It's time for a full and detailed reflection:
9&10 Tihi - this is my bi-lingual class for English. It's been absolutely challenging because of the behavioral levels and the underlying actual issue of incredibly low levels of literacy with some of our boys.
For the first term I spent it watching the students and creating relationships. The Y9 girls were onside almost immediately. The Y10 girls are slowly getting onside now - especially since hearing more about who their new boyfriends are haha the trust levels are increasing and that's a huge win. Especially because they've trusted me enough with the information but also to let them mock them a little
The boys though... That's been tricky. The standoffish behaviour was a known factor into coming to this kura - based on my own experience with my whanau. Now that they've seen I've stuck with them a term, they've got to know who I am and my whanau links and connections - they're slowly opening up and connecting more with me. There's still a few that are on and off behaviour - yet I know that they really do just want to learn. I've continued to be surprised by the focus and determination from some students who have been the most disruptive in terms of behavioral issues. They want to try and are showing this in class. We've seen K reading an entire chapter of the BFG in the library and C actually sitting down and iniating discussions with the Protest Project mahi due to his prior experience. T and TM are the ones I want to accelerate the most - T because he's a leader and needs to feel comfortable and confident i te ao Pākehā me te ao Māori hoki. TM because he has SO much background historical knowledge and if he had more confidence and less of an internal block that he is incapable of doing the mahi - he'd be able to share his whakaaro in so much more depth. D has been trying - but needs to catch up with his maturity. P has impressed me considerably. His reading with the Tiriti o Waitangi book blew me away. Him and C fighting to reas the last few pages was awesome. I wish all lessons had been like that one.
With some of the behavioral stuff nailed through restorative hui where the girls, the kaiako and some of the boys owned their behaviour and shared what was disrupting the learning - it was interesting to see those boys who were (and some who still are) being disruptive jusy couldn't comprehend how they had contributed to the ridiculous behaviours in class and lack of learning.
There is still much more work to be done but we're slowly getting there.
Favourite lessons so far:
- TOW
- Protest project and research
- BFG Chapter 3
- TOW
- Protest project and research
- BFG Chapter 3
11THI - This class honestly cracks me up. So funny. I need more time to write about these guys! Such focus and determination.
I've missed a couple arvos with PPTA regional hui and the last Thursday for the two PUMs. And one day when the Queensland researchers interviewed me about charter schools.
Favourite lessons:
Pretty much every Thursday is awesome. The focus on film study and close viewing has been cool just because they have so much analysis skills. It's awesome.
Taking some of them to the slam poetry night was really awesome - definitely a highlight when E stood and did his poem.
11ENG - This class is hard. Straight up. Lots of students. Crazy situation. But we're getting there. After two terms - we're seeing achievement and success. I need time to mark all their work and doing the marking alongside them is way easier because they get that immediate feedback to fix up their Unit Standard mahi
TL;DR -
