Teachers Matter Magazine issue 35

PROFESSIONALLY & PERSONALLY

TeachersMatter The Magazine of Spectrum Education

Are your problem students "bad" or struggling?

How to survive fidget spinners!

When developing independence feels risky 5 tips to create bully-proof breaks NZ$19 / AU$19

Leaders in Developing Teachers

ISSUE 35

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hello and welcome back to a new term! Once again, we have an issue crammed full of motivating content from our marvellous contributors, and I’m sure you will gain lots of inspiration for the weeks ahead.

It’s hard to believe we’re half-way through the year isn’t it? The frosts have started to bite so I hope you all have lovely warm classrooms to motivate your students in. There are a number of articles relating to classroom environment which include the second part of Alan Cooper’s ‘Providing a classroom environment for thinking and learning’, Mark Engstrom’s ‘Creating a roadmap for student control’, and Bette Blance who discusses the need for limit setting.

I have recently trained to be a Mindfulness Educator with the Department of Mental Health, and so Joan Dalton’s article on using the pause in conversations is very interesting to me. Pausing is such a valuable skill, and I believe that all students would benefit greatly from learning and developing this skill. Also on the conversation front, Maggie Hos-McGrane brings to light the important differences between dialogue and discussion.

I think that every reader would agree that these days we see many examples of helicopter-parenting – and I would like to say that this does not necessarily come from children’s parents alone - and the affects this is having on our students. Karen Boyes and Michael Grose both share their insights into developing independence and the importance of letting our students learn from their mistakes.

There are many other wonderful ideas to be gained from spending some quality time with this issue of Teacher’s Matter Magazine. Enjoy!

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CONTENTS

In this issue COVER ARTWORK BY RICHARD SZARVAS

p26 - Are your ‘problem’ students ‘bad’ or struggling?

p18 - Rethinking the lesson plan

3

Editor's note

SARAH LINEHAN

6 Providing a classroom

culture for thinking and learning ALAN COOPER

12

The power of pause

14

Teacher wellbeing

16

Failure is OK

18

Teachers Matter

4

JOAN DALTON

MEGAN GALLAGHER ANDREW MURRAY

Rethinking the lesson plan KATIE MARTIN

20

As much as children need freedom, they need limits BETTE BLANCE

24 Quote 25 VoCAPulary

GLENN CAPELLI

26

Are your ‘problem’ students ‘bad’ or struggling?

30

Dialogue vs. discussion

32

MAGGIE DENT

MAGGIE HOS-MCGRANE

How I taught focus to a class that wouldn’t sit still!

NATALIE CATLETT

35 Quote

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p32 - How I taught focus to a class that wouldn’t sit still!

Giving students ownership and control of their own learning journey

MARK ENGSTROM

40

Fidget spinners

42

Are we expecting too much too quickly of our teachers?

ZACK GROSHELL

CAROLYN STUART

45 Quote 46

Starting school

FRANCIS MULLIGAN

49 Quote

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Teachers Matter Magazine Team Publisher, Sales and Advertising Karen Boyes Editor Sarah Linehan Art Director Brenda Mihalko 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 2017 All rights reserved.

p36 - Giving students ownership

and control of their own

learning journey 50

Exam Techniques

p40 - Fidget spinners

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.

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53 Quote

6 tips on how to reduce stress and beat burnout

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

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66

Keep your brain healthy!

All Enquiries

68

Promoting picture books

56

KAREN BOYES

When developing independence feels risky MICHAEL GROSE

5 tips to bully proof play times and lunchtimes THERESE HOYLE

58 15 ways to keep your child

from developing an eating disorder

ROBYN PEARCE TERRY SMALL

TRICIA KENYON & BARBARA GRIFFITH

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

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Last Word

KAREN BOYES

Phone: (NZ) +64 4 528 9969

Useful Products & Services

Fax: (NZ) +64 4 528 0969

DR LAURA MARKHAM

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62

A - Z : U-V

75 Quote

KAREN BOYES

Spectrum Education Ltd

magazine@spectrumeducation.com 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

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ALAN COOPER

Providing a classroom culture for thinking and learning Part two: From good to great without getting noses out of joint!Quote: This is the second of a two-part series.

B

y adapting the management theory of Jim Collins in Good to Great and Philip Lundin in Fish a classroom culture can be provided that gives freedom for both teachers and students to be on the leading edge of teaching and learning.

Making their day

Teachers Matter

Making their day is all about creating energy and good will. Rapport between teacher and student generates emotional energy which is then applied to the teaching and learning. After 3 boys my wife and I produced a daughter. At the time I was teaching a class of very lively 14-year-old girls. After the daughter’s birth I walked into the classroom to find that almost every girl had written congratulations and initialled it on the chalkboard. In a square in the middle some bright spark had written, is this the start of three girls. Quietly I picked up a piece of yellow chalk and wrote in large letters NO. Before I could turn back to the class a loud voice said, “Of course not he’s far too old,” and much laughter followed. Eventually I got my own back when it came to report writing time when I put on her report, “She lacks mature judgement i.e. she thinks I’m a geriatric.”

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A sense of humour can be an important ingredient of making their day.

So too is the use of song. It can be an original rap or it can simply be new words to an old tune. Thus the Habits of Mind can be introduced and remembered by composing a simple song to the tune of She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain. Here are the first two verses as composed with the assistance of my two granddaughters aged fourteen and sixteen. Half way through the writing they sent me an email, “This is fun!” It is the doing it differently – the unique nature of the task – that makes the day fun for them.

“There are sixteen useful habits in our kit, There are sixteen useful habits in our kit, There are sixteen useful habits, there are sixteen useful habits, there are sixteen useful habits in our kit.

There is empathy in listening in our kit, There is empathy in listening in our kit, There is empathy in listening, there is empathy in listening, There is empathy in listening in our kit.”

The modular nature: the modular effect of this resource engine is well shown by how well the rituals and routines of the school fit making their day. It is all too easy to have a

The school is the sea. The students are the fish. If the sea is not kept at the right temperature the fish will die!

gap between what is espoused and what is practiced. A simple every day ritual such as lining up for class shows this I was recently doing some work in a school where the students line up outside the door.

They know the ritual so they wait silently, hoping they are not going to be reprimanded for the line not being straight enough, or because someone has chosen to tempt fate and whisper a comment. They wait patiently, perhaps resignedly. The teacher gives the signal and they rush to enter the classroom. Chatter breaks out getting louder and louder as they sweep through the door, slightly jostling each other in the process.

The teacher claps her hands. The students clap back and silence reigns. The teacher has ownership and the lesson begins. There is a tension present born of fear doing something wrong. To the untrained eye it looks like good discipline. In reality it is doing to. The teacher is using a transactional leadership style where conforming is the norm. The lessons begin in an atmosphere that may at best be neutral, at worst negative, and unlikely to be positive. The teacher is in control.

The students lack both control and power.

Yet the school claims to be catering for the individual!

At my school there is no lining up in the corridor. Students chatter quietly as they filter into the classroom. They know the required ritual and are comfortable with it. Some may linger at a desk to finish a conversation before they sit at their own desk, purposefully and positively take out a book and start reading. Within a few minutes of entering the room all is quiet, purposeful. It is condition go! There is a sense of relaxed alertness. The teacher is using a transformational leadership style.

After a period of quiet the teacher calls for attention and the lesson begins within an atmosphere of positiveness. The students have internal control. They are responsible.

They have ownership.

ALAN COOPER

Another way of making their day or not making their day is in the questioning ritual that is in vogue in the school and the classroom. Quite simply students are neutralised or empowered by the ritual used for questioning.

Students not being called on to answer questions all too often develop a low level of confidence believing that you the teacher do not believe they are capable of answering, or at least that others will have a better answer. They may even believe that the problem is that you the teacher do not like them. All this negative expectancy too easily becomes an alibi for inattention and beyond that ill discipline. Who gets asked to answer the questions becomes the arbiter of success or failure. Therefore, to make their day some form of random selection of who gets to answer the questions is required.

Wait time is the other important ritual when asking questions. Unless some specific attention is given to it, most teachers require immediate answers, and beyond a one second wait if an answer has not already been forthcoming either answer the question themselves or pose another question. Mary Budd Rowe’s research shows that by waiting just 3 seconds before requiring a response a positive mindset is developed with the students then able to be fully engaged.

Thus fifteen months after introducing both the wait time and random selection of students into a school as the school wide ritual for questions and answers a teacher volunteers that the quieter boys are now stirred to answer with a quality response.

Another teacher states, “I now have a class of keen ‘answerers’, they tell me by their eyes.”

By involving everyone, not just the favoured few, in the questioning and answering, the teacher is making their day and learning flows.

RACORN

Another teacher raised to the overall consciousness level what is involved when she explained to her class that once she had asked the question she would count down from 25 under her breath as wait time.

One day when she asked for a speedy reply one student said “Boy you must have skip counted down that time Mrs Donaldson.”

Rapport between student and teacher develops when the students know what is going on and why.

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ALAN COOPER

Being there Being there is all about taking an individual interest in each student. Recently I conducted a qualitative survey asking a group of 5 year olds to 17 year olds to state simple the one thing that they thought made a good teacher. Heading the list was that the good teacher was interested in them as individuals, or a variation on that that the good teacher was interested in students as people. Two other important aspects also appeared – that the teacher engaged them, and that there was interaction or doing with not doing too.

I also asked what the characteristics of a bad teacher were and not surprisingly the opposites to the above appeared. One heartfelt comment being, “After two weeks of a lesson a day he still didn’t know my name – maybe trivial but to me infuriating and almost insulting” The doing with needed to be a working relationship where there is mutual respect and self discipline. One scathing comment about a disliked teacher was how she wanted to be “everyone’s friend, and never sanctioned anyone.” That attitude led to disaster.

Flowing easily from the above is formative assessment with the teacher cruising the room giving focused feedback. Where this doesn’t happen disaster follows.

Teachers Matter

Cate had to produce a poster for the visual language assessment for her course. Despite the teacher spending time and effort painstakingly placing exemplary examples from previously successful students about the classroom walls as models, Cate did not produce a poster. Her reason was that she did not know what to do.

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Naturally the teacher was incensed. She was proud of the exemplars she had painstakingly collected and displayed in an attractive manner on the wall. She felt she had done her bit and more. Cate was

ALAN COOPER

not just poor mouthed within the faculty lounge but in class by both word and body language. To further inflame the situation, Cate produced an almost perfect poster for her ICT teacher only a few weeks later. If it had been presented in the English class, it would have gained at least a merit. It was very good indeed.

Integral to this is the realisation that learning is individual - that students learn in many different ways, and teaching and learning is most efficient when these differences are taken into account. The Dunn and Dunn learning styles model is complex, having 21 different categories.

However, there is a smaller subset of the whole, where learners are divided into global big picture learners who just want the general idea, and analytic learners who need heaps of structure and detail. It is this sub-set that explained Cate, and it provided a simple enough solution to her problem of not knowing what to do. Rather than being disinterested in learning, and disinterested in completing the poster Cate was anxious to get it right and so to know exactly what she had to do was a prerequisite for her to get started.

Quite simply Cate was a learner who needed a lot of structure. Although the teacher had gone to considerable trouble to put her exemplars up on the wall, this was big picture stuff, and what Cate needed was the detail built up step by step in sequence to the extent of having a visual to guide her. We explored this and she chattered away comfortably and openly. She now had the detail she needed to be relaxed and confident.

Such graphics also provide for a visual learning style.

The next question followed from that.

“You’re having no problem talking to me and you don’t even know me, surely you could have asked the teacher.”

Immediately the weather changed. Suddenly there was tenseness in her body and a scowl on her face. “I don’t like the teacher!” While I was not surprised by this the vehemence with which it was said indicated a deep emotional response.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because every time I ask her a question, she answers to the whole class!” So that was it. The teacher was answering in an authoritarian way. This so alienated the quiet but very articulate introvert that I was so easily chatting with, that she chose to remain silent and fail rather than be humiliated by her teacher.

That was not so in her ICT class. When I asked how she had developed such a good poster she said that her teacher had helped her. How I wanted to know.

Again the weather changed, her whole body lost any tenseness that it had retained and her whole face lit up. “She’s lovely,” Cate said. “When I ask her a question she comes and sits beside me just like you are and we chat about all the little bits and where they fit in. She’s lovely!”

So there was the answer. Not only was the ICT teacher a collegial adult but she also quietly through conversation provided the detailed structure that Cate needed to complete her poster. The emotional blocks had been removed by teaching to Cate’s learning style. She was being there for Cate.

This true story shows up how important the emotional climate or culture in the class is. For this student one climate produces an emotional response that empowers the student’s natural learning system, the other literally shut it down.

To complicate matters not all students are like Cate. According to Learning Style theory and practice there are the analytics like Cate who need step by step detail to succeed, and also like Cate, those whose

sociological preference is for a collegial relationship. However, there are also their opposites. Some, the globals, simply want the big picture like the completed posters the teacher had on the wall as a general guide.

This then lets them get on with doing it their way.

This is where teacher imagination is needed to cater for many styles without becoming stressed out.

