As part of my current University study around Curriculum Leadership, I have conducted an action research project on my mentoring strategies.
The research involved a literature review of writing strategies for NE children, and two conversations with a colleague. The colleague and I collaborate on planning and teaching our classes.
I was particularly interested in finding out her thoughts on what helps our students:
* Engage in writing
* Develop independence in writing
Our conversations and the literature review helped me to realise that our N.E. students most need:
* Writing experience activities to build fine motor strength and letter formation
* Purposeful tasks, to give them both the motivation to write, and to help them realise the varied uses of writing in their lives. Examples that we discussed and have set up included letter writing, labelling, writing / copying environmental print, scaffolded sentences and mini-books
* Engaging tasks, relating to their interests
* Questioning to develop depth and writing skills
We have both experimented with grouping students, and found that grouping students by ability and then planning a specific focus for modelling, prompting or extending those children. We have also found it more manageable to see 1-2 groups per day, rather than insisting all children write s story/piece daily. This approach has also helped children be more motivated in writing, and given them more agency (i.e. they can choose from a number of writing experience activities).
I reviewed the quality of my listening by analysing how frequently I launched into autobiographical listening and how often I used wait time (i.e. pausing to allow a colleague to think). I then analysed how often I used clarifying and probing to understand my colleagues' thinking, and how frequently I made suggestions to extend/build on her comments.
Overall, I found:
The research involved a literature review of writing strategies for NE children, and two conversations with a colleague. The colleague and I collaborate on planning and teaching our classes.
I was particularly interested in finding out her thoughts on what helps our students:
* Engage in writing
* Develop independence in writing
Our conversations and the literature review helped me to realise that our N.E. students most need:
* Writing experience activities to build fine motor strength and letter formation
* Purposeful tasks, to give them both the motivation to write, and to help them realise the varied uses of writing in their lives. Examples that we discussed and have set up included letter writing, labelling, writing / copying environmental print, scaffolded sentences and mini-books
* Engaging tasks, relating to their interests
* Questioning to develop depth and writing skills
We have both experimented with grouping students, and found that grouping students by ability and then planning a specific focus for modelling, prompting or extending those children. We have also found it more manageable to see 1-2 groups per day, rather than insisting all children write s story/piece daily. This approach has also helped children be more motivated in writing, and given them more agency (i.e. they can choose from a number of writing experience activities).
I reviewed the quality of my listening by analysing how frequently I launched into autobiographical listening and how often I used wait time (i.e. pausing to allow a colleague to think). I then analysed how often I used clarifying and probing to understand my colleagues' thinking, and how frequently I made suggestions to extend/build on her comments.
Overall, I found:
· * The sense of rapport and ability to be honest and open ensured our conversations were effective. As such, I think its important that teachers and schools work to build positive rapport and understand colleague's communication styles.
* Asking open-ended probing questions helped my colleague share longer responses. I tended to used closed questions, so asking open-ended questions is a future goal for me.
* While I gave a high degree of wait time, I often punctuate this with 'yes' and 'mmmhmm'. In future, I hope to be more comfortable with using silence to give wait time. I know I can still help my colleague feel supported by using body language and eye contact - these things attribute for between 50-70% of meaning made between communication partners! (Tolhurst 2010; Cheliotes & Reilly 2010)
* I tend to use a LOT of words! My next step is to think more before speaking, so my responses/suggestions are more articulate. Feeling more confident, rather than self-doubting whether I will be understood, will help me with this.
* Doing a literature review was highly beneficial. Both of us felt inspired, tried new strategies and established effective ones as part of our daily practise.
References:
Rubinstein,
Saul A (2013) Strengthening Partnerships: How Communication and Collaboration
Contribute to School Improvement in American
Educator, v37 n4 p22-28 Win 2013-2014
Tolhurst,
J. (2010). The essential guide to Coaching and Mentoring.(2nd. ed.). Harlow;
UK: Pearson. Course Material
Helman, J.
(2006). What's in a conversation? Mentoring stances and coaching conferences
and how they matter. In B.Achinstein & S.Z. Athanases. (Eds.). Mentors in
the making. Developing new leaders for new teachers. (pp.69-82).New York:
Teachers College Press.
Cheliotes,
L.G., & Reilly, M.F. (2010). Coaching conversations: transforming your
school one conversation at a time. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
McGarry,
Rebecca (2013)
“Independent
learning for new entrant students” Education Gazette 25.11.2013
http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/Articles/Article.aspx?ArticleId=8875
Claire
J. McLachan-Smith & Alison St. George “Emergent Literacy in Kindergartens”
In Early Childhood Folio 3 (1997) NZCER
What you are examining is an area that most don't get to with this level of detail. To develop self-awareness of our own behaviour during interactions with any of our children, colleagues, friends or family is an area we would all benefit from exploring.
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