Week 5 Term 2 - English Department: Designing our unit plans (May 18 - May 22)

As we move through Term 2 and Term 3, our main goal is straightforward: we're going to focus on creating, sharing, and collaborating on our Units of Learning. Why is this so important for us? Simply put, it helps us all get on the same page. When we work together to build these unit plans, we ensure long-term consistency for our students. It lets us share our best practices—what's working well in your classroom can help mine! This collaboration establishes a really strong foundation for all our future planning, making sure our curriculum is robust and effective across all year levels.

To show you what this looks like in action, here is an example of a unit plan I've created and shared with the English Department. This is the template we all use for our Unit Plans.

First part of the Unit plan (template)

Second part of the Unit Plan (template)

The unit plan is a detailed framework that maps out a course of study over several weeks, such as the 7-Week Short Text Study for Year 9 English. It outlines the specific Knowledge students need to learn and the Practices they will master.

The unit plan is a clear and explicit roadmap for instruction. It shifts the focus from simply preparing for an assessment to building a complete body of teaching and learning. It helps you deliberately sequence and time the exposure of important concepts so that students will acquire knowledge, engage in deep learning, and successfully transfer that knowledge into their long-term memory.How to Follow the Unit Plan. 

Follow the Weekly Focus: Use the table to guide your lesson's main focus, the knowledge required, and the practice goals for that week (e.g., Week 5 focuses on Character and/or Theme Analysis).

Use Explicit Teaching Practices: Implement the recommended methods for instruction:Direct Instruction on key vocabulary and literary concepts (e.g., Akonga, Metaphor).

Think-aloud processes to demonstrate how to analyze relationships, such as between context and setting. Model how a text’s historical and cultural context influences its meaning.

Factor in Time: Ensure students have spaced interactions with the new content over time, which is essential for deep and transfer learning.

Use Assessments: Administer the planned Formative assessments (like weekly quizzes) and the final Summative Assessment (e.g., the Common Assessment Task/Creative Writing)

*In my next post I will share a unit plan that I have created for one of our short texts that we are doing this term, Hone Tuwhare's poem 'Rain'. 

Week 4 Term 2 - English Department: Department Goals for Term 2 (May 11 - May 15)

Term 2 represents a crucial and pivotal phase for the English Department, as we shift our focus from foundational work to consolidating growth and achieving specific outcomes. For the coming term, we have strategically identified and prioritized goals that simultaneously address the unique learning needs of both our Junior and Senior School English students, ensure the continued robustness of our curriculum delivery, and align precisely with the overarching goals of the school. While we acknowledge that the dynamic nature of the school year often requires flexibility and adaptation—a reality we are prepared for—we are committed to diligently pursuing these core objectives throughout Term 2. Below are some of the key goals we endeavor to work towards this term.

Students at risk of achieving - We want to work with our identified students who are at risk of achieving credits in English. We have identified who the students are, the reasons and the next steps that we want to put in place.

Literacy Co-Requisite - We are looking to prepare our students for this assessment (in May Term 2). We look at the students who achieved a High Level 4 to Level 5 of their PAT reading results in Term 1 2026. This group will sit the CAA Test scheduled for Week 5 Term 1.

Derived Grade Exams -We aim to strategically prepare our NCEA students for the Derived Grade Exam scheduled for Week 11 of Term 2. This includes ensuring every student is fully informed about the exam's critical nature and providing targeted support and resources. Our specific focus will be on actively encouraging and tracking attendance to ensure maximum participation, thereby providing students with a vital safety net and practice opportunity ahead of their derived grade external assessments. 

Week 3 Term 2 - English Department: Term 2 Senior English Review (May 04 - May 08)

Senior English Program Term 1 2026

Term 1 for our NCEA English students (Levels 1, 2, and 3) began with introductory assemblies aimed at establishing clear curriculum expectations and detailing the assessment schedule for the year. Our focus was on ensuring a thorough understanding of the program from the outset.

NCEA Level 1: The curriculum centered on the study of different writing genres, focusing specifically on Personal Account and Narrative writing. After dedicating Weeks 1–7 to studying and practicing both genres, students completed internal assessment 91926 in Week 8, submitting a final piece in their preferred style. We are pleased with how the students responded to this unit and the assessment.

NCEA Level 2: Year 12 students initiated their film study of Gran Torino and began preparation for internal assessment 91107 (Close Viewing). Although this assessment is due in Term 3, the cohort made excellent use of Term 1 to get a head start.

NCEA Level 3: Year 13 successfully completed their film study of A Beautiful Mind and finished their first internal assessment: 91480 (Close Viewing, 3 Credits).

We eagerly anticipate commencing the written text studies with all our NCEA learners in Term 2. Please see some of our NCEA English students from Term 1 below.