“My way or the highway” is very often the philosophy of schools and teachers and so an adverse culture flourishes. This means that the school, the classroom, the total learning environment is teacher friendly rather than student/user friendly. In their book Jonathan Mooney and David Cole (2000) Dyslexic and ADHD students respectively, who went on to achieve honours degrees, ram this home, when they state, “It did not matter that we showed strong alternative learning styles .... these strengths were ignored .... Attempts at intervention allowed people to blame us.... It took us 15 years .... to stop blaming ourselves ......and to come to realize how profound an effect the environment had had on our ability to succeed.”

The school is the sea. The students are the fish. If the sea is not kept at the right temperature the fish will die!

Alan Cooper is an educational consultant based in New Zealand.

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.

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JOAN DALTON

The power of pause Using pause in conversation

T

his morning I went for a walk along the river at the bottom of our property.

Swollen after recent heavy rains, little eddies gently swirled around the banks where the platypus play. The grasses and bushes stretched themselves to the sun, raindrops glistening on their foliage. A wedge-tail eagle circled silently overhead and kookaburras sat patiently, hoping to capture a frog or two for breakfast.

And in the quiet of nature, I stopped, and paused... and revelled in the day.

Teachers Matter

What we don’t always recognise is the gift that pausing brings to our conversations

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My heart rate slowed. I breathed deeply.

I felt calm and joyful on the inside, fully conscious in the moment. Refreshed, I continued on my walk.

At a time when daily pressures urge us to do more and more, faster and faster, to be connected to the world 24/7, we generally

recognise that taking time to pause is a precious and necessary gift to our health, our sleep, and our energy levels.

Most of us take time to pause in a variety of ways, and for varying lengths of time. What we don’t always recognise is the gift that pausing brings to our conversations, with multiple benefits for you, for those you are talking with, and for the topic or issue at hand.

Pausing offers the talker and the listener/s space to ‘hear’ to understand, to process and to take a ‘helicopter’ view of what is being said, and perhaps what is not being said. When you consciously step outside yourself to *meta-reflect in this way, you are more able to monitor and direct the course of what is happening. (*See Book 5, Learning Talk: important conversations at work, pp 80-81)

Pausing to reclaim time to think and to breathe is especially important: 1. When you feel ambushed by others' needs and agendas, especially when you haven't had time to think or prepare, or when high emotion is involved.

2. During conversations where there are significant consequences or implications for action, and decisions to be made.

DMITRY RUKHLENKO

JOAN DALTON

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JOAN DALTON

1. Feeling ambushed: strategies to use These three common scenarios are intended as scaffolds to help you think about times when you have felt 'ambushed'. Use or adapt the suggestions for how you might respond to your own situation and context.

'I can be in my office, working at the computer on an important deadline, when someone will rush through the door, sit down and say 'Have you got a minute? I'm absolutely seething over Kate: she's done it again!'

You might say: 'I don't right now because I have a 3pm deadline on this. You're upset, and we need to be able to talk calmly about the situation, so let's meet first thing tomorrow morning...'

(Assertively and respectfully says 'no', explains why, pro-actively reminds person of need to be calm for conversation, and makes a time to meet.)

'I'll be walking down the hallway on an important mission, and a team member will rush up and say 'I've got to talk to you urgently – we have to do something about..!'

You might say: 'I know this is important to you, and it's too important for a rushed conversation – we need to sit down and allow due time to talk...what about meeting... suggests time'.

(Acknowledges importance, need for proper time to be given, negotiates time.)

'During meetings, we have one particular team member who will say 'I know it's not on the agenda, but we really need to make a decision about...'

You might say: 'I need some time to think about this – let's put it on our *Unfinished Business chart for our next meeting.'

(Assertively requests reflection time, acknowledges issue and signals intent to act)

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VIACHASLAU VAITSENOK

Teachers Matter

* This strategy helps to maximise and maintain focus of conversation and minimise distractions, so important during precious meeting time.

JOAN DALTON

2. Pause during conversations: strategies to use Model the effective use of pause with these two practical strategies:

1

Pause before you speak or respond to a question or an idea shared.

Consciously wait... take a silent breath in and out... and then speak.

2

Request pausing for individual and team reflection time.

Let's take five minutes to stop and reflect so we can summarise the thinking we've heard...

I need a couple of minutes to think about this.

Joan Dalton has 40+ years experience as a teacher, school leader, senior officer with state and national projects, Professional Lear ning Director for a non-profit organization in the USA, and major writing and consultancy experience. She brings in-depth learning from working with schools and educational systems in more than 10 different countries, and a global picture of current international research and best practice. www.leadingadultlearners.com

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MEGAN GALLAGHER

Teacher wellbeing 4 contributors to happy, healthy teachers

A

s I write this we are in the last days of the end of the second term of the year, in the middle of winter where it is cold and miserable and the flu/bug season seems to be incessant. Many schools have mid-year reporting happening, so there is the added stress and it shows for many of us.

Teachers Matter

Let’s be honest though, teaching as a profession is inherently stressful. We are working with people all day and human beings are complex - sometimes tricky even - and relating to people is only the start of what a teacher is doing, as you all know. I am not going to spend time talking about what stresses us for two reasons 1. There is plenty of research and anecdotal data to confirm that teaching is stressful and 2.

Spending energy on talking about what stresses us often feeds the problem and doesn’t necessarily provide any solution to it.

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Last year I conducted a small study as part of my Masters in Education qualification exploring positive wellbeing for primary teachers in their mid-career. I propose that the findings are likely to be relatively generic although to confirm that I would obviously need to conduct a much larger study. I do think however, it is worth sharing some of the findings here as food for thought and a possible contribution to the important conversation about teacher wellbeing. Don’t think for a second that teacher wellbeing isn’t important either, there is plenty of research to support the notion that happy healthy teachers have happier healthier classrooms with happier healthier learners who appear to achieve better. Simply put, your wellbeing is important to the learners in your care.

So here’s some of what I found out about what may contribute to positive teacher wellbeing in our current educational climate:

1. People-centred leadership practices How the school leaders work with their staff in the school can make an appreciable difference to teacher wellbeing. In my research it was noted that it was the small acts of kindness and appreciation that really mattered such as a sincere thank you, a surprise coffee or chocolate treat (or appropriate healthier option), noticing when workload increased and doing what they could to alleviate the stress in small ways. It really centred around relationships and ethical behaviour.

Consider: How do you enhance your relationships with your staff if you are in a leadership position? What are the small acts of kindness that you know will be appreciated by members of your team?

How can you build relationships with the leaders in your school?

2. Supportive relationships It i s s ai d t h a t t e a c h i n g i s a b o ut t h e three R’s, relationships, relationships, relationships. The relationships teachers have are numerous; students, colleagues, parents/caregivers, leadership, school management/parent committees, community members, PLD staff etc. The r e ci p r oc a l n a t ure o f s t ude n t /t e a c h e r relationships is really interesting. When teachers are doing well their students tend to follow suit, and when students are succeeding that tends to support teacher wellbeing. Our relationships with our colleagues can be protective too. It appears that when teachers work in a collaborative, supportive environment that still allows for autonomy and individuality, they thrive.

Consider: How do you build and maintain

MEGAN GALLAGHER

Happy healthy teachers have happier healthier classrooms with happier healthier learners relationships with your students? What is it about your classroom environment that enhances wellbeing for all? How do you acknowledge your colleagues positively?

What do you do to create a positive working environment at your school?

3. Strong sense of purpose

For the people in my research, making a difference for the learners in their care was clearly a motivating factor and something they returned to time and time again when speaking about what ‘filled them up”.

Having clear beliefs about teaching and learning, then following them as well as sharing school values can be empowering for teachers.

Consider: Why did you become a teacher?

What do you believe about teaching and learning? Do you share your school values?

RICHARD SZARVAS

4. Self Efficacy Adopting an “I choose…” mindset appeared to have a positive impact for the teachers in my research. They acknowledged they didn’t achieve true balance much of the time, if at all, but they all stated that the way they worked and lived was a choice they had made.

This seemed to be empowering; they were in control of what they could control and owned it. They were also clear about what was out of their control and found ways to shift their focus. Think about a time that was challenging for you. What lessons can you draw from it? This is one way to reframe negative experiences that appears to help stop these events eating away at your self esteem. Another way to build self efficacy

is to be self aware, knowing your strengths and weaknesses as well as addressing your health and wellbeing needs. The teachers I talked to weren’t afraid to ask for help and could track how they steadily shifted and changed their teaching practice to meet learner needs and improve management of their own personal resources.

Consider: What choices do you make around how you work and why? Are these choices working for you or do you want to change anything? If so what? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What can you share with others to help them improve their practice? Who can you ask for help when you need it?

Basically, teachers - like most people I would suggest - need belongingness, connection and a sense of identity. This, for me, is like our essence that we can come back to when we are decision making, when we are under stress, when something doesn’t go right. The people around us can have a huge impact on how we feel, as can the stories we tell ourselves.

As I stated earlier, your wellbeing is important to the learners in your care so I hope that you will do what you can to help yourself to be the happy healthy teacher you know your learners deserve.

Megan is a committed learner. She is a teacher and has been 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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Teachers Matter

GUSTAVO FRAZAO

ANDREW MURRAY

Failure is OK How do you respond to failure in your classroom?

O

ur year always begins with a day with our student leaders. It is a day where we construct and set school wide goals for the year. On Leaders Day I play a You Tube Clip to our student leaders all about failure. Failure is something that many of them have not had to deal with. That’s not surprising. What is surprising is that all the great success stories, from Wayne Bennet to Graham Henry, Michael Jordan to Steve Jobs to Sir Peter Blake, are steeped in failure. Most successful people will tell you that you absolutely must fail to succeed, and that failure is essential for development. Many great innovations were born out of failure. Failure is not bad, but rather something to be expected, embraced, and learned from.

I had been thinking that students’ intelligence is determined by how well they succeed, and those who fail are deemed inferior. Students are celebrated for their successes and punished, teased, or rejected for their failures. This ideal is promoted amongst our students from the age of five.

It really worried me recently when I was in a Year 4 class where students preferred not to attempt the “harder” tasks because they would get it wrong.

Rarely, in a traditional classroom setting, is failure used as a pathway to innovation.

We are setting our students up to enter the workforce having grown fearful of failure, believing that any failure will prove them worthless, and many workplaces prove them right. It is not only our students but also our staff are not encouraged to be innovative because of this fear.

My question is how can we change the current cultural Mindset from the idea that failure equals bad?

Schools need to follow top sports teams and companies like Google, Toyota, Aon, the All Blacks, Team New Zealand, Apple and AIG failure is encouraged by highlighting the following to staff: • T hey make sure people don’t feel the need to hide or cover up failures, because they make sure their staff know they won’t be fired for the failure—instead they understand that the more quickly they own their failure, the more quickly it can be learned from and built upon.

How do we advance failure in the classroom?

• T hey celebrate failures, sometimes as literal celebrations with beer and sometimes just as public opportunities to say “Great try! We’ve learned so much from this”.

• T hey actively practice a “no blame” culture, where those who make mistakes are not publicly shamed o r b l ame d , b ut ra t h e r a re se e m a s innovators or pioneers. Teams look collaboratively at the mistakes and what the next steps or are.

• T hey see mistakes or failures as just that—opportunities for something new or unexpected.

• T hey understand that if their team is actively trying things and failing, they will eventually discover something great.

Failure is a beginning not an ending.

It’s time to ask your staff: Do we advance failure in the classroom?

How are we responding to this now?

This week I will remind my staff and students alike that it is OK to FAIL.

Andrew is the Deputy Principal and Principals Nominee at Sacred Heart Girls College in New Plymouth.

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OLENA AFANASOVA

KATIE MARTIN

Rethinking the lesson plan

Meeting the demands of the changing world

Teachers Matter

W

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hen I was in my teacher preparation programme, I remember being taught to complete extensive lesson plans to ensure I was prepared to engage students in learning the specified content. I was expected to know how to differentiate for diverse needs of students. I thoughtfully planned modifications for students with special needs and English language learners. I differentiated for those who needed remediation, those who met the standard and those that needed extension activities. Sometimes my lessons for 45 minutes were up to 5 pages long and they very clearly aligned to much of the theory about teaching and learning. I had planned what I was going to say and what they were going to do and say.

Now some of you might be thinking, this sounds great. In a lot of respects, this is

considered best practice and what many teachers are still trained to do, but the problem is the students were just participants in my lessons learning to “do school” (some better than others). In my efforts to teach the content that I had determined necessary, based on pacing guides and standards, I often left little space in my tightly crafted lessons plans for their questions, their interests or for learning and creation beyond what I knew.

I have been thinking a lot about the lesson plans and some of the “best practices” and how they translate (or don’t) to powerful learning experiences. I wonder, to make learning more personal and authentic, what if teachers did less, not more? I am not arguing to wing it and just see what happens - that rarely goes well. I am suggesting however, that instead of teachers doing all the work to plan overly structured lessons

and deliver the content, we spend more time understanding the learners and helping them understand what the learning goal is, where they are in relationship to the desired learning target, and how they can close the gap through more personal learning experiences.

William Yeats says that, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” When we can connect learners to ideas and questions that they passionate and motivated to solve, it is amazing to see what is possible, but too often we prepare teachers to fill the pail rather than light the fire. What if the key practices that we learn in teacher preparations programmes that are reinforced in our evaluations and professional learning that characterise “good teaching”, are preventing us from the type of learning that is possible in classrooms today?

