Equity in all things: Relationship backfire

I talk a lot about the importance of relationships. Something that happened the week before last week is still bugging me. No names given obviously but I need to think out the situation and clear my head a bit more to fully think about how to resolve it further.

Y10s had just had PE and had come in all ramped up. As usual I could tell. I did a couple listening activities to refocus them - a simple TK cue of my hand up signalling focus and when that didn't work the trusty 321. Even that didn't get any attention - asked them to all stand up and do a couple of star jumps and then sit down again. Told them that I knew they'd just had PE and they needed to settle down and focus now.

They did. Marvellously. The learning was humming. We were doing collaborative work on our NZRA novel - final analysis really - using Class Dojo for recognition of behaviour, learning and leadership. Using CD in their groups added even more competition - with CD on my phone and the banner and sound popping up on my laptop and projector. Most of the kids were humming. It was at the transition time between that and the next task when rubber bands started flying with bits of paper scattered everywhere. I told them all off... and went to collect them all. This is an extension class by the way - this kind of behaviour is just unheard of for them.

Told them all off once again. Those that didn't give their rubber bands put them into their pockets and didn't touch them again.

The whole class were made to stand up and tidy the class up. They did. We carried on the work. Issue sorted.

And then... one of the most mature, focussed and potential leadership material girls threw something - just a copied behaviour. Moments too late. I snapped. I told her she'd be cleaning the class by herself. I was furious. She got up and picked up the ones she'd thrown and grumbled while she did it but then sat down. It was at this moment I made my first real mistake. Other than yelling and snapping... I thought the issue was now resolved also. I was very very much wrong.

What frustrated me the most was that I'd specifically told them all off at once. We'd tidied up. It was all over with. Then she'd sent one flying. Right after I'd told them all not to do any more.

What made things worse was the grumblings continued. Her peers at her table said I was being unfair singling her out. Yes they were right. But I still tried to explain my perspective. Which just wasn't the go. I tried to apologise to her in front of the whole class. At this stage there was still ten maybe five minutes left of the lesson. Super awkward.

Kids start packing up and getting ready in anticipation for the bell. As the bell goes I call her over to try talk after everyone goes like I do with all the students who don't listen or need some support in some way. She wouldn't have a bar of it and said no and walked off. I was so taken aback. I actually was in shock I think. I don't think that that has ever happened.

I've had angry girls before in class or angry boys who take off because they're pissed and don't want to hit something. But usually they come back and apologise or talk it out.

This girl didn't come back. I stayed in my room all interval waiting too. Just in absolute shock and kind of hoping she'd come back. I heard students outside who I thought were about to wag... I asked if everything was okay. One of the girls asked me if I was Miss Le Long. I said yes. She said, "Oh... I just heard about what happened in your class with ************ and the rubber bands. That wasn't fair miss. She's really upset." I was shocked that some student I hadn't ever met already knew what had happened and that I was getting told off by her too. I asked her to pass on the message that I was waiting in class to still talk to her...

After this I felt the urge to contact all the teachers of this student. Partly because this kind of behaviour both the immature act of the rubber band and paper and the storming off was absolutely out of character for her and also because I was wondering whether she was being picked on in other classes due to information her friend had given to me outside class.

No response back yet from that but at lunch I got asked by the Head of House for that student about what happened and for me to realise how upset I'd made her. Luckily at that moment one of her other teachers came up at that time and reinforced the issues I was talking about and the HOH believed the situation a bit more in depth. I said I tried to talk with her but she stormed off and said I'd try talk to her on Monday when we had class next to sort it.

There I was all Friday, all weekend thinking about this.

Last Monday - she positively refused to talk to me. I tried the hard approach where I would pull the HOH in if I had to... then gave her a bit of space. When she sat down, I sat beside her and tried talking to her. I talked through the situation. Tried all my ways of getting answers from students in a restorative chat... and yet nothing. She wasn't budging. I apologised profusely for making her feel singled out or uncomfortable and made the point that I really didn't want the rest of the year to be that awkward or strained because I thought prior to this one incident we'd had quite a good relationship. Maybe we didn't. Maybe that's why it still hasn't repaired.

