Charlotte Verity Professional Learning (School Based)

Resource:  Incredible Teachers  by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, PH D Chapter 11,12,13 & IYT Workshop 3.8.17 A child needs to have conflict management skills and social problem solving skills to help them regulate their emotions. Children who have difficulty emotionally regulating may also have trouble reading social situations and cues (p. 406 of text). When a child acts out/yells/hits frequently etc (cannot emotionally regulate), this will often result in negative social experiences and possible alienation/loneliness. This child then does not have the peers to practise positive social skills with, and they may become 'labelled' as difficult, defiant etc. Teachers can try to stop this by sharing praise publicly and personally with the child, being explicit with praise, social coaching, connecting with parents and maintaining positive self-talk//thought about that child.  Emotional regulation includes: * Nervous system * Cognitive (reasoning) and language systems ...

Resource: Incredible Teachers by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, PH D Chapter 5 & IYT Workshop Since this workshop, I have been trying hard to: Focus on positive behaviours more than negative behaviours across the whole class. What you focus on will grow!  Circulating around the room to give 1:1 praise and encouragement Making my praise specific, and related to academic (e.g. thinking), social (e.g. managing your body; helping others)  Using proximity praise (i.e. noticing another child demonstrating the desired behaviour, and praising...thereby encouraging others to do the same). Doubling the impact e.g. having children who have persisted, shown kindness etc go and share their work with another teacher. We have discussed this at a team level and each of us has stickers and smiles at the ready for children send by other teachers to share their work Coaching children for academic behaviours e.g. persistence; focusing. I am now aware that children will develop these c...

I visited Rowan Lockton at Somerfield School to learn what wellbeing strategies they have in place.  Like Beckenham School, they have a leadership system for older students. They also have school values (SMART - see http://www.somerfield.school.nz/)  Key Differences (that we might consider using beyond 2015): Pastoral Care Team * Meets once a fortnight * Comprised of public health nurse, school mental health team rep, teacher reps, leadership * Each team identifies students with pastoral needs (e.g. safety, welfare, attendance, nutrition etc) * These students are listed on a register. The team reviews and decides the next step: either teacher to work with family or the child is referred for, or connected to further support (e.g. a welfare agency etc) * There is an ongoing loop of communication: each level/team feeds back to the Pastoral Care Team, to share whether issues are resolved or continuing. Further support is then allocated, or further referrals made....

The last three weeks have been great learning for me.  Parent conferences These were really positive and valuable for learning more about my students and celebrate success.  Several social issues came up, which we will address in wellbeing and general class time: * Including others at playtime * Using kind hands * Reporting any problems to a teacher at the time these occur How can I connect with parents more regularly? I have set up a googledoc with student names, and aim to more regularly contact parents to share progress, photos of student success etc Collaboration Our collaboration model has changed since my last blog. We now have two teachers (Amanda and I) working in one hub for reading. A small number of children read with our third NE teacher in another room. Amanda and I have shared our children. We have parent helpers in, working with target students from both classes, for 15min sessions.  We have also discussed collaborating in maths... I read Jen...

Our Assistant Principal, Michelle Maule, came and ran Circle Time with us today.  We are using Circle Time throughout the school this year, to help our students learn about and reflect on our School Kete Values:  We Care  -  We  Love Learning - We Get There Together -  We Make a Difference Michelle bought a sign with Circle Time protocols, and went through these with children: We then had a circle time discussion, sharing differences about ourselves with the whole group. Children also turned and talked with a buddy, sharing their favourite flavour of ice cream and identifying if this was differerent from their partner's preferred flavour. After Michelle left, we used the Circle Time model and protocols, and shared our highlight from the day. I noticed that more children had something to share (i.e. less 'passed') on the second circle time session.  My next steps: * Utilise  the Circle Time model weekly so children are used to th...

