Week 11 Term 1 - Finding comfort in discomfort (Apr 11 - 14)

DISRUPTION: disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process.

If I could define this term by a word, it would be 'disruptive'. The disruption to how we teach, who we teach and where we teach has been tested and challenged over the last 11 weeks. 

How we teach has been a evolving experience for all teachers this term - evolving in that we have had to adapt our teaching program to support both staff and students who have been affected by COVID 19. Collapsing classes, teaching both online and in person, readjusting deadlines for assessments and restructuring the timetable (in a way that supports staff and students who have to isolate) have been just some of the ways that we have had to change how we teach. Who we teach has been another facet of Term 1 that has been impacted by COVID 19. Since our return school in Week 5 (after a week of online learning) students have staggered in their return to school. With students having to isolate at home, working to support their families, to those who are reluctant to come back and with others not motivated to come back to school - who we teach can change everyday. This has been a challenge for us, for me in that it shrinks the progress we want to make with our learners. In the same light where we teach has also become another barrier that we have tried to navigate the best way we can. Hybrid learning is our approach to teaching in a pandemic - teaching both online and onsite. Ideally this should be a seamless performance but there are a few barriers that make it difficult - adequate digital resourcing (for both staff and students) is needed in order to make hybrid learning a meaningful experience for all involved. 

These disruptions have been uncomfortable because it has broken any sense of 'normality' that we were planning for. For me personally, I have tried to see a silver lining in the discomfort and understand and try and unpack the value from it. "The more we understand pain, the more hopeful we become about our ability to change the pain we experience" (Oregon Pain Guidance) Understanding the discomfort and the disruptions of Term 1 and seeing the bigger picture has been helpful in my experiences this term. It has given me a perspective where I am able to see the opportunities and focus to much on the gaps. Trust me, there a lot of gaps as a result of the disruptions this term but more importantly seeing where I can add value on the things I can control has been more helpful than concentrating on what I cannot control. Here some of the highlights I have taken from this disruptive term: 

FEEDBACK: information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.

As I have mentioned in my earlier reflections this term, prioritizing meaningful feed back to my students has been an important part of our learning journey this term. Providing feedback that has clear expectations, next steps (or actions), personalized and that also affirms what they have done so far - has been something that I have enjoyed doing for my students. I see less as a forum for me to write a laundry list of things they need to do and more of a conversational tool that enables the students to reflect and review what they have done. This term, I have learnt that I need to make time for meaningful feedback - there needs to be a degree of care and thought put into it if I want the students to reciprocate the same level of effort and thought into their work. It has mainly been a senior focused for my NCEA Level 2 and Level 3 students and I am hoping to provide the same type of feedback to my junior students. 

BOUNDARIES: a line which marks the limits of an area; a dividing line.

Changing our approach to our assessment deadline for NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 English students has been important for our department this term. Changing our approach to the outline of our Close Viewing assessment was a result of the need we saw for more time for our students. Many of students were unable to meet the original due date because of COVID 19, so we had to work with this and try our best to get our students over the line. Changing the approach saw that we gave all of our senior students a two week extension. Those who were unable to meet the extension had to apply for the Missed Assessment Application (FORM D) accompanied by a meeting with the Co-HOD (Ms George + Mr Tu'uga Stevenson). Creating this boundary meant that we could reduce teacher and student fatigue with the assessment, more importantly this line enabled our staff to see a finish line and then regroup and move onto the next internal assessment (derived grade). Because we extended our due date, this has meant that our turn around for derived grade assessment (film essay) has slowed down but that is OK, we will buy some time in Week 1 Term 2 to finish this off. The turn around for the Close Viewing assessment has been relatively OK considering the disruptions that we had this term. Even more so I think the pay off for the department is that we are focusing on moving forward with our program, whilst still giving some wiggle room for students, we are able to show the students that we can progress in our program regardless on what is going on. 

OPPORTUNITIES: a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

In my personal life experiences, I can say that I have (in most recent years) have had find a blessing in the lesson, an opportunity in the challenge and find comfort in my discomfort. Professionally in my role as Co-HOD, a teacher and Whanau Dean I have learnt to navigate through this pandemic with a opportunistic lens. Too often I can get caught up in what is not working out - students who are absent, falling off schedule and stressing about not meeting deadlines, online teaching and how difficult it can be to engage with students - the list is endless. I have learnt that whilst there is nothing wrong in entertaining complaining - it can be counter productive. I am not saying disregard reality, it is absolutely necessary to acknowledge the reality of your situation (whether it is good or bad) and to find a way to move through it. What I am saying is that through this, it is important to acknowledge what you do have and what you have learnt. I have learnt a lot about myself this term and what I can do. I have reflected on this. I have also learnt what I cannot do and control and this has been somewhat of a confronting and humbling revelation. 

In my reflection of Term 1, I can say that there have been some great opportunities in amongst the disruptions and I have discovered that it is OK to stop, think and regroup. I have done this a few times with the department and with my students. It is OK to not know all the answers. It is OK to not feel like you have lost control of your situation. It is OK to feel uncomfortable with change (especially if you have planned for certain destination and the journey has taken you somewhere else). It is OK to feel off guard. It is important to acknowledge that is is not OK and not stay there too long. You want to grow from your discomfort, I surely do. I feel that I have been able to do that this term. Thank you Term 1, it has been something. I am looking forward to Term 2! 