I left her to her work... trying to think it all through.

Since then her body language has told me so much more than ever. She is physically turning away from me whenever I'm in front of the class, circling and helping... she will continue talking to her peers long after I've gained the attention of everyone else. I wonder whether she's trying to get me to call her out on it. Or wants me to feel her frustrations.

When discussion became a bit heated this week it was the first time she'd actually spoken in a discussion since the rubber band incident and I made sure that everyone was being respectful, no matter whether they agreed with what she was saying or not.

She didn't speak to me directly but she did talk to the class. That's a change.

Today though... she walked away as I sat at her table group to help one of her peers and wouldn't sit back down til I'd left.

I am at a loss of what to do. Some girls I can crack easy as. Others create massive friction and have big grudges for days and days. I just wonder what else there is I can do to try and fix things. Maybe there isn't anything I can do.

I absolutely miss the days when she'd come in early and say Good morning and when she'd say thankyou on her way out. She didn't always seem that interested in what we were doing but she was respectful. I lost her respect that day. And I don't know to get it back.

Kia Eke Panuku and Cultural Responsiveness and Relational Pedagogy

For a long time I've been meaning to talk about Te Kotahitanga and the way in which it opened my mind and heart to the way I knew was right as a teacher, gave names to the ways of teaching that I was already doing and helped me focus on areas that I needee to improve. The best part of Te Kotahitanga was the way we co-constructed and shared about what worked for us with our shared students and what we did to improve the learning.

Now that Kia Eke Panuku has begun to roll out to the staff at WHHS I feel that same feeling I had at Massey when I was introduced to Te Kotahitanga.

It's a feeling of rightness. Tika. Just at this point in time everything is as it should be. Because we're working together to change it. To stop that growing gap between Maori and Pakeha in achievement data. To enable our students to feel comfortable succeeding as Maori. Being Maori and knowing that it's okay to be Maori.

Our Kia Eke Panuku hui yesterday was awesome. We discussed the culturally responsive principles:

We learnt how to unpack the Kia Eke Panuku observation tool and how we would use it to observe other teachers and their pedagogy.

We observed our first teacher - writing down only what we heard and saw. No judgements. No perspectives.

We discussed the issues we had - not hearing everything clearly, needing to move around and listen in on conversations.

We delved deeper into unpacking the ob tool and the grey tickbox column and the far right white columns too - dialogic, cultural toolkit, co-construction, ...., culturally responsive principles.

We observed our second teacher of the day and again - that moment of tika. Watching my friend move around the room, helping her students, being herself, absolutely in that moment in time, comfortable with her students and relaxing with them.

We observed the interactions, the dialogues that were taking place. We assessed students cognitive focus and ... focus.

We shared our thoughts when we got back before lunch.

Over lunch we talked more about the need to have this done and the issues around it not having done so already. We agreed that this had been really good for us all.

In the last session we discussed shadow coaching and how we'd go about discussing those gnarly questions or queries through the use of a time out.

One of our DPs, who is Kia Eke Panuku trained, was observed by the other group in our session and was used as an example for shadow coaching also. We watched as our colleague and mate D discuss the issues and bring them up in a cool, reflective manner and allowed the observed kaiako talk us through the issues, the strategies and what might be done next time. There were plenty of time outs used to bring up other issues and the shadow coaching continued. If only all conversations could go as smoothly. Unfortunately there is a kneejerk reaction to become defensive of oneself as we are so used to being in our single cell classrooms. We need to become more used to having someone in class observing us.

I welcome obs. I'm so excited. I want to be a better teacher and the only way that can happen is with regular observations, student voice and hard work to believe I can be a better teacher and make some serious changes.

The discussion around a critical lens is still floating in my mind too.

