience when their project falters and perseverance when their initial passion wanes.

Our Genius Hour process involves four clear phases, outlined in a class handout developed from a range of sources online. Below is a summary of what each phase entails.

Phase 1: The Plan This is the most challenging bit, and by no means a one-lesson-wonder!

- Have children brainstorm what they love doing and how they could turn that into a purposeful project.

- Utilise reflective thinking strategies to decide which ideas would result in something awesome and achievable, and which are too narrow. Our class displays were full of cross-outs, arrows, and Post-Its as we came back to ideas, expanded on them, or dismissed them entirely.

Phase 2: The Sell When the concept is sorted, they need to convince you that it’s worth pursuing. This can be a great tie-in to a persuasive language / speeches unit. No classroom has time for half-hearted or hare-brained schemes, so students need to prove that they have carefully considered the following factors:

- Costs.

- What resources are needed? Where are they coming from?

- Time management.

- What will their learning actually look like during Genius Hour?

- How they might use their learning to make a difference As the teacher, you hold the veto card. Don’t be afraid to use it. Ask hard questions and encourage the same from your students.

Phase 3: The Slog During this phase, the classroom will probably be a bombsite, and initially you may find yourself dashing from one crisis to another!

- Timetable workshops for specific skills (e.g. video editing, building etc) that need tuition. Ask your community for help if you’re out of your depth.

miriam bell

­

­

- Allow children the space to solve their own problems. When you must intervene, use questioning strategies to lead them to their own solutions.

both in their field of study and about themselves / the world.

Phase 4: The Sum-Up

Despite good intentions, my carefully constructed ‘Genius Hour’ rubrics, assessment criteria and tick charts were ultimately binned, because they simply couldn’t stand up to the scope and breadth of what the children were actually learning. This is real-life learning and it is much easier to reflect on after the fact, than predict in advance. Our focus throughout was on developing ‘Autonomy, Excellence, and Perseverance’. These attributes became the baseline that we returned to and unpacked, week after week.

There needs to be an audience to celebrate the fabulous learning that has taken place. For us, this involved the children presenting their final products in the form of a TED talk. They produced a slideshow, and again, had to inspire us by demonstrating and reflecting on what they had learned,

The final products of this journey in our class were many and varied. Some were outstanding. Some were not. One never got off the ground at all. But all students were required to reflect on this, and all took responsibility for their own learning journey, regardless of the outcomes. They are now

- Blogging is a great way to keep motivation levels high and to keep students accountable. They need to reflect on each session, recording progress and setbacks, and plan for the next week. This serves as a formative assessment tool, and the ‘comment’ function enables children to give their peers purposeful feedback.

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,QVSLUH WKH DXGLHQFH ZLWK \RXU SDVVLRQ ([SODLQ WKH SURFHVV DQG VKRZ WKH SURGXFW RI \RXU SURMHFW :KDW ZRXOG \RX GR GLIIHUHQWO\ QH[W WLPH" :KDW VKRXOG WKH DXGLHQFH OHDUQ IURP \RXU SURMHFW"

furiously planning their next projects, striving to raise the bar of excellence that was set last term.

Miriam Bell teaches Year 7-8 at Cust School in North Canterbury. She is passionate about helping students learn the social, emotional, physical and academic skills that they need to be effective 21st century citizens.

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clark wight

Teaching the science of the heart Hocma: coming from the heart

“A child’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

Teachers Matter

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

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I first came across the word hocma listening to a podcast. It came at the end of a speech Bill Moyers gave at Harvard University a few years ago. “The news is not good these days,” he said, arguing that journalism, by providing information about bad news, can be a powerful force in helping us to respond with more than sadness, “Not only to feel but to fight for the future we want. And the will to respond is the antidote to despair, the cure for cynicism… What we need is what the ancient Israelites called ‘hocma’, the science of the heart, the capacity to see, to feel, and then to act as if the future depended on you.” “Believe me,” he told his audience, “it does.”

For many in our families or community, hocma comes through teaching, through the effort that every teacher and parent undertakes each day to strike an effective and personally authentic balance between inquiry, challenge, assessing progress and building relationships.

The educational theorist, Jerome Bruner, believed that the process of education should be understood not as a staircase or ladder, but as a spiral. This spiral is full of potential energy, ready to be released, to provide support, to be resilient and to provide a solid base for our kids.

It comes through helping our children to develop and apply skills, helping them to acquire resilience that can sustain them through the ups and downs, helping them to build a framework for moral understanding and ethical action that will allow them to initiate as well as to respond. This is work with a high purpose; a collective purpose.

As a result, these children can make a real difference in our world, be accepting of others, be honorable, and live responsibly, loyally and with consideration.

It does not always seem lofty in the moment… as our children (and teenagers) challenge boundaries, lose library books, forget their homework, act hurtfully toward others and leave a trail of litter including lost jumpers, ‘misplaced’ assignment sheets and mismatched shoes in their wake.

What do you think are the core ingredients of ‘hocma’ for your family, your staffroom, your classroom?

So … a new word for your classroom, perhaps?

Where is the hocma? It is in you, in us, and in every interaction we have with others.

In our frenetic societal fast-paced race to nowhere, let’s take time to stop and slowly teach and engage the ‘science of the heart’.

These are the lessons our children, our society and our future desperately need.

This can be all we see sometimes, but we have to remind ourselves and our children about our collective purpose.

Our purpose is to educate and provide our children, our future with ‘the science of the heart’ as well as skills, values and processes. Our compassion towards others and acceptance of differences are what define us. Beyond that, I’m not sure actually that we have to do much more than that… just keep our hearts held high amidst the chaos, the pressure, the administration, the days where teaching feels like a thankless job… and be mindful of the purpose of education. : Petro Feketa

“H

ocma. It just sounds a great word. When I first heard this word on the radio one day it stuck with me. Hocma …the science of the heart is a Yiddish word in origin. It means coming from the heart. I love it. How do we teach our children the science of the heart though? We teach them to read, to write and to regurgitate information for tests and national benchmarking. But, do we teach them the song of their own heart; their passion, purpose, love and the deep joy of stillness and silence?

clark wight

“ Our compassion towards others and acceptance of differences are what define us.”

Clark Wight runs parent and teacher seminars around topics of raising boys through the website OurBoys. com.au. After 22 years teaching boys from Year 1 (he loves that look of awe and wonder on their faces) to Year 10 (he loves that look of angst and bewilderment on their faces) he spent 8 years as Headmaster at Christ Church Grammar Prep School in Perth and then at University School in Cleveland, Ohio.

Clark loves a kitchen full of kids and friends, with great music, smells of garlic and a glass of red nearby.

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dr laura markham

Why do kids need routines and structure?

Creating structure

W

hy do kids need routines and structure?

Because routines give them a sense of security and help them develop self-discipline.

Humans are afraid of many things, but “the unknown” edges out everything except death and public speaking for most people.

C h i l d r e n ’s f e a r o f t h e u n k n o w n includes everything from a suspicious new vegetable to a major change in their life. Unfortunately, children are confronted with change daily, which is a growth opportunity, but also stressful.

The very definition of growing up is that their own bodies change on them constantly. Babies and toddlers give up pacifiers, bottles, breasts, cribs, their standing as the baby of the house. New teachers and classmates come and go every year. They tackle and learn new skills and information at an astonishing pace, from reading and crossing the street to soccer and riding a bike. Few children live in the same house during their entire childhood; most move several times, often to new cities and certainly to new neighbourhoods and schools.

Teachers Matter

And few of these changes are within the child’s control.

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Children, like the rest of us, handle change best if it is expected and occurs in the context of a familiar routine. A predictable routine allows children to feel safe, and to develop a sense of mastery in handling their lives. As this sense of mastery is strengthened, they can tackle larger changes: walking to school by themselves, paying for a purchase at the store, going to camp.

Unpredictable changes – Mum called away on an unexpected business trip, a best friend moving, or more drastic, parents divorcing or a grandparent dying – erode this sense of safety and mastery and leave the child feeling anxious and less able to cope with the vicissitudes of life. Of course, many changes can’t be avoided. But that’s why we offer children a predictable routine as a foundation in their lives - so they can rise to the occasion to handle big changes when they need to.

While helping children feel safe and ready to take on new challenges and developmental tasks would be reason enough to offer them structure, it has another important developmental role as well. Structure and routines teach kids how to constructively control themselves and their environments.

Children who come from chaotic homes where belongings aren’t put away, never learn that life can run more smoothly if things are organised a little. In homes where there is no set time or space to do homework, kids never learn how to sit themselves down to accomplish an unpleasant task. Kids who don’t develop basic self-care routines, from grooming to food, may find it hard to take care of themselves as young adults. Structure allows us to internalise constructive habits.

Won’t too much structure dull our sense of spontaneity and creativity?

Sure, if it’s imposed without sensitivity.

There are times when rules are made to be broken, like staying up late to see an eclipse, or leaving the dinner dishes in the sink to play charades. But even the most creative artists start by mastering the conventions of the past, and find the pinnacle of their

expression in working within the confines of specific rules.

There’s no reason structure has to be oppressive. Think of it as your friend, offering the little routines and traditions that make life both easier and cosier. Not only will your kids will soak up the security, they’ll internalize the ability to structure their own lives.

Does this mean infants should be put on routines as early as possible?

NO! Infants tell us what they need. We feed them when they’re hungry, change them when they’re wet. Over time, they learn the first step of a routine: We sleep at night. But forcing an infant to accommodate to our routine is not responsive to your infant’s needs. She is not capable of adapting to yours yet. If her needs aren’t met, she will simply feel as if the world is a place where her needs don’t get met, so she has to resort to drama to try to meet them.

As your infant moves into babyhood, she will establish her own routine, settling into a schedule of sorts. Most babies settle into a fairly predictable pattern. We can help them with this by structuring our day around their needs, so, for instance, we make sure conditions are appropriate for her nap at the time she usually sleeps.

Gradually, over time, we can respond to her natural schedule of eating and sleeping by developing a routine that works for her and for the whole family.

dr laura markham

photo: nadezhda1906

“Routines give children a sense of security and help them develop selfdiscipline.”

Seven Benefits of Using Routines with Your Kids 1. Routines eliminate power struggles Routines eliminate power struggles because you aren’t bossing the child around. This activity (brushing teeth, napping, and turning off the TV to come to dinner) is just what we do at this time of day. The parent stops being the bad guy, and nagging is greatly reduced.

2. Routines help kids cooperate Routines help kids cooperate by reducing stress and anxiety for everyone. We all know what comes next, we get fair warning for transitions, and no one feels pushed around, or like parents are being arbitrary.

3. Routines help kids learn to take charge of their own activities.

Over time, kids learn to brush their teeth, pack their backpacks, etc., without constant reminders. Kids love being in charge of themselves. This feeling increases their sense of mastery and competence. Kids who feel more independent and in charge of themselves, have less need to rebel and be oppositional.

4. Kids learn the concept of “looking forward” to things they enjoy... ...which is an important part of making a happy accommodation with the demands of a schedule. He may want to go to the playground now, but he can learn that we always go to the playground in the afternoon, and he can look forward to it then.

5. Regular routines help kids get on a schedule Regular routines help kids get on a schedule, so that they fall asleep more easily at night.

6. Routines help parents build in those precious connection moments.

We all know that we need to connect with our children every day, but when our focus is on moving kids through the schedule to get them to bed, we miss out on opportunities to connect. If we build little connection rituals into our routine, they become habit. Try a snuggle with each child when you first see them in the morning, or a “recognition” ritual when you’re first reunited: “I see you with those beautiful gray eyes that I love so much!” or a naming ritual as you dry him after the bath: “Let’s dry your toes...your calf...your knee...your thigh....your penis....your belly ...”

Rituals like these slow you down and connect you on a visceral level with your child, and if you do them as just “part of the routine” they build security as well as connection and cooperation.

7. Schedules help parents maintain consistency in expectations.

If everything is a fight, parents end up settling: more TV, skip brushing teeth for tonight, etc. With a routine, parents are more likely to stick to healthy expectations for everyone in the family, because that’s just the way we do things in our household.

The result: a family with healthy habits, where everything runs more smoothly!

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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deborah barclay

Time out for teacher well being!

Teachers Matter

An A-Z of strategies

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As

accountability and pressure increases for teachers, so does my interest in teacher wellbeing. Exploring ways that teachers can take time to take care of themselves has become one of my favourite topics to talk about.

Blending a Life Coaching Business and 20 years’ experience in Education, as a classroom teacher and then as a Senior Manager in a school, has resulted in an

exciting venture, working with teachers to enhance their well-being both personally and in the workplace.

What follows is a short synopsis of some of the topics that I write about in an e-book due out at the end of the year. In the book I take a holistic approach and write about tips, tools and strategies that you can integrate into your life to maintain a sense of peace and well-being.

A-Attitude It turns out that having an optimistic and positive attitude is one of the most important factors you can develop for personal success and happiness. The good news is you can work your ‘optimistic muscles’ with practice - the more you work them, the stronger they become. Optimistic people look for the good in situations, seek valuable lessons in every challenge, look for solutions to problems, and think and talk about their future goals.

deborah barclay

C-Create a Sanctuary

H-Healthy Body

Teaching can be such a noisy job and there are few spaces within a school setting where you can find peace and quiet. Create a soul nourishing space for yourself at home that can become a sanctuary for you whenever you wish to relax or quieten your mind.

Make moving your body a priority. The release of the endorphins from exercise makes you feel vibrant! Head out for a walk in nature as often as you can. It gives you an opportunity to breathe the fresh air we are so lucky to have in New Zealand and connects you with the wider universe.

D-Delegate Highly effective people know how to leverage time. Effective delegation frees up your time for other important tasks at work.

This is a necessary strategy if you want to start prioritising and managing your time better.

