Teaching Observation and Feedback Here is a copy of an observation done on my teaching this year.

Professional Development for our Opuke Kahui Ako. Arowhenua Marae On November 15th we went on a bus trip to the Arowhenua Marae in Temuka. Our entire Opuke Kahui Ako went as part of professional development and also to learn about their Tikanga and Powhiri protocol.   On Arrival the women were at the front supporting Karanga (Rana), the men were behind. We all entered the whare and moved to the left. The women sat at the back and the men moved to the front. Chris spoke on our behalf, followed by waiata from us, manuhiri (visitors). The Waiata we sung was ‘Ma te kahukura’. The Tawera (Tangata Whenua) concluded the speaking with an invitation to Hongi.  We all got up and took part in the hongi and then it was time to move through to the next room to complete the Powhiri process with kai. After the Powhiri we came together in the main meeting room and listened to speaker Hana O’Regan "Hana O’Regan (Kāti Rakiāmoa, Kāti Ruahikihiki, Kāi Tūāhuriri, Kā...

As part of our weekly set up for the classroom, we collaboratively sit down and work out what is happening for the week using a weekly plan. From here we can click into subject tabs which then have our names, student names, or group names, for us to write in our individual plans. Attached to these plans is also a link to a formative assessment page which lets us keep track of how our students are going on a weekly basis. This then allows us to shift students as needed, or see where extra time is needing to be spent, allowing us to create lessons and groups that are more student/group specific and orientated.

Near the end of term two, we needed to complete running records, and spelling tests on all the students in Mahi Tahi. Collectively we decided to test the students in our own groups, rather than in our class homerooms.  This decision was based on the fact that we A) knew the students expected from our groups, and B) that this was how we planned to write our class reports.   This involved the testing for my students, as well as loading them on the databoard and Edge. Testing was to be both a summative test for report writing, and to let us see what students had/had not improved on, as well as a formative test to allow us to see where we needed to make adjustments in groupings and teaching so that we could plan for the following term. 

Our term focus this term for IPC  has been a unit called 'space explorers'. This is the 'Big Idea' for this unit We know that when we look up at our sky we will see the Sun, the Moon and the stars. We take them for granted. But why are they there? What do they do? How do they affect the Earth? Astronomy, like all sciences, is about asking questions. By becoming space explorers, we can find out more about our solar system and the deeper mysteries of the universe. In Science, we’ll be finding out: How to compare the size of the planets and their distance from the Sun. About the movements of the Earth, Sun and Moon and how they affect us. How to create a timeline to show the life cycle of a star. About the planets in our solar system. In Art, we’ll be finding out: How we can capture the shape, colour and patterns of nebulae in art. How we can create our own satellite images. In History, we’ll be finding out: About what people in the past used to t...

IPC This term has introduced our school to a new international curriculum (IPC). We are the only school in New Zealand and we are piloting this new curriculum in NZ. "  The IPC is our International Primary Curriculum for children aged 5 - 11 years old. It is used by over 730 schools in 92 countries worldwide. It is a comprehensive, thematic, creative curriculum, with a clear process of learning and specific learning goals for every subject. It also develops international mindedness and encourages personal learning." The first part of the IPC is the brainwave unit.  These are the Brainwave learning goals Children will: 3.01 Know about some of the recent evidence and research into the brain and learning 3.02 Know about some of the different areas of the brain and their function 3.03 Understand the different ways that they can learn 3.04 Understand how they can improve their learning and their attitudes to learning 3.05 Understand the importance of cooperati...

This year I have been put in charge of organising the year 5/6 camp. We are going to be going to Wainui from the 3rd-5th of December. I have had to do all the organising, sending out notices, deciding what activities to do, organising a budget, contacting the camp organisers/ hosts, sorting out medical needs, diets, grouping, transportation, sleeping arrangements and all of the health and safety including RAMS and SAPS. Below is a copy of the doc i have created to keep track of everything. Here is some of the contact I have had with the organisers at Wainui. I have really enjoyed organising this camp and cant wait for the time when we get to go!

Through the process of our syndicate inquiry, I am able to show a number of the teaching standards. The above link goes to our inquiry folder which contains the inquiry process, meetings with our PLD provider, Core Ed, links to resources that can be used and student voice obtained by the process of a google questionnaire. The decision to base inquiry around literacy this year (specifically writing), was a school and board directive, as it is an over all concern and focus.  To begin the process a google form was sent to all students in Mahi Tahi, asking them a series of questions about literacy (see above link to writing questionnaire). This was to give them some voice, and also to allow us to see if their were any commonalities and to give us a point of reference to start from.  The outcome of this process lead us to believe that students mostly found writing either difficult to do, or were bored. Most students indicated that they enjoyed free writing/writing about a subjec...

