uLearn Breakout 6: Enhancing thought-full classroom dialogue - Karen Boyes

1. Classroom Environment - how we set up our classroom and what goes on in it.

The fear of failure is driving most students. In NZ, students can also be scared of success (tall poppy syndrome).

Tri-Une Brain (three in one brain)

Develops in order (red, blue, and then green)
We also react to things in that order (1st panic, then reason). Can happen in reverse (eg unlocking your front door when the phone rings inside - suddenly panic and you fall apart trying to unlock the door).

25yrs old is when empathy develops (also
deteriorates with age).


Turning fear into fun - students who laugh more, lern more, Dr David Sousa.

If students take risks, thank them for taking the risk (whether right or wrong). Don't play 'guess the answer in the teacher's head'. Too stressful for students. When everyoe tries, say 'thank you' to each of them. Even after you've had the right answer, keep going, then when they've stopped say, 'let's go back an look at...' (with the answer you wanted).

2. Teacher Technique

Managing impulsivity (getting students to think before the event/answering).

Wait time:
The average teacher waits one second afte asking a question - not long enough to think. After one second, the teacher either calls on a student, moves on to another question or answers it themselves. Recommendation is to wait 8 - 10 seconds. Think, pair, share is good here.

3. Listening Sequence

Pause
Paraphrase
Probe
    - Inquire
    - Clarify

In activity, the music was put on loud - it made it harder to concentrate. We needed to adjust how we spoke (leaning forward, raising our voices, gestures, looking at the person); we need to teach students those strategies.

4. The Power of Langauge

Be aware of language - when we use good vocab, students use great language too.

Labeling thinking skills and processes (eg what is the meaning of compare and contrast (a lot of students don't know the differnce between the two words).

Teach the thingking words in from the curriculum document (eg verify, observe etc)

5. Thinking (metacognition): monitoring our thinking

Think Aloud Problem Solving:


6. Questioning and Problem Posing

Test for Mensa gets changed ever 10 years, because peope are becoming more intelligent

Questioning with intention

Unproductive questions:
seek verification,
are closed,
are rhetorical questions,
are defensive (why didn't you complete your homework?),
agreement questions

Productive questions:
Invitational questions (women lover tone, men quieten)
Plurals (eg. What are some of your goals? - easier to answer than what is one of your goals?)
Tentatives - what might be some factors that would cause....? What could...? What hunches....
Invitational stems - given what you know about....
Limiting presuppositions - why were you unsuccessful (assumes that you were unsuccessful)
Empowering presuppositions

Compose a question intended to invite thoughtful dialogue about a topic you may be teaching next week...
Criteria:
Invitation stems
Plurals
Tentative language
+ve presuppositions

As you reflect on this year, what are some of the ways you could approve your Berkley experience?

Ability Grouping vs Mixed Ability Grouping

What?

I'm sitting here on a wet Sunday afternoon, planning my reading programme for the next couple. Lately, I've seen a lot of discussions on mixed-ability grouping in maths, which challenges the way I've been teaching for may years.  I'm wondering if I should try it for reading.  Here's some of the posts and articles I've read.

Education Counts (lots of references, but mainly for maths)

Steph's Blog

Headteacher Magazine

“We favour mixed-ability teaching because of its social and equitable benefits, and the fact that we encourage our teachers to see all of our pupils as having different needs, abilities and working styles.” Heidi Conner

This quote seemed important, although it is aimed at whole classrooms being mixed-ability groupings, vs streaming each classroom.

Howard Stevenson's Blog

I also watched these video clips:

So what?

After reading the articles, and viewing the videos, I was most struck by the idea that ability grouping can limit the students and limit the exposure I, as the teacher, give them to more complex work, theories, and ideas.  I could see the idea that grouping students, where in NZ, Māori children would statistically end up in 'lower groups' could be a form of apartheid. I already feel that having to report to parents twice a year that their child may be 'below' the National Standards is appalling in terms of students' self-belief, without me doing it with my groupings.

What next?

I have decided to change my reading groups to make them mixed ability.  I have a lot of students who work very well with their peers, feeding off each others' ideas and knowledge. I will group those students together. I also have some students who don't work well with their friends (they get off task easily, and can be silly). Those students will be spread around the groups.

UPDATE:
Now that I'm putting my social groups together, some of the groups are one gender only...am I being sexist now?

Course: Tutor Teachers as Mentors

Facilitator: Sharon Ross
Literary Consultant
sross985@gmail.com

What?