E-Email Is both a blessing and a curse! Reading and responding to emails has become a job in itself! Plan carefully when you choose to open and read your emails, and how you will respond to them. Checking emails has the potential to shift you away from your ‘to do’ list in an instant.

F- File Whilst setting up an organised filing system might initially take you time, it will save you hours in the long run! Consider the correct storage and how you will label your files. Be ruthless with paper – will you honestly ever read it or need it again?

With mobile devices now, you can easily photograph pictures and text that you may need later on.

B-Breathe: As a result of our busy and hectic lives, we are on high alert more often now than ever before and many of us have inadvertently adopted the habit of shallow breathing (known as ‘chest breathing’). Our bodies work at their best when we breathe diaphragmatically (otherwise known as ‘stomach breathing’) most of the time.

Take the time to breathe effectively - school duty is the perfect time to practice this! The wonderful effect of conscious breathing is that without realising it, you naturally shift yourself into a state of mindfulness.

G-Gratitude You’ve all heard about gratitude and its’ benefits because it’s all over every form of social media now, but seriously, it is like magic dust. As an active ‘gratitude practitioner’ I can say first hand that it does work. It is impossible to be negative when you are focusing on gratitude. You can make it a daily practice to note at least 5 things you are grateful for.

I-Internet With access to the World Wide Web there is no reason not to be fully educated on issues relevant to your needs. Mentor yourself using modern day resources. Read, read, read! ‘Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body’ Joseph Addison

J-Just Say No! This is one for your personal life! You need to prioritise what is important to you.

Saying yes to things that do not align with what you really want to do is not good selfcare. Every day we make decisions based on what other people want. My favourite quote on this is from ‘A Course of Miracles’.

“When you give to others to the degree that you sacrifice yourself, you make the other person a thief. They’re stealing from you and they don’t even know it.”

K-Keep It Simple Sweetie The key to living a life that you can take in your stride is to avoid over complicating it.

Identify what it is that causes the cortisol to flow through your body (e.g. running late to appointments) and make an intention to make some changes (e.g. leaving early enough to enjoy the drive to your destination).

L – Lean in to Listen Life can sometimes be a battle of the sound waves as ever yone seeks to be heard!

In teaching we do a lot of listening at different levels; to children, parents and our colleagues. Great listening often builds rapport and warmth naturally, so it is a skill you may wish to further strengthen. In my e -book I share 6 tips on how to be an effective listener.

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deborah barclay

M-Mindfulness As our minds ‘time travel’ to the past and the future, we can lose sight of the present moment. Practicing mindfulness is simply being aware and paying attention.

Fortunately you don’t have to sit cross legged or be a monk to practice this. When being mindful you can value the present moment rather than thinking about an imagined future.

N-Nature for Nurture I’m a big fan of spending time in nature.

Because humans find nature inherently interesting, we can naturally focus on what we are experiencing out in nature and stay present in the moment. There is a strong body of research confirming that direct contact with nature has considerable benefits for you, such as stress reduction, a sense of coherence and belonging, improved self-confidence, and a broader sense of the community.

O-Wise Owl Find yourself a Wise Owl. I define a Wise Owl as a ‘professional friend’. There are many benefits to having a Wise Owl close by; you can learn specific skills from them, they can have valuable insights and perceptions on issues you are dealing with, they cheer you on when the going gets tough, they may have sound advice for you, to name just a few. Listen to them and learn!

Teachers Matter

P- Positive Psychology

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This strategy strengthens the positive – enabling children and teachers to flourish.

The field of Positive Psychology was founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work and play. There are exciting things happening in schools right now who are integrating Positive Psychology in their classrooms!

Q- What Qualities am I Developing?

A great question to ask yourself during and after a challenging or difficult situation. It

flips a negative situation immediately into an opportunity of growth for you.

W- Wins: Count Your Wins!

R- Reflect

As we ride the waves in our lives - the highs and the lows, it can be easy to slip into the habit of focusing on what is not working as opposed to what is working. Counting your wins is about honing in and acknowledging the positives in your life; the great moments, the good feeling you get when something has gone well or the positive feedback about something you did.

Yes, I know this is an overused word in education. But not all reflection needs to be recorded and dated. Meaningful reflection involves taking the time to think and ask yourself… what went well, what could be improved, and what would I do differently next time? These 3 questions can apply to both work and our personal lives. It works best with your feet up in a relaxed state!

S- Self-Compassion Being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail or feel inadequate is self-compassion. We have a natural tendency to beat ourselves up with self-doubt and criticism. People who are self-compassionate are motivated to take on new challenges and learn new skills because these activities make them happy and they are not afraid to fail.

T- Time management What are you choosing to spend your time on? We all have exactly the same amount of time in our day. It is a myth to believe that working long hours makes you productive. Overwork and stress leads to exhaustion. The main reason to develop time management skills is so that you can complete everything that is really important in your work and free up more time to do the things in your personal life that give you the greatest happiness.

U-Utilise A quote I often use at work is ‘The jack of all trades is the master of no trade’. There is pressure on teachers to be the ‘jack of all trades’ in schools, resulting in feeling overwhelmed at having to know and do so much. One solution to this is to utilise the skills of the people around you – tap into their expertise and ask them to support you.

You cannot be an expert at everything!

V-Vision In Life Coaching, having a crystal clear vision is the corner stone. A clear vision enables you to plan and make steps towards achieving that which you most want in life.

X- Exit Know when it is time to exit for the day.

Long hours do not equal productivity. Don’t convince yourself that your ‘to do’ list is only temporary – that once you get it done you’ll be happy. This rarely happens. You will always find new things to add to the list. Life is not about getting it all done.

You’ll struggle to have a sense of peace and wellbeing if you are obsessed with getting it all done.

Y-Your day will go as well as your plan The better the plan you have, the easier it will be for you to overcome procrastination and get the job/s done. Beginning your day with a plan sets you up for focused action and it ends the day with a sense of achievement. Think of your daily ‘to do’ list as your road map – without it you won’t know where you’re heading!

Z- Zest!

Are you eager and enthusiastic about your job and about your life? If not, ask yourself what changes you could make to connect with what really matters most for you! Life is meant to be an incredible journey.

Deb Barclay is a Deputy Principal in a Primary School. She has a Coaching Business that you can learn more about at www.debbarclay.com

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand” - Albert Einstein

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photo: Petro Feketa

lauren rivers

3 simple strategies for summary writing And how to scaffold your teaching

M Teachers Matter

any teachers can attest to the fact that summarising reading selections can be a huge challenge.

Students either give too many details that result in a retelling of the selection or they do not give enough information to confirm that they mastered the content of the reading.

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Over the years, I have witnessed this complication occur over and over again with the skill of summarising and pondered as to why it happens? I mean, a summary is one of the easiest things to do, but I have encountered students from all levels struggle to do it well.

Therefore instead of focusing on why, I’ve collected a few strategies that have been successful with my students and help them transition into writing summaries which are well written and demonstrate their

comprehension of the reading passage.

The ABC strategy shown below uses transition phrases to lead students in selecting details that depict the beginning, middle and end events in a typical story sequence. This strategy aligns the skill of transition words, plot development, and sequencing to scaffold instruction. Students read, analyse the story to select details, and then use the organiser to plan their thoughts and write a final summary paragraph:

At first, Before long, In Conclusion,

The SWTBS strategy shown here leads students to pinpoint the main details of the story or poem. Identifying who, what, why and how through the simple words of “somebody wanted to, but so.” This strategy can include the when and where details from the 5 W’s strategy with teacher prompting students to add the details for setting. Somebody: Who is the main person in the selection? Wanted to: What is it that this person wants to achieve? But: Why doesn’t the person achieve their desired outcome? and So: How does the situation end up?

Somebody

Wanted to

But

So..

Even though these strategies work well with my students, I have noticed that for them to really experience cognitive connections (retain information, become involved in their learning experience and demonstrate accountability) they have to talk about their thinking and represent it visually.

I introduce the strategy and give an example using a widely known children’s book (like The Three Little Bears). Then, I incorporate a three step process to attend to different learning styles:

“ For students to really experience cognitive connections, they have to talk about their thinking and represent it visually. "

illustration: cirodelia

I encourage students to talk with a partner or in a small group about the details they feel should be pulled out from the story. (auditory)

The STORY strategy takes into account more details from the reading selection therefore it can be utilised to have students dig deeper into the story details. Focusing in on the setting, talking characters, oops a problem, attempts to resolve the problem, and yes - the problem is solved help the students to deconstruct the elements of plot in a less intimidating way. This strategy is good for a short story, poem, or to go chapter by chapter through a novel.

S

T

O

R

What is the setting?

Who are the talking characters?

Oops, a problem occurs!

What steps do Yes! The problem the characters is solved. take to Resolve the problem?

I ask them to draw the scene or image from the selection that they are going to describe.

There is less focus on beautiful art work, but more emphasis on the details they see in their mind as they read and re-read. It’s amazing how accurate stick figures can become! (visual) Finally, I move the class away from group discussion and drawing. Now that they have had an opportunity to confirm their thoughts in a safe environment with their peers and a chance to draw out what they visualize in the story, they have plenty of information to use when they fill in their graphic organizer in writing.

Overall, scaffolding instruction to i n c o r p o r a t e d i f f e r e n t l e a r n i ng styles and including the use of simple graphic organisers has helped my students immensely. From time to time, I’ve been able to incorporate kinesthetic learning by having my students role play and reenact parts of the selections we have read. It takes more time so it is less frequent, but equally as powerful in framing up learning that creates cognitive connections.

Y Lauren is a veteran teacher of 17 years. Having studied Elementary Education at the University of Maryland and completed her Master’s Degree in Administration at McDaniel College, she has a true passion for providing students with instruction that is up to date and pushes them to the next level.

Currently, Lauren teaches English Language Arts to 8th graders in the state of Maryland. She has 2 children, a husband, a chihuahua named Bernie and is also an artist.

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eric frangenheim

Am I causing my students to underperform?

How to use explicit questions in your teaching

No

teacher consciously sets out to make their students underperform and even to fail. However, the way we frame a question, an assessment item, or an assignment task can inadvertently lead to poor student responses, even when the student is capable of far better.

Refining Knowledge) it is clear that the student is required to make a decision and justify that decision). However, the question does not have an explicit TASK VERB. An implied verb is not enough and it is not fair to all students to ask such a question.

Therefore the question needs to be refined to read something like this.

A poor question leaves open the possibility of misinterpretation of that questions intent.

Misinterpretation can lead to confusion and hesitation or a result in a student taking a divergent path in structuring their response - a path that does not achieve the intended learning outcomes of the question.

“Decide whether students should be taught to cook at school after the age of ten?”

Consider the following question.

“Should students be taught to cook at school after the age of ten?”

Many (not all) students would look at this question and start writing about students cooking at school. They would be focussing on the topic of the question which is students cooking at school. However, the most important part of the question is in fact not the topic but the task. A questions TASK is predicated by the task verb (the word that describes the action required of the student if they are to successfully complete the task, for example compare).

o offer an appropriate thinking So where is the task verb in this question? s the Extended PCQ to enable “Should students be taught to cook at school scaffold or after their the age of response ten?”

The answer is, there isn’t one - it is implied.

Many students would understand that they have to make a decision on this suggestion, but not ALL students would understand this. Not all would understand that this is a higher-order thinking tool and requires explicit evaluation or judgement.

Teachers Matter

t has now been made to only the intent of the question lso a suggested way by which In terms the Blooms Thinking Skills an ‘attack’ theof task.

Framework (Evaluate) or DOL (Using Knowledge Meaningfully or Extending and

This is a fairer and more explicit question since the task verb is clear (decide) and the topic (students cooking at school after the age of ten) is also clear. To refine this question further, we can, qualify how students will decide by suggesting that they justify their answer from at least four different perspectives.

We can also offer an appropriate thinking tool such as the Extended PCQ to enable students to scaffold their response or thoughts.

Every effort has now been made to make not only the intent of the question clear, but also a suggested way by which students can ‘attack’ the task. This means that we have made every attempt to ensure each student can maximise their chance of success by reducing the possibility for misinterpretation and providing a simple, yet effective, scaffold to guide students.

The assessment/assignment could now read as follows: “Decide whether students should be taught to cook at school after the age of ten?” You must justify your answer from at least four different perspectives (such as students, parents, teachers, curriculum, finance, health etc.) through the use of the Extended PCQ. Please note that each perspective can constitute a paragraph and this scaffolding will assist students in producing a more substantive response.

Am I causing my students to underperform?

P C Q EXTENSION Perspectives

Topic:

Pros

Cons

Questions

1

2

3

4

5

6

For information on other ITC products visit www.itcpublications.com.au © ITC Publications Pty Ltd 2011

that we have made every attempt to ensure each student can maximise their uccess by reducing the possibility for misinterpretation and providing a simple, 32 e, scaffold to guide students.

The assessment/assignment could now read as follows: “Decide whether students should be taught to cook at school after the age of ten?”

You must justify your answer from at least four different perspectives (such as eric frangenheim students, parents, teachers, curriculum, finance, health etc.) through the use of the Extended PCQ. Please note that each perspective can constitute a paragraph and this scaffolding will assist students in producing a more substantive response.

EXTENDED P C Q Para

Perspectives

1

ME

2

PARENTS

3

DOCTORS

4

McDONALDS

5

LOCAL FARMERS

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MY STOMACH

Topic: Decide whether students should be taught to cook at school after the age of ten?

Pros

Cons

Questions

Ext.Bar.

In conclusion, to ensure we maximise the Students can use additional thinking Students can use additional thinking tools, for example the Extent Barometer, to assist chances of our students to succeed when tools, for example the Extent Barometer, them evaluate the issue form perspectives have chosen. For example if students they tackle tasks, the they following checklist to assist them evaluate the issue formthe should be applied: the perspectives they have chosen.

