Purposeful routines, clear transitions and learning time maximised.

Have firm but fair control of akonga across Tini Whetu. Use/follow through on the STAR system and use the reflection sheet.

Transitions:

Purposeful and clear transitions to maximise learning time.

Relationships with akonga:

Build strong relationships with akonga that guide/build behaviour management, planning and mana in our classroom.

What I liked the most about this workshop was being introduced to Shelley Moore's term 'Dont should on me', which is particularly relevant right now, especially with the sudden curriculum changes that will likely result in many students being labeled as not being 'where they should be.'

I think this perspective reminded me that instead of focusing on where students “should” be, I need to recognize and value where they are, where they could be and how can I adapt my teaching so the term 'should be' is not hanging over any of our akonga. Which connects with my commitment to Te Tiriti through valuing different ways of learning.

We have organized for me to come and observe her class in transitions the following week.

We also discussed new learning for myself. So far I have:

• Watched the PR1ME recorded webinars.

• Organized in-school observations with Breifne, Kathryn, Jo and Nicole with focus on behaviour management and transitions.

• Disscussed with Janine outside school observations. She is going to make contact with some principals.

• Had Amy explicitly model a circle time session in room 8.

Janine provided us with valuable resources and readings on explicit teaching and understanding checks, which were a great refresher for me. I really enjoyed reading the examples of checking for understanding. It was a good reminder that simply asking students, "How do we feel about this?" in a group setting is often ineffective. Students may claim they understand—even when they don’t—due to fear of judgment from their peers.

I felt quite nervous about presenting to the staff, but Alice and I took time to plan who would present each part, and she reassured me that, even as a BT, my colleagues would still respect me in a leadership role during the PD. I did feel the support from staff while I presented and actually left feeling really good.

We discussed how it can be hard to mark some E-asttle papers because you know and you have seen that they can create some amazing pieces-but they haven't done well in the test conditions and have lost marks as a result. Breifne says this is where you use your relationship and knowledge as a teacher to make the right judgment.

We also discussed how I am struggling to get some real literacy work done with the last few weeks being so busy. Breifne reassures me that this is ok, and that it takes time to find, solidify, and build on routines to get quality learning.

Next week we are going to look at:

My literacy planning

Check the HERO goals I have set for room 8 tamariki.

Ed had a great ability to work under pressure/sudden changes. With his TA taken from the room at short notice he managed his small groups well while keeping the rest of the task focused on a learning task.

Examples of checks for understanding I have used:

• Draw a cartoon to reflect your understanding of kaitiakitanga.

• Blooket quiz on the spelling of numerals.

• Self-assessments shared with a buddy.

• 'Just one word' Students pick a word and share with the class to summarise a topic or concept.

Bridget has a very calm and kind but firm approach with students who have learning/behavioural needs. I will discuss this with her further as I need to work on my approaches to situations like this.

Jo has a great ability to balance and adapt to sudden changes. Ask Jo for advice on how she does this!

So I did some research online to see what I could find in terms of reo instructions within the classroom and reo conversation. I found a great (but basic) 'Kei te pēhea koe?' poster which I edited to suit our classroom and I created a poster with common classroom instructions. I have put them up in our classroom and explained to Akonga that we are all going to make a collective effort to be more inclusive and converse in reo.

The goal is to start basic/easy and build our confidence as a classroom.

This week, Breifne and I discussed feedback/assessment. I went through my writing plan with her.

• Share with Akonga their marked E-Asttle papers and have a one-on-one conversation regarding their successes, next steps, and how I can support them.

• Use the laminated pencils for student visuals of their goal.

• Use the goals as a resource for planning upcoming writing lessons.

• 
  

We also discussed learning conversations as this is something I feel anxious about. Breifne reassured me this is not the case and pointed me in the right direction:

• Focus on progress.

• Discuss the new curriculum that we are keeping up to update with as a staff. 

• Talk with Rachel about bringing student work to the meetings, i.e, practice book or writing book.

• Don't forget to ask parents questions, too. 

