Week 3 Term 1 - English Department: Junior + Senior English Program - Walking + Working together (February 13 - 17)

"Active collaboration is particularly important for creating a growth-based learning environment and for increasing student learning progress. Research shows that teachers who work together and learn from each other are more successful in improving student outcomes than those who work alone." (Through growth to achievement: Report of the review to achieve educational excellence in Australian schools , (March 2018)

Since coming into the HOD role in 2019, I have experienced and learnt so much about what makes a successful department. In the last year or so, I have found that the team responds well when expectations are communicated clearly. I have also learnt that the team responds well and works well when we are all on the same page and we are all working together. Our Junior and Senior English programs have changed a lot since 2020. The pandemic pushed us to cull and customize our learning programs so that they meet the needs of our akonga and ultimately meet and respond to the needs of the changing world that they live in. 

In previous years, kaiako were given the Common Assessment Tasks (CATs) for Year 9 and Year 10 English and the NCEA Assessments for Year 11, 12 and 13 English - and from here kaiako created their own individual programs. Having the freedom to create your own learning program and assessment schedule was something that I really enjoyed especially when I first started teaching. I was able to prioritize what I saw as important and I had full creative control on how I was going to deliver the program. However in recent years I have found that whilst the freedom and creative control is good, it also means that every one is working at their own pace and with this, different challenges can present themselves. 

In last 4 years, we have had to relook at our current practice and see where we can add value and impact to our akonga's learning experience as well as our own as kaiako. We have found that when are working together on the same CAT or NCEA assessment it helps kaiako in their planning, akonga feel good that we are all working together on the same task and we are all working towards a specific deadline. For 2023, we have decided to approach both our Junior and Senior English program with the same vision - to work and walk together through in the learning program. Below I will outline our plan for 2023 and what our hopes are for each program. 

JUNIOR ENGLISH PROGRAM 2023

Current Practice: As a department, our goal for our Junior English program is to study different literatures of varied genre and subject matter. The following literature units should be covered, with at least ONE being by a New Zealand author/director. The purpose of the study of Literature at Year 9 is to expose the students to wide reading activities. Also from the study of the Literature flows the essential skills needed. 

This means that from each study the teacher may organize activities such as:

• Grammar activities 
• Creative Writing
• Speech
• Static Image production
• Literature response practice
• Research Activities

The practice units of work that we explore with our akonga in our Junior English Program includes: 

• Speeches CAT
• Media CAT – Production exercise
• Formal Writing CAT- (Paragraph/Literature-type answer)
• Creative Writing CAT – linked with Literature study.
• Research CAT

There is also a strong literacy focus which we deep dived into last year with the support and guidance of our literacy experts Dr Jannie and Mr Milford. 

Approach for 2023: 

Junior English Program 2023

What is the plan? What are our hopes? The plan for our program is structured against our literature study. Each term we will focus on a specific literature study (Term 1 - Novel Study, Term 2 - Short Text Study, Term 3 - Visual Text Study, Term 4 - Finish CATs + prepare for examinations). Each literature study will have 1 - 2 CATs attached to it and there is a literacy focus for each term. The hope with this program is that we are able to work on a literature study together (either team teaching with another kaiako and their class - which some of us currently do) and complete a CAT near the end of the study. This will mean that kaiako are able to get through the required literature study and CATs each term and record this on our data system and for the student's reports. We are hopeful that this approach will be successful. 

SENIOR ENGLISH PROGRAM 2023

Current Practice: The current Senior English Program (Level 1, 2 and 3) is all about getting used to the NCEA system. Deadlines, checkpoints, credits, literacy, numeracy, internals, externals and endorsements are key words that are highlighted in our current practice for NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 English. 

NCEA Summary and University Entrance (UE) 

• To gain NCEA certificates, you must reach a set total number of credits. These can be made up from Achievement Standards, Unit Standards or a mixture of both.
• NCEA can be awarded at Level 1, 2 or 3.
• NCEA Level 1 Certificate Students must earn at least 80 credits.
• You will need to get 10 Literacy credits and 10 Numeracy credits to gain NCEA Level 1
• Students can gain NCEA certificates endorsed with merit or excellence if you have 14 credits of the particular grade. Four of those must come from your exams.

A GUIDE TO UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE: Entry to degree-level programs from 2023

• NCEA Numeracy: 10 credits from Level 1 or above from specified achievement standards or three specific numeracy unit standards.
• NCEA Literacy: Five credits in reading and five credits in writing at Level 2 and above from specific standards.
• Level 3: Achievement of NCEA Level 3: 60 credits at Level 3, plus 20 credits at Level 2 or above.
• Students must gain 14 credits from each of three approved subjects.

Approach for 2023: 

Senior English Program 2023

What is the plan? What are our hopes? The idea and structure behind this program is similar to our Junior English Program. Each term will focus on a specific literature study and assessment attached to each study (Term 1 - Visual Text Study, Term 2 - Extended Text Study, Term 3 - Finish Internals/Derived Grade Assessment, Term 4 - Finish Assessments + Prepare for examinations). We trialed this approach in 2022 and overall it was successful. Students were able to work on their assessments, at a pace that was manageable and appropriate. The plan is clear and it allows for teachers to spend two terms to explore the literature study in depth. We have reserved Term 3 and Term 4 for kaiako and akonga to complete internal assessments and prepare for examinations. Term 3 and Term 4 are terms where the teaching of literature is done and it is a space for our learners to apply the learning to their internal and external assessments. 

With everything, there is always room for reflection and review. We hope to review our practice and the programs that we have put in place - to see what is going well and what we can do better. I look forward to working and walking alongside my colleagues in making sure that our programs for all of our akonga is relevant, relatable and supports their learning and their learning needs.