For are looking at the question from a parents perspective them might find that parents example if students are looking at the 1. Is thereplace a clear task verb? high on the Extent Barometer. If most would suggestion highly and a mark questionrank from the a parents perspective them might find thatwere parentsmarked would rank the 2. Is therethen perspective accordingly are well a clearstudents distinction between the equipped to put forward an suggestion highly and place a mark task verb and the topic? argument justifying their point of view. high on the Extent Barometer. If most

Other examples of vague questions could be: “What do you think of Romeo and Juliet’s decision to fake their deaths?”

The term ’think’ is too broad, so this could be improved as follows: Reflect on ‘Romeo and Juliet’s decision to fake their deaths’ by using an Extended PCQ or a SWOT Analysis.

3. Have I offered an appropriate graphic organiser, thinking tool or process to ensure that my students are using the topic data to explicitly answer the task skill or task verb?

All students perform better when they are faced with clear and explicit tasks.

Successful students have explicit teachers and this process will ensure your teaching is EXPLICIT.

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photo:KSU-OK

perspective were marked accordingly then students are well equipped to put forward © an itcargument publications Pty Ltd justifying their point of view.

Eric Frangenheim is the author of Reflections in Classroom Thinking Strategies and The Reconciliation of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Eric is also a director of ITC Publications Pty Ltd, producers of the Innovative Teacher Companion, a teacher diary containing hundreds of useful classroom teaching ideas. www.itcpublications.com

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wharepapa south school

Teachers Matter

eric frangenheim

Sustainability and environmental education How ‘hands on learning’ impacts how students view the world

S

Teachers Matter

ustainability a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l education can play a worthwhile part in teaching and learning programmes.

The opportunity to provide ‘hands on learning’ has a huge impact on the way our students view their world. This is a project that we have been working on for nearly 3 years now and what we have learnt along the way.

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For this to work long term it needs to fit within the vision and curriculum of your school. Long-term projects need a sizeable investment in both money and time. If your vision supports this type of learning for your children then it will be something that can continually adapt and grow.

It does cost money - not only the initial start up fee, but ongoing maintenance and yearly costs for equipment etc - so make sure you discuss this with whoever holds the budget. We have also applied for grants and entered competitions, some successful, that have allowed the project to be ongoing.

Your initial budget will determine how big or small you are going to start. Bearing in mind that this is about sustainability look at

what you already have within your school and community. We were able to source a Bird Avery, windows for our chicken coop, iron for the roof, tyres for the vege garden and seedlings, that cut down immensely on cost and gave a real sense of community value.

We also spoke to local businesses who gave us discounts on paint, building supplies and the worms.

Take time with your planning. It’s easy to be caught up in the excitement of your project, but consideration needs to include water supply, the law mowing man, sun, water drainage and expansion possibilities.

For us, the planting of the vege garden was relatively straightforward but the placement of the chicken coop needed a lot more consideration and in fact we had 2 or 3 possible scenarios. The bird aviary has been shifted slightly and we have had to move and replant some of our fruit trees as they were not in an ideal spot and did not allow for growth.

Who is this for? And what do you want to achieve? If there is just one teacher involved what will happen if they leave the school? While the aim is for this to be a child based project they still need adult help. The chicken coop idea was actually part of a boys writing project. They wanted to build something and we wanted them to see how writing was a part of this. They got permission from the board, approached locals to study chicken coop design, wrote articles for the school newsletter, contacted builders and building supply stores. They lived and breathed this project for a term.

So look at how this can become a very real part of what children are doing in school and allow them the time to make it a reality. They were the designers, builders and painters - yes they had help but it was their project.

Our senior girls developed the ideas for our vege garden. And again this takes time.

They spoke to the local plant store and we needed to consider how easy it would be for them to weed etc. Building a garden for child use in this instance is not what you would probably plant at home. But by

wharepapa south school

allowing students the ownership over the design it is something that works for our school and our students.

In designing your gardens again you need to look at the purpose. We have big areas for spinach and silverbeet as this feeds the chickens. What do you want to grow? and what will you do with the produce? We encourage our children to taste and try. We turn our tomatoes into chutney and sauce for use later in the year.

Our fruit trees feed our school children, we use this for morning tea, we bake with it - kids need to see that what grows has a natural use. We encourage them to try new foods and it is amazing what children will eat at school with their friends in comparison to at home.

We plant potatoes. We grow corn, strawberries, herbs, tomatoes... Winter is harder so what will the gardens look like then?

Running gardens takes ongoing effort and time. All of our children are involved in some way. Feeding the birds, looking after the chickens, storing eggs, weeding gardens and watering the gardens - we don’t have an irrigation system but some great kids who turn on and move sprinklers. All of our seniors have jobs so we give them

time to do this, we continually talk about frustrations and have developed guidelines.

We buddy up students and rotate them so that everyone is valued and learns the same rules. Again this ensures continuity.

Weeding, planting etc is done as part of our classroom programme. It is a learning opportunity. It is a time to talk and reflect.

If kids are talking about it then their ideas are being used, they make it happen and we find our kids will say - ‘the garden is messy let’s clean it up’.

We have incorporated the ideas around environmental education, sustainability and participation into our big concepts for our year over the last 3 years. In our first year that allowed for designing our gardens.

We also looked at our local community and were able to build an inquiry around milk with children making yoghurt, brie, haloumi and mascarpone. This culminated in a market day with eggs, veges and cheeses for sale. As a student run enterprise they learnt a lot about marketing, profit and spending.

From there we have studied sustainability and how to ensure our gardens etc continue.

This has allowed us to expand and use our fruit trees better. We know from the kids what our next purchases need to be. This also leads into environmental education around water collection, composting, rubbish etc. Our trash to treasure inquiry saw our old jungle gym become the climbing frame for the tomatoes.

Participation is this year’s overarching theme and so when children are doing jobs, sharing ideas etc they know that they are taking an active part in maintaining our school.

Wharepapa South School is a small rural school located 35km out of Te Awamutu in dairy country. We are a two teacher school catering for Y0-8 students. We believe in learning that is exciting, challenging and relevant to our students and their learning needs. Our smallness is our success.

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P

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN karen boyes

A to Z of effective teaching A by-the-letter guide Persistence

Physiology

Being able to stick to a task until completion is a skill of great problem solvers. Students who stick to a task until it is complete often have a systematic method of analysing a problem. They know where to start, the steps to complete the task and the data required. They have a range of strategies to use, and if one doesn’t work, they try another. Persisting involves not giving up easily.

Your students’ physiology or body language has an astonishing effect on learning potential. Research clearly shows if a students’ is slumped over they will learn less than in an alert, upright posture.

Being in a slumped position impairs optimal breathing.

Adding movement, stretch breaks and even stand up desks can assist in an increase of blood flow and oxygen to the brain, improving concentration and learning outcomes.

Peripherals

Teachers Matter

Posters, signs and banners within a classroom are referred to as peripherals. Students spend all day in the classroom and when their attention wanders, where do their eyes go? Around the room and to the walls. Having your key content, ideas, principles and messages displayed on the walls acts as a reminder for the brain and can reinforce learning.

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Pygmalion

The Pygmalion effect is a phenomenon which shows that teacher expectations influence students’ performance. First described in 1968 by Rosenthal and Jacobsen the findings of their studies determined that, “positive expectations influence p e r f o r m a n c e p o s i t i v e l y, a n d negative expectations influence performance negatively. When teachers believe their students are gifted (even if they tested well below the norm), the students’ grades will lift to be on a par with gifted students. The reverse is also true. Researchers concluded

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“When we expect certain behaviours of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behaviour more likely to occur.””

Primacy

The brain tends to recall the first (primacy) learning episode and when you experience something for the first time. This is because firsts often go into our working memor y and further ideas or experiences are lost because of overload or lack of capacity.

Do you recall your first day at school? The first time you drove a car? Your first kiss? What about the tenth day at school? The 17th time you drove a car or kiss number 9? After the first event, the second, third and fourth times are not necessarily significant to the brain and therefore not so memorable. In class, start each lesson with the important information, or prime the brain with a hook or reason to want to learn the information.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN

p

NOPQRSTUVWXYZ karen boyes

Past Knowledge

The brain uses past knowledge and experiences as a filter to decide what is important or not. When prior learning is activated, the brain is able to make many more connections; meaning is increased and retention is higher. Successful problem solvers are able to relate meaning from one experience and carry it forth and apply it to a new situation. Ensuring students know the connections between subjects and are aware of the authentic uses of new learning and ideas can markedly increase their ability to understand.

Praise

Procedural Memory

The dictionary definition of praise is the expression of approval, commendation, or admiration.

There are many types of praise; appreciative and descriptive praise are both unconditional and non judgemental, while evaluative praise is based on a performance orientated judgment. Carol Dweck’s research on praise suggests the wrong kind of praise creates self-defeating behaviour, whilst the right kind motivates students to learn. Her work on mindset recommends praising the action & effort rather than the ability. Instead of telling a student, “You are clever” say, “I admire the way you thought flexibly to solve that problem.”

A form of non declarative memor y, procedural memor y allows for the learning of motor and cognitive skills such as learning to ride a bike, drive a car and tie a shoelace. It is memory for particular types of actions, the knowing how as opposed to what. These memories are usually learned through repetition and practice and are often so deeply embedded that you are no longer aware of them. Once learned these ‘body memories’ do not require conscious attention to perform and is how tasks are habituated.

NOPQRSTUV

Karen is an expert in effective teaching and learning, study skills, motivation a n d p o s i t i v e t h i n k i n g. S h e wa s awarded the NSANZ Educator of the Year 2014 award and works in schools throughout Australasia teaching students how to Study Smart and teachers how to raise achievement. www.karentuiboyes.com

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Teachers Matter

Kanuka Simpson

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Kanuka Simpson

Is beauty really that important?

The inherent flaw in a society focused on beauty

T

here is an inherent flaw in our society that is becoming more and more apparent, and more and more dangerous. You may have noticed that we live in a society that values beauty. Most people aspire to be more beautiful, not ok with how they look. To counter this, some movements have started giving the message, “You are beautiful, no matter how you look”. The inherent flaw with this idea is that it is still putting all the focus on beauty. I think it is time for a radically new way of thinking - one that puts things back into perspective.

When you are trying to decide on what you are going to eat, you don’t think, “I’ll have this because it is at 23 degrees.”

You may decide to have something hot or cold, but you also take into account (among other aspects) how healthy it is, how long it will take before you can eat it and most importantly, whether or not you like it. Similarly, you didn’t choose the girlfriend, husband, etc. based only on how they look. The same is true of other people choosing you. Judging yourself on how good you look is like choosing your food by its temperature. Just like food has other aspects, you have a personality that influences how often you smile, how kind you are...compassionate, appreciative, angry, easy to get on with… the list goes on.

Granted, first impressions are important, but so are the following ones.

I believe it’s time you started taking your focus off whether or not you are ‘beautiful’ and putting it on some of the other aspects that make you human. Who cares what your hair looks like, as long as you are charming? (And if you don’t believe me, imagine a scowling, miserable, nagging bride in a beautiful dress and an expensive hair-do. Beautiful, yes - but would you be congratulating the groom?)

The greatest enemy in our fight against this emphasis on beauty is the voice inside our mind - our inner critic. It’s the voice inside your mind that is constantly there, from waking ‘til sleeping and is constantly judging, commanding, advising, commenting on your life - your decisions.

It’s the voice you have conversations with.

If you can’t hear it, it’s maybe because you have identified so closely with it, that you think it is you thinking. It isn’t. You are the one listening. Once you have identified it, you will realise that it is constantly telling you that it thinks you are not beautiful enough, what your flaws are, how (un) likely you are to succeed. Without getting a grip on that voice, you can never be confident. You can never accept that people will judge you, not on how you look, but on a myriad of other factors over which you have much more control.

So how do you eliminate the inner critic?

Bad news? You can’t. Good news? You don’t have to – it’s there to help you (even if it has misunderstood its job description).

Here are 5 steps to getting out from under the grip of your inner critic. If you’re a teacher, teach these to your students.

Identify it. Hear it. Notice it.

You cannot become free of the grip of your inner critic if you cannot identify it. The other steps rely on this step.

Personalise it.

Give it a name, a face, a weird voice, an attitude… this may sound like asking you to become crazy, but you are already having conversations with yourself... this is just making the relationship official.

Make it not personal.

Currently when you think, you probably often hear something like, “This won’t work.” The third step is to change that sentence to, “My inner critic doesn’t think this will work.”

What are its motives?

Ask it why it is giving you this advice. It is trying to protect you from harm, so thank it for that then let it know you will be OK this time.

Reduce the importance.

You can remove the critic from the scene (physically or in your imagination), collect the advice and dump it, do weird things to the voice (like make it go far away or distorted beyond recognition) or turn down the volume using the dial in your mind.

However you decide to do it, make that voice less important than the other (quieter) voice that knows you can do whatever you set your mind to.

Take control of your inner critic and give yourself the space to develop your confidence and do what you want to, thereby taking charge of your life.

Kanuka (or The Confidence Guy) is rapidly becoming NZ’s number one confidence coach for teenagers. He leads Confidence Bootcamps around the country to empower teenagers to grow their confidence and to stop being bullied and is a regular contributor to the Teachers Matter magazine. Kanuka believes confidence is a choice and that our future society would benefit greatly from having our youth choose confidence. Visit KanukaSimpson.com for more.

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www.skillbuilders.com.au

So you have some sensory seekers in your classroom! Identifying and meeting the sensory processing needs of your students

Teachers Matter

by Penny Melsom and Sarina Shirazee, Occupational Therapists

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We all have sensory preferences. Just go on a weekend away with your friends and sit back and listen to the conversation you’ll notice lots of comments like “I love the feel of this, the smell of that”, “I get so annoyed by too much noise”, “I work better with some background noise”, “I need to go for a run everyday to get myself moving”, etc etc. We are highly sensory beings. Children are even more so. As adults, we have learnt to recognise what helps us concentrate, what irritates us, what calms us, what excites us. We can identify the things that work for us and regulate our environment and our responses accordingly. For children this process is just beginning. Often they have no idea what the problem is, let alone how to fix it and often they’re not in a position to modify their environment to enable them to fix it.