Having a lens that is critically looking at certain areas - not being critical - but critically looking to identify areas with what is happening in the classroom using a snapshot in time of an observation.

The whakatauki used at the end was likewise beautiful.

Class Dojo and Y9 Social Studies

For a couple of weeks I aas wondering what had gone wrong in my class. They were beautiful and focussed and then something happened.

I think with the crazy behaviours from students I had gotten used to the level of crazy and hadn't brought it back down to normal. Well at least my normal level of crazy.

Over the weekend I had been pondering it and realised a little lately that I hadn't been using Class Dojo. Why? I'd just forgotten and worse - I'd been using it with the Y10 Extension class who don't actually need it. This Y9 class does.

We started powering it up. Just like I do with the clicker with Mia. I noticed as many positive behaviours as possible in a short amount of time. I didn't give poins to those who asked. I gave points to those they nominated. I focused on the good behaviours, ignored the bad. Focused on the quiet workers who had smiles on their faces.

Then when those who were showing bad behaviours more often than good began to show an interest, we discussed the behaviours we need to be looking for. We changed the behaviours as per what they suggested needed work on. I also added the KCs. I need to identify from the ones they've suggested which ones fit inside our School PB4L values. Usually I would write Heights, Wisdom, Honour and Success as behaviours - but for now it's nore powerful having student selected behaviours as they're more likely to pull each other up and notice when they're not being onto it.

I just had a thought that perhaps creating a poster of all positive behaviours I'm looking for in class might be helpful - however, it also might mean that they start playing the game in a bad sense - that they work the system rather than intrinsically want to try to change their behaviours to improve their learning.

Anyway. Day One after Dojo and I feel way less stressed about the class. They're actually doing some pretty cool work too. New Settlers to Aotearoa booklets and using their knowledge and info they're gaining from tablets and the internet :)

Mindlab Assessment: LDC1 (Class Dojo and PB4L)

For this assessment I had to critique a change initiative that I had been involved in. I went well over the word limit and still don't think I said everything I needed to. I should have discussed and critiqued the leadership theories in more depth and the leadership of the change initiative itself.

Twitter Dinner - Representing Class Dojo

Was so awesome to see everyone and get to meet some new f2f buddies too. I got to the Twitter Dinner a bit late but had enjoyed myself talking with one of the awesome guys at Furnware discussing effective learning environments.

Incredibly thankful to Class Dojo for helping to sponsor our refreshments at Twitter Dinner and found the presentation went really well! It was a bit difficult without speakers for the videos or a mic because we had to speak so loud over the quietened music in the restaurant.

Super thankful to Campbell Potter for his ongoing support and offer to help present how he uses Dojo as well.

Gave out a couple of bags... wish I'd brought more because I'd given so many out during the first day. Am betting that the stickers went to school but forgot to go past school before I drove to Auckland. Will share stickers out at the next event and with my students too who have probably been my biggest supporters.

Thanks to Hamish my co-community lead for bringing more bags the next day as I probably would have run out much faster if you hadn't have given me the new lot!! :)

Hopefully encouraged some new CD users during conference and am looking forward to doing an abstract next year for Dojo.

Thanks again Class Dojo!

How we use Class Dojo and Response to NY Times article

I was sent this link tonight by a colleague: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/17/technology/privacy-concerns-for-classdojo-and-other-tracking-apps-for-schoolchildren.html?_r=0

It's the second article I've read that seems to put Class Dojo in a negative light.

The article's main points:
 - issues with child data usage
- naming and shaming children's behaviours
- rewarding behaviours with point systems

I personally don't use student's last names. I've talked extensively about my issues and need to have policies around media release and photography use at school and in publications. I believe very strongly in digital citizenship, and with that comes the need to keep as much data as possible private. Unfortunately, as other commenters have said - the likes of Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Google etc - take a TONNE of data. They mine for it daily. I am much more concerned about how our students use those platforms than they do with using Class Dojo.

As for the possibly valid point of data being used in years to come - sure. But how will knowing a students first name and their positive behaviours help to define them or locate them in our world? Regardless - what is even more concerning is that there is so much data already following our students around.