Update on the Kahui Ako Teacher Only Afternoon & Hosting a workshop. We also had a teacher only afternoon this term on Tuesday 14th August. I was responsible for hosting one of the learning PD workshops as well as organising the morning tea for everyone. Here is a copy of the workshop slide I used when hosting my workshop. Here is a copy of the feedback we received from this workshop.

This term we have given the children an opportunity to create and work on a 'passion project'. The aim of the task was for the children to choose a topic that they are interested in and passionate about and then research and create a presentation on this topic. Here is the slide we used to introduce the project to the children. Following from this we collected the information on what the children will be working on and supported and activated them through finding out the information. an example of one of the projects one of the children had created. And finally the children presented their projects to their peers and we provided them with feedback on their learning based on the success criteria that was given to them at the beginning.

This year I have been put in charge of the school choir. We have been working hard since Term 1 to learn all of our songs and even some actions so that we are ready to perform in the upcoming Mid Canterbury Schools Music Festival. I had to do all the organising including choosing songs for our school to sing, teaching the children our songs and the other mass choir songs, sending notices home and organising transport to and from the practices and even the concert. I also had to conduct on the night of the performance. Below are some of the notices and things I organised. I thoroughly enjoyed leading the choir this year, we had fun, learnt heaps and enjoyed reaping the rewards of getting to stand up and perform and share all our hard work with the community.

On the 28.5.18 Anna (Mayfield), Rebecca (Chertsey) and I went around a few schools in our Kahui Ako to observe what maths looks like. Notes from observation trip and discussions. DATE: 28.5.18    Present: Anna, Lagan, Rebecca   Mayfield Primary School  -   We observed 3 classrooms at Mayfield Primary School. First we observed the new entrant class. The teacher was doing a lot of number knowledge practice with the children by getting them to count, add and subtract their notebooks and there was a lot of oral language and discussion – teacher was asking children "well how do you know" and children were able to reply that it looked like the dice pattern etc. Children seemed quite advanced for their age when it came to this math's – some were using counting on strategies for addition! Next was Anna's class which I think was year 2/3? They had a focus on number patterns and were looking at dots and trying to work out how many ther...

This term I have trialled setting up a google site that the children could use as a way to look into what we are doing that week and have time to feel prepared and have a look, as well as be able to follow what we are doing each day without having to constantly ask what to do next. The link to this site is  here. Here is a screenshot of what the site looks like

We have been lucky enough to get a specialist art teacher to come in and work alongside me and with the children to teach them different art styles.  They have been learning about sketching, transferring, using pastels, painting, and different shading styles. What a great opportunity for the children. And a fun learning experience for me. From Nicola Habbitts after working with our Year 7-8 pupils ‘’Thank you for all your hard work, year 7 & 8, you have been amazing students, diligent and hard working. I have been really impressed with your innovation and creativity. You should be very proud of your final piece, it really is outstanding and is a great show of the partnership throughout the class.” Mrs Habbitts Also as part of this art experience, we organised a trip for the children to go to Christchurch to visit the art gallery and museum. The children loved this opportunity and had a fantastic day!

A few weeks ago the teachers from the Kahui Ako Maths Workstream went to Mayfield School to observe the way that they do maths across the school. At Mayfield School, they  plan collaboratively across the school using the   Upside Down Teaching approach.  Strands are not taught in isolation.  They entwined with problem-solving.   Problem-solving is about open-ended questions - questions that have lots of possibilities for answers   In the  Upside Down Teaching approach , the children work in mixed ability groups to do problem-solving. T he pedagogy around the upside-down teaching approach is that it is a  shift from  'I – we – you'    To    'You – we – I'   Which will create a shift to the children teaching each other and working collaboratively to work through problems.   What I Observed Planning: The teachers plan collaboratively across the school. Once a week they get togeth...

I felt extremely nervous coming into the start of the week. Even though I had already met/ knew all of the children from teaching them in the past, it was still all very new coming into the week. Although nervous, I was also feeling excited to be coming into a new collaborative teaching environment and getting to work alongside other fantastic teachers that I knew would be there to support and guide me through my first week back. I also felt good relaxing back into it, and everything not being so new this time around - I have 2 years teaching under my belt and feel a lot more comfortable and authoritative in the classroom. Overall I feel that the children not only in my homeroom but also in the other two classes, are settling into the term well and showing good signs of warming up and being accepting to me as their teacher and I am looking forward to starting formal rotations and learning next w eek. I also feel that our new team is working really well so far.

This is my team's Week 1, Term 1, Planning.

My name is Lagan Gardyne, I am a fourth-year teacher living in Christchurch, New Zealand. I currently work at Rakaia Primary School in a year 5&6 collaborative learning environment. I have a passion for all things art and digital technology. I graduated from the University of Canterbury in 2015 with a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (Primary). I am a dedicated and energetic educator who is determined to bring out the best in my pupils. I am committed and enthusiastic about teaching and I have a positive and confident approach to team teaching situations.