KATIE MARTIN

From Standardisation to Personalisation

From Engagement to Empowerment

Many teachers are taught (and evaluated) on student engagement as measured by how many students are actively participating.

We want to look around the room make sure everyone’s eyes on the teacher, the students are listening intently. We expect to see students raise their hands and wait to be called on. As teachers, we learn to create and deliver lessons that engage students with hooks and fun activities to connect them with the content we want them to learn. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but in The Innovator’s Mindset, George Couros pushed me to think beyond engagement to empowerment, If engagement is the ceiling- the highest bar- then we may be missing point. Think about it: Would you rather hear about changing the world, or do you want the opportunity to do so? A story about a world changer might engage us, but becoming world-changers changes us. So the question for you as a professional educator is: If you had to choose between compliant, engaged, or empowered, which word would you choose to define your students?

I was talking to a teacher about how he wanted to create more authentic learning experiences for his students but he couldn’t imagine how he could do this given the current expectations of him. He was wondering how he could possibly plan to “personalise” for every student. If you think about lesson plans in a traditional sense yes, it is overwhelming, if not completely impossible for a teacher to plan personalised learning experiences for each student. In the Myth of Average, Todd Rose points out that “in spite of our understanding that no two people are the same, we have set up a system that prioritises and demands over structured lessons for every student to meet the same objective at the same time in the year regardless of the individual’s unique strengths, interests, or questions to be answered”.

A conversation I had with a 1st grader highlighted this challenge. He asked, “Why do I have to learn about butterflies?” I wanted to know more about what they were learning and after probing a little bit more, he told me that they had glued some parts of the butterfly on paper and coloured a picture. There was a display on the back wall of 27 similar butterflies that each student made. Curiously, I asked, “What do you want to learn about?” He said, “Chickens.” He then offered, “I already know about butterflies.”

His comments had stuck with me all week and were starkly contrasted with a classroom I visited where 1st graders were recording videos in pairs to narrate their informational writing. I asked a student what she was writing about and she explained to me what she was learning about turtles and informed me that some of her friends were writing about Helen Keller, others about owls and continued to list a variety of other topics. The content was based on what the students wanted to learn but the each of them, regardless of their chosen topic, were learning and practicing the skills to be better writers, communicators, and collaborators. The teachers had taught them the skills that they were using to research on their iPad, organise information and share what they were learning. The students were at different stages of the writing process, teaching and learning from one another and beyond excited to share what they were writing. Beyond writing for the teachers as the only audience, they made videos to communicate what they learned about their topic of choice with friends, parents and anyone else who wanted to learn from them.

With access to an abundance of resources to learn in ways that extend beyond the individual teacher and their expertise, we have opportunities to create more personal learning experiences that can allow students to develop the skills and apply them in ways that are meaningful and relevant to them.

If engagement is the ceiling - the highest bar then we may be missing point.

— George Couros 19

SCOTT GRIESSEL

KATIE MARTIN

Teachers Matter

From Scaffolds to Agency

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I was once told for every class you should spend twice as much time planning and the saying goes if you don’t if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Now I believe it’s important to plan and necessary to scaffold sometimes but I also wonder, as we guide the learners each step of the way, how often do the structures and scaffolds that are put in place actually inhibit the learning process? When the teacher bears the cognitive load and is the one who finds the resources and plans the sequence, the learners are coaxed along in the process to move down a prescribed path.

If you think of the examples above about the butterfly unit the teacher was the one who picked out the books, created the worksheets for students to fill in, planned to scaffold for different achievement levels and students passively respond to the activities. Yet in the second class, the teacher had set up the process for students to learn and taught the students the skills but they owned the learning and had autonomy and purpose throughout the process. The important thing here is the choice and the purpose naturally allows for the learners to move at their own pace and path, allowing for learners to seek support based on their own needs from peers, online resources, and the teacher. Learner agency is about moving students from passively responding to acting with purpose to reach a desired goal or outcome.

KATIE MARTIN

From Skills to Application

A common approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment is often referred to as ‘standards-based’. According to the Glossary for Education Reform, standards-based grading is defined as: “systems of instruction, assessment, grading, and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating understanding or mastery of the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as they progress through their education. In a school that uses standards-based approaches to educating students, learning standards—i.e., concise, written descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their education—determine the goals of a lesson or course, and teachers then determine how and what to teach students so they achieve the learning expectations described in the standards.”

We all have a finite amount of resources and are accountable to meet specific objectives within a given period of time.

Knowledge and skills are foundational and need to be taught. Yet, there is a need to balance the foundational skills that we want all students to attain while allowing for authentic application of those skills.

In the standards-based paradigm, our learning goals are primarily the standards or subsets of standards. This is a good start but as many employers, vision statements, and good common sense allude to, there is more to developing productive and empowered citizens than just mastering isolated standards. We need to prioritize learning experiences that not only develop knowledge but attend to the skills, interactions, and mindsets that we know are critical for students to develop to be successful in our evolving world.

From classroom management to classroom community

Classroom management is a staple of any teacher education and or induction program and seen as a foundation of good teaching. This typically means preparing teachers to manage classrooms through a multitude of strategies to ensure they know how to maintain control of a classroom. For example, a common practice is to use public management displays to identify who is following the rules as a way to motivate students to choose the appropriate behaviour. I believe that we need to have rules and procedures that facilitate productive learning environments but to create lear ning environments where students feel valued and a sense of ownership, we must move beyond management to creating learning environments that foster a community of empowered learners.

I used to spend the first days of school learning about my students and establishing the classroom community. Rather than going over rules and the syllabus, we would talk about how we wanted to be treated, how we liked to learn, and what we wanted our classrooms environment to be like. I taught middle school and had multiple classes so each class had their own norms and community guidelines that we used. Each class made their own poster and ensured students had ownership and felt like they were a contributing member of the community. They were usually rooted in the same ideas but reflected the personality of each class.

Of course we don’t want to leave children behind or provide experiences in school that don’t prepare the to be successful in life, college, and careers but the reality is that we are leaving kids behind, we are proving experiences in school that are irrelevant to their lives and don’t equip them with the skills that they need to be learners not just consumers.

Experimenting or Evolving?

I know for many it can be daunting to think about redesigning classroom experiences based on the student and teacher interests, rather than a set curriculum that ensures everyone gets the same thing. One experienced teacher and administrator told me it wasn’t fair to kids to experiment on students and that we needed to make sure the curriculum was vetted prior to rolling it out in classrooms to avoid messing it up or “failing students.” This fear is prevalent in education and too often we end up sticking with what we have always done because it is safe and if we are honest is safe because managing the status quo rarely gets us in trouble. But it we are really focused on what’s best for kids and our goal is to ensure success in work, life, and citizenship, we need to create a system that is more nimble and allows for teachers to create learning experiences that reflect the context and the resources to best meet the needs of learners. This is not experimenting but being responsive which is critical to create schools that continually evolve to meet the demands of the changing world.

Katie is the Director of Professional Learning at the University of San Diego’s Institute for Entrepreneurship in Education.

Dr. Martin taught middle school English language arts and led the new teacher mentoring program on the Leeward Coast of Hawai’i. She continues to research, learn, and speak about creating optimal learning experiences in a changing world.

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BETTE BLANCE

As much as children need freedom, they need limits A different type of intervention

Classrooms are abuzz with opportunities for children to meet their need for freedom, power and belonging in an environment where they feel safe.

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hat is it that has a school achieving great academic standards, and no stand downs, suspensions or exclusions for the last sixteen years? Apart from a very small difference in reading results, Tokoroa North School, a decile three school, has students outperforming National results, with a higher percentage students reaching, or are above National Standards in Reading, Writing and Maths. Maori students are achieving at this same rate. It doesn’t happen by chance.

work alongside classmates to achieve. They are given the skills to make responsible choices and there is evidence the children really enjoying being at school.

Tokoroa North School has been recognised as having something special in the way that all staff and students treat each other and what they expect of each other. From the principal to the newest teacher and youngest student in this school, everyone has worked very hard to make the school a good place to be.

Self-Control

Teachers Matter

The principal uses William Glasser’s Lead Management as his preferred leadership style. He is consultative and cognisant of the needs of his staff, ensuring that each person who comes through his door is heard.

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While this is one key to the school’s success, everyone has input into this achievement.

A high level of trust has been developed between staff members, teachers and students ,and amongst the students. This is a vision that teachers have been inspired by, and something they have worked very hard to achieve.

Classrooms are abuzz with opportunities for children to meet their need for fun, freedom, power, belonging in an environment where they feel safe. Children are developing competence and confidence while they are

It sounds idyllic. In reality there are issues, as in any school. Some students make less than effective choices, some parents can be absent or over-demanding, staff can become overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the job. Just how do you achieve this sort of result; the ability to retain children in the school and keep them learning well?

For the last 40 years the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study has tracked all babies born in 1972 in Dunedin. The results of this research is the subject of the television documentary Why am I? This study has shown that self-control is the key to physical health, substance dependence, personal finances, and criminal offending. Self-control is central to the work that many teachers at the school do in their classrooms.

Raewyn Whiteman Thor ne holds the dual role of SENCO (Special Education Needs Coordinator) and APSEL (Social and Emotional Learning Coordinator) at Tokoroa North School. She not only supports staff with her ability to share her vast experience of working with students, but she also works with a colleague, Karen Tyrell to facilitate ongoing staff development around Choice Theory, the underpinning psychology of the school.

Raewyn has been a major factor in the extraordinar y results of the school in

BETTE BLANCE

The impression one got looking out into the playground was one of sheer enjoyment with several ball games going on in the same space without any issues arising.

This is a school that values learning highly whether it be for classroom learning or learning to get along well together. It is truly a good place to be.

Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” Napoleon Hill

achieving high academic standards alongside the fact that children are at school rather than being excluded. APSEL - Social and Emotional Learning - is a long-standing initiative that successfully provides responsive support for children and whanau.

Her commitment to helping the students find a way back to being self-managing has been central to achieving this result.

She works skillfully, caringly and with “consistent persistence”, believing in the abilities of all children to make more effective choices. She gives them the skills to be better learners and better friends, with strategies that support them as they develop emotional regulation and self-control.

In her office she has set up a learning environment. I was able to watch her as she worked with a group of four boys whose choices in the playground had resulted in needing to spend some of their lunchtime with her.

Different purpose This was not the stereotypical caricature with the teacher punishing the students.

It was a fun filled time of sharing and learning and planning for change It was obvious to me that she had their trust.

She continued to develop mutual respect giving rise to a willingness for these boys to self-evaluate and plan for better choices.

They were able to address the behaviours they had chosen by taking responsibility for them. They got it. They did not blame or complain about others. They chose to be accountable for their actions.

At the end of the time they spent time in the playground to practise the skills they had been talking about with the plan to report back just before going back to class.

This style of intervention leads to a safe and stable play environment and this spills over into the classroom when students return after playtime.

Bette is the president of the William Glasser Institute - New Zealand. As a past member of the William Glasser International Board, Bette continues her involvement in the international Choice Theory School project team which is charged with revamping the existing processes of helping schools to improve learning outcomes as well as improving student’s ability to get along together. She can be contacted on bette@choiceconnections.nz. www.choice-connection.com

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PAHHAM ERIC ISSELEE

Teachers Matter

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MAGGIE DENT

Are your ‘problem’ students ‘bad’ or struggling?

Problem ‘behaviour’ may not be the problem

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ere in Australia, there has been quite a bit of media focus on the alarming impact that badly behaved students have in our schools, on staff, school leaders and other students.

‘Bad’ or struggling?

Poorly behaved students are nothing new. However, it seems the numbers are increasing — so is the stress and angst this problem causes and one has to wonder if it is adding to the declining standards of education.

Simply punishing them for behaving poorly, rather than exploring what is triggering the behaviour and helping them make better choices, will have limited success.

Our Federal Minister of Education Simon Birmingham has stated that the situation will be improved by a “zero tolerance policy of bad behaviour”.

Many of these students have learning challenges like low literacy, poor selfregulation, family conflict especially family violence, lousy diets (or are often hungry), or they may have addiction issues and often undiagnosed mental health issues.

Really? Now I am not suggesting for a moment that we tolerate acts of violence, psychological torment and other forms of bullying. These things DO require a very firm stance from schools — but given the statistics, the broader problem of problem behaviour may require more than that.

Stress is high for these students and they have a short fuse that is activated easily.

When we add the challenges of adolescence – with massive physical, hormonal, brain and emotional changes – it can be obvious that much poor behaviour is, more often than not, a response to stress.

I taught in high schools for around 17 years and I taught in both city and country schools, and met many students who struggled to be model students.

I t ’s n o t j u s t t h o s e s t u d e n t s w h o a r e struggling. Many more capable students struggle with the pressure of the pursuit of high grades in secondary school – striving for perfection or as close to perfect as possible.

Teachers Matter

In my day these students were called ‘at risk’.

Nowadays many students just struggle due to making poor choices in an environment they find hostile or full of stresses, which they are unable to cope or manage.

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Students who exhibit poor behaviour that is disrespectful, disruptive and inappropriate do so for so many reasons.

Since I was in the classroom the world has changed in so many ways that may be contributing to the increase in students who behave badly.

From sensory overload, huge distraction from technology, rampant consumerism, global uncertainty to poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles to the schoolification of early years — all these things impact our adolescents.