The big one in classrooms is children having difficulty concentrating and sitting still. As Occupational Therapists, we receive lots of referrals to assist children in this area. But there are lots of other aspects of sensory processing where children may have difficulty as well. There are also lots of strategies

that can be used in classrooms to assist all children as we all fall on the sensory processing spectrum somewhere, and we all have good days and bad days where we might be a bit more irritable/tired/ etc than on other days.

To make it easier, we tend to consider children as falling into 4 different groups: The under-aroused child tends to be passive, tires easily, misses cues, difficulty with non-interesting tasks like handwriting, difficult to engage The over-aroused child overreacts easily, there are frequent outbursts, difficulty coping in busy environments, difficulty with change and transition, hitting pushing The sensory seekers are always on the go, fidgety, bump and crash into things, make noises, easily distracted by surroundings, put things in their mouth.

The sensory avoiders are the children who cover their ears at noise, comment on smells, don’t like being touched, avoid messy play, complain about normal light being too bright.

Not all children will display all behaviours, eg a child can be highly sensitive to noise and smell, but fine with the other sensory

systems. Other children can be easily over-aroused by too much change to the routine, but not bothered by lots of noise. We are all different. The trick is in the noticing! And in helping children to notice these things in themselves. Then of course the next step is helping them identify what they can do to self-regulate.

Sometimes children need equipment, like small fidget items that they are allowed to use while listening, and cushions to allow them to wiggle in their seat without the need to run around. Sometimes it’s strategies like a ‘movement break’ for the whole class, or setting up a ‘calm corner‘ in the room with a beanbag and books.

We have lots of information and equipment on our website at www.skillbuilders.com.au. There are also lots of research articles coming through now providing evidence to support the use of sensory strategies - we post them regularly on our facebook page.

www.facebook.com/ skillbuilders.

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maggie hos-mcgrane

20 ideas for how to best use your classroom time Flipped classrooms and Bloom’s taxonomy

I

Teachers Matter

recently attended a presentation on flipped learning by Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams. The essential question that was being addressed was what is the best use of face-to-face class time? Bloom’s Taxonomy has often been seen as a pyramid, with the higher level thinking skills on the top - and that this equates to the amount of time spent on thinking in the traditional classroom, with a lot of remembering and understanding and very little analysis, evaluation and creating, which may be assigned for homework. Some people have suggested that with the flipped classroom, the pyramid should be flipped so that the time spent at home is on learning the content (remembering and understanding) and the majority of class time is spent, not on the bottom two tiers of Bloom’s, but on applying, evaluating and creating. Jon and Aaron don’t agree - they said this is more the model for doing a PhD, rather than what you would expect to see in a flipped classroom. They suggest that the best model for class time in a flipped learning model should be more like a diamond, with most of what goes on in class being in the middle levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

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They addressed critics that flipped learning can’t happen in (American) schools because of the inequitable access to technology in students’ homes. They pointed out that in fact 95% of American kids do have access to the internet at home, and that for the small number who do not it should be possible for teachers to come up with interventions to find ways around this. In answer to critics that some students won’t do the content learning at home, they suggest having exciting things to do in school for the students who have watched the videos. The ones who haven’t watched them will have to spend the class time catching up instead of engaging in the more exciting learning engagements in class. Jon and Aaron believe very much in face to face human interaction between

students and teachers - they want to reclaim the majority of class time back for this.

John Bergmann spoke with real honesty about how the world is changing from a time when he first started teaching when the knowledge was either in the head of the teacher or in a book in the library. He explained that he did “the lecture thing” for 19 years before deciding to do something different - and that for those 19 years he would have rated himself as a very good teacher who gave quality instruction in class. However he talked about the fact that we are now in the middle of a transition as students are now going online to learn. In particular he talked about how even elementary students are learning how to do things on YouTube, where they can rewind to check to see if they are doing something correctly. Aaron Sams referred to this as being the “default setting” for students.

Jon and Aaron shared the research from Robert Marzano based on 2 million classes throughout the USA. This research shows the % of time spent in these classes on lecture, practice and higher order thinking. The statistics are as follows: • 58% of class time is currently spent on interacting with new content (mostly lecture) • 36% of class time is spent on practising and deepening content • 6% of class time is spent on cognitively complex tasks involving generating and testing hypotheses.

Clearly not much has changed since the term “sage on the stage -v- guide on the side” was coined over 30 years ago! Aaron and Jon challenged us to “change the 58%” through considering using a flipped learning approach.

They shared 20 ideas from teachers who

have successfully flipped for what to do in class once the content was being delivered at home. Here are their ideas: 1. Guided practice 2. Peer tutoring - students helping each other 3. Structured small group work 4. Activities - Jon and Aaron talked about how it is a mistake to try to do “cool activities” every day as there needs to be time for teachers to walk around and help students. They suggest a good balance is 75% of time spent on processing and 25% of time spent on activities.

5. Interactive notebooks with QR codes that link to a video. This means it is possible to mix up the flipped classroom with students also able to watch videos in school 6. Mastery organisation - students have to master something before they move on. In these classrooms there must be objectives with benchmarks that students master before they move on.

7. F l i p p i n g i n s t r u c t i o n s s o s t u d e n t s watch how to do something at home before coming in to do it in class (application). They suggested making “Here’s how to ....” short videos.

8. Recording others’ experiments using devices in school (application) as students record and make their own videos. It’s also possible to record students explaining what is happening and students can then watch each others’ videos.

9. Simulations (application and analysis) followed by a video to supplement learning.

10. M a n i p u l a t i v e s ( a p p l i c a t i o n a n d analysis)

photo: dglimages

maggie hos-mcgrane

11. Rethinking the timing of homework checks. They talked about how before flipping they spent the first 15 minutes of each class going over homework, then 20 minutes teaching new content, then 10 minutes of practice. Now the sequence is to first spend 10 minutes discussing the homework video, around 30 minutes practicing new content, and around 5 minutes going over this class work.

12. T h e s t a t i o n m o d e l ( a n a l y s i s a n d evaluation) made up of 3 in-class stations of research, writing and projects/ making 13. Flipping the writing workshop to one on one by making an audio file for students to listen to in class with teacher comments. This involves analysis and evaluation. Students can listen to the audio files at home and then make their revisions in class. Apparently this takes no more time than one on one conferences in class and has the advantage of freeing up the teacher to help with the editing in class.

14. Choice boards

15. Choice days and activity days (applying, analysing, evaluating) with learning choice paths where students can choose to view the teacher created video, read a book or access the content on iTunes U, followed by them choosing to create a poster, write a news story etc to show their understanding.

16. Other teachers have used more of an inquiry approach so students first explore, then watch a flipped video, and then apply. This means they develop their own conceptual understanding through exploration and then look at the flipped videos to consolidate this in the middle of the learning cycle.

17. Stages - where students learn how to perform a task using a flipped video, then in class they execute the task and collect the data. Then they analyse the data and construct formula or functions that explain the data.

18. The “In-Flip” where the video is a station within the class. This can be popular in elementary classrooms where half the class can watch a video while the other half work with the teacher.

19. Using the flipped video to get students excited about something - for example video story problems. Pose the question on the video to have students think about at home, and then have them solve the problem in class.

20. Student created content - students can create their own videos in class that can be used with the following year’s students. The idea behind this is that you really need to know something to be able to teach it to others.

M a g g i e H o s - M c G ra n e h a s b e e n teaching for 30 years, 24 of these in international schools. Originally from the UK, Maggie is currently the Elementary Tech Coordinator at the American School of Bombay and is a member of ASB’s Research and Development Core Team. Maggie is a Google Certified Teacher and has presented at conferences in Europe, Asia, North and South America. www.maggiehosmcgrane.com

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kate southcombe

Increasing learning effectiveness Planning for generalisation

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was talking to a teacher the other day about Applied Behaviour Analysis and early intensive interventions. An important part of any ABA intervention is planning for generalisation of new behaviours across people and environments.

We b o t h a g r e e d t h a t i n m a i n s t r e a m teaching, generalisation is often assumed or its importance is under estimated.

Contextual teaching or teaching for a purpose such as setting up shops in the classroom for maths or a writing corner with different types of paper, is probably the closest we get to acknowledging the need for a child to be able to perform the task under different conditions. Writing and maths are frequently seen as needing to be taught in context. Another way teachers currently attempt generalisation is asking parents to assist with homework and to do maths in the supermarket or read signs when out shopping or on trips. I would suggest however that generalisation is not deliberately taught or structured.

Teachers Matter

Stokes and Baer wrote a landmark paper in 1977 that provided applied behaviour analysts with the ‘ingredients’ for generalisation. Today, generalisation defines the effectiveness of ABA teaching and is generally programmed into any intervention.

If the child or client is unable to perform the task outside of the classroom, for example, one would question the effectiveness of the procedure. So what is generalisation, what does it mean for classroom teachers, and how do we plan for it.

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Generalisation is the process by which a student learns to perform the same task or sequence of tasks in a variety of locations, with a range of teachers or peers, using a variety of stimuli under different conditions.

Probably one of the most common failures to generalise behaviour, occurs with relief teachers. We refer to this as the children

playing up or misbehaving, however the reality is the students have failed to generalise their behaviour within the classroom behaviour to a variety of teachers.

The more a class experiences other teachers working with them the more they generalise their behaviour. The classroom itself becomes a signal to ‘behave’ in a certain way which also explains students misbehaving on trips outside of the classroom. Again we will say ‘oh they’re just playing up’, but this can be addressed by regular outings, stipulating the requirements and planning to teach appropriate behaviour in a variety of locations with different adults.

It might seem like a lot of hard work but the important thing to remember is if we want different results we need to plan for it and expecting a behaviour taught in one environment under certain conditions to naturally carr y over to other more complicated, distracting environments is expecting too much!

So what are some suggested ways to plan for generalisation that relate to the classroom?

According to Stokes and Baer, here are the key points followed by some practical suggestions; • Teach using a variety of stimuli A basic example that we use already might be when teaching number counting we use counters, objects, fingers, and then count things outside of the classroom such as other children, trees in the playground and cars in the car park.

Writing exercises might include using pens, pencils, crayons and felts • Teach loosely This is an interesting one as it implies that there are no hard and fast instructions if you want to achieve generalisation. For example if you want the student to get used

“ Generalisation is the process by which a student learns to perform the same task or sequence of tasks in a variety of locations." to responding to a variety of teachers giving requests for attention they need to be able to respond to variations in instructions. This might go some way to explaining why some ‘play up’ for the relief teacher. If your class only stops and listens to you when you use certain phrases or signals, they may well ignore any other attempts to get them to stop and listen – yep it’s that simple! So try teaching them to respond to a variety of signals and phrases and try to catch them out! Remember to heavily reinforce their responses at first to get them tuned in to you and then notice how more observant they become to your every word!

• Provide enough examples Teach the students to respond appropriately to a variety of teachers and a variety of requests to stop and listen. Begin by teaching them a range of requests given by you and then start to include other adults in your classroom such as support staff, parent helpers and the teacher next door – you will be amazed how quickly this can be achieved with the right reinforcement!

• T e a c h u s i n g i n d i s c r i m i n a b l e contingencies

kate southcombe

Again back to our relief teacher example – students easily discriminate between the contingencies present with one teacher versus another and behave accordingly.

A contingency states the rules for reinforcement – when you do this, you get this. Using intermittent reinforcement, or reinforcing every now and again rather than every response, once it is learned, is the best way to maintain responding. The children are never quite sure when they will receive reinforcement. Stokes and Baer suggest that if the contingencies are indiscriminable for either punishment or reinforcement then generalisation is more likely to take place.

We all remember the strict teacher at school that everyone behaved for…we knew the contingencies! With this in mind shake it up for your students, once they listen to a variety of people asking for their attention, reduce the reinforcement to one every second or third response.

generalisation needs to be planned for and built into any teaching programme in order for teaching to be considered effective and for any new behaviour to be maintained over time. The ability for children and adults to generalise is essential for successful living; otherwise we would have to learn every separate move under every different condition. For example imagine learning to brush your teeth at home in the morning as a child and not generalising that skill – this would mean teaching you to brush your teeth in the evening and at different locations as well. The more you think about it the more amazing it is how much we do generalise skills. However having said that, we often don’t and knowing how to set the training or teaching environment up to enable generalisation to occur means we can help reduce needless repetitions and assist children to capitalise on their learning experiences.

photo: Sergii Moscaliuk

• I n t r o d u c e n a t u r a l m a i n t a i n i n g contingencies This entails moving towards less giving of stickers and house points as reinforcers and more focus on praise and more common contingencies. For example if someone asks you as a teacher for your attention and you look at them they are highly unlikely to give you a sticker and more likely to say thanks! If we want behaviour to generalise to other situations in the ‘real’ world outside of school we need to teach students to still respond when the stickers and awards have been removed. This requires a slow transfer process. Pairing stickers with praise is a great start and gradually reducing the stickers and house points, but maintaining the praise. You may still give them out but you gradually eliminate the need for them, in order to maintain the behaviour over time.

Generalisation is often taken for granted and considered a by-product that naturally occurs during teaching (Stokes & Baer). They demonstrated however that

Kate’s business EPR Training combines her passion for horses and her educational background by supplying online products to support people with behaviour management of their horses and children. This novel approach is grounded in science and draws on the principles of applied behaviour analysis. Kate is currently completing an internship in Applied Behaviour Analysis at the University of Auckland.

