Maori Language Week

This week we celebrated Maori Language Week.

As the Lead Teacher for Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga is it my responsibility to engage all staff and tamariki in celebrating this important kaupapa.

As a committee we meet to discuss possible activities for the week.  In light of the many varied learning opportunities already planned for term 2 and given the fact that we have just celebrated Matariki at the end of term 2 we chose to keep our celebrations 'low key' this year.

The following is a copy of the information/expectations shared with the staff regarding Maori Language Week.

Maori Language Week 2015

Term 3, Week 2, 27-31 July

Celebration Expectations and Events

Theme: Whangaihia Nga Matua—Helping Parents to pass on Te Reo Maori to their tamariki.

It is expected that all children will be involved in activities related to celebrating and learning Te Reo Maori with the main focus being to pass on this knowledge to their parents/caregivers.  The suggested way of doing this is for the tamariki to make and then take home something/a resource each day to help encourage their parents/caregivers to learn and share Te Reo Maori as well.  If they do not make something for each day it is expected that they will have a more major resource to take home on the Friday instead.

Suggested resources for children to make are …

Make a board game, phrase cards—one for each day, Phrase booklet, jigsaw puzzle, flashcards (Quizlet), bingo games, online games (http://www.classtools.net/_mobileQuiz/index.php) slideshows, a mini resource box with a variety of activities inside, posters, labels for around the home, make titi torea, make Mutorere game boards.  Brainstorm ideas with your tamariki and have fun learning Te Reo Maori!!!

Website links for ideas and information:

http://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/te-wiki-o-te-reo-maori-maori-language-week

www.maorilanguage.net

www.nzhistory.net.nz/.../maori-language.../history-of-the-maori-language...

www.korero.maori.nz

Resources from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo will be ordered and distributed when the arrive.

Kia ora, Kiri :)

In Ti Kouka we chose to make something to take home each day.  We made bookmarks, kiwaha placemats, and Mu Torere game boards.

Overall the feeling from the staff was that our celebrations were appropriate and successful.  Several classes worked with their Tuakana Teina class which enhanced whanaungatanga, ako and manaakitanga!

Tapatapahia ana!  Whakanuia Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori!

Reciprocal Teaching

RECIPROCAL TEACHING with Julia Westera

Today we attended a day long workshop about Reciprocal Teaching which was led by Julia Westera at Edgecumbe Primary School.  We spent the day listening and learning about what is Reciprocal Teaching.  We discussed the evidence based success of this strategy which focuses on reading comprehension using four main strategies ... Predicting, Clarifying, Questioning and Summarising.  We learnt about the structure of the approach and how it is currently working in other school.  It seems that the benefits to student learning within reading initially and then throughout the curriculum is huge and quite exciting.

We were all given a Teacher Manual which we worked through discussing different aspects of the approach.  We watched three videos of a group of students using the approach.  We had a go at using the approach within groups of three.  Reciprocal Teaching empowers students in a variety of ways.  One key aspect is that each child takes on the role of the teacher and leads the group using the RT Tokotoko - 'talking stick'.  This tokotoko clearly outlines the structure of the lesson with prompts for the teacher to follow.  There were also a variety of management techniques included to enable all students to participate effectively in the learning.  These included thumbs up to answer a question or to talk, expectations for participating re-no put downs, no interrupting etc as well as seating arrangements.

My class and one other senior class are going to be the pilot classes for this approach. I will be splitting my class into four reading groups.  Each group will have one half hour lesson per day.  In order to achieve this Robyn Harawira who is our RTLB will teach two groups and I will teach two groups.  We will also have Lynn Wyllie in class at this time to assist with the other children who will be working through the Reading Taskboard while they wait for their time with the Kaiako.

For the next three weeks I will be teaching the four strategies to my whole class using the manual we were given today.  Once all tamariki have been taught these strategies we will begin a 5week intensive teaching of Reciprocal Teaching beginning day one of term 2!