Students are fighting anxiety and depression to achieve the academic results that will supposedly give them the greatest opportunity to have a fabulous life.

We must change reduce this relentless pressure for high grades.

So what changes could be made to improve our schools?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a powerful guide to use to consider what changes may make a positive difference.

First there must be a genuine attempt to meet the basic physiological needs of students. Many schools have breakfast clubs meeting the needs of hungry students.

One school set up a shared lunch initiative where students helped prepare healthy lunches for other students and staff, parents and extended families. Sharing food while building life skills is transformative.

Once basic needs are considered the next steps are about building safety and then inclusion that nurtures belonging.

There are many creative ways schools can do that as we often read in this magazine.

I am also a passionate supporter of the Positive Schools movement, which promotes valuing student wellbeing and sense of belonging BEFORE curriculum.

This approach values the “doing with them” rather than the “doing to them” approach and has a better chance of making these students feel they matter – a key to improving how they behave and learn.

Relationships matter and yet many new graduates arrive in our schools with a poor understanding of the importance of this key attribute to exceptional teaching – and therefore no idea of how to build these with respectful, healthy boundaries.

“Happy, calm children learn best.” This q u o t e f r o m D a n i e l G o l e m a n ’s b o o k Emotional Intelligence holds the key to transforming our schools.

PAHHAM

We can create meaningful learning outcomes and healthier happier students and staff but only if punishment comes last not first on the list of what can be done.

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MAGGIE DENT

21 ways to improve bad behaviour in schools: 1. From kindergarten to Year 12 calmness and mindfulness habits should be a part of every school day. Smiling Mind aims to have mindfulness as a part of the National curriculum in Australia by 2020 and as their ambassador, I am right behind them in this goal.

This is number 1 for a reason: Research in schools using Smiling Mind found the schools experienced: improved concentration, less bullying, better behaviour in the classroom, and both teachers and students found they were sleeping better and had a greater ability to manage their emotions.

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2. Determine high positive expectations for all students following Dr Chris Sarra’s model for Indigenous schools – via the Stronger Smarter Institute. Without these expectations, change is impossible.

3. Build a positive school culture with opportunities for parents, students and staff to have a voice through projects or events that build belonging.

4. Improve and encourage play in schools promoting fun, risk, movement, human interaction and communication from K-12.

5. Promote emotional and social literacy, especially a commitment to fairness, embracing diversity and the capacity to care for all within the school community. Some excellent programs are Drumbeat, Kids Matter, Better Buddies Program started by the Alannah and Madeline foundation, Best Programs 4 Kids.

6. Have exceptional teachers who can connect with troubled students, who have the time and resources to be innovative, and who can re-engage students.

7. Support teachers who struggle with student engagement by using mentors to help them learn more effective strategies and to build relationships.

8. Offer afternoon homework opportunities with afternoon tea for those who have challenges at home to complete work.

9. Students who struggle need to have a reason to want to be at school – a positive relationship with a ‘lighthouse’ figure, something they enjoy doing like dance, surfing, art or even helping with the school garden, café or helping younger students. Some disadvantaged schools have introduced therapy dogs that have radically improved school attendance for reluctant, disengaged students.

MAGGIE DENT

11. Build a passionate, committed and accessible student services team.

12. Offer access to allied health services within school grounds – many students have undiagnosed conditions that need attention and parents are unable to afford treatment. A significant percentage of boys in the juvenile justice system have speech deficits that were never detected in early years, and almost 80% of inmates in our prison systems have low literacy.

13. Secondary schools need to commit to programs that enrich the journey to adulthood, like those offered by Enlighten Education and the Goodfellas program. Or introduce the Rite Journey as a long-term school project for the challenging Year 9 cohort – a powerful way to guide and teach adolescents about the early confusing stages of the transition to adulthood.

14. Offer lunchtime and after-school classes to improve wellbeing like yoga, Tai chi, meditation, dancing and personal training.

15. Teach thinking skills, accelerated learning techniques and memory strategies so all students can become smarter.

16. Lighten up in schools – have more laughter and fun so kids can feel connected and that life really is worth living (especially for boys).

17. Ensure all students have creative pursuits, every year of schooling – increase arts opportunities.

18. Have a significant physical endeavour like a long trek, canoeing adventure or mountain biking adventure that is seen as a ‘rite of passage’ activity in Year 9 or 10 that requires preparation and planning.

Programs like Outward Bound, True North Expeditions, The Making of Men might be able to help with this.

19. Run a virtual school market where students have to grow, bake or create a product or recycle something to sell or offer a service like car washing, window cleaning or gardening so they learn some skills for running a business.

20. Have a significant school fete or fair that celebrates the wonderful things the school is offering, other than an education.

21. Adopt a charity to support through volunteering or raising much-needed funds.

Passionate committed teachers have always had the potential to change lives for the better but they cannot do that on their own.

It requires the whole school community to stand up and say: “No More”. We need to recognise that many of our children are struggling in today’s world and for those without supportive, caring parents – or whose parents are simply struggling to meet their needs – we need to create opportunities to get those needs met and give these young people a better chance in life.

We c a n c r e a t e m e a n i n g f u l l e a r n i n g outcomes and healthier happier students and staff but only if punishment comes last not first on the list of what can be done.

M a g g i e i s a n a u t h o r, p a re n t i n g educator and resilience specialist with a particular interest in the early years and adolescence. A former teacher and counsellor, Maggie is now an indemand speaker and writer. She is the author of nine books and a prolific creator of resources for parents, adolescents, teachers and early childhood educators.

ANDREY VINNIKOV

10. Consider an integrated curriculum where students do mainstream classes every morning and in the afternoon choose options that can build life skills through volunteering, one-off projects like school plays, concerts, charity and fundraising… especially in middle school where most disengagement occurs.

www.maggiedent.com

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MAGGIE HOS-MCGRANE

Dialogue vs. discussion Know the difference!

I

used to use the words dialogue and discussion interchangeably, but since sitting in on a Responsive Classroom session last month I’ve realised that they are actually two very different things. Dialogue is simply about understanding others’ viewpoints, whereas discussion involves critical thinking in order to come to a decision. Let’s consider these in more detail.

Dialogue

Teachers Matter 30

DMITRIY SHPILKO

This is where members of a group or team inquire into their own and others beliefs and values, and as such listening - in particular listening to your own inner

voice - is as important as speaking. It’s important that in dialogue ideas are able to flow without judgment. When we start a dialogue we need to be able to “listen to our listening”. We need to check that we are not running though our own personal anecdotes in order to compose a reply, but instead listening to others and then deciding what the best course of action is. This could involve paraphrasing in order to check that everyone has the same understanding, asking a question to inquire further into the ideas of others, or putting a new idea on the table to widen the dialogue.

Dialogue is not about decision making.

Often poor decisions are made when there is not enough dialogue to build understanding, but instead a rush to action which leads to conflict. Misunderstanding is at the bottom of most group conflict, so going slowly during dialogue can mean that when it’s time to discuss and make a decision, things can go quickly. Dialogue, in fact, can and should produce “productive tension” - if we are not comfortable with this then we lose the opportunities to learn.

MAGGIE HOS-MCGRANE

Discussion This is much more focused on proposed actions and solutions. Often discussion is ineffective as it is simply a sharing of ideas without inquiring into the thinking and proposals of other team members.

Sometimes decisions are made through voting or trying to come up with consensus, but without prior dialogue these decisions can be low quality and simply represent the ideas of the most vocal people in the group. These decisions are not ones that the group as a whole has committed to, and therefore often don’t stay made. In a skilled discussion the focus is on one topic at a time, and the group is also committed to one process at a time. The group facilitator needs to provide a clear structure and to keep everyone on track. Effective group members are responsible for sharing

knowledge and ideas and listening out for areas of confusion. A discussion should not degenerate into a debate, where people take sides and challenge others, instead it should be a place where ideas are generated, organized, analysed and a decision made considering the alternatives. Some ideas will need to be eliminated so that stronger ideas can be decided upon. It’s important that these decisions are based on the ideas, not the individuals proposing the ideas - the group must collectively own the ideas and then shape them.

Understanding the difference between a dialogue and a discussion has already impacted my role in the various meetings I’ve attended over the past couple of weeks, as I’ve been tr ying to put my learning into practice.

Dialogue is simply about understanding others’ viewpoints, whereas discussion involves critical thinking in order to come to a decision.

Maggie Hos-McGrane has been 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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BLUEORANGE STUDIO

Teachers Matter NATALIE CATLETT

NATALIE CATLETT

How I taught focus to a class that wouldn’t sit still!

Rock on!

A

s a teacher, every now and then we come across a class with an abundance of energy. Sometimes so much energy that teaching seems like an impossible mission. Students fidget with their hands, feet, dance in their seats and engage in constant side conversations with their classmates.

Any time is a good time to tell a secret or share an interesting dinosaur fact. (Don’t we all love learning about dinosaurs?) Last year, I inherited a first grade class that fit the description above. They were curious, they were bright, but it was clear from day one that they needed help to channel their excess energy. I didn’t want or expect them to sit statue-still; much to the contrary - I always encourage active learning, collaboration, and ongoing participation in the classroom.

However, I wanted them to understand the importance of balance. When you come across a class that is constantly in a highly agitated state and this begins to interfere with their learning, something needs to be looked at more carefully. My fellow teachers and I were constantly asking ourselves, “How can we help this group?”, “What strategies can we incorporate in our classrooms?”, “What tools do they need to

be more at peace with themselves?” The conversations were endless. The strategies were endless. And so was their energy.

Since our school works in a trans-disciplinary manner, teachers across subject areas often collaborate. At the time, students were learning about rocks and the rock cycle with their homeroom teacher. In Art, I wanted to explore rock sculptures. I was hesitant to explore this theme at first, anticipating possible conflicts due to the groups agitated temperament, but decided to move forward.

Little did I know the powerful effect rocks and rock-sculpture building would have on them individually and as a group.

Front-loading We began our rock sculpture inquiries watching videos of Michael Grab creating freestanding rock sculptures in the wilderness. Students were awed with Michael´s each and every move. As he piled one rock onto another in the videos students reacted with “wow” and “ahh.” They were amazed, so amazed that one student challenged the group: “This can’t possibly be real, is it?” Once we finished watching the videos students shared some of their many

observations. I then asked them, “What traits must an artist like Michael Grab have in order to build the rock sculptures we just saw?”

“Patience.”

“Peace.”

“He needs to know a lot about rocks.”

“Steady hands.”

“A lot of concentration.”

They were fascinated. They were involved.

We were on to a good start.

Hands-on The following class students came to the art room eager to build their own rock sculptures. At first, piling one rock on top of the other was quite an accomplishment, until they discovered they could pile 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 rocks onto each other. Every time a sculpture collapsed they immediately began rebuilding it. Students were open to constant trial-and- error, learning more from their failures than successes. Yet, little frustration was evident.

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NATALIE CATLETT

They took risks however great they were and the open-ended nature of the activity allowed them to engage in constant problem solving.

Weeks went by and their sculptures became taller and far more elaborate. In small groups, they shared their discoveries and identified ways of making a stronger base.

They realised that looking closely at the characteristics of the rocks allowed them to make predictions and anticipate possible outcomes. The rocks varied in shape and size: some were flat, some were rounded, some were jagged, some were pitted. All of this mattered once they began the rock balancing act.

There was an incident where students were building a rock sculpture collaboratively and one student ran to the sink. She found a sponge, soaked it with water and ran back to the sculpture. “I am going to press water from this sponge onto our sculpture.

If it’s strong it will stand still.” They approached this moment of uncertainty with excitement, gathered in a circle. Water dripped from the sponge onto the sculpture.

The sculpture stood tall. They looked at each other and celebrated their success.

The Calming Effect

Rock Teachings

Students were quick to notice how inner focus was important while building their rock sculpture. Bothered, one student shared with the class, “I can’t concentrate with noise!” Another student claimed that someone spoke so loud in class that it destabilised his sculpture, making it collapse. Some even sought out hidden places and transformed it into their rocksculpture-making oasis. They realised that in order build a sculpture they had to align their physical and mental energy. They needed to focus on their intent and act upon it carefully. A quick unplanned move could jeopardise the stability of their entire sculpture making it collapse.

Elements of nature can become powerful teachers. Rocks, unlike twigs, leaves and dirt, cannot be modelled or reshaped with our bare hands. Rocks are hard, sometimes heavy and often resistant. In order to work with rocks students had to accept its traits and challenge themselves. When students were asked to reflect on their rock sculpture-making experiences, most of them highlighted the importance of balance, patience and persistence. One student noted that, “I can only create a balanced sculpture if I am balanced.” Once our inquiry cycle finally came to an end, they asked, “Can we have a rock corner in the art room for the rest of the year?” “Of course!” I responded.

Their willingness to challenge themselves was extraordinary. They took risks however great they were and the open-ended nature of the activity allowed them to engage in constant problem solving. They also became more aware of their bodies in the art room. Students moved carefully within the class. Some began working on the ground because sharing a table was too much of a risk. If the person beside them dropped a rock it could initiate a domino effect of sculpture’s collapsing.

The class with endless energy became, to my surprise, the class with endless focus.

An entire year has gone by since we first began exploring rock sculptures and students continue seeking the “Rock Corner”. The class still has an abundance of energy, but every time they interact with the rocks, the world around them slows down. They tune inwards and focus permeates the room.