• Breifne said if I'm not sure, always tell them I will get back to them (and always give yourself a reasonable timeframe!)
  

We also prepped for learning conversations in week 10. She gave me great advice for when whanau have questions- ask them questions too!

We took some time to talk about the learning-focused culture standard. I shared that in Tini Whetu we encourage students to take ownership of their learning to foster a culture of engagement, self-efficacy, and shared responsibility.

This also plays a huge role in creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.

I am excited but anxious about the BSLA learning we start next term. It sounds like a heavy load. But I recognise I need all the help I can get and this looks like a great opportunity to learn and develop my practice to support diverse akonga needs.

I am feeling ready for a break, but excited to make alot of changes in my practice in term 2.

I have been reflecting on my learning this term and I am happy with my progress in:

• Creating routines

• Effective transitions

• Setting and upholding expectations.

However, in term 2 I would like to focus on:

• Conflict resolution.

• Upholding boundaries.

• Using more culturally sustaining pedagogy.

I am grateful for the support I have had this term and I feel very lucky to have Breifne and Rachel guide me.

I think the lesson was prepared well and I utilised resources/ things I have learnt this term such as:

• Checking for understanding (From our curriculum PD)

• Attention grabbers.

• Strategies for engaging conversation (think, pair, share)

• Classroomscreen.com Visual timers and typed up verbal instructions.

• Utilising the star system.

Based on my own reflection and Breifne's observation notes I think I could improve on:

• Managing disruptions, in this case a student's hearing device issue. I could have set the other students up with a conversation or task before I dealt with this so they weren't waiting on me.

• Time management, is it effective to have short, sharp activities when summarising a term? Or one longer activity? I am not sure but I think the change from buddy sharing, to writing in our books to a game that incorporated their learning was maybe a good thing? (Check in with Breifne when she can)

I feel confident my behaviour management has progressed over the term. I have seen a change in how students respond to me now that I have consistently followed through on the STAR system. However, I know when I need to ask for help. I have done this a few times with Amy, Rachel and Alice and I have learned to take each time as a learning opportunity- not a failure. Watch how they deal with it, the words they use, consequences issued etc and model that in the future.

Transitions were initially quite awkward to implement with the busyness of the term and things popping up that change the schedule last minute. But in the last few weeks, I have started to notice that my 5-minute warnings and visual timetables etc have created a routine that akonga are starting to know and follow independently. I am worried with the changes I plan to make to reading/maths groups that next term may take a few weeks for the students to adjust.

I have worked really hard to build safe relationships with room 8. I think initially I was too understanding and some students took advantage of that. But I have learnt that lesson and I can be understanding with the students now while holding them to the expectations of the school.

Takiwātanga- in your own time and space. I thought that was a beautiful and mana-enhancing way to name the unique way some people's brains work.

I like reading articles from te ao maori perspectives because of the way the culture encompasses so many things with lots of aroha and mana with the perspective of taonga.

I have colour coded the sticks according to who needs to be called on often to check their engagement, who is shy to be called on, who is excited to engage etc.

So I have begun to really scaffold them.

I.e, 7-4

Use your fingers.

Use resources (tokens, stationary etc)

And I have set Tara up to take them twice a week for some very basic addition and subtraction practice.

The aim is for us to teach them to slow down and use resources until they feel confident. We have also noticed that when you give them an equation to solve that is set up differently, they become confused and start guessing.

For example: ___-4=4

Students were writing answers like this:

0-4=4

My understanding was this is because they were doing the equation backwards. So I am going to organise some work and resources to support them with this as our focus next week. I have also moved two more students into this group as one has left.

During my coaching meeting with Amy, she helped me to see that there is more time at my disposal for one-on-one reading and small group reading. For example-during S.S.R I could easily do one-on-one reading or I could do at least 4 small group reading sessions. I think Amy gave me a different perspective on making the most of my time in the classroom, which has motivated me, and I feel like I CAN make a difference with these students.

We also got to discuss Breifne's observation of my teaching from last term. It was good to hear I am on track and learning new things each week.