Negative Pinkies at our school - used to notify our middle managers of behaviours that need disciplining outside of our classroom control and also to ensure that we follow up on behaviours in class - follow students around, year to year. Deficit theorising too - continues to be a huge aspect in teaching - despite how much work has gone into Te Kotahitanga training and teaching teachers to be aware of the impact their words, actions and behaviours have on their students. It makes me physically sick when I hear teachers say, "(This student) is such an unmotivated kid and never does any work. He's from (this kind of) class." That kind of thinking - follows those students around. As does the MASSIVE paper-trail from school to school. At some schools - they even allow you to look at that information before you even get to know your students.

Personally, I think that what's more important is that students are being recognised for their fabulous effort and growth mindsets. They show initiative and develop an awareness of their own behaviours in relation to others. That's a key competency in the NZ Curriculum.  They participate and encourage each other to work more positively and ensure full class contribution. We should be happy that our students are displaying these behaviours - not being angry at the teachers for using a tool that actually works and builds a positive mentality in the classroom throughout all of the students.

In our class - we have aligned our positive behaviours to the values we have at school: Wisdom and Honour = Heights and Success. Along with these are the key competencties: Thinking, Relating to Others, Using Symbols, Language and Text, Managing Self and Participation and Contribution.

As for the issue with publicly showing students behaviours - I'll say that we do this in our class.Why? Because it encourages positive mentalities in our class - because we use positive behaviours and we work to a class goal of points by the end of the term.  Having the points on the projector - and usually in the background with the sound off, and sometimes on - especially during the beginning to get the buy-in from students - helps to encourage students. They check their own behaviours and points on their own apps - or they ask to see their pie graphs.

The naming and shaming issue too isn't something that I think occurs with Dojo because I don't use negative behaviours - because I use restorative practice in my class. My deep and meaningful conversations are well known by my students. We talk quietly and sometimes outside so that other students can't hear what's going on - and the students discuss why they're acting out or what's going on to qualify their negative behaviours. When it comes to students really not listening or focussing, we have a disciplinary process as mentioned above that works incredibly effectively because our middle managers work together with the students to create a better plan. I focus on building positive behaviours in our class because it's important to identify behaviours we as a class, and as individuals, need to work on. We develop a stronger consensus of what is appropriate behaviours in class.

Many students I have taught come from homes and environments where certain behaviours that aren't acceptable nor appropriate in our class, are completely acceptable and appropriate at home. This is why I believe that Dojo helps to reinforce those Positive Behaviour for Learning areas of focus that we as a country are working towards. With the rollout of PB4L - sure it was already being done with Te Kotahitanga - we are again ensuring that students are modifying their own behaviours, being accountable and responsible for their actions. This - is why I use Dojo. Because each student knows how they're doing and through using Dojo they can take accountability for their behaviours. Sure some students would prefer a more stricter way of life in class because that's what they're used to at home or need to have more structure and stability. I know though, that the way I nurture and encourage my students is appreciated by them.

There seems to be a wide range of views when it comes to the comments section from that article and while I can understand the different points of view - the majority of the naysayers - aren't teachers. They don't know the daily grind and the difficulty in engaging unmotivated students or students that just do not enjoy being stuck in a class all day. Those students who love school also need extending and encouraging daily as well. They too need motivating and recognition of their effort and growth mindsets towards their work, learning and of course their positive and, unfortunately at times, negative behaviours.

By encouraging the positive behaviours - we ensure that all students are on-task. No we don't use it at every moment of every lesson. But when we do use it - the engagement is more focussed and students are more receptive to feedback and feedforward of goals and appropriate actions. Some students need continuous encouragement and Dojo doesn't always work straight away for them because they have deep-seated issues that need altering first. And any app can't solve those issues. As a teacher, I can help, listen and try to understand. I encourage them to believe in themselves. When they see that Dojo is related in some way to this - some of those students become more engaged - and for others - they didn't really need the extra encouragement because they already have so much resiliency and can achieve well without it. For those students that just don't buy in to this or other systems of management and encouragement - at least they're in a safe space that when they're ready to join in - they can.