This is very exciting stuff and I can't wait to get started.  I look forward to seeing the learning gains of all my tamariki especially those who are at risk.  I also look forward to this approach transferring into my whole class programme, to developing thinking across the curriculum.

Very exciting stuff!

Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga - Staff Meeting update

This afternoon Norah and I shared our reviewed Maori Achievement Strategy and Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga Implementation with our staff.  At the end of 2014 Norah and I met to revise/update these two documents.  They were first written at the end of 2011 and were due for revision.

I lead the meeting with support from Norah.  We displayed the documents using the projector.  Both Norah and I spoke to the documents explaining the updates and making clear links to why and how we meet the needs of our Maori learners.  Some key concepts that we have now made more explicit is the concept of Student Well-being being more than just ensuring our tamariki are fed, clothed and ready to learn.  It includes providing learning opportunities for our tamariki to engage in learner that is appropriate for them and their whanau - knowing our learners and catering to all their needs not just physical needs but mental and emotional needs as well.  This is at times challenging but worthwhile and rewarding.  We intend to build the leadership of our tamariki this year by providing opportunities for them to develop and share their 'hidden' talents and abilities.

This was a timely update as often we get stuck doing what we are doing because it's what we do.  We do know why we are doing or teaching something but our Implementation Plan which links directly to our Maori Achievement Strategy are the basis for our teaching and including Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga into all aspects of learning at James Street School.

TOD DAY 2 - Functional Behaviour Analysis

TOD 2 - 2015 - Here are my notes from this mornings PD with RTLB Robyn Harawira re:Functional Behaviour Analysis

Background info - Teaching is a journey, Wairua and Skinbag, What you focus on grows!  Your class is a reflection of you! :) Mirror of you!

Alison Kearney - Motivation - google

M=SE x V SE - Self Efficacy (Can I do it? Do I think I can do it?) x Value             Motivation = Self Efficacy x Value - What’s the purpose?  What is the reason for this?

When behaviours arise check the motivation?  Are they misbehaving because they can’t do it or they won’t?  Cannot?  Will not?

How you speak - deliver instructions - focus on positivity - feed self efficacy ... "You can do this …"   "I know you can do it …"   instill belief

Focus on what you can do not what you can’t do.

The presenting problem is seldom the real problem. - Do not make terrible assumptions!

Measure the behaviour - need to know exactly what the behaviour is in objective terms.  Your loud may not be the same as what someone else considers loud.  What is naughty??

Appropriate a.t.p.i.t (at this point in time)

Use A B C when considering behaviours - What was the behaviour? What happened immediately before the behaviour. What was the motivation? Avoidance? Attention?

I found this mornings PD very relevant and in parts a timely reminder of how to approach and deal with inappropriate behaviours in the class. It requires self reflection - is this behaviour brought about because of the choices I have made regarding classroom management, difficulty of the work? When planning lessons I must ensure that I am catering for the learning needs and styles of all children. In order to do this I must know who my children are as learners. This comes down to establishing open relationships with my tamariki and their whanau. The first few weeks of this first term must be taught with this thinking in mind. Know your learners, who they are, what they bring to school with them each day, what motivates them, how they prefer to learn. Aue exciting stuff that will make Ti Kouka a great place to learn and minimise inappropriate behaviours in order for each child to achieve learning success!

TOD 2015 - Staff Health

This morning we had a two and a half hour workshop with Life Coach Denise Simons from Relate Coaching, www.relatecoaching.co.nz.

This workshop was brought about in recognition of the need to provide our staff with strategies to cope with stress.

We began by listing the positive and negative aspects of 2014.  We then listed what we predict will be the positive and negative aspects of 2015.   By doing this we were able to voice our stresses and then wipe them clean.

We also learnt how to how we are both 'Wairua and Skin Bag'.  Often we let the skin bag side of ourselves take over.  We leart a simple technique of using your hand as a reminder to change that voice inside your head to wairua when the skin bag side (stress) gets too loud.

