Worksheet free zone!

 My son recently completed a math 'test' ...it was easy he said, but with forty questions to be completed in an hour, not achievable.  The results of this test will hardly be evidence of his understanding and perhaps evidence of his understanding would have better been gleaned by talking to him.  That is how I feel about worksheets!

I frequently hear of people that struggle to teach maths and are after the next great worksheet to guide their teaching.  Or the next manual, or workbook...put very simply and in my humble opinion, this is not teaching maths.

If I was to get rid of one thing from classrooms it would be worksheets.  They are used far too often, without real purpose and have limited cognitive impact.  In fact just navigating a worksheet for some children is more of an issue than the maths itself.

I yes I hear the wail from the corner...

"My children love worksheets, they are great for reinforcement."

 In some cases yes this may be true, for some children, worksheets may provide some practice that backs up the repeated teaching they have been having, but only if that repeated teaching has involved the quality use of materials, before it is hurriedly rushed to the abstract. 

 It is also a very real factor that some children love worksheets, but it is not likely to be those children we are aiming to help, it is likely to be the children already proficient in the skill, that don't need the reinforcement anyway.  It is also likely to include the safe-sitters that love to sit within the safe boundaries of a worksheets, rather than extending or challenging themselves.  They think of maths as a comfortable set of facts, and this is not the message we want to be sending.

So what is it we should be doing instead?

Well put pretty simply, we should be allowing children to experience a wide range of materials that they can manipulate and 'see' visually to allow them to deeply understand what they are doing.  Children deserve the right to use materials and explore maths visually before it is ever taken to the abstract.  They deserve the right to solve problems and form their own understandings based on the use of these materials, to make connections and establish patterns.  In my opinion we take children far too quickly to the abstract and should be using quality materials long past primary school.

Maths is a creative area of learning that is all around us and effects everything we do.  It should never be constrained to a list of facts on a worksheet.  In fact just like in other areas of learning children deserve to hypothesise together about maths and the patterns around them, investigate and make connections together, not on their own.  They deserve the right to use equipment to solve difficult problems and the time to do so, in fact problems can stretch over a week or two, or even more, being constantly built on with connections shared and debated.  

Children deserve the right to revisit concepts in various ways, to see maths as an open area of learning, rather than an area where the fastest to complete the worksheet with a set of answers that can be found in the back of the book is the 'winner.'  They deserve the right to understand that those answers can be expressed in various ways, lastly and probably most importantly they deserve the right to talk about maths and what they notice, to share their understandings and listen to the understandings of others.

Children deserve the right to develop a deep sense of number and they can not do that through a worksheet.  

If teachers are wanting follow up activities, why not have children set the problems for each other to complete, now that shows a real depth of understanding.

Maths is beautiful, I was never given that gift at school.  I was afraid of maths, scared of being wrong, always cheated with the answers in the back of the book and never understood how any of the equipment linked because I was taken to the abstract too fast and could not see the link.  In fact the very ironic thing is I was top in my multiplication tables...I however had no idea how to use them, or what they meant.

As a teacher I now understand what a creative, exciting area of learning maths is and I want to continually give this gift to the children I teach.

(NB - Please note, I am not saying that after lots and lots of rich teaching and learning a follow up paper task may not be useful it if it is a quality one, and strongly linked to what is being done, but I encourage you to always think about the usefulness of the activities you are presenting to children.  If are using them as a time filler or a busy activity...just don't!)

Update - where are we up to in our literacy journey

 I felt it was a good idea to just put down on the page where we are currently up to in our play-based space with literacy development.

I feel like I have learned so much in the last two years, but particularly in the last year regarding literacy acquisition.

If you have followed my blog you will know that we have been on a journey with reading.  Embracing decodable books and individual reading a few years ago now.  The use of decodable books came about after a search for books that would cater for year 4 boys and their 'lower levels' but also inspire them to read.  To do that we discovered project x code by Oxford and we have not looked back!  

Project X made a real difference!  You can find them and the superhero series along with Alien adventures through:

Edify Ltd

www.edify.co.nz

Fiona van der Hor - fionav@edify.co.nz

We use the Superhero series and the Alien adventures in our class along with the Little Learners from Liz Kane Literacy.