Next week we are going to discuss the PCT workshop I attended and the evidence to be collected.

I am struggling to engage with and take in the content of the modules. I don't learn well this way, I prefer a more hands-on approach/modelling. I struggled to pay attention and engage in the workshop too. But it was comforting to know that the other kaiako were in the same boat.

I decided I would like to present on the PRIME maths planning template-which I think is an amazing resource because it is easy to navigate, great for keeping up to date/tracking progress and connecting the curriculum.

I think my presentation went well. I talked through tracking maths/target groups, hyperlinking learning objectives, Keeping track of the TG,CB,PB and using the drop down boxes and merging cells.

I think it would have been great to have had a table brainstorm on PRIME planning hacks but it seemed not enough staff used the template to do this effectively. I would like to work on my confidence in these situations in the future. I think doing this more will be great.

I also walked away with lots of rich maths tasks, warm ups, cool downs and tips for navigating the MATHSPRO website.

We started off with a presentation on neurodiversity. We discussed how neurodiversity is often seen as a deficit and instead should be viewed as a different way of thinking. And we discussed practices that are consistently effective across age groups, learning areas and abilities.

• Clear routines.

• Task organisation tools.

• Visuals.

This was great for me as I realised I haven't been setting some of my students up for success and I walked away from this with some ideas on how I can change my teaching and routines to benefit tamariki (First, then visuals)!!

Next we had Libby Paterson discuss certification and endorsement (Movement from a Tōmua to a Tūturu) requirements. This was a very clear indication of the expectations and has helped me organise my PCT folder and recognise what takes priority. I have information to take back to my mentor.

Next we discussed UDL in action. This is a framework for inclusive education and should ALWAYS be aspirational. I really liked the Analogy of where UDL came from: architecture!

5th floor: Academic learning (not the focus but the natural consequence of the below floors)

4th floor: interest/purposefulness.

3rd floor: Growth mindset (can lift people up or push them down)

2nd floor: Physical accessibility.

Ground floor: Safety/belonging.

Finally, we had a presentaion on Wairarapatanga. I have heard this word a lot lately-but haventlearnt about what it actually is! Whakaoriori kahui ako- a philosophy that believes together is better. Purpose is to improve educational outcomes for students in the area. I walked away from this with some great resources:

• Whakaoriori kahui ako (Wairarapatanga) purakau and reo resources.

  https://sites.google.com/hadlow.school.nz/wairarapatanga/te-k%C5%8Drero-tuku-iho

• Rangitane

  https://rangitaneeducation.com/

• And Ngati kahununu/Potangaroa education.

I also got a great lesson idea from a video they showed where Brigham Riwai-Couch shares his perspective of the top 10 things that make a difference for him as a learner. This video focuses on Māori achieving educational success as Māori, drawing on student voice.

https://vimeo.com/325105212

Writing lesson idea: 10 Ways to teach me!

Transition from P.E to maths is messy. How can we make this more efficient?

Have students prepare BEFORE P.E. Create high expectations and routines that set students up to have their books, pencils, whiteboards, ect, ready at 8:30.

Have visuals of book/tidy expectations.

• Discussed release.

• Learning how to do and use the DIBELS assessment.

• Next steps are to become familiar with doing the next part of BSLA assessment.

• Went over PCT/Mentor evidence/expectations.

• Incentives/assessments for neurodiverse learners.

• Re-examining how we write our meeting notes for working towards the standards.

I was able to walk away knowing:

• The key differences between te tiriti and the treaty.

• How life was for Māori before the treaty (mutually beneficial relationships with pakeha).

• Why maori rangatira signed the treaty.

• WHO signed WHICH treaty.

• What happened after the treaty (consequences for māori and their peaceful protests.)

I walked away with a much better understanding of Aotearoa's history- and a big question.

Why does Aotearoa recognise the treaty (signed by 39 Māori and NO representatives of the crown) and not Te tiriti (signed by 503 rangatiratanga and a crown representative and recognised in international law)?

I have also printed and displayed some visuals of how we keep our books tidy on the shelf and how we write in our books. I used a student's book work as the example and highlighted the correct format.

