Term 1 2022 - Weekly Reflections

 22T1W1

First week done and dusted. Although they were only 2 days, it was great to meet my students and start getting to know them and vice versa.

Prior to school starting, I had emailed students' parents introducing myself on the 1st. When the doors opened on Thursday, parents were not present as we are in Orange of the traffic light restricting parents from entering the school. As sad as it was unable to put a face to parents that have made contact so far, it was wonderful to meet the children.

22T1W2

Short week: Monday=Public Holiday and Tuesday=PCT. I was fortunate to observe my CRT on Tuesday. I learnt so much from watching her and had discussions along the way too.

Discussions/ Takeaway from observations:

• Maths: talk moves and mixed ability grouping
• Big Book: A lot was covered in this session. What is on the cover, looking at the different parts of a book. Understanding and explaining author and illustrator. All this was done before reading to students. As she read, she emphasised punctuations (, . ! ?) and reading to the punctuation to make the reading make sense.
• Guided Reading: Students read aloud together- Have a weekly learning outcome for each reading group.
• Writing: Weekly Learning outcome for writing is different for each writing group

The rest of the week we spent time getting to know each other, our school, our classroom environment and expectations.

I realised I too needed to become familiar with the activities/ resources we had in the classroom and how I could use them to scaffold students learning but also, I too was learning about the school with them.

Together we created a classroom treaty, student voice heavily influenced our treaty as I wanted them to feel that this was their space and also have students accountable. Students decided their consequences too.

Next steps:

• Create Maths and Writing groups and seating arrangement (Use Edge and observations of students learning behaviours to determine groupings)
• Have a goal or focus for Reading and Writing groups.
• Set up Dojo account to manage classroom and enforce treaty obligations
• Set up Seesaw

22T1W3

Below are my reading groups and their Focus for the week. I picked out Learning Intentions from the Reading plan for each guided session.
Guardians are my well below group ranging from L4-8, Avengers L10-13, Justice League L14-15 and X-Men 17-23

This week presented with some problems - Monday I spent too much time on Phonics as a whole class that I only had time to see one reading group, I also found that working with 7-8 students was too many in a group to have an effective guided session. Wednesday - Guardians did not return to school with their readers so the text changed.

Overall, transitioning to next task took too long and students are still figuring out where things are and how to do the activity.

A concern arose

Maths Group

As we have started DMIC this week, grouping is slightly different from the norms. I created 4 mixed ability groups. I used their JAM data to create the groups and also paired each student tuakana/teina (they are highlighted below).

Whero and Kikorangi made DMIC group 1 and Kowhai and Kakariki made DMIC group 2.

It took a while to get students into routine for Maths but it's understandable as it's a new concept/ process (not only for them but myself too). I also found myself spending time going through activities/ task with each group, so they understood what they had to do and that took some time away from working with the group I had.

Writing groups

I have yet to set up writing groups. I found that working as a whole class, modelling and co-constructing writing together works really well. After the whole class session, students are sent away to write independently for 10-15 minutes, but I do let students know that if they think they need more help to stay on the floor with me and I'll work with these students and scaffold their learning.

Dojo

Children were excited to see their names and their avatar. I gave students the opportunity to come up with their table groups names and explained the point system was based on the treaty we had created and agreed on. So far, so good.

Seesaw

I saw Shaun on Tuesday to get a quick PD on Seesaw. He took me through the features of Seesaw and how to use them. He helped me enter student and their family details and created barcodes for students to take home and send out invites for whanau to join.

Next Steps:

• transitions are an issue - instead of using the timer on the active board, maybe use something fun (music?)
• Look through DMIC teacher booklet and understand what each task is look for specifically.
• Engage parents via Seesaw and update them with any upcoming events. (Sunday notices)

22T1W4 - Out with Covid this week. Gutted to be out of school, however I was able to put together slides for my students who are isolating at home because of me. 

Recent changes by the government about contact and isolating have meant my students are called to go back to school unless they have symptoms. It dawned on me how unconfident I am having another teacher see my planning. As I have just started, I am still finding my bearings. However, I do look forward to feedback from whoever will be in my classroom this week and next.

22T1W5 - Out with Covid - plan was made for whoever will be in my classroom.