Decodable's are not cheap though, but we have topped up our supplies through SMART KIDS with some other titles.  I am really looking forward to the Ministry books soon to come out, however I am worried that they are not fully decodable.

You can read more about the beginnings of my journey in past blog posts.

Due to the success of Project X we introduced decodable books into new entrant room and since have worked hard to raise the money to spread these throughout the school.  I love decodable books so much, I wouldn't use anything else!

This was the video that really propelled me forward to find out more, to deeply understand how the brain really learns to read.

It is important to understand though that this is still done within a framework of developmentally appropriate teaching and play.  Children still work through developmental goals, but after working memory, we have woven a much more robust process around phonological and phonetic understandings (alphabetic principle.)

This has really come about because of my interest in how children actually learn to read and what I can  do as a classroom teacher for those that seem to have further barriers.  Work on phonological understandings has allowed me to develop simple interventions early if there appears to be something more going on for the child.  The individualised, fluid nature of our class allows me to do this.

So our developmental goal sheet (up to year 3) looks like this now:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RbCDuYVN38w7-nr2PFEl_ADX-SdHltIXDREdqbbNxsg/edit?usp=sharing

As you can see this is informed by the code, if you are interested in this you can find out more at https://lizkaneliteracy.co.nz/ it truly is transforming practice across our whole school.

I am passionate about learning more about dyslexia and have always had the understanding that what we do for dyslexic children benefits all, however my past understandings around what dyslexia is and isn't have been skewed.  My past perception of dyslexia was that it was a visual problem and children would present with reversals and talk about the print bouncing off the page.

In fact, dyslexia is not about that at all and I urge you to follow Learning Matters if you want to find out more.

Through using the code (and we have only scratched the surface) I am able to embed  practice that benefits the whole class, and am developing my skills to work explicitly with individuals on exactly what it is that they need.  I feel like I really understand the process.

Decodable books have been a god send for us.  Each book builds on the last and allows me to systematically teach next steps.  Children are actually reading, not guessing and feeling empowered in doing so.  

The link to spelling has also been a lightbulb moment for me, understanding that encoding and decoding are intricately linked is vitally important.  I realised I had been allowing children to 'invent' spelling too long, without teaching specific spelling patterns that they needed to know before forming bad habits.  

Reading sessions with children are now catering for multi-sensory needs and linked to not only building and manipulating words, but also spelling sounds.  

I work on the principal of I do, we do, you do.  Lots of practice, lots of revisiting.

There is so much out there in terms of developing further that I admit to feeling quite overwhelmed at times, but I am so happy with the journey that we are on, and feel so much more confident in sharing next steps with our parents that are actually research based.

We don't do six year nets and we don't do reading recovery we have not had reading recovery for many years now.  These two approaches simply don't work for everyone.  We do use our developmental goals for next steps and reporting and we do use the code to support our next steps with reading.  We do use programmes like Stepsweb to benefit our year 3 and 4 learners who need extra support and we do use Nessie reading if needed as well.  We do use project x code which is decodable and we are spreading decodable books throughout the school.  We do communicate regularly with parents on next step goals that can directly assist progress and we are sharing information on how children learn to read with parents.  As a staff we want to be able to proficient enough with the Science of reading to ensure we are meeting the needs of our children in class, not relying on one to one interventions further down the track.  Our goal is to all have awareness that something is not right, early on.  We want to have a depth of understanding that allows us to gather useful information on that specific child and any barriers they have.  We want a culture that accepts dyslexia exists and a culture that understands that what we do for dyslexic children, benefits all.  We want to have empathy for these needs and be able to take informed action based on identified strengths.  Using seesaw we aim to ensure communication is clear and useful.  I am working on making videos for parents of myself working with their child, so they specifically know how they can help in easy bite size amounts.  

There is so much out there but...

Here are some go to videos that have really shaped my practice recently:

https://padlet.com/pkastner/dcjlplm70o851v30?fbclid=IwAR2cX8StMRACSx9q6WMqyoG08m5mtB3lYmBMIFrIT2x1L69OyPGfro2XQCw

These are amazing!

https://www.readingrockets.org/shows/reading-interventions

The simple view of reading...a must watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=BhpHr3SC7hk&feature=emb_logo

And two must watch videos on orthographic mapping that started our whole staff thinking!