I also take offense to this particular statement: "Such an anecdotal approach does not sit well with evidence-based educators." 

Why? Because nearly every single one of my blog posts has been from my own anecdotal experiences in my classroom and professional learning. Because without it - how are we meant to know how our behaviour management and encouragement systems are working? I am an evidence-based educator. Each class's evidence is clearly shown through our use on Dojo, their goals as learners, the daily formative and summative assessments we do in class and the students' overall feedback and feedforward about how we use Dojo and what we can do to improve our behaviours and focus each day.

So while I understand some of the commenters and some teacher's misgivings with Dojo... use it and see how it works for you. If it doesn't seem to work perhaps you're already doing systems of management and encouragement in your class that work for you and your students.

I just know that it works for me and that my students absolutely love it.

Class Dojo: Student Engagement and PB4L

This post has been a long time coming.

Over the last year I've used Class Dojo more and more in my classes. The avatars, the point systems and the easy ability to contact parents has been incredibly big pulls for me in terms of use in class and student interest in the app and browser programme.

As a high school teacher - who has been finding different strategies to not only engage my students and create strong relationships with them - it's been imperative to find the right tool to develop those areas but also to maintain positivity in the classroom.

I feel a lot of the tools out there are great - but with Dojo there is the instant gratification of the gamified aspects as well as the cool little avatars that are changeable per student. This buy-in is invaluable for high school students.

Last year when I used it with my Year 12 English class as well as the Year 9 class - it showed that even the seniors were into it - and despite my thinking that they might have thought it was stupid or too babyish for them - they bought into to kaupapa and encouraged others to get more points by displaying appropriate behaviours.

This year, I've tutu'd with it a bit more - developing more focussed behaviours in each class as well as generic behaviours that I want us to look out for. I've asked my students about goals they'd like to achieve as a class and the next step is individual goals.

My Social Studies class is very ambitious - they're trying to get 450 points by the end of this term. My Y11 English class have just started using it yesterday and are already buying into the process and probably just need a bit more focus in terms of the areas we're going to be concentrating on with them, like Growth Mindset and Delving Deeper, using SOLO and Essay Structures appropriately.

What I'd like to do is somehow use Dojo as part of my Gamification in my Social Studies class where points are collated to gain badges along the way as well as build class reward systems that are both intrinsic and extrinsic.

As this year has progressed I've been using it more and more frequently, finding alternative methods to me just adding points. Our Y10 English TA Ria was rewarding points today to students who were working really well, completing work on time and having generally fantastic attitudes. Having used Dojo with some of these students previously - they have a mini-buy in. The issue last year was that I hardly ever had it up on the projector. Even if it's up there just so that they can see the banner come up - it really helps to encourage more students to create more positive attitudes.

I was observed by one of my mentors today using Dojo and in that Social Studies class we have begun going down the class list alphabetically, where each student gets a turn to reward points. My Y10 SS class have bought into the programme so well that they are using the language and developing more appropriate behaviours more consistently.

With my Year 11 class today, we were working on Events and plotting them on the exposition, rising action, climax etc line to show their understanding. Some students were fine and others needed more growth mindset to push them forward. Giving out the invites is always slightly time-consuming because they eventually realise (after I say it about five or six times) that they can change their avatars once they log in on their own at home.

One student took the last few moments of class to jump on my computer to do his and showed the rest of the class how to do it. Very impressed. Showed our TA Marie how to reward the points as well as it will help to integrate the ideals into our class when it's coming from both of us - and plus it's just really cool noticing awesome behaviours.

Of course, we already have a PB4L system - where we give positive pinkies for the students who do well. It was previously done online but has now gone back to a paper system - because the Heads of Houses just don't have enough time to do it online... though if I were a Head of House - I'd more likely lose the bits of paper and would have my phone or laptop on me at all times.. I'd probably invest in a tablet actually...

