New School, New Life, New Excitement!

Five days into being 25 and I already feel a hell of a lot older. I'm at a new school. Moved down to 'Two Lakes" in the new year and am absolutely loving it here! Felt at home almost instantly.

With the new school, came new rules, policies and procedures... One of these being the school internet and computer use policies. Although there are a number of loopholes, it is still quite clear that the level of professionalism needs to be upheld as well as student safety, and mine too. In saying this, I'm beginning to think about moving away from using Facebook in class, mainly because it opens it up to inappropriate behaviour and students trying to add me. So, a new friend/colleague showed me this the other day:

www.edmodo.com

Have a look at it. Super easy to set up and runs as an online classroom space. Still need to test mine out with one of my classes but its so user friendly I cant see why it wouldnt work. Ability to add pics, files, documents etc. Loving it.
Thats all from me for now,
A

School Holidays and Finding Inspiratiion

Recently I was told I don't need more PD - I just needed to use what I already had and get better at doing it. Now although I understand where she was coming from, I also know from experience that I'm one of those people who need to be immersed in creativity in order to feel inspired and feel like I can accomplish what the day throws at me.

So recently, and mostly because it's the school holidays and I have the time, I've been on the search for inspiration.

I bought a new phone about a month ago which has proved immensely useful. It's a smartphone-Samsung Galaxy Gio. It is most easily the best thing since sliced bread. At first I just thought it was cool because I could play music again but now I've found the real way-social media. Facebook, twitter, blogger, flipbook, pocket, stuff.co.nz, tumblr, instagram....the list will keep getting bigger. Amazing little apps that make life so much more interesting, helpful and above all, inspiring.

The best thing I've been using so far is Pocket. If you haven't got it yet you're missing out. Every single thing I ever wanted to look at but missed the chance because I didn't have time to do so has now been given into the safe keeping of Pocket. Pocket is an amazing little app that let's you store anything and everything you want to read, watch or listen to and enables you to come back and check it out later in your own time and when you have a free moment. At the moment, I have tonnes of media and news waiting for me to catch up.

The next inspirational tool I've refound is TED talks. Another little app but this one has inspirational talks-of note was Sarah Kay who talked about using spoken word to help students tell their own stories.

The next little muse is edublogs and all of the teaching blogs, columns and media I've been coming across. An amazing mass of stuff I can use, think about and apply to my teaching.

All in all, am so delighted I can access all of this on my phone at any time regardless of having an internet connection thanks to Pocket!

So get downloading!

Finding my inspiration...

Before Thanksgiving Comes The “Disillusionment Phase” For New Teachers

That was awesome. Thankyou. Am nearly at the end of my first year and it sure has been a roller coaster ride. Am always wondering whether it will level out and also, just maybe, get easier. Even with all the support I'm so very lucky to have at my school, I still feel down, still get dissapointed with myself, my abilities and inabilites to teach "well", and of course that ever changing shift in learnimg and teaching. For a first year teacher I've had a Lot of downs but am beginning to see and appreciate the many ups I have too. Thankyou for your column! Alex from NZ.

Reports and prioritising life

Gah. One word. Reports.

Strategic Planning

What a day. I was super stressed from yesterday arvo and was really pissed off with a few of my Y9s. I realised after that it was only a few once my mentor S mentioned that despite those few students, there was quite a lot ofgood work being done by the rest of the class.

So...today, especially after form time (although they were actually pretty good overall with the peer supporters doing group work). I wish there were more times like this where they.worked together to build unity.and.the family bond. I've been really enjoying the inter-school netball games. We've won two out of the three round robin games (today was awesome and tasted sweeter after the chat we had in class).

The chat was a result of my korero with Matua J. He relaxed me and told me about a few new strategies that I can use in class. The first one was what his mum did. She was a teacher too and would sit and wait and.watch her kids come in- checking out their attitudes and moods- and by doing so.created.a.calm environment by not yelling for.quiet, but by being quiet showed that she expected that quiet and patience.