I know I have so much more to learn...but an excited to do so!

Transforming Education - Strategies for moving forward

"...And so it was here, the unknown future they’d talked about preparing students for...but were they themselves ready?

This was a thought going through my head while out walking my dogs, looking out upon my current surroundings, my place, my home.

This time of isolation only reinforces why it is dispositions we need to be fostering in school, not narrow academics. It is so apparent right now what dispositions will be important for our children, as they are right now for us. Empathy, kindness, patience,resilience, innovation, flexibility, trust, the ability to know when to lead and to know when to follow, creativity, independence, humour ...I could go on and on.

Human beings with these dispositions will always seek understanding and knowledge, but human beings raised amongst a culture of competition, measurement and knowledge may not necessarily develop these dispositions.

Play all the way! Arts all the away! Relationships all the way! When we get back to our schools let us all be on the same wavelength for the good of us all."

Below are 20 strategies that I have been sharing daily on my facebook page.  Not an exhaustive list, but a pretty good start.


Strategy one...

Make it feel/look/sound more like homeschooling done well.

What do I mean by this?

Well think how it feels to be absolutely invested in your child's learning. To know their passions and have the time to shape an environment that allows them to do so. Imagine an environment where the journey is the important part, data means little and it is the progress that is important. Imagine the freedom to shape each day as it comes...to work in an environment that feels nurturing and safe. To truly know each child, for who they are. To have time to let their quirkiness guide you.  To have the freedom to down tools and follow imaginations. Imagine just having the time to be learners together and feeling that sense of satisfaction. Imagine just letting curiosity guide you, letting it absorb your day, free from timetable or narrow testing...that is what I mean, and that is why I have listed it as strategy one in transforming education.  If we were capturing the essence of this in every classroom, we would be getting something very right.

Strategy two...

Really appreciate that relationships and connections are where it is at and be guided by these.

What do I mean by this?

Actually spending time to get to genuinely know children. Prioritise this above anything else. Understand trauma and know how to interact with children that come to school in a traumatised state. Stop seeing behaviour and start seeing need.  Meet children where they are at and be prepared to guide them gently, from alongside, not in front.


Strategy three...

Let children be your PLD...

What do I mean by this?

Well I believe the best professional development comes from real nuts and bolts teacher inquiry, and that starts with the children. Let their needs, strengths, interests guide your development as a teacher. I am not a fan of 'all you can eat' PLD, where we take a bit from here and a bit from there but never really consolidate anything. I also believe that children should be given the opportunity to run PLD sessions, how often do we ask our Year 6 children what it is they think encapsulates a good teacher, great learning etc. How often do we ask them what they genuinely think we need to get better at?



Strategy four

Get rid of end point assessment...

What do I mean by this?

Assessment is only useful if used within the teaching and learning process. End point assessment causes stress, anxiety, extra work and presumes a ‘standardised’ child. Using assessment as part of the learning process still allows us to know where a child is at, it also gives children many ways to show us where they are up to and what they know.


Strategy Five

Ditch all teacher directed timetables.

What do I mean by this?

For learning to feel natural, authentic and connected each day must flow. timetables make it appear that 'subjects' stand alone, when really everything is connected. The daily rhythm should be directed by the children, their interests and urges. While as a teacher we can have 'need to do' items in our head, where these fall in the day need not be timetabled, they should just fall where it falls naturally in the day.


Strategy Six

Base your days on the growth of dispositions rather than narrow curriculum areas.

What do I mean by this?

Instead of 'setting outcomes' that are knowledge based, frame what you do around developing and actually 'seeing' dispositions in action. Play is perfect for this, it allows you to observe and see these dispositions in action. It also gives you an authentic vehicle for 'teaching' them or making them visible to everyone. Choosing to make these a focus allows us to genuinely know a child. I have attached our school ones to this post.  This is just one part of a set of frameworks that guide us.
https://drive.google.com/…/1tSKek1_eoylfgt2DNDEpvm8bw…/view…


Strategy Seven

Embed play at all levels of schooling

What do I mean by this?