Anyway... I think that eventually when there are students who are being consistently awesome - then not only will they get their class badge - but they will get positive recognition in their assemblies as well.

What I just found out tonight was that you can add student's pictures up instead of monster avatars! https://classdojo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202027529

Over the past few weeks getting the tote bags, stickers and my Dojo Shirt from Jenna and the CD team for when I present on Class Dojo at conferences, I've slowly but surely begun to make more of an impact in school. My new drink bottle was AWESOME. Love love love presents and especially ones from Class Dojo because by having them - they become talking points and I can share my knowledge and experience with the app and ensure that others are using it to help improve their classes as well. Sharing the taonga helps as well because they become talking points for my colleagues as well.

Best comment yet though was when I walked into class with my marking in one of the tote bags - one of my students said, "Oh - so Class Dojo is actually a real thing then..." Love it.

I think using Class Dojo without having previously made a connection with the students would have been harder because - for me there needs to be a lot of moulding of parameters and ensuring students are safe, and focussed. But mostly having students in a healthy headspace that they can functionally be there in class - not just physically. Also - developing strong bonds comes with time - and while Dojo definitely has the potential to maintain and build on those bonds in future -  I just think that there needs to be a bond prior to beginning the CD journey with your class.

Looking forward to the next few days with using Class Dojo and seeing how it progresses with my Year 11 and Year 10 English class.

Y10 Poetry update..

Again... I don't quite know how it worked but... it did. Perhaps it was the scaffolding or the flexibility or the one on one group work, checking up on everyone and getting everyone involved.

Was really really easy to see the two students disruptinf their own learning... and actually - none of the other kids were put off because they were all in their own little poetry ecosystems. So so cool.

Really need to figure out how to recreate this. I feel like it's a mixture of the 'right kinda kids' and also perseverance.

To have kids choose to write their own poems over beginning the decorating side or for those who want to start the decorating side and think while they're doing it. Or having one student working on Minecraft creating billboard signs with poetry on them or another creating a PowerPoint on my laptop and looking up Hone Tuwhare poems for more inspiration. Or the student who has consistently been on point, choosing poems by Coleridge and Wordsworth for his selection. Or the student reading out of the poetry book I lent her last week to the disruptive students beside her - trying to help them get on task - but then ignoring them while still sitting beside them - doing her work. Or the students at the back immersed in their music, using it to create a collaborative song. Or the student so immersed in his own poetry that he was finding it hard to get it out "right".

Somehow... I helped create this.

And it's simply wonderful.

After last year and being so incredibly drained by the immature behaviour and consistent setbacks with changing class dynamics and constant stops during the lessons - it is so so nice to finally see them involved, participating and getting into it.

At one point I stopped them for a bit to talk about a Class Dojo point goal - 50 points by the end of the term. And one student said, "Miss, this is not helping. I'm in the zone." Or something to that effect. He just wanted to get back into his poetry and honestly... that is the coolest thing hearing that from him.

Of course... it could also be the cupcakes that I gave out at the start of the lesson in recognition of two boys' birthdays over the weekend, promised rewards from last year that I owed and just because they've really been working so damn well.

Stoked.

Y10 Poetry Analysis

I think I finally had this class humming today. There was a moment when I looked up from running around to each group and gently nudging them even just a little more and though, "This is actually working..."

The kids started off annotating sibilance and repetition in John Legend's 'Glory' which is in the new film 'Selma'. I don't quite know what the combination was... having told off a group of kids yesterday afternoon for continual disruption and their seemingly changed ways - one student said straight away after one warning name call.. saying "I'm going to be good today!" Or whether it was because we'd been going over language techniques steadily now for about two weeks and poem analysis the last four lessons... or whether it was because I'd given them song lyrics that are much easier to decode... and perhaps the simple choice of using song lyrics is enough of a hook (music and english pun intended)...

