Monitoring evidence, sharing, and interrogation

Share/Describe: I have been recording the changes to my practice on a target student tracking sheet. This is also a space to record the implications and reflections of my changed practice on student outcomes. This allows me to keep a running record of my changes to practice as they happen and then look back and reflect on how effective these changes have been. 

The example below is taken from the tracking sheet. This example is my record of incorporating physical activities, that help develop foundation skills, into my daily program. 

Changes to Practice:	Reflections/Implications
Term 2-3 2021 Incorporation of gross motor skill activities that target aspects of developmental skills such as balance, eye tracking, stability, hand-eye coordination, were incorporated into our in-class program with activities set up in class, in the hallway, and just outside the classroom. This is done through circuits, games, and equipment is set up for students to do as a follow-up to writing.  This also allows me to take smaller groups for writing while the other students were engaged and developing foundation skills that they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to do. Having a learning assistant working with one of the groups allowed more targeted teaching to take place with both groups. Many of the games/activities were taken from PMP and Sport Auckland. Although it is suggested we incorporate skills into games, they enjoy both playing little games using the skill as well as just practicing the skill in an isolated fashion, eg balancing along a beam and skipping with a rope. I guess this comes down to setting personal goals for themselves. The skill they are developing and how it transferred into different areas is talked about. Week 4 Term 2 We have begun yoga once a week to help with body awareness, well-being and self-regulation. They LOVE it and work really hard to do it well. Week 7 Term 2 I have attached the yoga video link to the class site so they can do it at home during lockdown.	Date: 7/9/21 My students enjoyed the activities and seemed to challenge themselves and each other in little competitions.  The management of having circuits going while I took writing meant that both groups learning needs were being met in different ways. They are transferring the skill such as balancing, into different areas of the curriculum. They talk about ‘balance’ and challenge themselves to balance in different ways throughout the day. I’m seeing noticeable changes in student's core strength and ability to sit on the mat and in a chair to write. Fine motor skills of holding a pencil and writing have improved. They love to skip and will skip at any given opportunity. Also having the equipment such as balance boards set up in the room means they just jump on and start balancing at all times of the day in a really natural unplanned way.
Literature Link :  PMP Sport New Zealand PLC sessions with James Mcintyre; Sport Auckland

Explain: I have made many tweaks along the way and have used the tracking sheet to record these changes. With foundation skills being such a huge area to develop at one time I have taken the little and often approach. Putting the foundation skills I'm focusing on into my daily routine running alongside more traditional Year One curriculum areas such as writing and guided reading and maths as well as integrating them through games in these areas that involve movement. I am not taking away from the normal practice I hopefully strengthen it by having foundation skills being taught and developed alongside these programs. I keep having to ensure all students are challenged by the activities because there is such a range of developmental levels within the juniours and students master the skills quite quickly. Also, I have added choice by having inquiry stations set up within the same time so students can explore concepts and oral language introduced through inquiry. These times have been where I have seen the most engagement, oral language take place and independent learning happen. It takes it from being a circuit set up, where students move through like little robots, to an activity you can choose alongside other provocations that help them explore in their own way skills they need to develop. 

As the skills I'm focusing on developing are vast, ranging from teaching oral language, concepts, and phonological awareness to gross and fine motor skills and self-regulation skills it is a juggling act fitting them into your daily program. Recognising your student's needs at that time helps with this as it focuses your attention on those areas that might make the most impact. 

Learnings from Te Whāriki

He puraora i ruia mai Rangiåtea e kore e ngaro.

A Seed sown in Rangiātea will never be lost.

Te Whāriki states that teachers, educators and kaiako work in partnership with whānau to realise the hopes and high expectations whānau and iwi have for each child. The vision underpinning Te Whāriki is that children are learners are nurtured like a precious seed, instilling in them an understanding of their own importance and their belonging within society. They are "Competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society." 

On the day lockdown began, I had started to write this blog post looking at te Whariki as a guiding document and how this interlinks with our focus on developing a foundation program for Juniors. As I began to write I reflected on the partnership between school and whānau and had a sinking feeling that it seems to often be an aspect of our teaching that can be surface level. By this I mean students are dropped at school by whānau and go home to them at the end of the day with a wave and quick hello, how are you, but really is there true partnership happening? Is it an equal power relationship where parents feel comfortable talking openly with their child's teacher? Does the teacher understand and value the hopes and aspirations each whānau has for their child? Do we take the time and make the effort to find out? Do whānau feel comfortable within our classrooms and know and have input into the learning that happens. Do we understand and value all the learning that happens at home?

Lockdowns have taught me that true relationships between whānau and teachers are powerful and can be a massive impact on student outcomes. 

I have made a mindset shift to purposefully form true relationships with whānau. This is not on a superficial level, this is valuing the contribution whānau brings to the learning of our tamariki. It's forming relationships that are nonjudgemental no matter what the situation is at home. It's listening to them, looking at things from their point of view, and working with them to help students learn in ways that are important and right for that family. 

For at least one of my students I strongly believe that the partnership his mum and I have, has changed his world in a significant way. The walls between school and home have come down, his whānau are helping him with his learning in their own beautiful way and he comes to school proud of the learning he is doing at home. He is able to make connections between this learning and the learning happening at school and build upon these connections. Learning is ubiquitous. The progress he is making is incredible. He has progressed from working at a developmental level of a 3 1/2 year-old, to being able to write a sentence, know all alphabet sounds, and read a sentence. I could have been judgemental when I learned about the challenges he and his whānau face, I can imagine many would. I could say that I have no control over what happens at home. But I do have control over my own beliefs, judgments, and the impact these have on others. By having understanding and true relationships based on trust and respect, there is no judgment. There is a partnership with a little learner (seed) at the center who is being nurtured by those around him and given optimal opportunities to grow. 

Lockdown for our Junior Team as with other deciles one schools allows us to see inside the homes of our whānau. We make phone calls, we do check-ins, google meets. Our parents become the teachers and we are one of their resources. They let us see into their worlds. we need to do this with uttermost respect and aroha. The relationships that are formed through this time are a true asset and like the story above brings down the walls between home and school. I can't help but feel this is what that sinking feeling that I had reading Te Whāriki referred to. These are the relationships that underpin Te Whāriki and that we need to treasure in our practice as teachers. 

In my early years of teaching I had relationships with families that I felt a connection towards but can I say I had strong relationships with those families that were more difficult to connect with... no I can't say I did...and how much of that came down to my own judgments and comfortableness. Probably more than I was willing to admit. 

I think it is important I don't let these learnings as an educator slip away. I look forward to continuing to weave the Te Whāriki aspect of Partnership through our junior school beliefs and practice and our school curriculum.