Play is vital at all levels of human development. Play should be part of every child's day at school. Play is not defined by adults, it is not beautiful activities with question cards directing children's attention, it is not choosing from teacher selected activities, it is not just craft activities...it does not just happen at morning tea and lunchtime. Play is self-chosen and self-directed and largely adult free. Play is not frivolous and it is important. Play is a vital part of brain development and the best way for children to develop healthy dispositions. It is crucial for emotional regulation.

Number Agents is not play, it is playful, but the flow of agency is selected by the teacher. However it does become play when the children take it outside of agency time, come up with their own problems, their own characters and their own flow.

I have learned more about child development and learning by observing play then I have ever done by reading books or taking part in professional development.


Strategy Eight

Teachers, leaders and anyone involved in education (think ERO) need to have a deep understanding of the learning process, how it actually works and what is important in the development of literacy and numeracy in particular.

What do I mean by this? (sorry could go on forever here, but have been as brief as possible.)

Everyone involved in education needs to go through training that allows them understanding of how the brain develops sequentially. They need to understand that pushing academics on a child that is not ready is causing more damage than good. Everyone needs to understand how the brain learns to read, the science of reading. We all need to be trained in a deep understanding of phonics and multi-sensory teaching. Maths needs to be taught in an open way.
We need to think patterns, multisensory learning, spending longer developing number sense. Maths is authentic and beautiful and we currently turn it into a narrow, boxed area of learning.
Learning differences need to be made a priority in everyone's training and how to make a classroom memory lite is an important first step. Everyone needs to understand that making a classroom learning difference friendly benefits all. We all need a deep understanding that age related standards before the age of 8 or 9 can be a load of rubbish, even after for some children, they are not a useful guide. Developmentally appropriate practice needs to extend from ECE to high school. A child in Year 6 may have an actual age of a 5 year old, catering for this as a collective needs to be a priority. This is where social and emotional understanding comes in. We all need an understanding of regulation what this looks like and how to teach it. Deeply understanding trauma and the impact on the brain is also vital, behaviour management strategies need to be a thing of the past, instead we need to be thinking of behaviour as a need and providing for it appropriately. Attachment theory is something we all should know about and understand. Teacher training needs to be changed to match all of the above. It saddens me to see students learning what I learned...which frankly wasn't a lot. Students need to experience a practicum in ECE, primary and high school, and I think teacher training should be longer. ERO need to spend two years in ERO then go back in the classroom. They need to join ERO because they have been shoulder tapped as top practitioners. Any ERO officer who has been out of school for an extended period, should not be passing judgements on the current environment and teaching. Principal's should be regularly teaching in rooms.

Finally acceleration as a term needs to go, it does not fit with anything I have said above and totally goes against how the learning process happens.


Strategy Nine

View a school journey as a collective across the six year

What do I mean by this?

Even within schools we can become quite silo like in our classrooms or syndicates, or similar. We have for a long time viewed children according to their chronological age and year level. We have failed to view children at their developmental age. Working in this way leads to some failing to meet the 'expectation' for that age or year level. If we open up the way we work, view this journey as a collection of years and the current year just a point on that journey, we will start to see progress rather than attainment. All children progress, but this progress needs to be compared to where they are at and where they have progressed to, not where we believe the progress should be. Teachers working as a collective then will understand how far a child has come in the year before and stop viewing it as 'what the teacher didn't do.' It will open up honest discussions and allow us to stop putting such a narrow timeline on attainment. If we all understand each child, if we have open discussions across year levels, if those year levels work together, we start to see each child as an individual that we each can play a part in assisting.


Strategy Ten

Trust is key

What do I mean by this?

Trust in ourselves and in children. Trust is vital if a school is to operate as a cohesive team. Productive discussion is great along with productive questioning, but ultimately if we do not share a common vision, we will undermine each other. To really bring play to life, real self-directed play to live, we must trust children, we must trust their competence and ability to drive their own learning. We must trust the copious amounts of research that tells us play is the way, that tells us children want to and will learn at their own time, that tells us that children are innately curious and can drive their own learning. We must trust ourselves, our own judgements and observations. We must trust ourselves to try, to fail and learn from our mistakes, just as children do. Trust is key.


Strategy Eleven

Real world, authentic learning is where it is at

What do I mean by this?