Senior English 91926 Student Exemplar - Term 1

Senior English 91926 Student Exemplar - Term 1 

Week 2 Term 2 - English Department: Term 2 Junior English Review (April 27 - May 01)

Term 1 Program: Junior English

Our focus for Year 9 and Year 10 English for Term 1 was “Who am I?” Our primary text for Term 1 for our Year 9 English classes was Tim Tipene’s ‘Kura Toa’. For our Year 10 English classes, we looked at ‘The Wave’ and ‘Dawn Raid’ as our primary extended text. The Common Assessment task that our Year 9 and Year 10 English students have been working on is Formal Writing. We are really happy with how our students have responded to the assessment.

Term 1: Junior English Formal Writing: Student Exemplar

We continue to utilize the online literacy app, StepsWeb, during one dedicated weekly library period. This period is also used for sustained reading, allowing students to engage with either the shared class text or a text of their own choice, which directly supports our Junior English program goal of ‘Read for Pleasure.’

Term 1: Junior English Formal Writing: Student Exemplar

I am truly pleased with the success and depth of our Junior English curriculum and the excellent material we covered during Term 1. To ensure long-term consistency and shared best practices, we are currently engaged in the valuable process of collaborating, creating, and sharing comprehensive unit plans for all the texts we teach. It is wonderful that this essential groundwork has already begun in an organic and supportive way as we successfully taught each text this term, establishing a strong, collaborative foundation for our future planning. 

Week 1 Term 2 - English Department: Term 2 Review (April 20 - April 24)

English Department @ TOD Term 1 2026

Term 1 proved to be a highly productive and busy period for the English Department, marked by significant planning and the exciting addition of a new team member. We were thrilled to welcome Mrs Nivashni Lata to our team, and we are so excited to have her join our department. Our work focused on strengthening our foundation for the year, starting with a comprehensive review of our Senior English credits and establishing clear expectations for all our students. Furthermore, we dedicated considerable time to reviewing our Term 1 curriculum, which largely focused on text studies across our Year 9, 10, 12, and 13 English classes, and reviewing our writing unit for our Year 11 classes.

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude and thanks to the entire English Department team for the incredible work, time, and effort you poured into our department and our students throughout Term 1. I especially want to acknowledge Ms Anahina Latu and Mr Faiyaz Hoosein for their exceptional leadership of the English Department while I have been away on maternity leave. I am profoundly grateful for the dedication and guidance they provided, and I am particularly thankful for their willingness to lead during the always-busy period that marks the end of the term. Thank you all for ensuring a successful and productive term.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to the entire English Department team for a truly successful Term 1. Your commitment, professionalism, and dedication have been outstanding, and I couldn't be more grateful for your collective efforts. Thank you, Mrs Pravina Harde, for your steady support and valuable contributions and for leading the EAsttle and PAT testing; Mrs Nivashni Lata, for jumping into our busy environment with such enthusiasm and skill; Mr Faiyaz Hoosein, for his vital leadership and unwavering commitment; Mr Jeiel Sevilla, for his hard work and positive impact on our students; Ms Anahina Latu, whose guidance was crucial during my absence; and Ms Francis Kolo, for your consistent effort and reliability. We achieved so much this term, and it is entirely thanks to the dedication and success of each and every one of you.

As Term 1 ends, please take a moment to reflect on all the hard work and dedication you’ve poured into our students and our department. I am so grateful for everything that has happened in the classroom this term, from the engaging text studies to the focused writing units, and I know that the profound impact you have all had on our students’ learning and growth will carry forward into the next term and beyond. Thank you for making Term 1 such a success. 

Week 10 Term 1 - ASB Polyfest 2026 - Samoan Group 2026 (March 30 - April 02)

Stepping into their milestone 15th season, the Tamaki College Samoan Group dedicated the initial six weeks of Term 1 to intense preparation for the ASB Polyfest Competition. This critical preparation period saw the group focus on mastering their performance, strengthening their cultural unity, and embodying the values central to their identity. The culmination of their hard work and dedication was the Polyfest competition itself, which took place in Week 8 of the term. 

The rehearsal process was rigorous, demanding a six-week commitment that included daily practice sessions and all-day rehearsals every Saturday. Starting with an eager group of 80 students, the team refined its membership to a dedicated 57 performers over the six-week period. These performers diligently learned the six items required for their set: the Ulufale (Entrance), Mauluulu (group dance), Pese o le Aso (songs based on the theme), Sasa (action dance), Taualuga (solo performance), and Ulufafo (exit). Guiding the students was a returning tutorship team, many of whom are esteemed alumni committed to giving back to their school. The team included Pene Ueta (Head tutor, responsible for the Mauluulu, Pese o le Aso, and Fuataimi), Kevin Savili (alumni from the 2010 Samoan Group, who tutored the Sasa and served as a drummer), Roni Kamu Wright (alumni from the 2016 group, who tutored boys choreography and drummed), Daliz Betham (alumni 2024, tutor of girls choreography), Anaysha Puaga (alumni 2024, tutor of girls choreography), and musicians Sebastian Wayne (current student) and Sione Kamoto (alumni 2025). The group remains profoundly thankful for this team's commitment to the students, the school, and the wealth of expertise they generously shared.

