Feedback- Cluster Meeting Term 2

I have chosen to link my TAI to Feedback this year. In our cluster meeting we were put into groups with teachers from other schools who were also looking at Feedback. The slide below is what we looked at. We read a reading about feedback and I made notes to share back with others.

Feedback needs to be clear, purposeful, meaningful in order to be effective. It needs to be aimed at the right level for the students so that they are able to comprehend what you are telling them. It is a most powerful tool used to enhance learning WHEN it is done correctly.

There are two types of feedback. Evaluative vs Descriptive.

Evaluative is judgemental and general, it effects how students feel about their work. "Good job" can leave students feeling happy and proud. The less able students, if given general feedback can leave them feeling not so great, and like they have not achieved what the teacher expected them to.

Descriptive feedback describes with guidance and is specific to the students learning. It focuses on the LO and just the LO, it also focuses on improvement and next steps so that the students know what they are working towards next time.

Reminder prompts: Using student prior knowledge

Scaffold: Teacher gives students a bit of help

Example: Give it to the students so that they know what to do.

Feedback is most effective when it involves the student. What do your students need?? Ask them! Then check how the feedback has helped with questions such as "Do you know what to do next?" It is always good to clarify with students as often they go away still not knowing. If you get them to repeat what they need to do next it also checks their understanding of the feedback in which you have given.

This meeting was great and helpful in getting me to think further about types of feedback and how they are best used. Something so simple, yet often not used correctly and in a way that is beneficial to students learning.

IYT Session 4

Session Four

June Term 2

Mel and I attended session 4 of our Incredible Years Teacher Training last week. We are slowly moving up the pyramid, and this in session we are beginning to look at the orange section, focusing on managing misbehaviour: ignoring and redirecting.

Incredible Years Pyramid

The session began with a brief discussion about behaviours in which we could ignore from student, vs behaviours that we could not. This generated a bit of heated discussion and it was interesting to hear different viewpoints about which behaviours could be ignored. Lots of us didn't agree, and we found that we each had quite different limits and expectations about acceptable behaviours.

Some of the behaviours that we could ignore were:

• Students calling out
• Standing up when supposed to be sitting on the mat
• Whistling/Tapping
• Off task and wandering around
• Disruptions when in a group

On our "couldn't ignore" list, we found that there were a few overlaps:

• Calling out
• Tapping
• Misuse of devices
• Physical harm
• Distracting others
• Disrespect

Ignoring is when: teachers give no eye contact or attention to a student, give students privacy of a space to calm down, you remain calm in both voice tone and facial expressions, and you be consistent. The most important part of the ignoring process is that you re-engage with the student when the ignoring is over.

Ignoring is a skill that is not often taught so we modelled a lesson that we could teach to our students on how to ignore behaviour. Mel and I talked about how this would fit in well with the behaviour teaching that we are incorporating at the moment, as this is a key skill that our students so often need. We modelled the lesson using puppets, Y charts, brainstorming, talking about 'ignoring muscles', and we were also taught a breathing exercise to try with students. This will be an interesting one to test out and help slow the heart rate down to reduce impulsiveness. 

We were also shown a discipline hierarchy of steps for non disruptive and disruptive behaviour. We had to talk to teachers at other schools about their behaviour system and what they do. I found it interesting, having only worked at Gilberthorpe, that other school don't have one of these systems and that if a student misbehaves there are no clear steps or guidelines for a teacher to follow. 

Our school behaviour system fits into this model, and as we are in the process of adapting it this model could be quite helpful!

Another great session, over halfway through the course now and I would recommend it to any other teacher. I have learned many valuable strategies and ideas to implement into the classroom and my teaching and the food is pretty good too!

Teaching as Inquiry Focus 2018

This year for my TAI, I am focusing on the effectiveness of different types of feedback on a targeted group of year 6 boys. This inquiry will be a work in progress throughout the remainder of 2018.

Incredible Years Sessions 1-3

Incredible Years Teacher Training Session 1 - 3

In February I attended session one of the Incredible Years Training course. A course I had heard a lot about through friends, colleagues, my parents, and RTLB. It came highly recommended and I knew that it would be something that I would learn a lot from, as a beginning teacher.

I was right. Session One focused largely on the importance of building positive relationships with students as well as parents.. This could be done in a number of ways:

• Modelling positive behaviour as a teacher
• Simple things such as daily greetings and farewells- something you often overlook yet it is so simple.
• Listening
• Developing trust and responsibility
• Having special one on one time with students who may need that extra support and care.
• Positive phone calls home to parents.

