Posts

Showing posts from April, 2017

Understanding Behaviour: Responding Safely

Image
He moana pukupuku e ekengia e te waka. A choppy sea can be navigated. How to prevent and avoid physical restraints. It is now illegal to 'seclude' a child - somewhere where they can't or think they can't get out. The only legal way (soon) to restrain a child will be if a child has an IPB. You are safe to restrain if there is an imminent danger of physical injury to the student, other students or staff. This is about keeping ourselves and the child safe - physical, emotional, reputational & legal. Laughter - is great as long as it is not at someone else's expense. Module 1: Understanding Behaviour  Mā te kōrero, ka mōhio. Mā te mōhio, ka atua. Mā te matau, ka marama. Through discussion comes knowledge. Through knowledge comes learning. Through learning comes understanding. We need to understand the 'why' of behaviour.  There are aspects that are evident and visible and some that are obscured and hidden. When we understand the why

Longworth Education - Seminar

Image
Longworth Education carried out a seminar specifically designed for Leadership outlining the important factors in implementing a play based environment. My notes, a little bit different to usual, are taken from the Webinar. What are my thoughts?  Play based learning fits in so very well with our vision - to inspire creativity, agency and excellence - why would we not inquire into this and see the benefits for our children?!

What's key?

What conclusions am I starting to draw from my sabbatical? Maths has got to be engaging Maths needs to be relevant - related to real world Learning of 'soft skills' are JUST as important as the content knowledge Who is doing the maths? The teacher or the student? Every student needs to be treated equally with an expectation that ALL can & will succeed

Maths at School C

Another great day today visiting School C - this time seeing a large range of ages throughout the school participate in maths. Generally speaking, the practice in each class was consistent across the school.  All students are in groups (seemed to be streamed) - one works with teacher, one group working on mathletics and the third group completing a worksheet. Key messages that emerged: learning must be relevant where students see the link to real life don't just show the 'perfect' model - life is not about perfect! e.g. when teaching geometry, can students identify a triangle if it is irregular? ensure it is the students doing the maths, not the teacher On a side note, it is SO important to have a shared understanding about agency across the sector - what is it? What is it not?   When matrices are used, how do the students feel who are in the 'bottom' tier ALL OF THE TIME.  What hope do they have?  Is this motivating for them to move or do they jus