Reading: I have taken Amy's advice and started group reading during SSR. I can only do this three days a week as the other two this group is with Amy. The more we read together the less it will feel out of the comfort zone. During our whole class reading work I attempted to take them as a small group to work through the content but found that because they all have different capabilities some were ahead and others needed more support. Next week I will do the same, but when I recognise that they are capable I will let them go to do it independently while those that need the extra support will stay with me.

Writing: It was a big change this week with writing. I think taking this group every day while others work independently was a bit of a shock for them because they are being held accountable more than usual. Im seeing more work output.

Maths: This week felt a bit unbalanced. I think me being out for maths wed,thurs and Friday means that I didn't have enough time with them to make any judgements.

We discussed the Te Tiriti teaching standard. This is an area we both agree we will never stop learning about. I am continuing to work on increasing my Reo. Using visuals and posters in the classroom to help us use it more. I think where I am learning the most is during Kia Tipu te korero. Both the tamariki and I understand we are all at different points in our journey, and we are learning together. I have been accumulating resources to use in my teaching, and I have linked them on my Padlet. 

Next steps:

• Learn more about tikanga Māori.

• Increasing my reo and making it more fluent. 

• Learn about my own whakapapa.

What I really liked was that the assessment is done online, and while that always poses a few challenges can't help but think about the benefits this will have for students with disabilities like dyslexia.

The only thing I see as potentially problematic would be the technology's lack of te reo knowledge. Reo would get flagged in the marking process as 'misspelt' words-but this is where the manual marking/OTJ would come in.

I enjoyed learning about the spiral of inquiry. One thing I took away that is being implemented at Douglas Park school is the scanning method. Talk with your tamariki- 'Can you name two adults that you think, believe you will be successful? How do they show you?'

And if they can't name anyone, move to immediate action. 2 x 10 minutes a day 10 days in a row.

I wish I was able to hear more of this workshop.

Scanning is the initial phase in the Spirals of Inquiry framework, designed to spark collective inquiry among educators. It focuses on deeply understanding what is going on for learners—academically, socially, and emotionally before jumping into solutions or strategies. The process involves asking curious, open-ended questions, gathering evidence from multiple perspectives (including student voice), and challenging assumptions. The goal is to ensure that any changes made are informed, meaningful, and learner-centered.

Focusing is the second phase in the Spirals of Inquiry process. After scanning to understand what’s going on for learners, the focusing stage helps teams narrow down to the most important areas for improvement. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, this phase encourages educators to identify key leverage points where change will have the biggest impact. It involves analyzing patterns, exploring root causes, and deciding where to concentrate collective efforts. The aim is to ensure that the inquiry is purposeful, manageable, and meaningful for both learners and educators.

Positives:

• Writing PAT

Negatives:

• Reflective practice workshop- couldn't hear a lot.

Teaching standard: Professional learning

• Updates/ reflections on Padlet for teacher-only days and PD. 

• Accumulating resources/websites -Padlet.

• Weekly staff meetings on curriculum and wairarapatanga.

• Weekly meetings and reflections from meetings with Breifne.

Next week we are looking at the professional relationships teaching standard and Breifne will come to observe me on Friday.

• Pace & needs of learner - teach 2 taumata for comprehension in reading. Year 5s and 6s. Same in maths - book 3 & book 4.

• Know my students and a specific goal that they are working on. When I am teaching, I can focus on that goal.

• Adapted literacy groups. Using PR1ME Maths as a tool (not the bible).

How could I progress:

• Try new strategies: Open up my teaching more by observing others more often to see how others use digital tools, questioning and other strategies for student success.

Next week I am to observe Indy and in week 3, Breifne to see how they check for understanding based on recommendations from Janine after observation.

I feel that I have a firm grasp on their abilities and goals and I have recognised that some of them need a lot more support than they are receiving. I feel motivated moving into term 3 that I will adapt and make changes to suit their needs.

Clear how students demonstrate progress / achievement.

Next steps:

Develop checking for understanding strategies.