P 06: The impact of  teacher's practice on ākonga learning, achievement, and well-being is central to the appraisal process.

Overarching statements

1. Teachers play a critical role in enabling the educational achievement of all ākonga/ learners 1.
2. The Treaty of Waitangi extends equal status and rights to Māori and Pākehā. This places a particular responsibility on all teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand to promote equitable learning outcomes.
3. In an increasingly multi-cultural Aotearoa New Zealand, teachers need to be aware of and respect the languages, heritages and cultures of all ākonga.
4. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Code of Ethics / Ngā Tikanga Matatika commits certificated teachers to the highest standards of professional service in promoting the learning of those they teach

Information for all teachers to refer to about the teacher standards:

Name change:
Provisionally Certified Teachers (PCTs)

Roles and Requirements of Mentor Teachers:

Pages 17 and 18 of Guidelines of Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers above.

Includes professional and personal roles.  This may include using data gathered and also personal support such as 'maintain their enthusiasm'.

Support and Guidance:

Suited to your PCT's needs. Discussed on pages 25 & 26 of Guidelines of Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers above. 

Page 10 of A Mentor Teacher Guide gives tips for meeting with mentored teachers.  Good ideas for recognising success and rewarding improvements in practice.  Page 11 gives guidelines for how t support a mentored teacher.

The book also has some examples of observation sheets that could be used.





Observations:

I liked these questions because they will be good for H when I'm working with her, but also good for me to think about when I'm writing feedback from observations.

After observations, give them your feedback and make a time to discuss it (within 24 hours). There is an observation feedback sheet on p.22 of A Mentor Teacher Guide.

"Allow the mentored teacher to start the follow-up discussion. What did they think went well? Do they agree with your feedback? What do they think are the next steps for them as a teacher and for their students? What feedback was particularly important for them? Why?

Setting up successful observations is straightforward, but it does require preplanning (to contract the purpose of the observation) and follow up.

Effective feedback: 

• "Affirms, informs, and guides future learning (ELP 2003 p. 84 or ELP 2006 p.86)
• Constructive
• Based on evidence - data, planning, ....
• "Causes thinking to occur" - William
• Keep as evidence

Be aware of the support required:
Sometimes it is enough for the mentor to be available. At other times it may be necessary to explicitly explain a process, step by step.

Keeping records:
Guidelines for induction and Mentoring (above) p.10
Preactising Teacher Criteria (above) p.07
A Metor Teacher Guide (Deirdre Senior) p.09

Online support/examples of record keeping:

• http://traintheteacher.me/graduating-teacher-standards-e-portfolio/ (click on 'here' at the end)
• https://sites.google.com/site/rtcacoltham/
• https://sites.google.com/site/nzteacherreflections/home
• http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Practising-Teacher-Criteria-and-e-learning

Induction and Mentoring in your setting - an analysis of needs:

So what?

For me, the biggest point was validation - for the first term, much of H's release time was spent fighting fires - meeting testing and camp requirements.  I was feeling like I hadn't spent enough time doing observations. However, during this workshop, I came to realise that that was okay.  H was burdened by a huge testing regime and needed to complete a lot of camp preparations.  Now that those things are done, I can turn my attention to a programme of mentoring.

What now?

I need to work out H's release times and look at her goals so we can plan a mentoring programme that will meet her needs.

What?

Yesterday when I was walking the dog, I read this sign properly for the first time. I really liked the Whakatauki (proverb) at the bottom.

Tou rourou, toku rourou, ka ora te Iwi

With your contribution, and my contribution, we will thrive

This sums up teaching for me beautifully.  The end 'product' of education should be a well-rounded person, who is happily contributing to society.  I believe that nobody can achieve this on their own; that to thrive, a student needs support from a variety of sources, including:

• Parents 
• Teachers
• Siblings
• Wider family
• School
• Peers
• Other teachers across the school
• Sports coaches
• Music Teachers
• Community group leaders
• Tutors
• Society as a whole

And not to be forgotten: The STUDENT themselves

Although not exhaustive, this list serves to remind us the role we play in a student's upbringing. 

So what?

Although the role of a teacher is extremely important, we need to remember that we are a cog in a giant wheel.  The importance of the teacher's role will change depending on the student's background and the quality of their support network.

And me?

What does this mean for me...not only will I need to take into account a student's background, but I also will need to ensure that I keep in close contact with students' families. All students' cultures will be important too, as the support they will be receiving will often be influenced by their background.