Reflection 2 -- Hard Day -- Y9s are awesome

I got a box of these yesterday and am so glad I did - even if just for the moment that came from my first lesson today 🧡 

If you're wondering what I used these for -- alphabet, digraphs, consonants, vowels, beginning blends and ending blends and heart words -- 

Pink -- vowels

Teal - digraphs

Blue - ending consonant blends

Yellow - beginning consonant blends

Red - heart words

I still need a purple colour though for the vowel sound blends that are tricky -- that can be part of the heart word problematic spelling situation

Let me preface this by saying my new Y9 students are FREAKING amazing. I think they're the best Y9's I've encountered in over 13 years of teaching. I may have a little bias 😂 #ManatuKids #TaitoaKids 🧡 #AurakiHard 🧡 (Love my #MauruaKids too! #BilingualismMatters)

So -- #storytime 😂 

We had an impromptu spelling test this morning, as all spelling tests should be 😂 and we discussed different spelling tricks and strategies. While doing this, one of the students kept asking how to spell one specific word -- I think it might have been racism or strategy or something - I'm not sure. 

Anyway! 

While saying the word - I signed it. And oh my life!! did one of my students absolutely LIGHT up 🧡🧡🧡

She signed it back and then buzzed out that I could sign (admittedly just bits and pieces) and was so stoked that I asked her to teach me more too. 

We had this cool little inside language, sharing it openly, normalising NZSL and talking about how others SHOULD know as it helps HEAPS. 

So -- just wanted to end my day on a really cool part because my days are peppered with these beautiful moments and rather than focus on the shitty parts -- I need to find the sunshine 🧡

Oh and this !! 

One of my students showed me his writing. This kid had written over 500 words in two writing block lessons. 500!! And had the gall to tell me it was repetitive and boring. No. Not at all. Like at all. After I finished going through his writing with him, giving feedback, teaching him stylistic tricks and just being in absolute AWE of this writing legend -- I addressed the comment he wrote at the bottom of his writing -- and we deleted it. Because no part of what he'd written was boring or repetitive. It was freaking amazing. 

I showed him the Speculative Fiction NZ website, the competitions for writing and Starling Mag. And gave him more feedforward to further improve his writing. Because I tell you now - this kid will be a published author one day.

But while I addressed his comment - I also talked about how absolutely proud of him I was. How incredible his writing style was and how truly descriptive and engaging his story was. I talked that kid up - just to him - not to make his ego bigger but to fill his heart and to stop hating on himself so much. Because I saw a little sliver of anxiety and fear that his writing would never be good enough. For who? No idea. But I felt that connection and need for empathy powered counselling that truly hit home. 

🧡 

I love teaching. I do. 

But I am exhausted of dealing with huge classes and no support. 

If you read this far and you're frustrated with me telling the truth? Best not check out my teaching blog from the past 13 years of teaching 😂 most of the past year or two there aren't many posts because #burnout and #survival 😂🤦🏻‍♀️😭 but I totally felt empowered today and I'm going to keep advocating for myself and my students. Because our kids are our taonga and they deserve nothing but the best. Even if I can't be the best for them right now -- I can do what I can in the meantime til we have the right supports and resourcing in place #BYODadvocate 🧡