We want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work, effort, and time that our students poured into this year's Polyfest campaign. Their commitment was truly inspiring, especially the dedication shown by our Samoan Group leaders: Tori Apelu, Laloata Iosefa, Iva Brown, Jasel Maunga, Umuesi Tupuola, Zachary Siaosi, Vincent Lupina Pineki, and Simione Pulupaki, whose guidance was invaluable. We also celebrate the key roles played by Mason Liu as the Fuataimi, Patosina Lamositele as the Taupou, and Fa'aoso Nifo as the Fa'aluma, whose performances anchored the set. We are so immensely proud of our young people who completely immersed themselves in the culture, trusted the rigorous rehearsal process, and delivered a performance that was nothing short of brilliant.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely acknowledge and thank Ms. Dorothy Apelu for her outstanding leadership of this year's campaign for the Samoan Group. Her dedication, vision, and tireless efforts have been instrumental in the campaign's success, galvanizing our community and ensuring we reached our goals. We are deeply appreciative of the passion and commitment she brought to this vital work, setting an inspiring standard for all members of the Samoan Group.

We are profoundly grateful for the journey and the invaluable experience this season has provided, knowing well that the ASB Polyfest is always a tough competition. We celebrate our noteworthy achievement this year, having secured a 3rd equal placement for Togiga (costume) alongside Otahuhu College and Avondale College. Above all, we are most thankful for creating a sacred space for our young people to truly belong, a foundation steeped in excellence, understanding, genuine Fa'aaloalo (respect), and faith. This connection to their culture has fostered a sense of aiga (family) that will last a lifetime. We thank GOD for His constant covering over this season. It is done!

Week 9 Term 1 - Teacher Practice: Year 10 Text: Dawn Raid Unit (March 23 - March 27)

I am excited to share the unit plan I have created for my Year 10 Term 1 class, which centers on the important text Dawn Raid. My goal was to create a socially relevant and engaging unit that delves into the historical and cultural significance of the raids on Pacific Islander communities in the 1970s. The plan begins by providing essential context on New Zealand's immigration history and the government policies that targeted Pasifika people, setting the stage for a critical analysis of the text. Students will explore themes of cultural identity, displacement, systemic injustice, and resilience by examining personal narratives and media responses from the era, encouraging them to connect these historical events to contemporary discussions on race and belonging in Aotearoa.

PRE READING EXERCISE

Click on the image to access the presentation

Before reading Dawn Raid, we deliberately focused on establishing the historical and social context, a key element of the Junior English curriculum refresh. This focus is something I believe the department should fully embrace and prioritize as we begin to develop our Senior English curriculum in depth. For this unit, the students specifically examined the context surrounding the Dawn Raids, looking closely at the immense impact these events had on Pasefika communities within Aotearoa, particularly in Auckland during the mid-1970s. This contextual foundation is crucial for a meaningful and critically informed reading of the text.

RESPONSE TO TEXT QUESTIONS

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Once we have worked through the various journal entries from Dawn Raid, I use targeted "response to text" questions that are crucial for guiding student comprehension and ensuring deep engagement with the material. These questions are intentionally structured to help students revisit the text, requiring them to actively re-read specific sections to locate and gather relevant quotes as textual evidence. This method not only reinforces close reading skills but also encourages students to continually anchor their interpretations and understanding in the language of the source text, which is vital for developing stronger analytical responses.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

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After completing the reading of the text and the corresponding response to text questions, the students will transition to a comprehensive character analysis. For this task, they will work on a presentation detailing key information, significant moments, and supporting quotes for the main characters in Dawn Raid. This preparatory work is strategically important as it helps students organize textual evidence and deepen their understanding of character motivation and development, which will be highly beneficial when they undertake the common assessment task following the text study: a piece of Formal Writing.

THEME ANALYSIS

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After completing the reading and the response to text questions, the students will undertake a collaborative thematic analysis. This will involve working in groups to create a presentation that thoroughly details each major theme found in Dawn Raid. This activity requires students to identify, define, and support each theme with textual evidence and analysis, which directly serves as the crucial foundation and evidence-gathering phase for their subsequent common assessment task—a piece of formal writing.