SOMCHAI SOMSANITANGKUL

Collaborative Sculptures

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Once students became more confident of their sculpture-making abilities they began working collaboratively. There were situations where the entire class was engaged in building one large sculpture together.

Can you imagine one sculpture being built by 24 students? Their disposition to accept responsibility, cooperate, resolve conflicts and make group decisions in an egalitarian manner was visible during these moments.

Natalie obtained her BFA from Pratt Institute in New York. Currently, she is living and teaching in São Paulo, Brazil.

Her area of expertise is art integration in the elementary classroom. Natalie has always felt strongly about the transformative role of the arts in Education. Her experience teaching in IB World Schools inspired her to create an Arts Center for Children, "Arte nos Fundos."

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JAMES KIRKIKIS

ALEXANDRALEXEY

Giving students ownership and control of their own learning journey Using a road map to encourage student control

T

here is a critical moment in course design when teachers make a decision about what will be taught, how long it will be taught, and how learning will be assessed. Most teachers, in my observation, make these decisions in isolation or with a group of other teachers, leaving little to no room for student input.

What if we loosened up that control and instead of a traditional syllabus (which implicitly limits what, when, and how a student can learn), we gave them a learning journey? What if we offered learning experiences to students and let them choose the avenues and modalities of learning?

If we create learning options within a roadmap (think potential units and possible lessons sprinkled along the optional routes), students would be able to take more control over their learning. The fundamental components of a learning experience wouldn’t change; we would still need to have clear expectations, clarify resources for students, and guide students towards avenues of learning.

What if learning looked like this?

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MARK ENGSTROM

start

Geography Learning Journey Outline Region

Which One Doesn't Belong?

Border Patrol

Atlas Exercise

Digital Exploration

FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING Online Mapping Games

Drawing a Map of the Region

Current Events

Mental Mapping

Personalised Map

Quizzes

Textbook Outlining

Dot Maps

Content Analysis

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Online Quiz Creation

Digital Exploration

World Map Project TO SERVE Website Augmentation Teach A Class TO EDUCATE Infographic Pies PSA TO ADVOCATE Website Creation

Learning without reflection is a waste.

Reflection without learning is dangerous. — Confucius

Research Paper TO DEEPEN Learning Global PASSION BASED LEARNING Personalised Map Replication with Analysis Geoguesser with Analysis

Drawing a Map of the Region with Content

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Mental Mapping with Content

Current Event Analysis

Dot Map with Content Swap

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Textbook Outline Review

Quizlet Fill in Outline Map with Content

ASSESSMENT PREPARATION Analysis Based Assessment

Content Based Assessment

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YARRUTA

MARK ENGSTROM

The four sections of this learning journey each play a vital role in the learning process:

SECTION

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Foundational Learning

There is value in learning a foundation of content that will serve as a platform necessary for higher levels of learning.

Collaborative Learning

There is inherent value in students learning from each other and working with each other towards the common goal of learning.

Passion Based Learning

There is value in diving into a project where the content is based on a student’s own interest.

Assessment Preparation

There is value in reviewing material and synthesising information so that deeper learning takes place.

Allowing students to opt into learning modalities they enjoy will have multiple benefits, from more enjoyment of learning to self-awareness of how they learn.

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MARK ENGSTROM

How a learning journey impacts learning: Impact on content

Impact on assessment

While we are unable to know what content is necessary for students to learn, it is clear that we need students to be able to evaluate and analyse any and all content. With that in mind, it is worth considering which components of content knowledge in your classes are negotiable. Take those pieces and embed student choice by making those options that they may want to learn.

This is often the single variable that gives teachers the most pause when it comes to giving students more control over their learning. If we give students ownership over what or how they learn, then the question of how they will be assessed is a reasonable one. It will take some deep thinking about what you want students to learn and how they can demonstrate that knowledge. One solution is to ask broad based questions that allow for multiple avenues/answers to demonstrate mastery.

Impact on pacing One of the primary benefits of giving students a learning journey is its impact on pacing.

Students who already understand a concept can move to the next video/reading/exercise, and students who need more time can watch/read/re-do or engage in other learning modalities until they understand the content/concept. If you are willing to state clearly how students will be assessed, then there is every reason to let students progress at the pace which works for them.

Impact on learning modalities It’s undeniable that students learn in different ways. Much has been written about multiple intelligences and differentiation and while those movements had the right idea in mind: reaching more students, they also seem to be riddled with teacher control that permeated educational writing and philosophy up until recently. If there is a natural tendency for some students to want to write papers, present to their peers, create artwork, etc., as their preferred form of learning, then great. Let’s let them engage in the material that way. If there is a concern about diversity of skill sets being developed, that is an opportunity for a conference with a student about taking risks and having a growth mindset rather than only choosing learning modalities within one’s comfort zone. The overarching theme here is that allowing students to opt into learning modalities they enjoy will have multiple benefits, from more enjoyment of learning to self-awareness of how they learn.

Impact on ownership One of the biggest tensions that pervades education around the world is the idea of ownership. Traditional teaching is riddled with a negative cycle of assignments: 1. An assignment is mandated.

2. Students scramble to figure out what the teacher wants (often via oral and written feedback).

3. Students submit their assignments (It’s interesting that traditionally the teacher’s name was on the top of the assignment as well, isn’t it?)

4. A grade is “given”.

5. The final graded product is promptly thrown in the trash.

Giving students a learning journey where they make choices regarding their learning will mean they are more likely to engage in the learning in an organic way rather than simply jumping through hoops. It also lends itself to better final products that students can take pride in and could easily lead to a digital portfolio of work they want to share with others (relatives, future teachers, college admissions offices, etc.).

Hopefully you will think about the power a learning journey could have for your students. After all, they are the ones we want making decisions and taking control of their own learning!

Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss designing learning journeys for your students.

Mark is an Educational Consultant, Blended Learning Designer and the Head of MS/US at Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas. He has presented on digital learning through Independent School Management, Association of American Schools in South America and Association of International Schools in Africa. He has helped teachers from all over the world make learning more engaging for their students. Feel free to connect through Twitter @markaengstrom or emailmarkaengstrom@hotmail.com.

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ZACK GROSHELL

FIDGET

SPINNERS Annoying or cool?

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ZACK GROSHELL

L

ast week, we took our school’s swim team to Dubai to compete in a meet with over 800 participants. One of the highlights of the trip (for the kids) was visiting the Dubai Mall, famous for the Burj Khalifa and its indoor aquarium. Many of the students that attended the swim meet were from my Year 5 class, and they had told me in the lead-up to the meet that they would all be purchasing fidget spinners, as these are not yet available in Sudan.

Not only did my kids buy a fidget spinner each, but they made sure to buy a supply of fidget spinners and fidget cubes for the whole year level, and all of their siblings. The fidget phenomenon has officially reached Khartoum.

Now, I feel that I am a pretty patient and tolerant teacher when it comes to students bringing things to school. When I was a kid I hated it when my teachers took my Pokémon cards that I had saved up for and carefully guarded in plastic sleeve protectors. I never wanted to become the teacher that took away toys simply because they distracted ME. Then came the fidget spinners. Really quickly, let me tell you how the first week went with these things.

Every few seconds they fly out of kids' hands.

The addictive quality of these spinners is that they have the potential to deliver a satisfying spin between your index and forefingers. There is a bit of a risk though as they tend to fly out between a child’s clumsy grip just at the climax of a lesson sequence. Exactly when an “aha!” (Karen, is this the phase we got into trouble for using before?!) moment is about to occur, a pesky spinner will fly into the corner of the room, prompting the whole class to turn their heads towards the guilty butterfingers who did it.

They're not great when you need kids to use their hands.

Any time a student is using their iPad, writing with a pencil, or reading a book, these spinners get in the way. It is fun to watch a kid try to keep open a stiffly bound novel with one forearm and their chin as they try to spin a fidget spinner on their thumb - but only if you don’t care about that child’s reading goals. I’ve heard the crack of far too many spinners whacking against the screens of my students’ iPads as well, which goes to show that there may still be things out there more impressive to children than technology.

Even though they can be annoying, they are kind of cool.

I’m not going to lie...it is fun to spin a spinner on your fingers, or even on your nose. They fit perfectly in your pocket, and they really don’t do much more damage than a cup and a ball would in a classroom setting. The multitude of colours, styles and types of these fidget devices makes them fun to collect and pass around, and their purchase really made mark on our Dubai trip.

I, myself, am a very fidgety fella, so I was initially curious if somehow these toys could cure my constant need to fuss and fidget. Needless to say, I think I’ll be sticking to flipping pens and markers until this fad dies down…

ITANA

I think I’ll be sticking to flipping pens and markers until this fad dies down…

Zach has taught in the US and Vietnam before settling into his current position as instructional coach in Khartoum, Sudan. He is a passionate advocate for developing student mindfulness and independence in the classroom. Check out his blog at educationrickshaw.com.

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BETTE BLANCE CAROLYN STUART

Are we expecting too much too quickly of our teachers?

And are they loosing their passion because of this?

Making teachers sit passively in staff meetings being told what to do does not change teacher belief and practice.

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O

ver the past few weeks I have spent considerable time thinking about what it must be like to be a teacher in 2017. I think the joy and wonderment that keeps our amazing teachers teaching is still there, but I also sense that there is a deep exhaustion across the sector at all levels of the teaching profession. I think much of this exhaustion has come from under-estimating the enormity of the changes we are currently expecting of the sector, and from the compressed timeframes in which we want this change to occur.

Moving to shared teaching spaces, or Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) is one example of where I think we might be expecting too much too quickly. Last month I had the privilege of visiting Waitākiri School in Christchurch and having an incredibly insightful conversation with their principal Neil O’Reilly. Neil’s Masters thesis was about the key components required to create effective collaborative teaching and learning environments. It was from our conversation and then taking the time to read his thesis, that the enormity of what we are expecting from our teachers and leaders as we transition to ILEs dawned on me.

CAROLYN STUART

From my classroom to our teaching space - teachers are trained to work with children. This relationship is very different to working with other adults, so the first challenge for teachers moving into a shared teaching space is to learn to work as a teacher with other teachers, and to become comfortable with teaching in front of their peers.

My beliefs to our beliefs - most teachers operate from a very strongly held set of personal beliefs, many of which are formed from their own school experiences. As teachers move into ILEs they need to plan collaboratively and to accept and enact different ways of doing things. I suspect that at times these co-created practices do not align with individual beliefs about what is effective teaching practice. I know from my teaching days how exhausting and souldestroying I found teaching in a way that did not align with my personal beliefs.

Teacher-directed to self-regulated learning - one of the expected outcomes of moving to an ILE is that the delivery of the curriculum moves from being teacherdirected to one of self-regulated learning.

Having multiple adults, and collaborative spaces and structures, enables learners to be more self-regulated, but we must not under-estimate the enormity of the shift we are asking teachers to make in their pedagogical thinking if up until this point the learning in their classroom has been mainly teacher directed.

More structured environments and greater competence and reliance on digital technology - For ILE’s to work there is a requirement for effective systems and routines. Neill’s research concluded that ‘these environments are twice as structured as they were when teachers were teaching in isolation” and that most collaborative teaching spaces use an online platform to manage the complexity. For many teachers this has meant a significant increase in their digital competence.

I’m not for one moment suggesting that moving to ILEs shouldn’t happen. I personally believe that teachers working

VADYM MALYSHEVSKYI

Let’s pause for a moment and think about the changes we are asking a teacher, whose training and experience up to this point has been in a single cell classroom, to make as they transition into a shared teaching environment.

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CAROLYN STUART

listening to others telling them how to do their jobs more effectively! They expressed concern that if their students didn’t improve then they would be blamed, but their reality was that they now had insufficient time to prepare the learning for their students.

What was really sad was that both of these highly experienced teachers were thinking about leaving the profession.

Teachers Matter

effectively together achieve far more than teachers working alone. What I am suggesting though is that we need to acknowledge the enormity of the change that is required, and to adjust our expectations accordingly. It is much better to take 3-4 years to completely transition to this new way of teaching than to try to bring about the change in under 12 months and then give up, put the walls back in, and do what we have always done, because it was all too hard. Pat yourself on the back if after 12 months teachers have nailed working together. Don’t worry if it takes a couple more years to achieve a self-regulated learning environment. It is far better to take a longer time on the journey than to give up because it is all too hard. And remember to take the parents with you as well.

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During the holidays I got chatting to a couple of teachers at the airport.

They weren’t facing the challenges of transitioning to ILEs. The challenge they were facing was extraordinary numbers of after-school meetings they were expected to attend; in what they saw was a misguided attempt by the management of their school to address student under-achievement. The irony they expressed was that the time they would normally use to plan their teaching was being taken up in meetings passively

Te a c h e r p r o f e s s i o n a l l e a r n i n g a n d development is critical to improving our schools. Making teachers sit passively in staff meetings being told what to do does not change teacher belief and practice. Teachers need to work through the ‘why’ of what they are being asked to do. A deep understanding and commitment to the ‘why’ ensures that a teacher’s practice continues to align to their beliefs, which is critical if they are going to be the best teacher they can be.

All of the changes we are currently making across education are important and if done well, will result in more students achieving success. My plea is that we implement these changes at a pace and in a way that ensures we arrive at the desired destination with teachers and leaders who are still passionate and energised by what they do.

