Week 9 Term 3: Teacher Practice: Highlights from AATEL PLD (September 16 - September 20)

In Week 7 of Term 3, a group from the English Department attended the AATEL (Auckland Association for Teachers of English Literature) professional learning develop workshops. The focus of the workshops for this term is "Spotlight on the Juniors: Engagement, innovation and essential skills" There were three workshops offered. As the presentations were running back to back, we were given the opportunity to attend two out of the three workshops. The workshops were: 

Brave Words - introducing public speaking in the classroom: Oral literacy initiatives, strategies and activities to support the development of public speaking and presenting. (Ormiston Junior College presentation) 

A Step by Step Guide - small group novel studies in year 7-10. (Diocesan School presentation)

Redesigning Junior Program (Years 7 to 10) - to match the new level 1 style. (Dilworth School Presentation)

Tamaki College English Department @ AATEL 2024

The two workshops that I went to was the Small Group Studies (Year 7 - Year 10) and Redesigning Junior Program (Year 7 - Year 10). I will write my highlight and take away points from the workshop that I enjoyed the most. 

Redesigning Junior Program

Some highlights from the workshop

I am in the process of redesigning our Junior English program (Year 9 and Year 10 English). I was interested in this workshop because it spoke to what I am currently doing with our Year 9 and Year 10 English program refresh. As a school, they have decided to create a unit of learning from Year 7 to Year 10 that all Junior teachers teach to in the new junior English program. I really liked their approach to their Junior program and that they are still in the processing of refining it. As state below: 

• Shared Year 7 to Year 10 units in every class. All students get the same learning resources and opportunities
• There is some variation at Year 10 (different choices for novel study, however any teacher can choose any unit)
• At the end of each term, the unit is reviewed with suggested changes and additions logged
• Split up the units and make the changes/additions required
• Review the progressions in each learning strand ensure we are using consistent language, building skills and avoiding repetition (every two years)
• Working on a clear alignment of marking rubrics to ensure the progression of skills is clear from one year to the next

I also liked the different themes for each term and the CATS that they have for each term (they have four assessments that they assess yearly). Which is something I am looking to as I believe that in our current junior English program, our students are over assessed. Some their term themes that they use in their Year 7 to Year 10 English program and assessment opportunities are: 

Term 1: Stories of Auckland, Stories of us (local curriculum) 

From here they write their own Auckland story (narrative writing - Term 1)

Term 2: Reading for BIAS (exploring other people’s perspective)

Year 7 and Year 10 Listening Unit (listening for BIAS) Listen to Podcasts/Speakers and have to identify BIAS

Term 3: Worlds of Poetry (speaking/oral/written poetry) 

Present a poem that they have studied (memorize and speak it and in a PPT)

Term 4: Exam preparation

Other types of assessments to offer:

• Formal Persuasive Speech assessed
• Film Study (Film Study) like a Close View assessed
• Make their own film (film night) - not assessed
• Service Writing - magazine (write service articles about what to expect or top ten things to do @ school for new Year 9 students)

Other assessments for Year 10: 

• Listen to a song (about Springbok), watch the film (about Springbok), Write a diary entry (assessment linked to 1.3) or a formal/argumentative essay - this can be linked to different theme units (for example: climate change)

There are some definite good things that I would like to implement into the new Junior English refresh for our Year 9 and Year 10 English program. I look forward to documenting this.