I chose 711 by Beyonce initially - and for extension students completed that small excerpt before the bell. But the Glory song took a while and there was just so much to it! Am stoked that my HOD talked me through her plan with that song. Might even ask if I can have a copy of her picture prompts too.

By the end of the lesson, not only had we understood a range of different language  techniques but they'd even taken on the challenge of learning what rhyme scheme was and were hunting those a's and b's themselves in the verses and to top it all off... I had one student who was even wanting to use textbooks from his class to add into his reading log... and the poems and his new phone manual. We're slowly making progress towards intrinsic motivation...

After a bit of a kerfuffle and slight jealousy over the fact I only had 6 cupcakes for prizes and positive behaviour yesterday - one student commented (after eating his cupcake by the way...) "It's all about knowledge aye Miss. Not about the reward." Needless to say... pretty impressed with this kid right now :) I suppose he could say yhat though... having just eaten a cupcake!

Update:

Since this lesson we've worked on analysis structure.

I used the MAPIT analysis and wrote the key questions for them to copy down. There are a few students who were capable of completing the task without any further help of scaffolding by me but the rest needed further help. One of my senior students took a photo of the board so will put it up here when I get it.

Message - What was the message that the author was trying to portray in the poem?
Audience - Who is the target audience?
Purpose - What was the reason this poem was created?
Impact - What feelings or emotions are created in this poem and how does it impact on you/the audience?
Techniques - What techniques were included in the poem? Give an example from the poem for each one.

With this basic structure - kids begin to create a strong analysis of the poems they read from the get go. It begins to open up that critical analysis and they start to initiate a discussion around the influence of the poem to them and the audience. They begin to see the reasons behind poetry being created and more importantly the messages that come through to them usually are different and individual to each student. Because poetry is subjective.

Yesterday I saw one of the girls' analysis of Rain by Hone Tuwhare. Even though I'd written a MAPIT analysis on the board - she chose to write her own one. Pretty impressive actually. She and her bf - one of my form class kids - came back at lunch with some hot chips to celebrate my birthday the previous day. After eating we had a look through some poetry books - collections of NZ authors, Glen Colquhouns poetry and a Witi Ihimaera selection too. It was absolutely adorable seeing them read poetry to each other, critically analysing the poems and finding connections with themselves. So so proud of those two. They took a couple books home with them and they were just so stoked. I got both C and D to read 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' and C's analysis was absolutely beautiful. About the need for positivity and that everyone has a darkside and a lightside and it's up to you where you head. He got the internal struggle and I suppose at different times I've even had different interpretations of that poem in regards to my own life and struggles. C even left going, "Whoops - the bell went and I've been in here reading a book." So so cute. :)

Today - while I'm down in Wellington for PPTA's Issues and Organising conference's Delegates Training - they'll be doing their own analysis on some poetry they've already annotated and then getting started on their own poetry. I'm hoping they'll just get on with the work but depending on the reliever they may or may not get it all or any of it done. I wish that they would do the work regardless but as I've said before - it doesn't often happen. It takes a really special reliever to get a class working, let alone enjoying what they've been set to do.

Regardless - am really enjoying this poetry unit with this class. Am so incredibly indebted to the students I've had over the past five years because they're the ones that have finely tuned this unit. They helped to create the assessment - continuously changing and adapting as time went on. Co-constructed and texts that are relevant and appropriate.  Mainly texts are student chosen or selected and a small range are teacher driven.

One of my students - K - who has finished his first sheet of his reading log - asked to read poetry books during the reading room on Tuesday. He chose a Coleridge and Wordsworth collection. He even gave me a couple that he thinks the class might like. So proud of him too.

:)

Altering Student Behaviours 101

My dad shared this Blog post with me on Facebook. He shared it with a few of my other siblings as well... and of course it's absolutely brilliant. Have a read for yourself. http://www.cuppacocoa.com/a-better-way-to-say-sorry/

It reminded me of what I had done on the last day of school, last period of the day with my Year 9 students.