We can do this we just have to be sensible and remember that meaningful change takes time.

Carolyn Stuart is a passionate educator who has held many different positions within New Zealand's education sector, from student to teacher to principal and now the Deputy Chief Executive, Education at N4L. Carolyn holds a Master of Education specialising in leadership, and regularly commentates her views on education via her blog (www.mindspinnz.blogspot.com), Facebook and Twitter (@carolynstuart).

She is frequently asked to speak at events across New Zealand.

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ANASTASIIA BOBKO

FRANCIS MULLIGAN

Starting school

How do I make sure my child is ready for school?

I

have been a teacher in New Entrant classrooms on and off for the last six years. I have two children at school and a pre-schooler. I have many friends who are teachers and have been an activae participant in conversations around this topic. I feel like I am quite well qualified to give an answer to the question: “How do I make sure my child is ready for school?”

The answer may surprise many parents. I have seen on many parent groups pages’ answers around the child’s academic performance. Encouraging the parent to make sure their child knows the alphabet, can write their name, can count and recognise numbers.

While all of these thing will definitely help your child have a positive start to school academically, there is a lot more to it.

I asked a group of teachers what they wish a new child to their class had been taught before starting school. Not a single one of them answered with an “academic” response. All of their answers focussed on life skills such as toileting, eating, dressing themselves, talking etc.

Self Care As a teacher you may have anywhere between 13 to 20 five year olds in your class.

Imagine having to put on 20 jackets every time you need to go somewhere. Tie up 20 sets of laces, assist 20 children going to the toilet/washing their hands, dress 20 children after swimming lessons…the list goes on.

It is not only impossible, it is taking up valuable learning time.

Encourage your child to be independent with these tasks at home so when they start school it is something they are confident and comfortable doing.

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You know your child, you know their capabilities. If you wouldn’t expect them to do something for themselves at home, then how will they do it at school? You can make it easier for your child and their teacher by doing a few things. Ensure your child has food that they can eat by themselves.

There is a reason sandwiches are popular lunchbox food! Cut up apples instead of sending the whole fruit, and provide a lunchbox/drink bottle that your child can open and close independently. If your child can not manage to tie up their laces when they start school (as many can’t), then send them with Velcro/slip on shoes. Make sure they are dressed in clothes easy to take off and put on (e.g., track pants with elastic not jeans with buckles). These all seem like little things but they will make your child’s first few weeks/months at school so much easier.

Social Skills

When your child starts school they are going to be spending all day with other children. It important for them to know how to handle that. It can be hugely overwhelming for a child who has not spent time around others their age to suddenly be permanently surrounded by them.

Teach your child how to use their manners when speaking to others. Talk to them about what they need to do if they are uncomfortable or unhappy in a social situation. It is Okay to not play with someone but, it is not okay to be cruel or unkind. If someone upsets them how will they react?

If your child is prone to reacting physically when they are unhappy (my youngest is one of these!) then talk to them about other ways to express themselves. It would be really upsetting for your child and you to have them in trouble in the first few weeks at school because they hit/hurt someone.

Make sure your child is aware of the school and classroom rules. Discuss why these rules are in place and how it is very important for them to do as the teacher says.

Being responsible for themselves and their belongings It is not the teachers job to know where every item of their clothing is. If you think they can not keep track of where they left their jacket, then name it. This is crucial.

Many children are not able to recognise what they were wearing when they came to school. Naming their clothes means you will hopefully have them returned to you or your child.

FRANCIS MULLIGAN

I asked a group of teachers what they wish a new child to their class had been taught before starting school. Not a single one of them answered with an “academic� response. All of their answers focussed on life skills such as toileting, eating, dressing themselves,

NEJRON

talking etc.

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FRANCIS MULLIGAN

Provide your child with a big enough bag to hold all of their things. Lunch box, drink bottle, book bag, jacket. Nothing worse than losing something because it just didn’t fit.

You can help your child take responsibility for themselves and their belongings by encouraging them to pack their own bag for school in the morning and unpack it at the end of the day. If they make a mess, they can help clean it up. Teach them to put things back where they came from. These skills will easily transfer to the classroom and will definitely make your home life easier too! Win, win!

Academic

Teach your child to recognise his/her name.

Even if they cannot write it themselves they need to be able to recognise it written somewhere. It will be on their book box, tote tray, bag hook, school books/stationary and if they can recognise it then they will be able to find their own things much easier and faster.

Sing songs to your child. Read to them. Give them a pen and a piece of paper. Allow them to explore their voice and their imagination.

Talk to your child and encourage them to ask questions. More and more children are starting school with poor oral language.

Conversations you have at home are crucial for your child’s development. Encourage your child to become an independent and creative thinker and they will embrace the challenges school gives them.

OLGA BOGATYRENKO

All children are different and bring so many wonderful things to a classroom. They will love the opportunities they are exploring at school and we (teachers) will love having them. Be prepared for a very tired five-yearold, especially in the first few weeks. Don’t push too many after school activities on them. They will need time to process and wind down. Ask them questions about their day. Tell them about yours! Enjoy this new time in both of your lives.

If you have concerns about getting your child ready for school pop in and talk to the school your child is going to attend. They will be more than happy to talk through their expectations with you as well as calm any worries you might have.

Thank you to the teachers I have consulted to write this piece. You know who you are.

Francis is a registered teacher, with a degree in Education and a Post Grad Dip in Teaching and learning (Primary).

I have spent the last six years in New Entrant classrooms. I am currently working part time in Special Education and have three children aged eight, six and three. https://m.facebook.com/theangrymumnz/

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49

TORKY

KAREN BOYES

Exam Techniques

Teachers Matter 50

When writing your answers, make it easy for the examiner to understand your thought process. Examiners look for concise, readable, well-presented work that answers the question. Short sentences are best. Use simple words. Using long words inappropriately or words that you don’t fully understand will not impress the marker. It will give the impression you are trying to bluff your way through. Marks will be lost accordingly. Go for simplicity of wording and shorter sentences. Make sure your handwriting is easy to read.

Here is a list of words you may find in an exam paper and what they mean:

• Analyse Take to pieces what occurred and determine what makes up the various parts. This involves examining something minutely and critically.

• Compare Liken one thing with another.

What are the similarities or differences?

• Contrast What are the differences between them, including the degree of difference if any?

• Define Give the exact meaning and describe the essential qualities.

• Describe Explain the features, qualities or properties in detail.

• Discuss Debate the positives and negatives.

• Evaluate Explain the meaning and analyse (take apart the whole) then put the important points together and comment or make judgement on it.

• Explain Make plain and clear and give the meaning of.

• Illustrate Make clear and explain with a description, examples and diagrams.

• Justify Prove or show to be just or right.

• List Number the items down the page.

• Outline Give the main features and ideas, facts or principles.

STOKKETE

T

he first thing I recommend you do when you are allowed to start, is to quickly read through the entire exam paper. Scan it quickly, looking at the questions to see what will be required to pass this exam. Once you have an overview of what you are dealing with, start with the easy questions first. This will help calm you and build your confidence.

Allow your subconscious to work on the harder questions while you are doing the easier ones. By the time you get to the harder questions your subconscious mind will have come up with some ideas and answers. Plus, some of the easy questions and answers may have triggered information for the harder questions.

KAREN BOYES

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KAREN BOYES

Allow your subconscious to work on the harder questions while you are doing the easier ones.

• State Formally set out the facts clearly.

• Summarise Give a clear account of the main points.

Before the exam • Get a great night’s sleep, and remember cramming isn’t a smart option.

• Space out answers so it is easy for the marker to read. A good rule is to start each new question on a new page. Label each question clearly. Number the pages to avoid any confusion.

• Relax and quietly review the key points an hour before your exam.

• Ensure you have all your pens, rulers, calculator and spare batteries etc.

• Get to your exam 15-20 minutes early.

• Keep yourself positive by telling yourself to relax and visualising a successful exam.

• Avoid people who are stressing out and speaking negatively about the exam.

In the Exam • Once you find your seat, get organised by spreading out your pens, pencils etc.

Teachers Matter

• Remember to answer every question.

• If you are running out of time, make sure you get down the main points.

• Eat a healthy breakfast and/or lunch if it is an afternoon exam.

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• Ensure you answer the compulsor y questions.

• Read the instructions carefully.

• Divide your time according to the marks.

If it’s a three-hour exam and there are three sections, each section should take 50-55mins, allowing time for reviewing at the end. If there are 40 multi-choice questions in a section, you have just over one minute per question.

• If you make a mistake, clearly cross it out and start again.

• At the end, if you have time, proof read your answers, check mathematical answers and working.

• For numerical questions you should show your working steps. Marks are often allocated for each step so that if you make an error along the way, you may still be able to get good marks • For questions requiring descriptive answers, use the mark allocation as a guide to the number of points required. For example, to answer a 2-mark question fully, you are likely to be required to give two distinctly different points.

• Include, where possible, an equation or sketch wherever relevant.

What to do when you can’t think of an answer Take a deep breath, stretch and look up to recall the information. If you can’t recall a date, leave a space and come back to it later. If you are not sure about the answer, jot down a couple of points on the exam paper and tell yourself you will come back to the question after you have completed the next two. If you have forgotten some of your material, ask yourself these questions: • Where was I when studying this?

• What was I thinking?

• What did I say?

• What letter of the alphabet did it start with?

Exam Stress If you are feeling stressed before an exam, it is likely that you are seeing a negative or bad result inside your head. Make sure you are using positive self talk, affirmations, and are seeing a positive result. Visualise yourself going into the exam calm and relaxed. See yourself scanning through the paper and starting with the easy questions first. Feel yourself calmly writing the answers and the information flowing out of the end of your pen. See yourself successfully completing the paper with plenty of time to check your answers.

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 recognised with the NSANZ Educator of the Year award in 2014 and 2017, 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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HAKKI ARSLAN

MICHAEL GROSE

When developing independence feels risky Scaffolding a child’s way to independence

M

ost parents I meet love the notion of promoting self-sufficiency in their children. However, there are a number of barriers to overcome when it comes to putting the concept into practice.

Time is a common barrier. Let’s face it, when time is at a premium it can be simpler to make their lunch/get them out of bed/sort their friendship problem than leave it for them to do. Somehow we need to strike a balance between doing for things them and allowing them the time and space to do things for themselves.

A negative parental attitude to risk is another common barrier to independencebuilding. Our natural protective instinct that ensures that we keep kids safe, can at times be on overdrive, particularly when events such as the recent Manchester terrorist attacks occur. We all feel vulnerable at these times, but we need to be careful that we don’t smother or restrict our children’s natural need for self-sufficiency by taking positive risks.

We need to allow kids to take positive risks, to extend their horizons, their capabilities, and their range of social and physical experiences.

Parenting tip: Create cut down versions If you feel decidedly nervous about letting go and allowing kids to experience positive risks associated with expanding their horizons then I suggest you borrow a strategy that all major sporting codes are using to hook kids of all ages to their code. Namely, create a junior version of the game, the skill or experience that you want them to have.

Most modern sports have developed modified versions of their games allowing children from very young ages to participate.

Australian Rules, for instance, has removed tackling, reduced the number of players in a team and made grounds smaller so that boys and girls as young as five can participate. This gives younger children the

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chance to experience Aussie Rules in bitesized, manageable chunks.

There are countless opportunities to create cut-down versions of activities to bring them into the reach of children. For instance, a cut down version of making a bed for a threeyear-old could be smoothing the doona and arranging teddies and a pillow. As a child gains in competency then you can add some complexity to the bed-making. (This doesn’t involve risks but it’s a great skill to learn.)

Similarly, a six-year-old can learn to walk to school on his or her own by being accompanied half way by an adult until they feel comfortable and become competent enough to go the full journey on their own.

A teenager, who begins to go out at night can cut her teeth on sleepovers and other supervised gatherings before going to parties and activities without adult supervision.

Parenting tip: When kids ask, assist their independence As a general rule, when a child or young person asks if they can do something new or something that extends their boundaries then a parent who works from an independence-building mindset should look to put steps in place to assist their independence. And often the easiest step is to create a cut-down version of the real thing to help kids develop the confidence and competence they need.

Anxious and low risk-taking kids Creating a cut-down version is a fantastic parenting tip or strategy to enable anxious, nervous and low-risk-takers to gain the skills and confidence needed to overcome their fears and anxieties. Kids who are overly anxious or fearful about approaching new social situations need to face their fears rather than avoid the situation altogether. If they continually avoid situations that bring on anxiety, then they’ll always struggle.

If it’s a birthday party that’s causing intense worry, then use a cut down version so your child only needs to go for the first hour rather than the whole party. You can scaffold their way to independence by arranging for them to go with a friend beforehand, and stay with them until they feel comfortable moving away. You can also create a cut-down version of a party at home with siblings and rehearse how they can introduce themselves and play with others. This may sound contrived but these types of activities are invaluable for helping anxious kids gain mastery over unfamiliar social situations.

Parents have always found ways to make skill acquisition and self-sufficiency easy for kids to master. When the reach for independence involves risk then we can all feel a little edgy.

Creating junior versions of the real thing is one way we can help kids become more independent while reducing (rather than totally eliminating) the element of risk.

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.

Creating junior versions of the real thing is one way we can help kids become more independent while reducing

TERESA KASPRZYCKA

the element of risk.