I did jump on the zoom for Kohia PCT and I'm glad I did because Louise Dempsey was presenting 'A Balanced Reading Programme - Reviewing Approaches'. I was able to ask her about my concerns on the number of students I had in a group (she was surprised at my class roll) and the number of lowies I had. She advised that I could make another group and not to worry about the amount of time I spend with each group, but what I do in those sessions that matter. Read or teach a skill and have followed up activities to reenforce the skill I am wanting students to learn. The learning from Yolando Sorryl's PLD would fit really well in these guided sessions, specifically with my low floor groups.

With 40 minutes on a reading session, I have decided for next term to add another group that were solely for my well below students and reshuffle the groups so there was a good number to work with in each 10-minute guided reading sessions.

22T1W6

This week was explicitly for testing. I started testing on Tuesday because I was unsure on how to facilitate them while trying to teach. After a discussion with my mentor, she had advised me that I won't be able to teach, instead have children work on purposeful tasks relevant to what they have been learning. Therefore, I was able to make a plan from Wednesday on what children will be doing while I carried out testing.

Monday, I carried out my planning and Tuseday, the CRT took my class. I was able to use this Tuesday time to get everything I needed for testing (JAM). I continued carrying out RE lesson each day before resuming testing.

22T1W7

• Monday - Had some trouble launching DMIC problem today. I wasn't sure about it but luckily Ms Skipper stepped into model how to. Establishing the norms first (no compromise), Math talk and asking questions that get children to relate or see themselves in the task problem. Also, look at the connect and see what the focus of that particular task was. These are my takeaways and things to practice this week.
• Tuesday - Spent most of the day testing children who have returned back to school (JAM and RR). At 9.30, I did go over to Room 2 to observe DMIC session, specifically the launching of the task.
• Wednesday - Quite a productive day. Tried to launch DMIC Assessment Task today, I still need work on instructions, especially in setting the norms for DMIC. There was also the issue of not having all the children of DMIC group 1, specifically my top tier/ high ceiling children because there were only 2 out of 10. Therefore, the session was quiet and not a lot of discussion happened but also, many of the children in that group were returning students and had missed many school days. So, there were also unfamiliarity around the norms and what to do. At this point, as lost as I may feel, I may need to reiterate and push through and find ways to support those who missed many school days.
• Thursday - Today seemed a bit out of sorts. I kept having to tell children off today and settling children down throughout the day took a lot longer than usual. I understand children were excited about St Patricks Day, but today really made me re-evaluate my classroom management approaches. However, with DMIC, assessing the 2nd group, I feel I did a lot better facilitating it than yesterday. I am still unsure about what I am actually looking for in regard to assessing patterns and number sentences when the time comes to mark these.
• Friday - the same as yesterday.

22T1W8 -

• DMIC - Due to the number of students who have returned to school. The planning was reshuffled to 1 task per 2 days. Therefore, tasks 3 and 4 were not used this week. As it was observations for me from Wednesday to Friday, I found having the returning students had dragged out the lessons because there were 'A LOT' of interruptions with students not knowing their groups or using the Math Task board or listening and following instructions. Other than this hiccup, I found that having the mentor observe and critique my teaching helpful as I was able to improve areas, I was worried about. My focus for DMIC this week was establishing the norms and launching the problem. The feedback from the mentor was very helpful and I took those onboard each lesson and I could see and fell the changes it has on my lesson delivery.
• My next step is to take a closer look at how I can connect children's experience in the launch.

• Reading - rough start to the week for reading. Returning students took a while to settle back into routine with many forgetting their groups and how to use the Reading Task board. A lot of reiteration throughout the reading block, with many interruptions with the groups I was working with. I didn't feel as if the groups I was working with were getting the learning intended for them. However, by Friday it got somewhat better.
• Next time, I will need to state expectations of each task and behaviour and what children should do if they are unsure of what to do in the beginning before sending them off to their expected tasks. I find that I forget that children are 5/6 years old and will need a lot of repetition despite it being Week 8 of the term. I will also try to utilise the modelling books often and continue to set goals for each reading group.

• Writing - I've been finding it difficult to work with the groups assigned per day. I seem to spend more time with the children who struggle to write a word let alone a sentence. I also have students who unable to write. Therefore, I am having to write their stories for them, and they are having to copy or trace over what I have written. I don't feel that my planning is effective specifically for my lowest writers. My more able children are able to write independently after a whole class model and move on to other tasks when they have completed. There are some areas that they could use support in, such as structure and planning their writing. I could also extend on their writing with introducing language features to brighten their writing. My low groups need a lot of support; therefore,
• my next steps will be to regroup my writing groups and plan effective tasks that can extend all children rather than just spend all my time with the lower groups.