She also works as a behavioural therapist for Be Change, a NZ company that provides behavioural services for individuals, families and professionals. kate@eprtraining.co.nz

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Sonya Carey, Fallon Braithwaite, Hailey Cundall and Trudy Francis

Using ‘emotional hooks’ to motivate and inspire young writers Part two: Write who we are!

We

are sharing with you our story so far, from a variety of perspectives (principal, lead teachers, teachers, C21 Learning Ltd and children) and have included some examples of what we did and what is happening for the children as a result of the changes we are making. We know it is early days, but we are feeling excited! We have already noticed positive changes as children and teachers start viewing themselves as writers.

We hope our story encourages others to not give up or give in to what others might say or what the Standards may infer when looking at decontextualised data. We hope that by sharing our story we open doors to collaborating with colleagues in schools around New Zealand.

Teachers Matter

WHAT WE DID. Fallon Braithwaite Trudy joined us in 2013 with a focus on the key competencies of ‘Thinking and Using Language Symbols and Texts’ and ‘Managing Self’ through the context of ‘Visual Language.’ The work we did with Trudy in 2013provided us with a strong foundation to move onto the writing focus in 2014.

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We began the process this year by holding a teacher only day. The aims and objectives of the Professional Development were shared and teachers began by writing their own pieces to put themselves in the shoes of writers. What happened from here was a series of events that unfolded due to motivated teachers that were able to think differently about the way they had traditionally taught writing, and capable children who were ready and willing to indulge themselves in writing that was joyous and purposeful.

Teachers were involved in whole staff meetings where the process of an engaging lesson was modelled by Trudy. Each meeting would begin with its own ‘emotional hook’ to engage and motivate us all, followed by a structured meeting that was set up to mirror a successful classroom lesson.

Demonstration lessons were carried out by Trudy across year levels with all teachers participating in a pre-observation discussion, carefully focused observation, and a feedback discussion session. This allowed teachers to question Trudy’s choices in her lessons and to ask specific questions related to planning and deliberate acts of teaching. Staff respected that Trudy could ‘put herself out there and walk the talk’.

An Example. Trudy Francis Earlier I mentioned that the children were really interested in how their brains work and how writers think and work. The following example shows how a 5 year olds writing changed as a result of our changes in practice.

We have for you a before and after example.

The first example shows a simple sentence about playing on an Xbox. Does this look familiar? •

Lead teachers were involved throughout this process and were coached by Trudy so the process was sustainable and could be used across learning areas. Teachers were observed using the same observation process. The detail in the feedback and discussion made the teachers learning visible and naturally revealed their next steps.

WHAT HAPPENED Following this staff development was a change in teacher motivation. Teachers could literally see the changes happening with their children’s writing right before them. Children (including the boys) were hooked into writing; - they were willing to write and were beginning to feel proud of what they had produced and were keen to share this with different audiences. Children had good oral language!

How had we never noticed this before? The children had all of the ideas just bubbling in their heads waiting for us to unlock their potential. The children we were teaching had not changed. It was teacher practice that was making the real difference here and teachers could see it. Children who didn’t see themselves as writers began to take risks and begin.

We noticed changes in each other as teachers of writing too. It was no longer the subject that everyone struggled with; in fact it became, and continues to be, a popular topic of choice for conversation with a positive successful tone. Teachers are keen to absorb new ideas and will try these out in their classrooms. There is a real buzz.

The second piece (including the drawing) was created 3 weeks later in term one. We started the lesson with an emotional hook. The hook activated the sense of sound as the children listened to a recording of a wolf howling.

The children’s faces lit up with curiosity and excitement. They shared their initial thoughts and ideas with a buddy. Then I challenged them to describe what they saw in their ‘mind picture.’ To help them notice the details they had to try and put a similar picture in their buddies head by orally sharing what they saw. It was amazing how varied the children’s interpretation was and it was a great example of each child finding their own significance

from this experience. I introduced the idea that writers in the ‘real world’ do this too. I showed the children a picture of a brain and we shared our first ideas about how the brain helps us learn. The very big word ‘metacognition’ was explored and I introduced three simple questions which help us think like writers. What do we need to do first? We need to draw our mind picture, and the drawing needs to

Yr 1, 5 years old 28.2.14 My werewolf he’s super tough he attacks bad guys

My werewolf is going aooo aooo

After the children had completed their first draft they shared their writing with buddies. The buddies were encouraged to use the last metacognitive question ‘How did I go? Does my sentence describe my wolf?’ This part is important as it encourages reflective thinking and provides some feedback.

describe what we saw. • Then we shared our drawings and I modelled how to use words to describe our wolf. The children were challenged to select something they really wanted to say about their wolf and describe this using words. Their metacognitive questions were...‘How am I going?’ Which words describe my wolf the best?’ •

When the wee boy in this example shared his piece he read it with pride and his voice danced across the words dynamically. I can still hear him say…

“My werewolf is going aooo aooo”.

WHERE TO FROM HERE? Creativity has flourished since the beginning of the year, with many pieces of writing from across the school being celebrated and honoured. We have been thrilled by the changes in motivation of teachers and children and the quality of the writing. The most significant and consistent change in the quality of the writing would have to be the children’s ability to ‘hook’ the reader, the sincerity of voice and the vocabulary they are choosing to communicate their ideas.

These kids have something to say, and they want to say it.

Trudy is recognised in New Zealand as a leader in Curriculum Integration, Holistic Literacy Approaches, Visible Thinking, Empowering forms of Assessment, the Key Competencies and Habits of Mind. She is in demand as an in-school coach, conference speaker and workshop facilitator. Trudy is dedicated to collaborating with teachers in the effort to improve outcomes for all students.

She is focused on how to transform teaching and learning within school communities and to genuinely innovate the curriculum to achieve challenging goals. Trudy is the Director of C21 Learning Ltd and you can reach her through www.c21learning.com, or you can be linked by http://www.linkedin.com/pub/trudyfrancis/67/a11/b37 Sonya has been Principal at Newfield Park School for five years. She leads a passionate team who work alongside families and the community to support their children’s learning.

Sonya’s leadership is informed by her belief in the capabilities of children and the power of school communities to find creative solutions to the challenges they face.

Fallon is a passionate teacher who devotes her time to problem-solving children’s difficulties in Literacy. She works as a Classroom Teacher, Literacy Leader and Deputy Principal at Newfield Park School in Invercargill. Fallon is focused on improving student achievement for all students and has a particular interest in changing current traditional teacher practice to accommodate the needs of all learners. She is driven and excited by children’s learning and is motivated by children’s success.

Hailey has been a Primary School Teacher for 10 years, with the last six spent teaching in junior rooms at Newfield Park School, Invercargill. She is passionate about teaching and learning across the curriculum, with a particular interest in Reggio Emilia and Key Competency approaches to teaching and learning. She is dedicated to giving students the strategies and skills for success and to become effective lifelong learners.

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michael grose

Essential teacher’s guide to building strong family-teacher relationships 7 essential steps

1.

Create awareness of the immense benefits for children’s learning when parents support the school and also their children as learning. Don’t assume parents know this. Outline the benefits their involvement and interest has on their child’s learning.

2. Establish parents’ obligations to their child’s learning and to their school. Great relationships are built on reciprocity so spell out for parents how you expect them to support their child and your class at home. Expect them to read every night for ten minutes? Want them to go over a child’s home tasks before they attempt them? Then spell these expectations out.

3.

Outline the opportunities that you will provide for parents to assist in the life of your class, whether its hearing kids read, helping out with electives or being a class tutor for some subjects. Be clear and specific about how they can assist you.

Teachers Matter

4.

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Find out parents’ goals for their child for the coming year. “What’s one thing you’d like your child to achieve this year?” is a question that every parents needs to be asked. Help them articulate their thoughts by asking good questions.

5.

Outline your goals for the year as a teacher over and above what your school is trying to achieve. It may be that you’ll have a real focus on social skills this year. If so, tell parents this and then let them know how they can help you achieve your goals at home.

6. Introduce parents to the physical layout of their child’s classroom. In primary school in particular, familiarity with their child’s classroom and what happens within it helps parents have good learning conversations at home. A weekly class blog containing news and photos can have a similar effect for parents who can’t make classroom visits.

7. Begin gathering family knowledge including details of who lives at home; each child’s birth order and other relevant family facts. Record this information in a Families Book with a page for each child, adding information to the book as you learn more about each family.

Building strong family-teacher partnerships in these ways will help you become more effective as a teacher and will also make your teaching life so much easier.

Yo u ’ l l g e t o n g o i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l development to help all teachers build rock solid relationships with parents when your school becomes a Parentingideas PLUS PD School.

“ Strong familyteacher partnerships will help you become more effective as a teacher.”

photo: Zsolt Biczó

D

uring the month of February through a mixture of oneon-one meetings and whole group forums with parents, teachers need to communicate and gather the following information from parents:

Author, columnist and presenter Michael Grose currently supports over 1,100 schools in Australia, New Zealand and England in engaging and supporting their parent communities. He is also the director of Parentingideas, Australia’s leader in parenting education resources and support for schools. In 2010 Michael spoke at the prestigious Headmaster’s Conference in England, the British International Schools Conference in Madrid, and the Heads of Independent Schools Conference in Australia, showing school leadership teams how to move beyond partnership-building to create real parent-school communities.

For bookings, parenting resources for schools and Michael’s famous Free Chores & Responsibilities Guide for Kids, go to www.parentingideas.com.au.

roxanne gately

Using Nurture Cards to build self-confidence And help your students be the best they can be

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aving confidence and self-belief can affect every aspect of our lives, and Nurture Cards are a simple, fun and effective way to build self confidence in primary students.

If all children were given the opportunity to build self-confidence and a positive mind, bullies may not be an issue in our schools.

Teachers can change a generation!

Just 5 minutes each morning using Nurture Cards can make such an impact on your students. Uniting them with a positive affirmation allows children the opportunity to build self-belief, self-confidence and develop a positive thought process. Can’t you just hear your class now “I AM IMPORTANT IN THIS WORLD”?

I have created Nurture Cards with a true passion for building self-belief in children, and helping them to shine as the unique individuals that they are. Encouraging

Affirmations work by creating a belief system and cementing a thought. When a situation arises that contradicts that thought, the affirmation comes to mind to help. If your affirmation is “I am wonderful, just the way I am” and you are told you are “stupid”, the affirmation will remind you of your belief. You will then be thinking,”I’m not stupid, I am wonderful!”

Without positive beliefs, you may take on the insults given to you…believing that you are stupid. The more an affirmation is repeated, the stronger it becomes.

What we think about ourselves, can affect how we develop. If we feel we are worthless, we will behave like we are worthless. If we believe that we are special and loved, we will behave like we are special and loved.

This is why affirmations are so important for children as they are developing foundations on which to grow. Once we have matured,

“ A happy and positive mind is what we all want for our children.”

kindness, gratitude, respect for themselves and those around them.

Self-confidence assists children socially, with self-expression, creativity, imagination and also helps children to engage, participate and excel in learning. When children feel a sense of self-worth they feel more confident in their learning abilities.

it is very hard to change those foundations.

Having a strong self-confidence also helps children become more resilient to the effects of bullying and other negative situations that they may experience, such as family disharmony, divorce and negative selfimage.

Using Nurture Cards in the classroom provides all children with the tools that will allow them to be the best that they can be.

Teachers are able to help those children that may not have the care and support at home, just by providing the students with positive affirmations. Such a simple, fun and yet empowering tool, that will help them with all areas of life.

A happy and positive mind is what we all want for our children, and is a wonderful foundation of all development.

My name is Roxanne. I live in the Blue Mountains with my hubby and 2 beautiful girls. I created Nurture Cards after extensive research with child physiologists, teachers and parents. Nurture Cards are not just my work, they are my true passion. www. nurturecards.com.au www.facebook. com/nurturecards.affirmations

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sarah carman

Do we need tutors?

If so, what makes a great one?

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utoring. It’s an issue that divides the teaching community. Some teachers are all for it; seeing value in extra attention being paid to students who aren’t keeping up in the classroom. Others are against the idea, given that it often places unnecessary pressure on students to perform well in exams.

So should students have tutoring?

This question isn’t easily answered, because it’s a matter of opinion. In the same way that some people visit a doctor more frequently and for more minor ailments than others, some parents may feel the need to seek out additional academic support for their child earlier than others.

Teachers Matter

Despite being a tutor myself, I didn’t have any coaching during high school, and I still managed to score in the top tier. Sure, I struggled at times and without a doubt, I would have benefited from tutoring, and not just academically. If I’d had a tutor, I’m sure I would have felt calmer, more selfassured and less stressed. But at the time, I chose not to have tutoring for two reasons: I had (and still have!) two very supportive parents who were only too happy to help me, and an equally supportive band of teachers who strongly encouraged my every effort. This was enough to keep me afloat during my final year at school.

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When it comes to tutoring, there should always be a choice. Nobody should ever be put under any pressure to funnel a child into tutoring. The tutoring industry (and its often highly persuasive marketing) needs to be approached with a degree of caution, because at the end of the day, tutoring businesses have to make money out of parents. And if they’re ripe for the picking, many companies won’t hesitate.

“A great tutor aims to be made redundant.”

What it comes down to is this. If a child appears to need tutoring, and a decision is made to seek out a tutor, they need to be a great one, and the right one, for the child.

So what makes a great tutor?

1. A great tutor is prepared to give an honest opinion about whether or not a child needs tutoring.

A good tutor or tuition company will want to have a long discussion with parents.

Firstly in order to get to know them, and secondly, to get an idea of the child’s age, academic situation, motivations, behaviours, attitudes, learning style, and any specific areas that need to be addressed.

These details will indicate whether the tutoring on offer is a good fit for the child.

For example, if a child is chronically shy and doesn’t open up in large groups, a tutoring school that offers classroom-like group tuition might not be the best option.