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THERESE HOYLE

5 tips to bully proof playtimes and lunchtimes Create an an emotionally and physically safe playground environment

It is important that we set the highest standards in protecting and safeguarding our children within the school environment.

I

n the United Kingdom, primary school children can spend up to one and a half hours – 20% of their school day, in the playground. It is a vital part of a child’s day and what happens in the playground affects the whole life of the school.

Research from Sharpe and Smith shows us that 75% of bullying in schools happens in the school playground and one of the suggested causes is boredom or lack of stimulus. Recent research by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) also cites that children are four times more likely to be bullied in the school playground than online.

As part of any Child Protection Policy it is important that we set the highest standards in protecting and safeguarding our children within the school environment. The best preventative to bullying is to have a whole school-wide programme with everyone working together towards the same goal – a great school where everyone feels safe and can learn.

With that in mind, here are our top 5 tips to create a bully proof playtime and lunchtime.

1

Teach the children what bullying is and what it is not – ‘The Bullying Facts’

2

Promote a caring, safe and positive school environment with Playground Rules

Bullying involves an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim, is intentionally harmful and occurs repetitively.

Ensure these are visibly displayed in the playground and that they are consistent with your school rules and values; we often have them inside our schools though forget we need them outside too!

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THERESE HOYLE

3

Ensure you have a Playtime Behaviour Policy

4

Provide Training for Midday Supervisory Assistants (MSAs)

5

Build Resilience through play

A Playground Behaviour Policy for pupils, teachers and midday supervisors (MSAs) sets out clear guidelines for managing pupil behaviour during break and lunch times. With rewards for positive behaviour – Reward Stickers, green Reward Slips, Caught Being Good Tokens, Playground Star Award Certificates and also Sanction notes to establish consequences for breaking the playground rules and bullying – you can create a culture of no tolerance.

MSAs are responsible, in some schools, for an hour of a pupil’s day every day. Many schools have recognised the importance of training these valuable members of staff so that they can be proactive in reducing bullying. (Contact Therese Hoyle for further information on her ‘How to be a Lunchtime Superhero Course.’) Empower duty staff to better guide children’s play behaviour ensuring they understand the rules, rewards and sanction systems.

Lester and Russell highlight the importance of building resilience through play: ‘Play can help build resilience – the capacity for children to thrive despite adversity and stress in their lives.

Emotions have a key role in playing and play makes a major contribution to developing emotion regulation, building strong attachments and peer friendships, engendering positive feelings and enabling children to cope with stressful situations through developing creative approaches and problem-solving.’

PHANUCHAT PHASERTPOL

This can include the teaching and playing of traditional and co-operative playground games and getting lunchtime supervisors to organise age and gender-appropriate activities and games.

I really hope this article helps support you in creating an emotionally and physically safe playground environment. Being bullied can be a painful and life lasting experience and we need to do all we can in our schools to safeguard our children.

Therese is bestselling author of 101 Playg round 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 Edventure, or contact her direct for in depth advice on designing and developing your playground. Email: info@theresehoyle.com

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DR LAURA MARKHAM

15 ways to keep your child from developing an eating disorder

Help your child develop a healthy body AND body image

I

n this culture, unfortunately, many of us eat diets that aren’t very healthy, and we don’t get enough exercise. That’s true for our kids, too.

In fact, experts suggest that this is the first generation that’s less healthy than their parents.

Unfortunately, when you mix kids’ junk food consumption and lack of exercise with our cultural obsession with thinness, it’s a perfect storm for eating disorders. Guess how many teens in the US will develop eating disorders? 23% of girls and 6% of boys!

So eating disorders are a serious risk factor for our children. Luckily, parents have a lot more power than they realise to prevent eating disorders, but our intervention works best when it starts early. Intervening in adolescence, when kids need to assert their right to control their own bodies, is tricky and less effective.

What can you do to prevent your child from developing an eating disorder?

Help your child develop a healthy body AND a healthy body image.

1. Consider your attitude toward your own body.

I hope you LOVE your body, every inch of it, no matter how it looks in the mirror.

But most of us have been influenced by our culture’s obsession with thin, and we judge ourselves harshly. So when we see our child starting to put on weight, all our selfjudgment kicks in, and we project it onto our child, worrying that she’ll have a life-long struggle with her weight. Unfortunately, our kids pick up on our fear, and they assume something’s wrong with them. So use this as an opportunity to develop a healthier relationship with your own body, so you don’t perpetuate that feeling of shame and “not good enough” onto another generation.

2. Educate your child about how the media presents thinness as equated with everything positive and perpetuates unrealistic images.

Point out that all the models on the magazine covers have been air-brushed; they simply aren’t real. Terrific videos to show your daughter -- and son! -- are the Dove Evolution of Beauty Video (an ordinary young woman air-brushed into

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a billboard model) and Diet.com’s The Photoshop Effect (showing how pervasive Photoshop is, and how it has created an unrealistic standard of beauty against which we all judge ourselves.) Discuss the fact that people with bodies that meet cultural standards of desirability are not any happier.

3. Commit yourself to model good eating habits.

Face it - Whatever you do, they’ll do. If you drink soda, they’ll drink soda. If you snack on that ever-present bowl of carrots, so will they. If this seems to you like deprivation, consider that your bad food habits are a sad legacy for your child. Aren’t you willing to change, to protect your child? Your increased health, vitality and good looks will reward you as much as your children asking for more carrots.

4. Don’t talk about dieting.

In fact, don’t diet, just eat healthfully, and make exercise an automatic part of life for everyone in the family. Dieting, research tells us, doesn’t work; it creates feelings of deprivation and longing that cause binge eating. And it changes body chemistry

so that not only do dieters almost always regain the weight, but losing it the next time is even harder. Only long-term healthy eating and exercising helps people not only lose weight, but keep it off.

Want to teach your child self-control?

Start with the idea of listening to your body: “Are you hungry for more?” When your child wants sweets, instead of just saying no, which can build up feelings of deprivation, assure your child that sweets will be available another time: “The bakery is always here...we go there for special occasions, not every day.” Research shows this reduces longings and binges, instead making us feel empowered to make healthy choices.

5. Learn the latest in nutrition.

The percentage of overweight Americans has more than doubled over the past century and has continued to rise, accompanied by similar rises in incidence of disease.

Culprits include our sedentary lifestyle, high stress levels, large food portions, and our evolutionary propensity to eat (and store) extra food in times of plenty just in case lean times are around the corner.

IRINA ROIBU

DR LAURA MARKHAM

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IRINA ROIBU

DR LAURA MARKHAM

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DR LAURA MARKHAM

Unfortunately, when you mix kids’ junk food consumption and lack of exercise with our cultural obsession with thinness, it’s a perfect storm for eating disorders.

But nutritionists increasingly suspect that processed foods are the biggest contributor to our health issues. Consumption of saturated fat has actually decreased during this period of extreme weight gain, while consumption of processed foods has increased dramatically. Designed to last during long periods of storage and shipping, and with taste rather than nutrition in mind, foods with hydrogenated oils, preservatives, corn syrup and carbohydrates stripped of their nutrients are simply bad for our bodies.

They create chronic disease as we get older.

But they start, even in childhood, by causing inflammation and cravings.

6. Don’t make your child self-conscious by commenting on it if you notice that she’s becoming a bit pudgy.

Instead, ratchet up the physical activity level and decrease the sugar content of the family diet. If you decide that your child needs to lose some weight, put the whole family on a healthy eating program. Changing food habits is challenging to anyone, and to expect a child to give up treats that others in the house are eating is simply unreasonable.

7. Throw out the junk food and don’t stock treats Throw out the junk food and don’t stock treats except for special occasions. It’s bad for everyone in the family. And if kids see others eating them, it’s too hard for them to resist. They’ll eat what’s around, and sneak it if they have to. Many teenage girls get started on a bulimic pattern by sneaking their parents’ ice cream and then vomiting.

8. Keep trying to get them to eat their veggies.

No self respecting child tries a new food the first time she sees it. But eventually, she’s likely to. That’s why kids who are exposed to more foods are more sophisticated eaters. Studies show that the major predictor in children’s willingness to eat a food is familiarity.

9. Get your child involved in sports.

Every child needs a regular physical activity.

When girls get involved with sports, they have a healthier attitude toward their bodies for life. When kids find a sport they love when they’re younger, they’re much more likely to stay fit for life. Instead of communicating that we exercise to tame body fat, explain that exercise keeps us healthier and happier in every way, by changing our body chemistry. Insist on family physical activity every weekend, and get moving with your child.

10. Never comment on other people’s bodies.

If you’re always saying how thin someone looks, or how fat, your child learns that body shape is what’s important, and she feels like people are always looking at HER body.

“In an era when childhood obesity has reached crisis proportions, the commercial food industr y has no business telling toddlers to consume fast food, soft drinks and high-calorie low-quality snacks -- all products linked to excessive weight gain.”

Did you know that in most countries, it’s illegal to market to kids, including with TV ads?

15. Accept your child exactly as she is.

Every child needs to be loved unconditionally.

Never, in any way, communicate to your child that you think she would be prettier, more acceptable, or more lovable if she had a different body shape. Instead, clearly communicate that what matters is who we are inside and the choices we make about how we show up in the world.

11. Discuss with sitters what your child may eat.

Being rigid will set up forbidden fruit, which will only sabotage your efforts, but an otherwise healthy diet can easily be overwhelmed by chips and soda every afternoon.

12. Nurse your baby Nurse your baby to reduce his chances of being overweight as an adult.

13. Reduce Stress.

Kids who have higher levels of stress hormones in their bodies are less healthy physically, including the tendency to put on more weight.

14. Reduce TV use.

Children who watch two hours of television each day are much more likely to grow into overweight adults with high cholesterol. It may be that advertising has as much to do with this correlation as inactivity. US obesity specialist David Ludwig says recent research strengthens the case for a ban on food advertising aimed at children:

Laura is the founder of www.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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U

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN KAREN BOYES

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

Understanding

Teachers Matter

Understanding is a process where a person is able to take a concept, idea or information and use it to solve problems, relate to another concept, explain accurately etc. Understanding also includes being able to apply the knowledge to new situations, teach others how to use the information and develop further questions and insights. Evidence of understanding might also include showing empathy, good judgement and tolerance of a person or situation.

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Unconscious Cognition

Unconscious cognition is the processing of perception, m e m o r y, l e a r n i n g , t h o u g h t , and language without being aware of it. The role of the unconscious mind on decision making is a topic greatly debated by neuroscientists, linguists and psychologists around the world.

Eric Jensen, a world leader in learning and the brain, suggests 99% of learning is unconscious.

This suggests students lear n more from the environment, demeanour of the teachers, non verbal clues and the unsaid words. A fascinating fast is the conscious mind can process up to 50 bits of information per second.

The unconscious can process up to a trillion bits of information per second.

v

Visual Learning

According to Neuroscientists, up to 70% of information comes into the brain through the eyes.

This is visual learning. Visual learning includes using graphic organizers, such as webs, concept maps idea maps, and slide shows are used to help students of all ages think and learn more effectively. It also includes using colour, diagrams and pictures or photos. Visual learning is also the fastest type of processing the brain does. The speed at which the eye sees something and processes it is around 13 milliseconds as compared to Auditory (sound) learning which is processed at 3-6 syllables per second.

Visualisation

Visualisation is any technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message. Visualisation through visual imager y has been an effective way to communicate both abstract and concrete ideas since the dawn of humanity.

Mental visualisation is the ability to manipulate ideas in your minds eye and is a powerful technique used by thousands of successful people.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN

U

v

NOPQRSTUVWXYZ KAREN BOYES

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

Verbal-linguistic intelligence

Visual-spatial intelligence

A VLE is an environment where students learn from web based programmes or with technology assistance. This might include web based videos, online courses, video conferencing, flipped classrooms or a blended learning approach.

Known as one of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, verbal-linguistics is the ability to use and produce language effectively. People high in this intelligence are often talented with words. They enjoy reading, writing and learning languages.

They have an ability to teach and explain things to others.

They may prefer to learn best by reading, taking notes and going to lectures.

Another of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, visualspatial is the ability to create visual images in the form of drawings, designs, maps, puzzles, mazes, and other creative items.

People high in this intelligence are often great at remembering images and details and have an awareness of their surroundings.

They also have good spatial judgment and reasoning, mental skills to solve spatial problems of navigation and have exceptional visualisation of objects from different angles and space.

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 recognised with the NSANZ Educator of the Year award in 2014 and 2017, and works in schools throughout Australasia teaching students how to Study Smart and teachers how to raise achievement. www.karentuiboyes.com

63

ROBYN PEARCE

6 tips on how to reduce stress and beat burnout Recognising when to slow down or stop

I

was having a conversation with a senior Army officer about stress and burnout the other day. At the extreme end of this is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He, in company with a number of his colleagues, has experienced it and sometimes gets recurrences - especially when he’s under a lot of pressure. The initial onset is usually from extended living in or working in dangerous environments, but once the condition has developed, triggers can bring on an occurrence. For instance, a back-firing vehicle can be reminiscent of gunfire.

to not recognising when to slow down, stop or rest.

On the other hand, the more common forms of stress and burnout we see in our society are a potential for all of us; we don’t need to be in battle zones to suffer.