The next strategy was one of his own. He told.me how.he.has clear boundaries and complimentary guidelines that he stuck.by regardless. I told.him how hat was/is my biggest problem-I don't stick to my rules and I let things slide waaay too much. So he told me about his bucket full of.water.strategy when it came to.phones. Basically, he warns them from the get go.and.thats their.one and.only warning. If they bring it out he takes it off them and chucks it in.the water. He said that some kids would say to him, oh.matua, you.would't do that! And his.reaponse was, Try me.

So, with these two strategies in hand, I went to english class feeling much morr better about myself, my authority as a teacher and as a human being. First off I welccomed them in and I then sat down and basically waited for them to.shut up. It took them a while to.realise I was.waiting, but.they soon got the .message from the other students to be quiet as I kept smiling at those.who were patiently.waiting. So.strategy one worked. We then had a 20 minute korero.about tikanga and he role.they have in class. Respect, listening and above all else, work completion.

I also told them.about my.new rule.bout phones. The water rule. Only one student didn't believe me and I think that's more to do.with him being a smartass than anything else and probably having got.used to.me being so.soft. The boys' friend was the one who had his.phone out and refused to.give.it.to.me because he was scared that I would put it.in.the water. Jeez. If he had given it to me, would I have put it in the water? I don't know but I definately.would.have had to.follow up on.the threat I'd used!

So, thanks to.Matua J's strategies, I actually had a good lesson. Yay!
 

Facebook Rant Creates Change

Exciting News. I've joined a Professional Learning Group (PLG) in our school about creating/using Facebook as a means for teaching. EXCITING!!!

Will keep you posted as I learn what else is going on and the details.

Yay!

Intense, Yet Impressive

As the title says, today was intense, yet impressive.  Three of my students were back today. They had had a series of issues, BOT meetings etc that prevented them from being in class the last few weeks. In that time my terrible Year Nines, became my angelic Year Nines. I loved it. The kids loved it because they were finally able to learn.

Being told last Friday morning that they were coming back this morning stressed me out. I kept thinking about how the kids would feel and what I could do to make the transition as smooth as possible for me and the rest of the class as well as for the boys. My mentor M told me that the best way to approach the entire situation was to be prepared - acknowledge that they too will be stressing out about coming back, and realise that I need to be as strong as possible - and most importantly stay consistent and keep up the routines I'd co-constructed with my angelic Year Nines.

So the day of reckoning - this morning -  the boys were being held with the dean, and I took the time to brief the Angels. The Angels were not impressed but agreed to help support the boys in coming back to class, and were supportive of the whole situation once I acknowledged how much hard work they had put into the last few weeks becoming angelic and how I wanted it to stay that way. I was so damn scared of it slipping back to them all becoming little devils again.... But day one is over and done with - and the Angels are intact.

Now I didn't expect the boys to be brilliantly fabulous straight away after coming back to school after a couple of weeks out. But I did expect them to stick within the routines and processes the Angels had co-constructed with me. To be honest, the Angels-in-training were shocked at how amazing the Angels were being. I had Angels every which way asking questions with hands up, being patient, being quiet during the spelling test, being interested in the new book I'd bought from the library. Most importantly, the Angels-in-training actually responded to the new processes. They put their hands up when required for silence (TK), and they seemed actually interested. Well - one of the three did heaps of mahi - which was awesome. I just hope he continues to do so. Out of all three - I'd put my money on him to re-acclimatize successfully to our new classroom environment.

The other two - well - it's up to them if they're going to get their work done.

My favourite moment of the day was when I gave one of the boys a Restorative Thinking Processess form and it was his first and only RTP warning. I'm not sure what exactly was going through his head at the time, but he did eventually do it. I'm fairly certain his decision to complete it was because of one of my head Angels yelled at him and said "You better do it, otherwise Miss will just kick you out." Loved it. I love that my Angels have renewed belief in me that I'm doing the right thing. Because these boys made it so difficult for all of us last term - and jeez - it was hard. Harder than hard. Unbelievable actually. But now - I'm stronger. I don't stand up for any more dramas or lies. I'm not keen on silly stuff anymore. The best thing about that though? I think I'll actually be able to survive and have energy by the end of this term. New strategies and strength in myself and my discipline = win!

That's all for now...

By the way - do I have any followers yet? Just comment here. I'd be interested if this blog is helping anyone or if anyone has any questions. Not that I'm the Fount of all knowledge though!

Naku noa,

A