Keep students informed on their progress.

"intentionally design assessments to occur at ‘checkpoints’"

-Check for understanding, which is not a full assessment but small insights into how students are tracking. This gives kaiako insight but also tamariki the agency to take control of their learning/progress.

Highlights were the checking for understanding:

• Dictation

• Buddy marking

• Cold calling using magic sticks, colour coded.

• Intentions displayed clearly on the wall- also glued into their books!

• Repetition made fun.

Ask for help when I need it, Amy and Janine are happy to step in.

Get back into my own routine, I had while studying/placement.

Morning walks.

Meditation.

Find time for myself.

I was able to walk away knowing:

• The key differences between te tiriti and the treaty.

• How life was for Māori before the treaty (mutually beneficial relationships with pakeha).

• Why maori rangatira signed the treaty.

• WHO signed WHICH treaty.

• What happened after the treaty (consequences for māori and their peaceful protests.)

I walked away with a much better understanding of Aotearoa's history- and a big question.

Why does Aotearoa recognise the treaty (signed by 39 Māori and NO representatives of the crown) and not Te tiriti (signed by 503 rangatiratanga and a crown representative and recognised in international law)?

The tamariki in my class are very knowledgeable, and often they teach me proper pronunciation. I think this is awesome. I made some changes to the kia tipu slides because I found this layout works better for all of us. Especially when discussing the events/routines of the day.

I would love for myself to be able to fluently role model discussing with room 8 the schedule for the day.

Each day when we disscuss our schedule we do so in te reo. At the end of the day, students have the job of setting our visual timetable up for the next day. I used some visual aids on these to help them learn what words mean what. They are now able to set this up without my help and disscuss the schedule with others.

I really liked the conversation about cognitive overload when discussing the science of learning. It made me think of our literacy programme. I think it is likely that we have been giving them cognitive overload. How can we change our programme to avoid this?

Because the tracker was up throughout the unit, students could tick SC off as they went. I noticed that the tracker encouraged ownership of learning, as students could clearly see their progress over time. It also provided me with immediate insights into where support was most needed, allowing me to adjust teaching and target small-group instruction.

At the end of the unit, I went through each SC and asked the class to show me what each one would look like on the mini whiteboards to see if the learning had moved from the short-term memory to the long-term.

All 4 of these tamariki have confirmed my concerns, and I will continue to work with them on this, with either Tara or myself taking them as a small focus group.

First, we disscussed and researched Tongan art and patterns and the meaning behind them and we discussed some basic Tongan phrases, e.g,

The most common greeting in Tonga is 'Mālō e lelei' (Hello). Visitors may be greeted with 'Talitali fiefia' (Welcome).

Then we started the process of cutting out our fans and decorating them. Tamariki had to explain the patterns they chose and why they resonated with them.

Reflection:

In my lesson for Tongan Language Week, students created Tongan fans, researched the meaning behind the patterns, and learned some Tongan words. I see this as part of me working towards the Te Tiriti teaching standard because it gave space for students’ cultures to be seen and celebrated. It wasn’t just an art activity, but a way to connect with identity and language, and to show that these things matter in our classroom. For me, it was about making sure students felt proud of who they are, while also helping others build respect and understanding. I’m still learning how to weave culture into my teaching in meaningful ways, but this felt like a step in the right direction towards creating a more inclusive and respectful classroom community.

Reflection: In the future we could use this activity after the year 6 camp because it is a camp scene, we could also use it around Matariki and the students could add the matariki stars to the sky and add things to the picture that resonate with matariki (kai from the ground, wind, rain, passed loved ones etc)

I write a 'key' on the board that tells students the fitness action they need to do to tell me their answer. I call out questions like 3x3 or 6x3 and they answer by giving me the movement that correlates with the key on the board. It's a fun way to check in on their progress and engage them.

Kia ora Tayla,

Thank you for having me in your classroom. A very well organised maths session and I can see the pupils know your expectations which allows for maximum learning time and little behaviour management required. We are lucky to have you as a kaiako at Fernridge School Tayla - keep up the great mahi!