We then went through a process called Getting Complete.  This involved acknowledging how you react when your back is up against the wall.  Do you get resentful or upset?  From here we worked through listed things that we were resentful about or regretted.  Then we listed our requests and finished off by acknowledging the process in order to be complete and move on from the things that we regret/resent.

After this we learnt how to be Committed Listeners.  This technique is used to scaffold the 'getting complete' strategy.  You need to find a buddy who will listen to you and commit to being available and keep your discussions confidential.  We learnt the process and the rules for being a Buddy.  We then practiced with a Buddy.  This technique allows the speaker to speak and be heard by their buddy and themselves.  It acknowledges the need for the speaker to realise that they have been heard and therefore are able to move forward with an action to resolve the issue discussed or to clear the slate because your aired your issue.

Overall it was a good morning.  Basic message is, acknowledge positive and negative stresses.  Use the strategies to minimise and move on from stress.  Remember your Wairua side and don't allow your skin bag to dominate.  Maintain your integrity with yourself otherwise you will not be able to maintain integrity with others or with what you are passionate about.  Seek support - make regular 'appointments' to meet with your Buddy.  List your regrets/resentments and work through the getting complete process in order to move on and leave the stress behind.

Ahhhhh, my Wairua is speaking to me now and it wants to sing and dance to music.  So chow!

Back into 2015!

Well the 2015 school year has begun. Had our first Senior Syndicate meeting today. Was great to see everyone again. Roz lead our meeting which consisted of revisiting expectations for teaching. This year Roz has given us each a folder which contains relevant but important information about J.S.S and what we believe, think, do and expect in regards to teaching and learning. It will be added to throughout the year but it is our 'go to' folder. We also discussed up coming events and lastly collaboratively planned our Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga unit for term one. It was a good way to wake our brains up and get them thinking again after having a rest during the holidays. A great start to the year!

2014 is finished!

So school has finished for another year.  It has been a rewarding but challenging year at times.

There were some highs, lows and also a devastating tragedy with the death of one of my students mid year. At times the workload seemed impossible but with support from within our syndicate and senior management we made it through.

I've loved my class this year.  They have been great learners, challenging me and themselves daily to achieve and learn as much as they could.  Today we said our good-byes.  There were a few tears from my year six girls a few whom i have had in my class for three years.  They are lovely girls and boys and I will miss them all very much next year.  There were also lots of hugs too which is very special.

This holiday break it definitely well deserved and essential to maintain good health and my mental capability!

I look forward to resting and recharging ready for 2015.

Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga at James Street School

So today I met again with our Principal Norah Schreiber.

As Lead Teacher for Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga it is my responsibility to lead the Te Reo Maori Committee in order to meet our Charter goals and policies.  In 2011 Norah and I co-contructed our school's Maori Achievement Strategy, our Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga Implementation Plan and our Two-yearly Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga Foci Plan.

The aim of our meeting to-day was to reflect and revise these documents now that we are three years on since their implementation.

We have therefore made some additions to the M.A.S and I.P to include greater emphasis on Student Leadership, Well-being, Engagement and Hauora as well as fostering productive partnerships with students, whanau, teachers, school and community.

So we are all set now to continue teaching Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga in 2015 with our updated documents which will be added to each teacher's resource Kete for future reference.

It was a productive, engaging and exciting meeting in regards to the future of Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga at James Street School.

Year 6 Leaver's Evening

Tonight we farewelled  our Year 6 tamariki who head off to Intermediate next year. A lovely bunch of gorgeous tamariki all but two who spent all their primary years at James Street!

Parakuihi i te Kura

Parakuihi i te Ata

So I tried to blog this event when it happened but seems like the school's network doesn't like my phone and won't let me upload directly from my phone.  But anyway, I digress ... So these photos we taken at our whole school breakfast which is a community event we host usually once a year.  We invite all our whanau's to attend.  All staff are involved in preparing and serving breakfast.  Today was a lovely day!