Six tips I’ve learnt the hard way:

• A Southern Cross Health Society survey late last year found that six in ten New Zealanders feel stressed at least once a week, with this reducing to four in ten among those aged 50 plus.

• The survey also reveals that financial and work related issues stress out younger Kiwis, while their older counterparts are more likely to be stressed by health/potential health issues.

• And apparently females are more likely to be stressed for more than half the working week.

We all intellectually know that stress is something to try and avoid, yet when we’re caught in the spiral of it, changing our state seems near impossible. So, what can we do about it, apart from feeling depressed at what is apparently an increasing trend? (The findings reported were consistent with the Southern Cross 2015 ‘Wellness in the Workplace’ survey which reported that 28.6% of businesses believed employee stress levels were on the rise.)

I’ve suffered burn-out more than once in earlier years and have worked with a number of clients struggling with the same issue. Is it triggered by stress? Some experts say it’s the end result of too much stress. For myself, in most instances, my own behaviours were the root cause, due

64

Even when we feel there’s nothing we can do, honest introspection will almost always deliver some action we can take to begin the change back to health and a feeling of wellbeing. Do we need to change jobs? Is there someone else we can get to assist us?

What can we do about health challenges?

The tips following are not designed for very extreme cases, but might be helpful if you’re dealing with lower-grade stress or burnout.

1

Listen to and observe your body – it tries to alert you. We all have a weak spot. For some it will be a sore back, or shoulders, or an old injury that starts to ache. For me it was an internal sense of shakiness – not visible to the casual onlooker. Some (mainly women) will burst into tears at inappropriate times.

Others will get angry.

2

Slow down. For as long as necessary, cut back on as much as you can. For most, the easiest way to decide this is to make a written list of the tasks on hand – trying to do it in your head is too confusing. There will almost always be something you can defer, delegate or just stop doing. It may be necessary to talk to other stake-holders, but honesty is the best policy. You’ll only end up disappointing them if you keep battling on, for you’re guaranteed to become less and less effective if you don’t change something.

3

Clarity and commonsense are typical casualties of stress and burnout. You might have to ask someone else to help you if you can’t see the wood for the trees. Or you might give a family member or colleague permission to call you on marker-post behaviours. For instance, a family member used to strongly encourage me to stop when I started working extra-long hours.

4

Tidy up your environment.

An overload of paper, information or clutter is stressful. In my experience, the fastest stress-reducer in town is to sort out your office (and/or any other environment you work or live in.) If you can’t do it alone, find a neat-freak friend to work with you. You have to do the work though, for it’s your stuff and you need to make the decisions.

5 6

Take regular power naps.

It’s the fastest way to claw back energy and productivity, counter intuitive as it sounds.

About every six to eight weeks have a Do Nothing weekend (or a few more days if possible) away from any stress-creating situation. Don’t do anything looking remotely like work. Ideally switch off your phone. Give your brain and body a chance to defrag (to use a computer term) from your day-to-day cares. Get into nature, do exercise, sleep, relax, read – whatever your favourite method of chilling out might be.

Don’t rush around socialising or fill your time with deadlines and obligations. Do Nothing! You’ll be amazed how refreshed you feel at the end of the days off.

Good luck with these simple commonsense methods.

Robyn Pearce is known around the world as the Time Queen, helping people discover new angles on time.

Check the resources on her website www.gettingagrip.com, including a free report for you: How to Master Time in Only 90 Seconds. She is a CSP, a Certified Speaking Professional. This is the top speaking accreditation in the profession of speaking and held by only about 800 people around the world. www.gettingagrip.com

ROBYN PEARCE

We all intellectually know that stress is something to try and avoid, yet when we’re caught in the spiral of it, changing

ERIN CADIGAN

our state seems near impossible.

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TERRY SMALL

Keep your brain healthy!

An interactive tour inside your brain

W

hat is the one thing you absolutely need to run your life successfully?

Answer: a healthy brain!

Consider this:

• Paying attention is the result of good brain function.

• Effective leadership is the result of good brain function.

• Good parenting is the result of good brain function.

• Healthy relationships are the result of good brain function.

• Good memory is the result of good brain function..... .....and the list goes on and on.....

It is hard to overstate how important it is to make lifestyle changes now to stay vital tomorrow. Taking care of yourself today will keep your brain sharp and keep you independent for your entire life.

Here’s the bad news: Cognitive decline can start as early as age 24! The pathological changes in your brain associated with Alzheimer’s can begin when you are at your peak. These changes may begin 3 decades before becoming noticeable. The incidence of Alzheimer’s in younger people is increasing at an alarming rate. Some neuroscientists believe the road to Alzheimer’s begins in childhood.

Here’s the good news: Much of this can be prevented. Making mindful, good decisions regarding diet, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle choices can actually make your brain younger.

The first step is to learn as much as you can about your brain. Learn what you can do to keep your brain healthy. Learn what can hurt your brain.

I recently came across the great, interactive tour of your brain and Alzheimer’s at the Alzheimer’s BC website. I encourage you to take this 5-minute tour right now! Here is the web address: http://www.alz.org/braintour/3_main_parts.asp

Learn what can hurt your brain.

66

ALLAN SWART

TERRY SMALL

67

BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

Promoting picture books

Ranger the Kaimanawa Stallion Author Illustrator

Kelly Wilson Jenny Cooper

Publisher

Penguin Group

New Zealand, Limited, 2016 ISBN 0143770128, 9780143770121 Ranger is a battle hardened Kaimanawa stallion who, by 6 years of age, commands a herd of his own. One fateful day, his life was changed forever when he was rounded up in a cull of the Kaimanawa horses.

The story is written from Ranger’s point of view, including his capture by helicopter muster which must have been terrifying, and follows his journey from a wild stallion to become the most trustworthy pony owned by the Wilson sisters.

1. Timeline Incorporating information from the both the story itself and the information on the back page, create a timeline of events. At each point in the time line indicate how Ranger felt and include a word that best describes his feelings.

+

Triumphant

Living with the herd

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Battling for his own herd

Caught in the cull

Terrified

BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

2. Perspective This story is told from Ranger’s perspective.

Choose a part of the story and rewrite it in the third person, i.e. as an observer rather than a participant.

Why is it necessary for Kaimanawa horses to be culled? Why are the meat works the first choice for the stallions?

3. Comparisons

Cap

life

tiv

i

ty

W

Using a Venn diagram, compare Ranger’s life before the cull and after.

il d

Freedom to roam

Eat and drink

Fighting stallions

Exercise

Building a herd

6. Questions for discussion.

Sense of belonging

Fenced Groomed Horse shoes Trained

What is the effect

of the army base being in proximity to where the horses roam?

What impact

did being part of a television documentary have on Ranger’s training?

If there had been no documentary, do you think that Ranger would have ended up at the Horse of the Year event?

7. Research Suggestions The Wilson Sisters and their work with Kaimanawa horses.

Other types of wild horses and how are they treated. E.g. mustangs and brumbies What happens to Kaimanawa horses if they are not homed?

Some websites to start with.

4. Vocabulary A. Build a list of horse-related words using the book.

Can you find any further words to build this list?

B.

Go to the page of Ranger and Kelly eyeballing each other.

Ranger's feelings

Kelly's feelings

exhausted wary scared

friendly little wary happy apprehensive

5. Fight and Flight Discuss with students the flight/ fight response.

Find examples of this in the book with regard to Ranger.

E.g. On hearing helicopter, wanted to move herd to safety quickly.

First time with a halter.

https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/wild-horses/ https://kaimanawaheritagehorses.org/ http://www.wildhorsesandmustangs.com/ the-kaimanawa-wild-horses/ https://wilsonsisters.nz/pages/wild-horses

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.

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THE LAST WORD: KAREN BOYES

Running with scissors

I’m convinced it is fear that drives us. Let me explain…

Teachers Matter

A few years ago we were coming back from an overseas holiday and were disembarking at a very late hour. We were all tired and hungry and still had another flight to catch before we made it home. We were traveling with my parents and they were seated further down the aeroplane. Our young daughter disembarked and, wanting to wait for her grandparents, sat on the floor in the main traffic flow of others leaving the plane.

She was tucked in close to the wall however it was not the best place to sit. I overheard my husband telling her to shift as others would stand on her. She refused to move and he kept on insisting that someone would trip or stand on her. While his intentions were great, he failed to understand that with that simple statement, she was likely to prove him wrong.

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My husband was driven by fear. The fear of her getting hurt, fear of others judging him, fear of being reprimanded by the airport staff, and so on. She, on the other hand, proved him wrong because no-one stood or tripped on her - meaning she might not be able to trust his warnings in the future.

She simply stood up once her grandparents appeared and carried on.

I can recall travelling in the back seat of the car as a child on a hot summers day.

With the window down and the breeze blowing I reached my ar ms out wide outside the window. I can strongly recall

my Dad cautioning me to never put my arm outside the window while the car was moving. I questioned him as to why it was not allowed, to be told, “If the car rolled with my arm out the window, I might lose my limb.” Even way back then, I silently questioned the validity and likelihood of this ever happening. It was a rule based on fear and the miniscule odds of the event ever happening. However, from my dad’s perspective, he did know someone whose car rolled and they did lose an arm.

Fear is what often drives us, and when we hold our children back because of our unsubstantiated fear, they are less likely to learn for themselves and will not develop the resilience and important life skills needed in their future. Fear is described as “an unpleasant and often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger”. We are wired as humans to protect our young however we are often trying to protect them from events that are unlikely to happen. There is a difference between fear and danger. In the modern, busy world we live in, the brain has perhaps been confused by the two.

IOULIA BOLCHAKOVA

I

f I have a soapbox, perhaps it is about the importance of allowing children to learn from their mistakes. So often I find myself (and notice others) engaging in more ‘helicopter’ parenting/teaching and stopping children learning from their mistakes and failures.

KAREN BOYES

A neuroscientist, once shared this with me: We are born knowing what is a primary threat. Children are born instinctually knowing that snakes and spiders are a primary threat to them. There is so much of the brain that has not changed over centuries of evolving – and this is one example. She went on to explain if a child has a fear of mice, this is a learn response, as mice have never been a primary threat to our existence.

I was recently explaining this at a workshop and Maria (a participant) shared this example. Her mother was afraid of heights and as a child Maria was perfectly happy being up high. One day Maria got too close to the edge of a tall building and her mother freaked out. Maria explained she is now petrified of heights and breaks into a sweat when up high.

Scrolling the internet for common fears, I came upon a list from listverse.com where they stated the 10 most common fears which influence human behaviour. They are: 10.

Losing your freedom

9.

The unknown

8.

Physical pain

7.

Disappointment

6. Misery 5. Loneliness 4. Ridicule 3. Rejection 2. Death 1. Failure

When our children were young, they used to play in the cupboards in the kitchen while I was cooking. I lost count of how many times I heard other adults say, “Watch your fingers”. It was more likely for you to hear me say, “Catch your fingers!” The best way for them to learn is to catch a finger in the door. They are extremely unlikely to do it again. We have all at some point in our lives caught our fingers in a cupboard or drawer.

It is called being human!

When our daughter was 8 years old she went to help her uncle feed the pigs on the farm.

They came to an electric fence and she was advised to keep away and not touch it. After minutes of asking, “Why can’t I touch it?” (her attempt to understand how it all works), and being told it would give her an electric shock, her uncle finally said, “Just touch it then.” She did, got a small jolt, and will never do it again. Some children really do need to learn the hard way.

Saying this, I am not suggesting you allow your child to play with a metal fork near a power point. We do have a duty to protect them from harm. Of course they must wear a helmet on their bike, a seatbelt whilst in the car and we must keep boiling water out of children’s reach.

The distinction is to ensure your fears are not transferred to your child. Allow them to learn, make judgements and experiment to find the boundaries.

Of course, sometimes children do not need to learn from their own mistakes and can learn from others.

Our son was 5 and daughter 3 when I did a national tour. We went as a family and they

would drop me at the venue each morning and go off and explore the town, and pick me up at 12.30. We ate lunch and drove to the next town, checking into a motel or hotel. This pattern continued for 2 weeks.

One afternoon our son had left the sliding door open. I asked him to close it. As he did, he caught his finger in the door. There was a great deal of screaming and crying as we ran his finger under the cold tap. It went black very quickly. Once all had settled down, I noticed the door was again open. This time I asked Miss 3 to please close the door. She looked at her brother, walked to the door, placed her palms on the glass, slid the door closed and announced, “I be careful!”

Be aware of your own biases and fears and work towards minimising the transfer of these to your children.

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 recognised with the NSANZ Educator of the Year award in 2014 and 2017, 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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Martin Hughes delivers professional learning experiences that are Meaningful, Memorable and Motivating. He firmly believes The Study Smart Board Game is in production and is available from May 2016 that technology should be working

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WAMSLER

TEACHERS MATTER CONFERENCE 2018 Making Thinking Visible 25th January

26th January

Palmerston North

North of Auckland

More than ever, being able to think critically, creatively and collaboratively are essential skills for our students. These are developed best when our students are explicitly taught how by making their thinking visible. This Teachers Matter day will be led by award winning educator and speaker, Karen Boyes who will cover topics including: Cultures of Thinking • Growth Mindset • Thinking Dispositions Visible Thinking Tools • Unpacking the Learning Process And SO MUCH MORE!

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