28 January 2015 What is Restorative Practice? Useful Prompts: I really enjoyed the frequent 'stop and share' time provided in this session.  I learnt a lot about and from my colleagues as a result e.g. Nicky's suggestion on how to encourage children to accept and own their behaviours. * Histori cal examples: Aboriginal and  Māori groups in traditional society * Can only occur where there is an existing relationship * Dissolves the 'bad' label - promotes that mistakes can be overcome * Consequence matches/suits the challenge/problem * Restorative practise is a conference between child, person effected and teacher. * Children should be given the option of having a support person * Record (write) the whole incident and use this to encourage acceptance/ownership  e.g. 'Yes she took your pencil and that is not ok. Then you hit her. That isn't ok either.'   or 'Was that the best choice?  4 Responses to Behaviour:...

I have been undertaking this course by part time study this year, and have loved the learning involved!  Talking with teachers and leaders from other schools has been refreshing and reassuring...many of us have gone through the highs and challenges of working collaboratively. The  collaboration strategies  others have shared have been really helpful, along with my learning e.g. * Identify your partner's strengths and values (e.g. using the Hermann brain model) * Identify and clear on your own values, strengths and challenges * Identify shared goals, e.g., for my colleague and I this year, that has been wellbeing and behaviour * Use humour  * Don't sweat the small stuff - choose what matters most and discuss that first * Establish and stick to tight meeting times e.g. 15min daily catchups * Establish clear and agreed strategies for behaviour management, including special measures / strategies for those with additional needs * Keep a dot point journal of...

I have been undertaking this course by part time study this year, and have loved the learning involved!  Talking with teachers and leaders from other schools has been refreshing and reassuring...many of us have gone through the highs and challenges of working collaboratively. The collaboration strategies others have shared have been really helpful, along with my learning e.g. * Identify your partner's strengths and values (e.g. using the Hermann brain model) * Identify and clear on your own values, strengths and challenges * Identify shared goals, e.g., for my colleague and I this year, that has been wellbeing and behaviour * Use humour  * Don't sweat the small stuff - choose what matters most and discuss that first * Establish and stick to tight meeting times e.g. 15min daily catchups * Establish clear and agreed strategies for behaviour management, including special measures / strategies for those with additional needs * Keep a dot point journal of next steps ...

I was interested to focus my observation on Te Waka Una on: * How  do teachers collaborate - in terms of space, student groups, planning? * What opportunities are provided for student self-management, agency and voice? * What digital devices are used and how these are managed? I saw a very  calm ,  focused  working environment with all students doing, making, writing, reading together or independently… inspiring ! Teacher collaboration Each term, teams review data and group students, with a focus on target students. Target students receive additional teacher sessions (short, sharp sessions during other whole class work e.g. handwriting) Students are grouped (assessment) and matched to teachers' skills and interests e.g. one teacher may teach multiple art classes, across levels. Students develop relationships with more teachers, and get the best teaching skills available for their needs. Staff teach to their strengths Frequent data review and fle...

Something that has really challenged me this week is student motivation.   Do students believe they can achieve (i.e. that their effort can impact on outcome; intelligence/ability is not something that is fixed from birth - see Dwek etc) Do they feel what they are learning matters? Is it related to them and to the real world? How can they share what they are learning?  Do they have opportunities to experience success?  What can I/others do/say to help them feel/enjoy this success? How can I provide for and listen to students' voices? How can I give them a REAL  say in what and how they learn? What can I do as a teacher to engage them? What tools do I have? e.g. build relationships; bring in humour; use a variety of stimulus which connects to the real world; encourage positive connections with others; set up tasks which allow students to connect with others; knowing students' interests and planning learning accordingly; help students direct their ...

Tilting the Seesaw Workshop 2015 - Autism NZ Notes by Charlotte Verity This workshop was amazingly informative...it helped me build empathy for my ASD students, and provided lots of new strategies for me to try. Sharing ideas and challenges with other teachers of ASD students was highly beneficial...I have used many of their ideas in my own practise with positive outcomes. My relationships with two ASD students have improved dramatically as a result. Key strategies to try with ASD students Allow wait time - 5 words maximum then wait 5 seconds + for a reply IMPERSONAL WORKS - when speaking with child about an issue or upset that has happened, use WE / ALL / US   ...not YOU / ME / I Start a ‘proud of’ book...listing all the things you are proud of each day, for whole class or solely for an ASD child Points or other systems for participation or on task work - e.g. marbles in jar, tokens velcro’ed to a board CLARITY - be clear on expectations (don’t add ex...