Last term we had an overwhelming resurgence of knitting... well basically looming. Because loom bands made their way into schools, all kids were creating them, boys and girls - and it tended to be the boys who created thw best ones and showed them off to me. Of course it was the boys in my class who I noticed being entrepreneurial first off when selling the bands.. hopefully to raise funds for more bands and then carry it on...

Of course with any new fad, someone stupid ruins the fun and it gets dangerous.  For example, planking and most recently the ice challenge... Moe mai ra e matua.

In this case, there were competitions in who could fling a rubber band the furthest or who could deal with being plucked by the bands the most etc. Mostly though - they became used to hurt others and ended up all over the school and on classroom floors. Eventually I became worried for the birds and after my first lecture about using proper rubber bands for slingshots back in the first term, I had to start confiscating mass loads of bands.

My Year 9 students are incredibly honest and always tell me the truth. We've worked hard on creating that trust and they know that my class is a safe space, and nine times out of ten I tend to give back things I've confiscated for the period... with the exception of the loom bands because it just got too out of hand.  

I originally thought and still think it's silly to confiscate the actual bracelets.. but when kids are ruining it for others and using them as weapons it's dangerous and unacceptable.

I even wore a couple of bands to show solidarity with the original loom band creators because it's a beautiful creative trend and was really impressed by the talent and time that went into making them.

My students knew the rules in my class and so when I would walk around the class, palm open to collect bands after someone was being stupid in class, they tended to just hand them over. I even had this one kid bring whole piles up to my desk because he felt guilty for not handing them all over.

Anyway....

On that last day, last period - we were working on creative writing.. having a go at one of my new games which I stole from 7 Days and Ellen Degeneres - Caption This.

Kids were having a ball, we were in teams, it was getting rowdy and then when finally it came time to do research projects on the COWs (Computers on Wheels) they were all quiet, researching their chosen topic.

Five minutes towards the end of the lesson however, two students started having an argument. These two were/are best buds and so as I'd seen the aftermath I got them to come sit with me and discuss what was going on.

All that I had seen was L go over to C and touch his shoulder. Little did I know that L had also flicked C on the leg with a loom band and C was really upset about it.

What I didn't see was that C had done the fingers to L because C hadn't heard L say sorry and that it was only a joke, because they do play pranks on each other.

L didn't want to sit down with me and C but eventually he did after I used his nickname that his Mum calls him too (which I didn't know when I first started calling him it!)...

I asked C what the problem was because he was nearly in tears and L was obviously not ready to start talking yet because of his attitude and body language. C told me that L had flicked him with the band and that it had hurt. L said well you didn't need to do the fingers at me because I said sorry C and said it was just a joke. Asked C if he had heard L say sorry and C said he didn't. Asked L how he felt being pulled the finger at and he said it wasn't fair because he had said sorry and was now angry with C and didn't want to talk to him anymore. I asked C why being flicked made him upset.. he said because he had had a bad day already.  L asked what the problem was and C explained. L said that he didn't even know that was going on. I asked C whether he would apologise for doing the fingers... he did and then I asked L if he would apologise for flicking C. He did and then asked them both if they forgave each other. C was quick to forgive L and L needed a little bit more time to agree but he did. They both shook hands and went back to what they were doing.

At the end of the bell while I was waiting on the ramp, preventing them from all making that massive run home early before the bell on the last day, both boys were laughing and giggling again. Crisis averted.

But how often as teachers do we let a somewhat small issue pass us by and not do anything about it.

If I had done nothing, perhaps they would have resolved it over the holidays or it could have become a huge feud which separated the class and ruined their friendship. Because of the kind of boys they are and once L had calmed down, perhaps they could have resolved it by themselves... but you just never know.

Take the time to get to know your students. Figure out their normal behaviours so that you can notice their bad days and then learn how to negotiate them so that they can find a way back to a happier and safer place in your classroom.

We're all leaders. All teachers in our own way. Make a difference and show some compassion.