A day of teacher learning

Our school is part of a Mathematics Project that involves two other schools. 

The three of us all have good data, but it could be better. 

So our Principal applied for some funding and was successful.

So we have started on a path to collaborate with the end result being stronger ties between the three schools, lift our capacity and knowledge in Maths and improve outcomes for our top 25% of students (which will also lift all students).

So today was our third time together. 

We had a launch at the beginning to introduce everyone to the project.

Then Penny (our AP) and I delivered two Professional Learning sessions about Maths planing and the role of the teacher. 

Then this morning we released all our Foundation teachers to work with a 'critical friend' - Melinda.

We started by looking at these three prompts and the discussions that followed were invaluable. 

Then this afternoon all our Year 5/6 teachers were released to work together.

Tomorrow there will be two session - one for Year 1/2 and another for 3/4.

I am hoping that Laura doesn't mind - this is a photo of her great book storage system that was in her classroom. Thanks for giving up your classroom today Laura so that we could use it for a get together. 

Such a simple idea - but WOW how effective.

Don't you just love going into other classrooms?

Last Last Day

It is official - school for 2013 is over.

It is also official that I am moving from Prep to Year 5/6. I love the senior part of the school and have been away from it for 6 years. 

Today I ran a Professional Learning task for all our teachers and support staff. We looked at the 'management' of students as opposed to 'principled habits'. This underpins Daily 5, but is transferable to any subject or specialist area. 

Six groups - all looking at a principle each. They read part of 'daily 5' and became our expert group for: stamina, trusting students, sense of urgency, staying out of the way, sense of commmunity and providing choice. They discussed and answered the following points....

- what is it? Definition or key words

- what will see?

- how will we enable students to do this?

- how will the learning environment look?

Then one person from this group joined 5 others with different topics and they each had to share and answer questions. We want these along with our school values to drive everything we do across the whole school. 

I was so impressed with level of conversation, questions and reflections by all staff. Next year will be another exciting year.

Some vacation reading

I sometimes need to remind myself to have that work and life balance that we all strive to have.

 

I don't do this very well.

 

I read about this 'Teach Like a Pirate' and want to read it.

 

I want to re read Daily 5 and Cafe Literacy.

 

I have had two books recommended to me that are not work related - 'The Rosie Project" and "People of the Book"

 

I think we all know which ones I will read first!

I would also like to give a shout out to a new blogger - Julie from Mrs Stowe's Kinder Cottage. Julie has been on a WBT professional learning session. Go and check out her  blog.

 

Presenting at another school

I am so lucky to have the job I have.

I was approached by another school to deliver a two hour session about my story so far and 'daily 5'.

My Principal was happy to release me and is always supportive in helping us to strive.

I used to do a lot of presenting for our Region and have pulled back a bit in the last two years.

Plus it gets the word out there about our school too.

So here are a few screen grabs of my presentation.

I love the interactions, the questions and the collegiate nature of sharing what we know.

At the end of the day we do what we do because of our students.

The Principal of the school I was at took some photos and when I get them I will post them as well.

 

A new venture

I have taken the plunge and have registered for an ABN - Australian Business Number. This Thursday I will be doing consultancy work that has come from my work on this blog. I will be working with a small group of teachers on how to plan for setting up routines for their Literacy Block.
While I have been presenting professional learning to many groups and in different capacities for at least 12 years, this is different.
I have delivered sessions for Thinking Curriculum, Data Walls, Planning, Assessing, Mathematics, Professional Learning Teams and how they work, Coaching, Time Management, WA First Steps Number, Spelling, Beliefs and Understandings, ICT, NAPLAN...........