Elly Warnock

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 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 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

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...

Chapter 7: From Tracking to Growth Mindset Grouping One key factor in student achievement is known as "Opportunity to learn."  Put simply, if students spend time in classes where they are given access to high-level content, they achieve at higher levels. LOW FLOOR, HIGH CEILING TASKS Students start behaving badly when they are given the message that they cannot achieve . When students start to believe they can achieve, and they understand that I believe in them, bad behaviour and lack of motivation disappear. To encourage students to take maths to different levels: 1. Provide open-ended tasks. open-ended low floor, high ceiling. These are the MOST engaging and interesting maths tasks They are tasks that teach important maths, inspire interest and encourage creativity. In a growth mindset classroom, it is the teachers job to challenge, support, and stretch them at exactly the right level. Such teaching, although demanding, is also extremely fulfilli...

Most Likely To Succeed What factors are going to ensure our students will succeed?? School is about now! It shouldn't be about drudgery/assessments... Now ... 53% of college graduates in the states cannot find a job - why? Because of the advances in technology. 1843 - last major educational change - the Industrial Age.  Age, ability and subject were split up at this time. 'The Committee of Ten' designed our curriculum and by and large, it hasn't changed since. The 20th century was a century that was full of people who had good skills in the 3 r's and an economy that required those skills. This is no longer the case! Life is not segmented into subjects! High Tech High - USA   Do you need me to micromanage your way through school or do you want to do it on your own? Need to set up situations to help kids do it on their own. No bells, no subject areas, teachers are hired on one year contracts, what they teach and how they teach is up to each teacher...

Chapter 6: Mathematics and the Path to Equity "We need all teachers to believe in all students, to reject the idea of some students being suitable for higher-level math and others not, and to work to make higher-level math available to all students, whatever their prior achievement, skin colour, or gender." "There is an imperative need for mathematics to change from an elitist, performance subject used to rank and sort students (and teachers) to an open, learning subject, for both high-achieving students, who are currently turning away from mathematics in record numbers, as well as the low-achieving students who are being denied access to ideas that they are fully capable of learning." Equitable Strategies 1.  Offer all students high-level content. 2.  Word to change ideas about who can achieve in mathematics. 3.  Encourage students to think deeply about mathematics. "Girls, more than boys, desire a depth of understanding that is often unavailable i...