A good tutor will be honest with parents about things like this, instead of fast tracking things with “When would Johnny like to start?”

2. A great tutor has a flair for teaching, not just enviable grades.

Don’t get me wrong – past performance and track record matters. But a good tutor won’t be good just because of their accolades.

Tutoring is more than understanding content and writing it down in exams. To have a tangible impact on a child, a tutor needs to engage the student, relate to the student, and equip the student with tools

they can use to do everything the tutor is teaching when the tutor isn’t there. Tutors need to be great communicators, and they need to be passionate about helping students. Tutors need to understand how your child learns best, and how to help them self-motivate.

Good tutors view tutoring as more than just a job – it’s an opportunity to make a hugely positive difference to the educational journeys of students.

3. A great tutor really cares.

T h i s m i g h t s o u n d o b v i o u s , b u t i t ’s extremely important. A good tutor really cares about how their students are tracking academically, as well as how they feel in general. Putting students at ease is so important when it comes to learning, as a child is far more likely to open up about what they don’t understand with a tutor who listens without judgment, criticism or disappointment.

Parents aren’t to be left out here either – a good tutor will aim to establish a relationship with parents, so that everyone is kept in the loop. Keeping parents updated with personalised communications and advice at any stage is really important. This doesn’t mean pandering to parental worry and compounding concerns over academic performance. This means maintaining honest and open communication where any school-related concerns can be addressed in the most realistic way possible.

photo: BRD

sarah carman

4. A great tutor aims to meet a child’s specific needs.

No two students are the same. A good tutor recognises this and tailors lessons to suit the child. These lessons should complement schoolwork in order to reinforce concepts and enhance learning. Be wary of tutors who provide one-size-fits-all worksheets and resources, or who insist on setting additional homework that places unreasonably high expectations on students.

5. A great tutor aims to be made redundant.

I realise that by writing this I’m almost certainly shooting myself in the foot, at least financially, but it absolutely needs to be said. As a tutor, every single lesson needs to get the student one step closer to academic self-sufficiency. Spoon-feeding comes back to bite students in the long run, especially at

university when nobody is checking up on them, making sure that their assignments are handed in on time, asking them to hand in that important note etc. Also, self-made success helps students to gain confidence and motivates them to seek out further challenges. I’ve seen students achieve great marks at school and not feel proud of their achievements, purely because they put a lot of their success down to the tutor(s) they had. Pride in their achievements is essential for students’ growth and development in general, not just academically.

Finally, a great tutor is the one who believes in your child and who wants them to do well.

Sarah is a passionate tutor, writer, speaker and health advocate. She is the founder of Sponge Education, a student support initiative in Sydney.

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karen boyes

Study skills Study and exams – preparing yourself for exam success

...if your exams are coming up soon, now is a great time to pause, look forward and ensure you have planned the next few weeks for exam success. Here are eleven reminders to assist you …

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Maintain a Positive Attitude: Now you are at the business end of the year, it is important to keep a positive focus – you

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can do this! Top sports people imagine or visualise seeing themselves winning and achieving their goals, great students do too. Of course this is not just about positive thinking, you have to put in the work and it is better to work from a positive base than a feeling of ‘what’s the point.’

“ Look forward and ensure you have planned the next few weeks for exam success.”

Pay Special Attention in Class: In the next few weeks, teachers will give extra hints and tips to assist you towards passing

photo: monkey business

A

message for all senior secondary students …

karen boyes

your exams. They might say phrases such as: “This is important”, “Make sure you know this, “or “This is likely to be in the exam”. When you hear this, be sure you mark your notes with an asterisk, circle, or symbol to remind yourself to go back and check you understand it.

Clarify any confusion with your teacher: Your teachers are expecting you to ask if you are unsure. It is now or never. If it is not easy to ask in class, ask for a meeting outside of class. Alternatively check out the free iTunesU, which features video lessons from top Universities around the world.

Make a plan: Spend 10-15 minutes each week planning which subjects you are going to revise, look over and learn.

Remember the most important idea is to learn what you DON’T KNOW. Find your old test papers and practice exams and learn what you got wrong.

The night before the exam: Revise your notes a final time however avoid cramming any new information in. It is too late. Before you go to bed, pack your bag for the exam, ensuring you have extra pens and batteries. Get a great night sleep. If you can’t sleep, just rest quietly, relax and focus on your breathing.

The morning of the exam: Eat a sustaining breakfast – something low in sugar and high in energy. Arrive 10-15 minutes before the exam and avoid stressed people. Stress is contagious and you want to keep yourself as calm as possible.

During the exam: Keep your attitude positive. If you have completed the work throughout the year and learned what you don’t know – you are on track. Scan through the paper and start with the easy questions first. This will help relax you and give you a good start. Always read the question carefully and circle the key words.

Show your working in maths and your outline plan for essays.

At the end: Go over the questions you have skipped, recheck your answers, check your spelling and double check your name is on your paper and any supplementary pages you have used.

STUDY SMART & PASS… For your FREE 27 Study Tips Poster, please email karen@spectrumeducation.com

Manage your time: Pace yourself in the exam. If there are 100 marks and you have 60 minutes, allow 5 minutes at the start to scan the paper and 5 minutes at the end to check. That leaves you 50 minutes and thirty seconds per mark. If a question is worth 20 marks, you have 10 minutes to complete it. If you have not finished it in the 10 minutes, move on and come back to it.

If you can’t remember: There is nothing worse than drawing a mental blank n the middle of an exam. If you do, simply take a deep slow breath, jot down what you can recall and see if you can recall your study notes, or the textbook. If you are not sure, stay calm and move on to the next question. You can always come back to it.

N e a t n e s s c o u n t s : Remember if the marker has difficulty reading your writing or are unable to decipher it, they will mark it wrong. Cross out your mistakes with one line and move on. Avoid spending time erasing or rewriting mistakes so the marker will not see them – they do not have time to look at what you didn’t want to write.

Ensure your numbers are clear and avoid using text language – this is a formal writing time.

Karen is an expert in effective teaching and learning, study skills, motivation a n d p o s i t i v e t h i n k i n g. S h e wa s awarded the NSANZ Educator of the Year 2014 award and works in schools throughout Australasia teaching students how to Study Smart and teachers how to raise achievement. www.karentuiboyes.com

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Vicki Saunders

At

Te Kauwhata Primary School we value what our special garden area, The Kid’s Patch, brings to children’s learning. Continuing on with the Welcome to our ‘Kid’s Patch’ school’s commitment to grow as an EnviroSchool our gardens provide us with a space for all to in. We were awarded the At Te Kauwhata Primary School we value what our special gardenenjoy area,and Theparticipate Kid’s Patch, brings Award in 2014. to children’s learning. Continuing on with the school’s commitmentEnviroSchool to grow asSilver an EnviroSchool

Welcome to our ‘Kid’s Patch’ Kauwhata Primary School: Enviroschool

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our gardens provide us with a space for all to enjoy and participate in. We were awarded the EnviroSchool Silver Award in 2014.

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Our seasonal plan Term 1:  weeding  watering  replanting the summer plants and seeds  continue harvesting  seed-saving  continue to garden our summer gardens  selling produce Term 2:  clearing, weeding and watering  seed-saving  harvesting last of summer vegetables  preparing gardens for winter  composting  preparing and planting winter vegetable seedlings Term 3:  harvesting winter vegetables  weeding  preparing the gardens for summers  applying compost  seed trays for summer vegetables  planting our root vegetables Term 4:  growing our summer vegetables  weeding, watering, continue planting  full-on harvesting  selling produce All year round:  Worm bins  Garden Art  Doodle board  Co-operative learning  Butterfly garden  Reflective space

How do we achieve this?  Supportive Board of Trustees funds a ‘Kid’s Patch’ Learning Assistant for 15 hours per week  Sponsorship from local businesses  Selling our produce to the local community  Whole school curriculum commitment  Every child has a minimum of one term’s learning in the gardens each year  Revised job description for our caretaker  We build what we can ourselves  Reusing and recycling  Propagation Our produce  20% is donated to the community  Garden-to-table – cooking and enjoying what we grow  Taking produce home for families and whanau  Selling our produce to the local community  Propagated right here at school

Learner engagement is infectious, and messages home to their whanau are ones of positivity and motivation.

From the Key Competencies to more specific links to curriculum areas, children have the opportunity to ‘sprout’ and ‘grow’ ready to help our environments of the future.

What the children say…

The ‘Kid’s Patch’ supports our learning in the following ways:  If there were no shops we know we will be prepared as we can propagate new plants – Roman, 9 years  We learn about healthy eating from the food we grow – Brooklyn, 11 years  I’ve learnt the different ways that plants grow – Betty, 10 years  How fruit grows from a bud on the tree to a piece we pick to eat –Paige, 9 years  It’s taught me a lot about gardening and how things grow. Its great to have gardens because they support the environment – Emma, 9 years  It gives us great experiences about gardening to write about – Isabel, 8 years  We can eat the vegetables and be healthy – Jaelee, 8 years  It teaches people about how to garden and new things that can be planted – Sienna, 7 years  When you are older you might need to do maths to figure out how many plants you need for the number of people you need to feed – Fraser, 8 years  I’ve learnt to read lots more plant names – Billi, 7 years

Kia ora. I have the privilege and pleasure of being Principal at Te Kauwhata Primary School, a role I have held for just over 4 years. My teaching career over the past 18 years has been in the Rotorua and Waikato areas in various roles. My desire to ‘make a difference’ in children’s lives, and equip them for their exciting future is what inspires and motivates me. Vicki

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terry small

Using the space between stimulus and response effectively Mind the gap

So,

how are your 2015 New Year’s resolutions going so far?

92% of people don’t make it, according to the University of Scranton. So, what do the 8% do right?

There are probably numerous reasons why the 8% succeed with their resolutions. Here’s where it starts: these people pay attention. They pay attention to the gap.

One of the most important things I’ve learned in my life is that between stimulus and response there is a gap.

Success is determined by choices made in the gap. This is where your resolutions have a chance.

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So, what’s this gap?

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I recently read a brilliant explanation b y S u s a n G o l d s w o r t h y. I m e t Susan numerous times while I was presenting in Switzerland. Susan is an international executive coach, a w a r d - w i n n i n g a u t h o r, f o r m e r Olympic finalist, and one of the brightest friends I have. This year s h e c o - a u t h o r e d , w i t h Wa l t e r McFarland (Chairman of ASTD) “Choosing Change - How Leaders and Organisations Drive Results One Person at a Time”.

Here’s Susan on the gap: “....neurophysiologist Benjamin Libet was fascinated by the question of whether humans have free will. He led experiments to understand the mental timing involved when someone does a voluntary act. He chose a simple task

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

- Viktor Frankl the lifting of a finger. His research showed that 0.5 seconds before the voluntary movement of the finger there is a brain signal related to the action that is about to occur; it’s called an action potential. Your unconscious brain decides, I will move my finger, 0.3 seconds before you are aware of it. At this point, there is a further 0.2 seconds where you are aware that you are about to move your finger, and you can intervene in the process and stop the move.

Now this is the exciting part! For every move you make, you have 0.2 of a second where you can actively, consciously intervene in the process and choose a different response. Viktor Frankl, Austrian psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor, was spot on when he wrote, between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Now 0.2 of a second may not sound like much, but in brain terms, with billions of connections every second, it is a decent amount of time.

Every time you make a decision, you have 0.2 of a second to choose a different response.

Wow! Our right ventro-lateral prefrontal cortex can step right in and intervene in the limbic process.” www.choosingchangebook.com

The key is to be mindful. To be awake. Train your brain to notice the gap and the choices that are available for you to choose. This is difficult, until it’s not.

Remember, you are never stuck. Your brain is capable of great change! Your brain can change itself and a brain changed is a life changed.

Bob Marley once said,”Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”

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. www.terrysmall.com

photo: denisismagilov

terry small

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yvonne godfrey

Parenting style traps Part two

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ast edition I talked about two styles of ‘parenting traps’ that we can easily fall into that seem like they are being kind and loving to our kids but actually cause damage and grief for all family members.

In both of these traps the parent/s do too much for their children, thereby stalling the child’s development and independence.

The reason for doing this is different in both cases.

Let’s recap on these two styles before discussing the remaining five traps.

Parenting trap # 1 - The Indulging parent who is both a servant and a banker to their children. These parents are trying to gain approval and affection from their children.

Parenting trap # 2 - The Compensating parent who tries to make up for some kind of trauma or loss that either the parent or the children has experienced.

In this article we look at the other five parenting styles that can be traps for parents.

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Parenting trap # 3 The Watchdog parent

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Even when the children are young it is good to create a team atmosphere in the home – everyone is a member of the team and holds a piece of the puzzle. Being a team player implies ownership, contribution and a stake in the family. We gain pride from doing our bit – from pulling our weight – and we learn crucial problem-solving skills.

But the watchdog parent doesn’t have a lot of faith in their young adult’s ability to make good decisions or solve problems.

These parents don’t have much faith in their parenting ability either, which causes them to be afraid of making mistakes. They haven’t recognised the right time to reduce or eliminate nurturing (protecting) and

increase empowering (releasing potential).

Watchdog parents are often powerful or precise personalities who tend to be more ‘outcomes-driven’ than relationshipfocused.

Characteristics of the watchdog parent are: • They see the home as their home – the child does not have any ownership.

• They feel responsible for the success of their child’s life. Any failure by the child will be viewed as the failure of the parent and will bear social ramifications for both the parent and the child.

• The child is treated as a project to be completed, and the parent must compensate for any lack of skills or capabilities their child may have.

• Whilst they provide the best opportunities to their yadult, these come with high expectations that the child may have a hard time measuring up to.