Feedback

- Great to see a range of checking for understanding techniques being used (put your hand up if...turn to a buddy and talk...does anyone want to add to this...who has an example...visuals...Simon Says etc. The pupils reacted quickly and without fuss, so I can see these are well embedded in your teaching practise

- Well planned whole class warm-up. Easy for you to see who understands the content, and who needs support. You are well prepared and have thought about your learners.

- Non-threatening learning environment and positive maths discussions. Everyone contributed and you set pupils back on track when required.

Think about?

- Use of TAPPLE to add to your kete. Specifically the E - effective feedback.

which would be direct maths feedback about the content. Some E statements to consider;

Tayla's reflection:

I was quite happy with my feedback from Amy. It is great to get specific things to work on or practice incorporating into your teaching from a very experienced teacher. I am looking forward to giving TAPPLE (effective feedback) more thought moving forward.

Kia ora Tayla,

Thank you for having me in your classroom. A very well organised maths session and I can see the pupils know your expectations which allows for maximum learning time and little behaviour management required. We are lucky to have you as a kaiako at Fernridge School Tayla - keep up the great mahi!

Feedback

- Great to see a range of checking for understanding techniques being used (put your hand up if...turn to a buddy and talk...does anyone want to add to this...who has an example...visuals...Simon Says etc. The pupils reacted quickly and without fuss, so I can see these are well embedded in your teaching practise

- Well planned whole class warm-up. Easy for you to see who understands the content, and who needs support. You are well prepared and have thought about your learners.

- Non-threatening learning environment and positive maths discussions. Everyone contributed and you set pupils back on track when required.

Think about?

- Use of TAPPLE to add to your kete. Specifically the E - effective feedback.

which would be direct maths feedback about the content. Some E statements to consider;

Tayla's reflection:

I was quite happy with my feedback from Amy. It is great to get specific things to work on or practice incorporating into your teaching from a very experienced teacher. I am looking forward to giving TAPPLE (effective feedback) more thought moving forward.

We started by discussing what they are, what they mean, what they connect to etc. It was interesting to see the different interpretations.

We discussed what hei tiki should have:

• A head (tilted)

• A torso

• Arms/legs

• 
  

Then we used air-dry clay to mould them. I pushed the kids to be more original in their designs. For example, find patterns and carvings that connect with you.

I am great at giving gold stars out (maybe a bit too much), but in order to have a good classroom environment they need to know my boundaries and expectations are firm.

Next steps:

Practice working with more than one group in literacy time. For example, I spend a good chunk of my literacy time working with one specific group of boys who need a lot of support. I feel like I need to spend more time with my higher-level writers and also find a way to make sure our literacy accommodates that low floor high ceiling idea.

I often find myself sitting in one space as the students cycle through checking in with me. I need to be up and moving around to motivate learners to manage themselves etc.

We had recently been learning about the different types of angles and how to recognise them. So this was a fun and non-threatening way for me to assess their understanding.

I found this really awesome art lesson on drawing a poupou through a teacher's page on Facebook. I loved the idea initially, but the comments gave me a reason to worry. The lesson asked students to draw their poupou holding something in their hands. Kaiako in the comments were not happy to see poupou holding kfc buckets and other inappropriate items that took away from the meaning and history of poupou.

I decided to talk to Amy about it, I felt she would have a real conversation about it. Janine and Amy both gave me solid advice and guidelines I could use such as getting the kids to draw something they connect/identify with personally or one of our school values. This was really important to me as the last thing I ever want to do is take away from Māori taonga.

The lesson went really well; I actually ended up doing it with all of Tini Whetu. I think a highlight for me was learning and teaching about what poupou are and also learning the significance behind some Māori patterns.

Reflection:

It was nice to hear that someone else can see the mahi I have put into building relationships with my tamariki. Breifne said that I had clear instructions during this observation but when I reflected, I think there was a lot I could have done to make it clearer for certain students.

I could have scaffolded the instructions more so there was no risk of overload. Because I didn't, when we went outside to do our activity it felt a bit all over the place.