Week 10 Term 1 - Sharing Knowledge: Literacy Strategies Term 1 (Apr 4 - 8)

"Knowledge might be power, but it’s much more powerful when it’s shared!" (Gary Stringer)

If there is one thing that I have learnt in my role as Co-HOD of the English Department, is that I do not know everything. That is OK. I do not need to know everything and it is comforting to work alongside a team of teachers who all bring a different strength and gift to our team. I am able to lean in on the team and from this, I am able to learn from them. Sometimes the best professional learning development comes from within our team, there is a wealth of knowledge and resources in our teaching staff and this should be shared as it is valuable. There is a strong literacy focus in particular with our Junior English Program, we are hoping to use our Literacy experts more in the classroom, integrate and use literacy strategies in a meaningful way and work with our students in the pursuit to improve their own literacy journey. We dedicated time in our weekly Department meeting in Week 9 that focused on the sharing of literacy strategies. We had two of our Department members share some literacy strategies that they have used with their students. In their presentation, Mr. Jeremy Spruyt and Mr. Marc Milford presented a slam session on a literacy strategy that they have used this term that has been useful and beneficial to both the learner and teacher. The premise of the presentation was to explain 

• WHAT is it? 
• HOW have you used it with your akonga? 
• WHY you think that this strategy is valuable?

I will provide a summary of the presentations from Jeremy and Marc and what I liked from each literacy. 

TEACHING READING SKILLS

Mr. Marc Milford sharing his literacy strategy at our Department Meeting Wk9. 

We are constantly trying to find ways to teaching reading skills to our akonga. Our akonga have had to navigate their learning in pandemic over the last two years and as a result, many of akonga's reading and writing skills have taken a hit. With a lot of them not tracking where they should be in terms of reading skills, so that in itself presents many different challenges for us as kaiako. Marc Milford is one our Literacy experts who works closely with our teacher aides and students, supporting them through a literacy lens. The literacy strategy that Marc shared, Teaching Reading Skills, is all about providing a framework for akonga who struggle with reading. The document he shared outlined how can we identify students who struggle with reading and those who are strong readers. What I particularly liked was the Student Self-Check on Reading Strategies section - which is where students are able to self check and review the reading strategies that they used (after they have completed reading through a text). The students have to tick which area most applies to them and they are able to see how they have gone, what they have done well and what they can work or improve on. Of course you will need to scaffold this with the students and walk through this with them before they can get to a place where they can do the review independently. This is something that I definitely want to do with my Year 9 akonga in Term 2 after our extended text study. 

Literacy Strategy: Teaching Reading Skills (click on the image to access the document)

P.E.T.A.L

Mr. Jeremy Spruyt sharing his literacy strategy at our Department Meeting Wk9. 

Over the years, all of us in the department have used and continue to use a variety of writing framework. We have all a framework that we are comfortable and familiar with. Mr. Jeremy Spruyt shared a writing frame that he came up and one that he has shared with his NCEA Level 1 English class (in preparation for their Close Viewing Assessment). I have had a privilege of seeing Jeremy introduce this writing framework to his students and to see how engaged, comfortable and confident they are with their writing (using this framework) is awesome. Jeremy shared his Google site with us and directed to the page he created for his writing framework P.E.T.A.L (Point, Example or Evidence, Technique, Analysis + Link). What I enjoyed about Jeremy's literacy strategy was that it was clear and the presentation was simple yet effective. He had a section on his site which breaks down the expectation for each part of the framework and also some sentence starter suggestions. There is also an exemplar for the students to look at, where Jeremy has highlighted which part of the text is P, E, T, A or L. Mr. Faiyaz Hoosein has taken this writing framework on board and he has used it with both his Level 1 and Level 2 students - who have really enjoyed the framework. In particular, students who are either reluctant writers or struggle with writing, have used this framework and they have found a new sense of confidence in their writing because they can see progress. The framework is structured in way that guides students but also empowers them to write (with the right prompts). I am going to definitely use this for my Level 2 English students when they start their Term 2 assessment (91104 - Connections Essay). 

Literacy Strategy: P.E.T.A.L (Click on the link to access Mr. Spruyt's Google site)

WHANAUNGATANGA: Engaging in positive and collaborative relationships with our colleagues, learners, their families/whanau and the wider community.

Gary Stringer states "The act of sharing knowledge alone is great for building rapport and relationships, where people get that warm fuzzy feeling from either sharing their wisdom or picking up on the wisdom of others." This is true. Whanaungatanga is important dynamic in a relationship and especially in a team environment. Collaboration enables a togetherness within a team that can help and empower everyone involved. I really enjoyed sitting back and seeing what the team are doing with their akonga, it is inspiring and I want to use these strategies in my own classroom. I look forward to prioritizing more sharing of knowledge in our Department meetings as it is a way to keep the team accountable but also it is a positive way for our team to learn from each other.