Watchdog parents often feel that the family name is at stake! There is no room for error; everyone has to get it right. These parents make too many decisions for their children and skew their kid’s development towards what the parents want, rather than what is right for the child. The relationship functions like a well-oiled machine but there is no room for individual desires from the kids – because Mum and Dad know best. Because watchdog parents tend to be generous, a cycle can develop of indulge, suffocate, control.

The key in this situation is to replace the parent-child relationship with an adult to yadult relationship, while not losing the father to son/daughter, or mother to son/ daughter dynamic. ‘Adult to yadult’ implies an increasing equality of roles, but retains the respect that should be given to a parent.

Cultures make a difference Evolving the ‘parent to child relationship’ to an ‘adult to yadult relationship’ can be more difficult in cultures where the parents were brought up in a conservative society, and have a high level of input into their children’s lives. For example, people

“No matter the challenges, good parents have t h e i r c h i l d r e n ’s best interests at the core of their parenting.”

who have emigrated to a more permissive culture, find that the family relationship can really struggle as permissive peers influence the yadult.

Parenting trap # 4 - The Peer parent The peer parent wants to become friends with their yadult before their job of parenting has finished. It’s not a bad thing to want to be your yadult’s friend (indeed becoming adult friends is a wonderful reward for parenting properly), but the timing needs to be right.

Peer parents are often preoccupied with their own struggles, and run out of energy to be the parent. They tend to reveal too many of their problems to their kids, which can result in a role reversal in which the yadult begins to parent the parent. It’s good to become more transparent the older your yadult gets, however beware of exposing them to things that are not appropriate, and be careful that you are not becoming dependent on them as one of your main friends and confidantes.

Parenting trap # 5 - The Channelling parent Channelling parents want to have another go at being young. They have difficulty seeing their yadult as an individual distinct from

Yvonne Godfrey is the author of Parenting Yadults ‘How to Set up your Young Adult for Independence and Success in Life’ (parentingyadults. com) and the founder of Miomo - the life Skills and Leadership programme for young adults (miomo.com)

themselves. This often happens when the yadult has similar talents and desires to the parent – when the child is a kind of ‘mini me’.

The young adult is offered great opportunities, and the pay-off is that the parent gets to live through their child vicariously. However, this arrangement can turn to custard if the dreams or expectations of the parent are unrealistic or the yadult loses interest in Mum or Dad’s aspirations. It can also be disastrous if the yadult is singled out from other siblings, who no longer feel that they are as valued.

Parenting trap # 6 - The D.I.Y parent DIY parents are under-committed and don’t take the parenting role seriously enough.

They may be absent because of work commitments. Sometimes this is unavoidable due to financial pressure, but what really defines these part-time parents is that they haven’t understood that parenting requires effort, love in action and communication with their children. They tend to have weak values, which lead to being permissive, and they fail to protect their children from exposure to things and situations that are beyond the child’s maturity. They are happy

for their kids to discover life haphazardly, to be exposed to the adult world through the media and other uncontrolled environments, which robs the young adult of the chance to mature gradually through the process of natural discovery.

Yadults of DIY parents often feel insecure.

They wonder if they are really loved and often have difficulty forming committed and loyal relationships. In some cases, because they hunger for security, these young people can be vulnerable to gangs and other unscrupulous people who offer a sense of belonging.

Parenting trap # 7 - The Divided parent It is a reality of our society that around half of all children are being raised in families with only one biological parent present.

When spouses or partners dislike each other intensely, their children get caught in the crossfire and suffer the consequences of conflicted parenting. But even in families that are physically intact, there is no guarantee that parents will agree on how to raise their yadults. Because young people are adept at getting their own way, they

yvonne godfrey quickly find the gap between their parents and run straight through it. Whilst not all divided parents parent badly, the divided parent sometimes displays one or more of the other problematic parenting styles and so the difficulties become layered.

When coaching divorced or separated parents, I focus on creating a cohesive parenting plan. Having a third person present is a good way to keep personal differences to a minimum and to ensure that each person stays accountable to the plan.

All the best with avoiding these parenting traps. Remember that no matter the challenges, good parents have their children’s best interests at the core of their parenting.

These parents create a loving atmosphere where guidelines are clear, and boundaries and disciplines are generally well received by their children. That’s not to say that everything goes well all the time, but the family has a solid base on which to handle difficult situations.

For more about Parenting Yadults – go to parenting yadults.com or like our face book page facebook.com/parentingyadults

To book Family Coaching or to have Yvonne speak at your next conference email her at: Yvonne@ParentingYadults.co.nz To order your copy of Parenting Yadults at the Teachers Matter Special Price of $30 (normally $34.95) plus $5 P+P Please go to: www.ParentingYadults.co.nz /teachersmatter Visit FaceBook: www.FaceBook.com/ParentingYadults

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therese hoyle

How to bring rainbows and sunshine to your wet play days Making playtime a whole school issue

O

ver the years of working in schools as both a teacher and education consultant, I have heard a common cry from both teachers and lunchtime supervisors “Help! What can we do about wet play?” It seems that every educator across the country dreads the sound of rain pouring down outside!

You see we know there isn’t enough space and that often there is little for children to do which in turn leads to bored and disruptive behaviour. Teachers also dread it because they know that when children have been cooped up indoors all day with little chance to burn off any energy, afternoon lessons often don’t go as well, due to wilder and less attentive children!

Initially when looking at your playtimes and wet play days consult with everyone in the school. Get everyone together – students, teachers, teaching assistants and principals and do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis or PMI (positive, minus, interesting). The SWOT analysis is often used in business and leadership and is intended to improve strengths, remove weaknesses, grasp opportunities and reduce threats. The PMI strategy is a graphic organiser and frequently used in the thinking curriculum and inquiry learning.

So firstly list out all the strengths/ positives – everything that works well on wet play days. For example: Strengths/Positives • Video time • Whole classroom activities, like a disco • Wet Play Leaders Celebrate these strengths they may also be indicators that help inform future wet play planning.

Playtime is the topic that most frequently raises it head when we get into discussions about managing behaviour and this time in the day can be made or broken according to the playtime programme in place.

In my book 101 Playtime Games I laid out the fundamental ideas for running successful playtimes and in my book 101 Wet Playtime Games and Activities I built on those ideas whilst specifically looking at wet playtimes and lunchtimes.

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In this short article I include some simple steps that schools and organisations can take to create a h a p p y, c a l m , f u n , s t i m u l a t i n g and socially enjoyable wet playtime; however there is so much I could share with you and not enough space, so please refer to my book for further, more in depth information.

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Making Playtime a Whole School Issue Firstly let’s remember that playtime is a whole school issue and one that everyone needs to be involved in, not just the lunchtime supervisors.

Then make a list of all the weaknesses / problems / minus’s that occur on wet play days this list is usually longer! For example: Weaknesses/Minus’s • Lack of space •

Noise

• Lack of equipment or activities for children to do • Children not allowed to use classroom equipment • Wet play boxes not up to date • Children often floating around the school and not in their classroom • Opportunities

therese hoyle

• Money available from PTA for wet play resources • A fete which includes raising funds for wet play boxes • Threats • Children loitering in the toilets or concealed areas • Lack of staffing in some classrooms Once you have composed these lists, think of solutions and remove or reduce the

Wet Play Class Rules – Do’s and Don’ts School staff can get upset when children get out all the precious toys and equipment during wet play. It is wise to have specific activities just for wet play and create a wet play box or cupboard.

I suggest teachers write up the things children can and can’t do at wet play and the equipment they can use – then everyone is happy! This can be laminated and stuck onto the wet play box or cupboard.

• Plasticine or Play dough • Construction kits, We-play Minis, Big Build Blocks • Lego, etc • Crayons, pencils, paper • Dressing up clothes • Imaginative play • EBooks and Comics • Boxes/recycled materials for creative activities/box modelling, etc Remember that even though it is wet, this is children’s playtime and an important time in their day to let off steam, connect with their friends and have some fun.

It is also the time in the day where social, emotional and behavioural skills are learnt.

weaknesses/minus’ and threats.

Some solutions will be easy to solve others may need time, funding, resources, etc. Capitalise and improve on your strengths and grasp any opportunities!

Consult your pupils Start by talking with students about activities that they enjoy doing or would like to do at wet playtime. You may find that they have numerous suggestions. If you adopt the PMI strategy, they will also be able to tell you what currently works and what doesn’t. Alternatively some schools organise circle times and others do questionnaires using web survey’s to get their input.

Budget Children need things to play with at wet playtime and it is important that adequate resources are provided, so make sure that a budget is set each year to provide for establishing and then updating wet play activities.

Wet Play Boxes or Cupboards Your play boxes or cupboards should be filled with games, activities, word searches, dot to dots, colouring in, etc.

101 Wet Playtimes Games and Activities is packed with photocopiable resources in the book and on its CD Rom. In addition to traditional games, I would suggest that you include a selection of age appropriate activities, which may include some of the following: • 2-3 music and story CD’s • A selection of DVD’s • Jigsaws • Knitting • Mazes

Therese Hoyle 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 Education, or contact her direct for in depth advice on designing and developing your playground. w w w. s u c c e s s p a r t n e r s h i p . c o m therese@successpartnership.com

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robyn pearce • Most of the windows can’t be opened properly – there are too many things on the window sills.

Diminish your clutter and reduce stress

• It was hot so I turned on my bedroom fan when I went to bed. It ran for fifteen minutes and then started making an excruciatingly loud noise. Result: no ventilation on a very hot night.

A cautionary tale

• Half the light switches don’t work – or maybe bulbs need replacing?

I’m

not a Feng Shui expert, but I do agree completely with some of its precepts, two of

which are:

1. a b e a u t i f u l , c a l m a n d u n c l u t t e r e d environment gives us a sense of peace and wellbeing, quite aside from increased effectiveness and efficiency 2. we lose energy on both a physical and a psychic level if we have broken or damaged things in our environment A recent experience has made me even more convinced of the importance of these two principles to easy and effective living.

I’d received an invitation to visit a new friend. As she walked me through her small apartment I wondered why I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. It certainly wasn’t her personally – she’s a lovely lady and very hospitable.

Then I began to take more notice of my environment. Although the house was clean, almost every inch of the place was crowded, most of it with things she rarely uses.

For example:

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• Multiple collections of teapots and condiment sets decorate many of the kitchen shelves – not just high shelves but also easy-to-reach ones that you’d expect to hold regularly used kitchen equipment or food items.

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• The available working space beside the kitchen sink is no more than a few inches – ‘stuff’ crowds the rest of the small space.

• Only two of the elements on the stove top can be used without shifting several piles of other utensils. (They are clean, at least!)

• It is a nuisance to use the oven – first you have to clear it of a pile of casserole dishes and other crockery, presumably stored

there because there is no more cupboard space.

• The small dining/kitchen table has just enough room for two to sit at. The rest of the table carries a random selection of books, papers and magazines.

• In the bathroom are multiples of all the normal paraphernalia – and it’s not for anyone else. She lives alone.

• ‘Is it possible to borrow your iron?’ I asked on Sunday morning. We were about to head out for a relaxed luncheon with friends and I wanted to wear the new white cotton dress I’d bought in Southern Italy. For a moment she looked a bit bothered but then said, ‘Hang on, I’ll get it.’ The next four minutes were spent pulling out a plethora of seldom-used things from a hard-to-reach cupboard so she could reach a box containing the iron. (I did say ‘don’t worry’ but once she started she was unstoppable.)

What I noticed was a complete lack of logic in placement of commonly used items, and maybe a compulsion to acquire ‘stuff’.

(We didn’t discuss it but the environment indicated this possibility. Some hoarders have an acquisition addiction.)

But it was more than clutter – I quickly discovered that many items in the house didn’t function properly.

• Some of the cupboard doors are very difficult to shut – when I went to help with something in the kitchen I was warned not to open them or we’d never get them shut. Too bad if you want any of the many items in that particular cupboard.

• T h e w a s h i n g m a c h i n e i s h i d d e n underneath piles of kitchen clutter and never used. Instead she does most of her laundry by hand and when she has a large amount of linen she uses a friend’s machine.

• ‘Be very careful not to touch that mirror’, she said as we crowded past a tall mirror on the wall. ‘It will fall down if you do.’

• Even the front door can’t be fully opened due to things piled up behind it – we slid in sideways.

Result: underneath the kindness and very genuine hospitality she often displayed an aura of frustration and low-level stress, sometimes triggered by seemingly small and unrelated issues.

It’s certainly not for anyone to say how much ‘stuff’ is right for another – we all have different standards and comfort levels.

But I do know that my friend would improve the quality of her life and greatly diminish her stress levels if she could clear some of her clutter and also develop a habit of fixing broken things as soon as they become a problem. If we attend to a niggling issue as soon as it surfaces we keep our energy high. However, if we allow things to build up, the job of fixing everything begins to feel like a mountain of problems. Stress at multiple levels, a diminishment of energy, and compounding inefficiency is the result.

Is there anything in your life that could profitably be decluttered or fixed? Follow the frustration path and you’ll have your answers.

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)

illustration: aleutie

robyn pearce

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john shackleton

Are you heading for burnout?

Step back and decide what is really important

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• You’re not seeing the family as much as you’d like

• You can’t wait for that glass of wine at night so you can wind down.

Living in the NOW is a very simple concept but unfortunately it’s not as easy as it sounds to achieve. It’s about not mourning the past, not thinking what you could have done better, not worrying about the future, not anticipating tomorrow’s challenges, but living totally in the present moment.

• Emails are piling up unanswered.

For most people too much work creates stress and not getting it done quickly enough creates even more stress. If life feels like that to you then you could be headed towards burnout.

I was reminded of how difficult this is when I was in New York recently. I had some free time so I decided to visit the Empire State building. While at the top with a thousand other sightseers, I noticed that almost

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• You’re getting behind with the URGENT work.

• You’re not spending enough time relaxing with friends

photo: momius

don’t know about you but it seems that my life can often be summarised as too much to do and not enough time.

