Teaching

When I reflect on the initial vision I had for myself as a teacher, ownership of learning was something that was very important to me. I never wanted to be a dictator and I certainly didn't want 25 children just copying the same notes in silence from a whiteboard each and every day. It has always been a fundamental part of my philosophy to allow learners the agency to make choices about their own learning. I think I have done well to achieve this, however I also understand that it's not always easy and requires quite careful planning so that the curriculum goals can still be met. In Maths, I teach whole-class topics across the week with 2 different workshops during that time, one for acceleration and one for extension. Learners are encouraged to attend but have a choice. I do 'exit interview' slips at the end of each week to check understanding and see if any learners have missed out. 

During my digital technologies lessons I often run an unplugged and a plugged activity at the same time. For example, I might have an assigned task on Scratch Jr to create a maze and code the escape route but I might have an unplugged activity where learners have to navigate a real life maze using verbal instructions. Learners can opt in or out of both as the learning intention is the same (to create an algorithm to escape a maze) but they must complete at least one and bring something to our reflection circle time. Most of my learners attend both my unplugged and plugged activities and this has proven to be a much more manageable way for me to split my time and navigate the limited devices that we have too!

In Reading, learners are required to manage their own time effectively enough to complete all Must-Do tasks within the timeframe. If they are called to read with the teacher, they are able to 'swap out' a Must-Do. By the end of the year, most of my learners are able to complete theor Must-Do's with no issue. Persistence, practice and regular rewards for those who complete all 3 have helped me achieve this goal. The Can-Do's offer a range of choices for learners and they vary each day, as do the Must-Do's. I think this is a great way to introduce and encourage agency in Junior learners who have come from tumble rotations to prepare them for the Senior school. 

Over the two years, my teaching style has evolved massively. I began under the mentorship of somebody that I had worked with as a student teacher. I really enjoyed being a student teacher in my first mentors class but when it came to having my own class, I fell into the comfort zone of just re-using what she had always done in her classroom and just transferring it to mine.  After Term 2, I started to try some new things. I felt more confident, had seen success and realised I was no longer a student teacher, this was MY classroom and I was curious to know what some different strategies would look like. Until then I had streamed all of my Reading, Writing and Maths groups in accordance with my mentors practice. However, I had noticed that often the children in the 'low' group for Reading were also there in Maths and Writing too. They weren't being given the chance to access the learning that other children were doing because we were so focused on the 'basics' and they weren't given the chance to work with others. My mentor encouraged me to try some whole-class teaching with mixed-ability groupings to see if this would work for me. We noted that different teachers excel in different areas and she thought this might be a strength for me. I started just doing whole class Writing, then in Term 4 tried it with Maths and this year I have also attempted to bring some mixed-ability groupings into my Reading program. That said, I have also seen the merits of running streamed BSLA literacy groups this year and have been able to really concentrate the learning required for those in each group. I am very proud that I have seen fantastic Literacy progress in my second year and have most of my class reading at Gold, compared to my first year where I only had 8 or 9 students at that level.

I personally really enjoy whole-class teaching and planning. It aligns with my teaching philosophy for all students to be exposed to the same learning and not feel 'labelled' by their academic capabilities. Of course there are still moments where we as teachers need to work with those who need extension or acceleration but I have noticed that these groupings change based on the topic or unit being taught, not the subject as a whole. In Maths, I run workshops for those who are unsure and want extra support on the 1st and 2nd day and for those who feel super confident on the 4th and 5th day. In Writing, we have a circle time sharing at least once a week, where learners can read their work to the class and recieve feedback. I have 4 table groups (mixed-ability) that I rotate between each day for writing, leaving the others to work independently but giving me time to assist and extend those who need it.

I have also explored the concept of tuakana-teina by organising for my class to buddy up with a Y6 class for 40 minutes every week this year. In my first year I did a buddy class with a Y5 class for reading but we weren't very consistent and it fell apart pretty quickly. This year, I tried a new approach. We established the buddy class in Term 1 and are still going strong in Term 4. The teacher of that class and I have good communication and are always organised for the session. We alternate the purpose of the class, sometimes it is P.E, sometimes reading, sometimes art etc. but it is a chance for my Y3 learners to learn from those in the Senior school and a chance for the Y6's to practice their leadership skills. I hope to do this again next year.

Perhaps the most important quality that I have needed in my first 2 years of teaching (and will need for every year to come!) is flexibility. Not only do we have to be incredibly flexible as teachers, willing to drop things to move on to more urgent things, re-adjust to do lists, think on our feet if something isn't working or if equipment breaks etc. but flexibility has been an important consideration for me when planning too. Not only is it a key aspect of the Universal Design for Learning principles but it is necessary for a student-centred approach to teaching – allowing learners to explore certain interests further or move on if they become disengaged. My lesson plans are designed to be fluid and adaptable and timings stated are simply estimates. For example, if there were learners in my class deeply engaged in a drama activity, I may suggest that they break out into a smaller group to extend their drama piece whilst others continue with their worksheets. Or if a student with different needs wanted to construct something using play-dough instead of pen and paper, I would accommodate for that. Another example would be if my learners became disengaged with a game that I had planned, I would move on to the next activity or re-jig my plan around. Students are aware that they have a say in their learning. In this way, I apply a constructivist, student-driven approach to my pedagogy – honouring each student’s individual strengths and interests and encouraging collective learning and shared responsibility.