Basically we need to be keep learning as real and authentic as possible, based on what the children are interested in and where their passions and strengths lie. Yes we will need scientists, inventors and mathematicians in the future, but we will also need farmers, supermarket workers, market gardeners, chefs...and the list goes on. This has never been more apparent. We need to give children life skills, skills that allow them to be self-sufficient and experiences that allow them to embrace and follow their calling or passion, whatever that may be.


Strategy Twelve

We need to embrace the arts as a vehicle for learning in and through.

If you have not read my blog post that shared just before this...have a read.

What do I mean by this?

If you have not read my blog post that shared just before this...have a read.

The Arts...and I mean the arts, are the way we communicate. The arts take down the barriers for everyone. If I have physical differences, learning differences etc I can still communicate through the arts. I don't have to be able to read or write either, I can communicate through the arts anyway. In face, the arts are language and maths. We seem to think of the arts as and extra...even as a means of extension, or an area for those that are gifted in a specific area. Sadly we forget that the arts should and can be for everyone, they encapsulate what it is to be human. There is no requirement to have any ability, in fact interpretation is a big part of the arts. Why have they been shelved, why are they seen as an extra. We can teach everything we need to teach through the arts. The arts are all about offering, accepting, relating, reflecting and understanding. In fact self-expression and communication and being able to relate to the expression of others and then comprehend it,makes us human. The arts offer us a far better vehicle for inferring, respnding and comprehending than any other area of learning.

Strategy Thirteen

Stop confining movement to break times. (sorry for the typo in the last post.)

What do I mean by this?

Movement should be a frequent part of every child's day at school. They should have the option of how they work in the room, be it on the floor, standing at a table, sitting etc. Access to the outside needs to be a priority. By now we should all know that movement is linked to brain development. Children twirl because they need to, they roll because they need to, they move, because they need to! In the early years, this is of course how children are building their brain but even older children need to be allowed to move frequently. Thinking this is just something that happens at morning tea or lunch break is thinking that needs to go out with the ark.


Strategy Fourteen

Intrigue and wonder are key components of learning and need to be woven into everything we do.

What do I mean by this?

The key to being learning receptive is actually being interested in what you are learning about. Think about yourself, when do you learn the most? Of course you learn the most when you really need the information, when you have wonderings and questions. Children are exactly the same, we need to build wonder and intrigue into everything we do so that they are in a curious state. In this state, not only are they more motivated, but they also remember what they have learned and crave more. That is what real learning is about. It is also a reason why self-directed play is so powerful and why the learning that comes from it sticks. If you are yet to delve into play but want to have a go at building intrigue, look up mantle of the exert and have a go, it is a fantastic vehicle for learning


Strategy Fifteen

At every opportunity we need to be reinforcing that we are a collective, a team, this being human business is not a solo sport.

What do I mean by this?

School is an opportunity for us to help children learn they are part of a team. We all have a part to play and our individual passions, strengths and interests, but ultimately this life is about human connection. Every opportunity for children to see themselves as part of a collective, to empathise with the needs of others, to explore and appreciate perspectives that are not their own, is learning gold. This world we are currently living in has shown us quite glaringly, that there are many out there that experience the world from a very selfish perspective. They are out for themselves, for what is good for them. They lack an undersanding for the rules and why they are put in place and fail to understand the part they have to play in the recovery of our country and our world. Many have wanted items just because others have had them, even though their family wants for nothing. They don't understand the concept of equity, or that we work for a common good. We do not want this for our children. We want them to have empathy. To be the best person they can be, to have gratitude and to want to give of themselves, for no other reason than that it feels good. We want them to see the part they have to play and to truly appreciate the needs of others. We also want them to see why rules may be put in place for the common good, and the need in times like these to follow rather than question. We want them to understand that there is indeed a time to quesion and advocate, but there is also a time to follow. I have been really saddened by the selfish nature of some, but I do feel sorry for them, it comes from a place of ignorance. There are so many out there doing incredible things and we have much to be proud of. If we can help children to be empathetic, reflective human beings, we can truly help humanity. Yes it is our job, this is teaching. Whakawhanaungatanga❤️



Strategy Sixteen

Embrace learning differences to enhance our teaching.