22T1W9

Tough week. Having students return back from iso has set us back in regard to class management and the dynamics of our classroom. With these interruptions, it sets the whole day plan back. I feel like I am constantly trying to catch up because I am having to resettle students. The added challenge is finding ways to support my well below students, specifically one in particular who does not possess the basic foundations of literacy and numeracy. In regard to writing, I will continue with the whole class modelling and focus on specific areas for each group that I feel they'll need will support their writing. I will try this next week. However, my lowest groups I need to see every day.

Also had a new student start this week, very shy and timid. Paired him up with a buddy to help him find his feet in the school.

22T1W10

• DMIC - We got as far as Task 5 this week. as they didn't do it last week Friday nor Tuesday. Although Monday we went through it with Group 1, the lessons were repeated as we did not have sufficient time on Monday to make it to the connect. We went overtime with RE.
• Writing - Each group had a focus this week for their writing. I found that the lower groups needed a lot more time with the teacher, therefore I was unable to properly work with the abled children and going through the structure of their writing explicitly despite doing this while modelling. Moreover, they were still unable to achieve this. I need to make time for my more abled groups to scaffold their learning and also show how they can use the learning from the word work activities in their writing. The lower groups although even shown how to plan are still unable to connect their ideas written to their writing, therefore, I am having to spend longer periods with them, also in saying this Osias I need to find a sufficient and effective way to have him part take in these sessions because he is unable to read let alone write.
• Next steps, find purposeful activities that Osias can carry out during these sessions.

Friday - We went a different route and wrote a description about honey. I learnt that the students produced great writing when they have the experience in that time. I know if I was to wait and write about this at a later time, many wouldn't be able to recall what they felt and learnt.

22T1W11

Arohanui Syndicate met Laura on Tuesday to share concerns and discuss what we have been doing in the classroom to improve the reading and writing levels of Year 2 syndicate. 

Notes:

Have a look at phonemic awareness probe assessment

Children with concerns

• Osias
• Mary
• Darius
• Grace
• Victoria
• Paula
• Amani

Concerns

• Children are not hearing the sounds
• Blending
• Sequencing

Ideas

• Create opportunities for children to transfer their learning
• Maybe seeing the lower groups every day is too much for them and could affect their self-esteem so, find other activities (developmental) that they can transfer their learning to
• Unfamiliar words - transfer and generalise (I will need to look at their reading activity books) What can I do to extend on it. Interest words Wall. Heart Words.
• Whole class shared reading/ Big Book- explore language, modelling, thinking aloud what good readers do, 
• Storytime. What would this look like?

Assess Low literacy: Test and track = Week 1 and Week 5 and Week 10

Overall learning from this term:

What has worked?

Dojo points

DMIC Mentor

What has not worked?

Classroom Management - flat tyre, treaty, 

Reading groups - too big

Reading activities/ tasks/ follow up 

What could be better?

Classroom management/ Learning focused culture

Reading Programme

Writing Programme

DMIC knowledge and Practice - Because DMIC has its own planning and how it wants to be delivered, that it feels foreign to me. There are so many aspects to it.

What now?

Classroom management/ Learning focused culture

• Encourage - think, pair, share culture
• Student agency - in order for this to be successful I need to be explicit with instructions, directions, modelling and maybe have them on an allocated wall (information wall) so students can carry out tasks on their own.
• Weekly Goal - students may select their goal (limit noise, show kindness to our peers...)
• House Points maybe instead of Dojo points??

Reading and Writing Programme

• Modelling Books for group
• Simple goals and focus for the week rather than switching it daily (chunk skills and teach it out for a week or 2 depending on group needs)
• smaller groups (6 rather 8 is a good number)

DMIC Knowledge and Practice

• As there are new booklets every 5 weeks, I need to thoroughly go through the book, what is the Learning outcome and Bog Idea and work towards that.
• Let students lead their learning, I come in to connect at the end unless throughout the session I see or hear a pair struggling then ask questions to prompt rather than give them the answers - ask open ended questions to draw out their thinking/ prior knowledge.