Term 2 - Week 2.

Reflection each week now to encourage this time and constantly look at best practise.
This week in reflection time I heard the students talk about their learning in a number of subjects but none of them were mine. Reflection would suggest that these classes in literacy and social science are not creating engagement as much as I would like.
Planning for Week 3 will encourage interactive and creative tasks to see what the difference using this will be.
Have found that the students are working well to complete homework and creating integrity as a value by talking to me about their homework or doing their homework before school or when they have completed other tasks. This has been an improvement on what has been evident in the past.
I have also been using positive reinforcement with a number of students to ensure that I am praising them as often as I can. My thinking around this is to create a positive atmosphere but also to acknowledge things like good manners, kind comments, thoughtful behaviour.

Where are you?

Y7 Unconsciously skilled

Consciously unskilled x  

Y6 Looking at childrens results from testing and wondering how to best to address the needs of individuals

Y6 Wanting to get started and stuck into it but needing time to learn how to teach the concepts

Y8 - Doing testing and re-testing at different stages ✔

Need to sort groups according to tests. Have been continuing with spelling using other resources.

Semi consciously skilled - Yr 5

Y8 - grouping -working out how I can work with individuals to best suit their needs - thinking about how I can make the learning relevant

What is challenging?

Y7 Finding resources to teach the concepts which are appropriate for Year 7 level.✔

Y7 Extending students who are already very capable spellers.

Y8 - Finding time to allocate to teaching groups of students ✔✔

Y6 How to fit explicit spelling teaching into our writing or reading or literacy programmes ✔

Year 5 - finding resources , time to prepare resources. ✔

Y 8 - Making it relevant to the students so that they can see progress in their spelling/writing

Y 8 - Deciding what is important to teach our learning support students? Is spelling a priority over reading and writing and all of the other subjects? How to we prioritise this?✔✔

Students heading off to high school next year - teaching to use ICT as a tool? Going on conference that supports ICT but being told not to use as it is accommodation. Isn’t success more motivational for students?✔

What do you need next?

More Stage 3 resources✔

Can Carla bring the pre-made resources that learning matters sells so that we can have a look (and shop)

To see a spelling session done by Carla or a Consciously Skilled Teacher ✔✔

Concrete examples/models - What does it look like and how does it fit in a typical Southwell Day ✔(Y6)

Y8 - how can I challenge my more able students ✔

Y8 - integration - spelling/writing - not doing it in isolation-✔

Y8- keep adding resources to a folder - sharing what has been done already✔

Familiarising myself with the material and resources

So what?
This highlights that there a number of us feeling the same way. The questions asked require me to think about how my spelling programme is working and can be improved.

Now what?

I need to retest some students to make sure that they are in the right stage and then group them according to what their needs are. This will be completed by the end of the week.
Also I need to spend explicit time teaching each day.

My Teaching as Inquiry Question is………..

If I use a range of resources and strategies with my focus students, including them being a targeted group, to what extent does it help students learn? This includes types of writing, planning and motivations to inspire their writing. What I have found challenging is finding the time to work with this group each day or at least every second day. Focus on small amounts each day and creating Literacy time for this.

Challenging Week

Persuasive Writing - Week 5/6

What:
Today has been a wonderful week as we have started our persuasive writing. It has been great to sit one on one with each student and develop their writing using a template to assist their understanding. I have admired their opinions and the engagement they have had in their writing. They are keen to improve which is wonderful.

What now: I need to try and keep the explanations brief, along with the writing group being used rather than one one one. Took a

lot of time.

So what: The quality of the writing improves with templates and when working closely one on one.

An example of a template being used:

Professional Development with Nathan Wallis

A change in practise because of the information I learnt from Nathan Wallis - what a legend.
His learning transferred an important notion that I have thought about and begun to keep mindfully when I am dealing with students. Intervention of those students that might be at risk through various situations. It is important that I am an advocate for my students and keep this at the front of everything that I do when dealing with them, outside agencies and their parents. There well being and growth needs to be at the forefront of all conversations.

What this might look like is assisting them to understand the changes and challenges they take on as a learner. Sometimes things will be difficult but that is when we build resilience. We learn to push through building strength to tackle hard situations. This through academic resilience assists them to tackle and master other challenges in their lives. It might take a while but the progress and feeling of achievement will come. Small steps lead to great things.