This was super inspiring for me, and I couldn’t wait to get started using a few of these techniques. I knew I had strong relationships with my students. But I knew I could do more. After session one I began being aware of just how important that parent teacher partnership is. I made an effort to call home for the good things, and am beginning to use things such as happy grams to send positive notes home to parents when their children have done something extra special at school. I have also made a warm fuzzy notebook for each student where each week I write something positive in which I have noticed for that week. Eventually hopefully I will get parents on board too and they can write something. The smiles on the students faces when they read these each week make the couple of hours spent writing the night before worth it! In Ngakaunui we also began implementing a ‘What’s on Top’ daily circle time. This gives all students a chance to share how they are feeling in the morning before school. It is nice to know what they are thinking about and if anything is bothering them. Again, building those positive relationships.

In Session One we also spent time discussing how to be a proactive teacher. This covered things such as:

• Classroom/hub rules being displayed and referred back to constantly
• Schedules and routines kept consistent
• Having clear commands and reminders
• Preparing students for transitions
• Arranging your classroom in a way that sets students up for success.

When reflecting on this I realised that although we had made a class treaty together, this was not displayed so that it could be referred back to. Mel and I also discussed the need for consistent rules throughout our hub rather than individual class ones. This meant that we would all be speaking the same language. There is also great need to follow through with praise as well as consequences. If there is no follow through then students are neither reinforced for compliance nor held accountable for non-compliance.

I knew that I would get a lot from this course and was already looking forward to session 2!

Session Two:

Giving Attention- Encouragement and Praise

• Promoting self esteem
• Social, Persistence, Academic and Emotional Coaching
• Proximal Praise
• Specific and labelled praise

After this session I became conscious of the fact that more often than not the majority of attention is given to that of negative behaviour rather than positive behaviour. This therefore then reinforces the negative. We discusses having visual prompts around the classroom to remind us as teachers to be constantly praising those students displaying desired behaviour. Something that doesn’t always feel natural but is so important. Children learn what behaviours are expected through what we give attention to.

I also learned about coaching. There are many different types and we an use it depending on the situation and outcome that we may want. Two types that I am wanting to try in the classroom are:
Academic Coaching: Often as teachers we want to be asking students a lot of questions. Yet when coaching the importance is on using descriptive comments rather than questioning. Kind of like a running sports commentary. We describe their actions, and model words or language for them to expand vocabulary.
Persistence Coaching: Here we describe when students are working hard, concentrating, being calm,  or staying patient when working on an activity. We describe persistence with a frustrating activity by trying again, sticking with it and staying focused. Encourage students problem solving skills rather than giving the solution ourselves- as we so often do when we see students struggling and needing help.

My goals to work on after session two were:

• Use persistence coaching when students are finding learning tasks hard- help guide them through it
• Social coaching can be used out on the playgroup and during lunchtime games
• Continue to be contacting parents for positives.

Session Three:

Motivating students through incentives

• Individual incentives
• Sharing success with parents
• Working as a team to earn class rewards

Last Thursday at the latest IYT session we spent the day talking about how to implement successful incentive schemes in the classroom. There was discussion around incentives vs bribes. The key difference here is that incentives after given AFTER the behaviour, whereas bribes are given BEFORE. Therefore usually after bribes are received the behaviour is more like to reoccur as they are given straight away without being earned.
After spending session two discussing the benefits of praise, our team leaders then stated that praise alone may not be strong enough for our students. Especially if praise is infrequent at home, it may make the students uncomfortable at school. This is where incentives come in.
The first thing we as teachers need to do is identify one or two positives behaviour we want to increaser, This could be as a class, or with an individual according to particular needs. We must work together to select the reward and it is important to know that not all students have the same currency. This is where your knowledge of your students comes in. Not one shoe fits all. If you are unsure what incentive your student(s) may respond to, converse with the parents, they know them best!

At Gilberthorpe we as a school use fish tickets as an incentive when students display our school values. The reward is being drawn out of the fish bowl to earn a reward such as free time. At the end of the term the Top fish in each class gets a special lunch. After talking about what other schools use as an incentive programme, ours seems like a pretty strong one. Our students respond well. But sometimes they may need more,. As said before, not all students will respond in the same way. This is where individualised incentive programs come in, or spontaneous rewards for whole classes.
An important aspect of incentive programmes are to not confuse them with consequences. Eg Give a student a fish ticket, and then take it off them.

My Goals after session 3 are to:

• Let parents know when students are getting assembly awards
• Students vote on which student gets our class values award
• Spontaneous rewards in our classroom.

Bring on session 4 in June!

Appraisal 2018

Below is a slide that I have been using for my appraisal this year. It includes my goals, action plans, and links to supporting evidence for specific criteria. I will continue to use this, as well as blog posts as evidence for the new teacher standards.

Chloe's Appraisal 2017

Below is a link to my 2017 appraisal as a first year beginning teacher.