Sometimes it feels like I’m working all hours but I’m not making sufficient progress towards my goals. Do you ever feel like this?

Do you find that:

• Phone calls are not getting done on time.

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The busier and more complicated our lives get, the more we need to be able to switch off from those stresses that control and restrict us. One idea that is really helping me avoid burnout is the concept of Mindfulness or striving to LIVE IN THE NOW.

john shackleton

nobody was looking at the view. Instead they were all taking a photo of it! They were so busy taking a selfie to post on Facebook or recording a video to show their friends that they forgot to marvel at the amazing view itself.

It appears to me that our modern technically enhanced world is driving us away from living in the NOW. We always seem to be multitasking these days, never just doing one thing at a time. We eat in front of the TV, we text our friends during a business meeting, we answer emails when we are cooking a meal, we even practice our sales pitch when taking a shower!

Ask yourself this: When was the last time you just drove a car? Yes that’s right just drove – nothing else. People don’t just drive these days, they drive and drink a coffee, they drive and make a phone call, they drive and listen to the radio.

When you stop and think about it you know that your brain can only concentrate properly on one thing at a time so when you’re eating and watching TV, which one are you thinking about? If you’re focused on the TV then you won’t taste the food and if you’re focused on the food then you won’t be following what’s happening on TV. We can only do one thing effectively at a time and when we are doing two or more then we’re not living in the NOW. We are flitting from thought to thought, never really concentrating on one thing, and living a life full of conflicting and confusing snippets of information. It’s no wonder many of us are stressed and heading for burnout!

Now consider this: Almost all happiness happens in the present moment. We feel happy when we really make a connection with someone. We feel happy when we do something that we’re totally absorbed in and love doing. We feel happy when we get completely lost in a piece of music, a book or a film. Being ‘in the now’ that’s when happiness happens, time just disappears and all we are aware of only what’s happening right now.

Choosing to live in the past or the future not only robs us of enjoyment, but it robs us of truly living. Deep down we all understand that the only important moment is the present moment. When we stay in that moment then we aren’t stressed and we experience happiness.

A friend of mine had an attitude towards credit cards and charge cards that used to drive me to distraction. If Debbie saw something she wanted, then she bought it and paid by card. Her theory was that she would get great enjoyment from the item right now and payment was something that could be sorted tomorrow – she used to joke that she aimed to die in debt! Sadly, Debbie passed away twelve years ago, and achieved her goal of dying in debt, but my memories of her are of the fun and happiness that she extracted from every moment of her life – in many ways she was the epitome of living in the now and she got more joy out of her forty years than most of us would manage in one hundred.

With this concept in mind, consider these situations and see how you can adapt them to your life: • Next time you’re playing with your kids, be totally with them. Don’t think about work, don’t think about tomorrow, don’t dwell on yesterday, just be with your kids. Soak in the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the emotions. Focus on your children’s triumphs, and sorrows; try and see the world from their eyes and you will be in the moment.

• When you are talking to a parent really listen to what they are saying and stop thinking about what you are going to say next. Being in the now will tell you so much more about how you can help them and their child.

• If we just ‘survive the week’ desperate for the next weekend to arrive, we are wasting 5/7th of our life living in the future. Surely it would be a better to find a way of loving what we do every day. Learning to love our job would require us to be in the now.

• Are we living in the now when we are dreaming of our goals? Unfortunately when we become too goal focused we can get frustrated with the fact that we are not where we want to be and find that today just passes us by. We must have goals but we should be careful not to focus on them too much.

• Dwelling on past accomplishments is just as bad as dreaming of the future. If you are thinking too much about what you did yesterday, you won’t be doing much with your life right now.

I do recognise, from time spent at my children’s school that teachers have a huge amount on their plate and that stress often plays a large part in their day-to-day lives.

Maybe though you should make time to step back and decide what is essential, and what is additional, so that you don’t overload yourself – sometimes we end up concentrating on the tiny details that make tiny differences instead of something big that will make a massive change, and often these two will take up the same amount of time and attention. We can only live one moment at a time so let’s make it the present one. By doing this we will increase our happiness, reduce our stress and avoid burnout.

With a sports psychology and sports coaching background, John now shows international business audiences techniques that exercise and improve the biggest, most powerful muscle in the body – the brain. His clients include Coca-Cola, Air New Zealand, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Sony and Renault. www.JohnShack.com

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Irma Cooke, a former Chef and now puts to good use her skills and passion for food as the Food Technology teacher for Rototuna Junior High School. When she isn’t judging Waikato’s restaurants or working with students teachers for Waikato University, she’s having fun planning her next project for her middle school students at Berkley Normal Middle School.

Irma Cooke

Superfood sale at a school Berkley Normal Intermediate’s canteen Avocado and dark chocolate mousse

L

e a r n e r s f r o m Te Aroha group at Berkley Normal Middle School took up the challenge to develop healthy prototype’s and followed a brief in Food Technology. They refined the brief to meet the needs of a person they thought required lot’s of energy intake during the day.

Our final trial helped us gain feedback on the outcome and to see if it was a suitable item to be sold at our canteen

Teachers Matter

- By Justin

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Cranberry cookie and berry & flaxseed smoothie combo

Ingredients 2 ripe avocados (I used Hass avocados) 40 grams (1/3 cup) raw cacao powder 2 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk 40g melted dark chocolate Method 1. Halve the avocados and scoop the flesh into a food processor or blender.

2. Add the almond milk and cacao powder.

3. Mix for a minute or until smooth.

4. Scoop the avocado chocolate mousse into pretty glasses or ramekins (we used two spoons but can be piped).

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate runouts.

Raw cacao has all the benefits like antioxidants, magnesium and other amazing nutrients. Avocados also provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including: Fiber, Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana).

Vitamin E, B-vitamins and Folic acid.

Irma Cooke Fruity yoghurt Pots with crunchy granola

Ginger kebabs with fried rice Avocado and dark chocolate mousse

Pre/during/post sport products

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Promoting picture books

Barbara griffith & tricia kenyon

Koala Lou Author Illustrator Publisher ISBN

Mem Fox Pamela Lofts Puffin Books 978 014 054063 5

K

oala Lou is the first born in a large family. As the family grows bigger and bigger, her mother becomes so busy raising the family that she doesn’t have time to tell her first born how much she loves her.

Koala Lou feels sad so she enters the tree-climbing at the Bush Olympics hoping her mother might notice her again. She is determined to win an event and her mother’s love at the same time. Koala Lou begins her training right away!

Activities 1 Story Sequencing Decide on the five major episodes in the storyline and create either a storyboard or a cartoon, which could include speech bubbles, that depicts these episodes.

2 Creative Problem Solving How many ways might Koala Lou have gained her mother’s attention other than entering the Olympics?

How could she get attention? Be creative.

Tick the appropriate boxes

Idea

Teachers Matter

Eg Fall out of a tree

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Fast?

√

Slow?

Safe?

Unsafe?

√

Possible?

√

Impossible?

Will work?

√

Won’t work?

3. Family Dynamics A child’s changing position in a growing family has an impact of their feelings, relationships within the family and on social activities.

Koala Lou began as an only child and eventually become the oldest of a large family.

Discuss how this affected her emotionally and socially.

Ask each student to identify his/her place in their family. Form students into appropriate family-place groups (only child, youngest, middle, oldest) to discuss issues for their group.

Chart 1

Family Place Advantages Disadvantages

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.

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.

Feelings towards sibling/s Share information from each group and then build up an overview of family place chart.

Chart 2

Only

Youngest

Middle

Oldest

Advantages Disadvantages Feelings towards sibling/s

4. Relating to Koala Lou’s feelings and actions

• Why did Koala Lou crave love and attention from her mother?

6. Bush Olympics Create a poster for the Bush Olympics and design medals for different events that you think the animals could compete in.

• Was she loved by others and how do you know?

• H o w d i d K o a l a L o u s h o w perseverance?

• What if Koala Lou had won?

Would her mother have loved her more? Why or why not?

• Does coming second make you a failure? Consider that there could be less than a second between first and second in the real Olympics.

5. Australian Animals Identify as many of the animals in the book as you can and complete the data bank.

EG Emu

Eats

Has

Lives

Does

Plants and insects

Feathers, two legs, good eyesight and hearing.

Open plains

Nomadic, naps rather than sleeps

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the last word: karen boyes

Avoiding avoidance in the classroom

R

ecently a Principal asked me why he was seeing so many students going to the bathroom all day… there are of course many reasons – however I suggested it was possibly not an epidemic of incontinence, it is more likely to be an avoidance tactic.

• “I hide my pencil and then spend 15 minutes looking for it!”

• “I pretend to be writing and when the teacher comes close, I look like I’m thinking!”

Students can be extremely smart at avoiding doing anything that might be challenging, hard, difficult or simply outside of their comfort zone.

I asked a group of teachers to list the strategies their students use to avoid work? Here are some…

• Needing a drink of water • Sharpening a pencil • Helping someone else • Looking busy • Tidying up/cleaning up • Starting a non-relevant conversation with the teacher • Walking around the classroom looking for something • G o i n g t o t h e c l o a k r o o m t o g e t ‘something’ • Feeling sick (which is a real physiological response to stress) • Offering to be a messenger for the office • Telling the teacher that someone else is not doing their work!

The list goes on…

When I asked the students in a school the same question they reiterated the above, and added a couple of my favourites:

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I believe one of the best ways to deal with avoidance is to address the ‘elephant in the room’ and simply talk about it. Make students aware that you know the behaviours they are exhibiting are about avoidance and then teach explicit strategies to overcome the avoidance.

Just asking students to stay on task and persist is not enough.

Christchurch Teacher a n d D P, A d r i a n Rennie, created a wonderful lesson and conversation for his class… The road to success is paved with persistence. Adrian has cleverly and accurately distilled the essence of success and avoidance strategies in this simple, yet powerful road map.

“ In what ways do you positively deal with avoidance in your classroom?”

He talks to his students about getting caught in the side roads of Joke Valley, Temptation Alley, Boredom Town, Don’t Start Land, Too Hard Town, Class Clownville, Half Done Hill, Pain Central, Come Back Later, Competition Land, Mount Metacognition, Fascination Land and finally arriving at Mount Success. (Do these sound familiar?)

Once having named the ‘elephant in the room’ the students are acutely aware of their avoidance strategies and even coach each other. One student was overheard complaining he was bored. Quick as a flash, another turned and said, “Well you better get out of that town fast!”

karen boyes

Another strategy is simply naming the behaviour and offering support. For example: “You are doing x to avoid x, is there anything I can do to help you?”

I recently gave students a very challenging task as part of a model lesson series at an Australian school. I was upfront with them by explaining that they would find the activity difficult. In the middle of the lesson, a boy burst into tears. Before I could intervene, I overheard another child say, “It’s supposed to be hard.” The young boy looked up, shrugged, smiled and got back on with the task.

The use of metaphors for learning are important. I use the Monarch Butterfly as a metaphor for why the struggle is important. The struggle to emerge from the chrysalis is how the butterfly wings become strong. If the butterfly is assisted out of the chrysalis, it will die. The struggle makes it strong. This is also true of our students.

When we as teachers jump in and rescue learners too soon, we are denying them the chance to develop the muscles of problem solving, thinking and getting themselves unstuck next time.

O t h e r t e c h n i q u e s t h a t m a y a s s i s t t o minimise the avoidance epidemic include; • T e a c h i n g p l a n n i n g a n d t i m e management techniques • Ensuring the work students are doing is relevant, engaging and purposeful (Although not all work in life is like thissometimes you just have to knuckle down and get on with it) • Positive reinforcement • Creating time for students to work on their own projects and passions • Provide brain breaks • Ensure students are hydrated • Showing students their next learning steps • Explicitly teaching focus strategies • and again - the list goes on…

photo: Cathy Keifer

In what ways do you positively deal with avoidance in your classroom?

Karen is an expert in effective teaching and learning, study skills, motivation a n d p o s i t i v e t h i n k i n g. S h e wa s awarded the NSANZ Educator of the Year 2014 award and works in schools throughout Australasia teaching students how to Study Smart and teachers how to raise achievement. www.karentuiboyes.com

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Useful Products & Services

Study Smarter Not Harder The Ultimate Study Pack is already being used by secondary schools around the world to provide quick and informative lessons on studying. Designed for teachers to teach quick 10-15 minute lessons in form time, mentor time or life classes.

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www.SpectrumEducation.com

2016!

Modern Learning Environments

Exploring the underlying philosophies to success

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In this faced paced session Karen will challenge you and your team to look deeper into the why's of MLE's and the how's of successful pedogogy.

Book your PL Session either Live or via Webinar

www.SpectrumEducation.com 74

To see your advert here contact Spectrum Education: info@spectrumeducation.com

photo: Václav Mach

“Don't cling to a mistake just because you spent alot of time making it” - Dr Laura

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TeachersMatter Conference

Innovative Teaching & Learning

Start your 2016 with inspiration, practical ideas and great team building…

Day 1 Focus Day: Seven speakers, seven topics, 3540 minutes each.

Fast, dynamic and informative all on Innovative Teaching & Learning.

Topics include...

Day 2 Immersion Day: Take the ideas and concepts from Day 1 and explore implementation at a deeper level.

Workshop, plan and discuss ideas with presenters as well deepening & personalising your learning from Day 1.

· Cultivating Resilience

· Modern Learning Practices · Developing Student Agency · Inspiring a Classroom Culture of Learning

· Engagement and the Brain

Wellington 21/22 January

Build Knowledge, Expand Capacity, Take Action

· Neuroscience · Coping with different personality types in the classroom · Empowering Students to Self Monitor & Manage their Learning · Exploring Genius Hour and more…

All details are available at

www.teachersmatter.co.nz

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or call the team at Spectrum Education on 0800 37 33 77 (NZ) or 1800 06 32 72 (Au)