I believe that learning differences are something we all have. Obviously there are traits we have in common when we have a specific difference, but on the whole the differences we experience are very individual and unique to us. In other words, a strategy that works for one learner, is not likely to work for another. Learning differences teach us about teaching, they are there to make us better at our craft. Forever learning and refining the way we teach to cater for the differences we come across make us a better practitioner. Rather than seeing a learning difference as requiring specialised teaching, how about we all start to think of ourselves as specialised. The more tools we can add to our kete the better for all learners. Taking time to understand learning differences takes us to a place where we begin to understand the learning brain more deeply, that can only be good for all learners.


Strategy Seventeen

Stop worrying about what career a child will have and start facilitating one they can create.

What do I mean by this?

Simply I have a real problem with end point teaching. If we only keep our eyes on the signpost, then we miss the journey and where it could have take us. Children come to us with gifts, gifts they can give the world and we often narrowly box these, or completely miss them altogether. Ok, not all children are going to leave school and create their own self-designed career, but many will and if not, then they will at least be abe to understand the strengths they bring and their own passions if we have allowed them to do so. We always worry about the next step, primary, intermediate, high school...we seem to spend so much time preparing them, we forget to spend time nurturing them, allowing them to be who they are, right where they are.

Strategy Eighteen

Encourage talk, because talk is learning and learning is talk

What do I mean by this?

I absolutely think we underestimate how much learning we do out loud. Not only is oral language and an extensive vocabularly vital for all areas of learning...it is the way we learn. I cringe when I think back to the years where I thought children needed to sit in silence to write, where I valued quiet over talk. We are not meant to be quiet...yes of course we value quiet moments...but when it comes to learning, well it is a social sport and one done very much out loud, and it is certainly not found in worksheets! How often have you solved your own problem, simply by vocalising it to someone else? Too often we value what is written down, basically the final product, but we don't value enough the nattering and discourse that goes in along the way. A person that can share ideas, listen to the ideas of others and expand on these is a person that is learning and growing. Sharing in all areas of learning is critical, cooperative work is vital and talk is the foundation of this. Talking cements understanding and lights a fire under new understandings. Early cultures valued storytelling as a way of passing on knowledge and we should hold strong to this. I hate to hear about principals that wander through classrooms looking for quietly productive spaces, it is the productive talk that we should be valuing. No not noise for the sake of noise and not noise that causes issues for others, just productive talk and good old nattering that gives us such pleasure as social creatures.


Strategy Nineteen

Stop investing huge amounts of money into pristine environments and plastic playgrounds. Junk playgrounds and natural environments are where its at! Our grounds should hold evidence that they are owned by children.

What do I mean by this?

It is pretty obvious what I mean by this one. I love playgrounds that encourage natural movement...but if its just one sad plastic playground all on its own amongst a pristine environment, then I don't so much love that. Our schools need a mixture of items that encourage movement. Junk playgrounds have a big part to play in this. Items children can move, and recreate...items that allow children to make their own playground. Places where children can dig, tunnel and mound. I always walk into a school and look for evidence of children...evidence of play. If I only see strutures created by adults, set away in a designated place in the school, within an otherwise spotless environment, I don't consider this evidence of read, self-directed play. If children are actively creating their play spaces, they will usually be half-finished...in production...there will be productive mess and this will be valued by the adults, so it won't have been cleaned away.



Finally Strategy 20
Time..every good thing takes time. Teachers need time to embed and develop understandings and so do children. Time is crucial.

What do I mean by this?

Schools are pressure cookers. And far too often like a samplers box of chocolates...sampling this idea, that idea, and the one over there, without ever doing any justice. It has always been my habit to take three to four years when introducing a new understanding or practice. One year to find out about it, one year to have a go, one year to consolidate...or two if it takes that long to ensure everyone is on the same page. Teachers need to be given time to breathe, think about and apply new understandings, without the fear of rushing onto the next new initiative. All of the PLD that happens in schools are a giant stressor. Hardly any of it is getting done well, and three or four years after that PLD, you can doubt an impact has been made or a habit established. When we don't give people time, you run the risk of them not bothering at all, or quickly claiming whatever it is doesn't work. Time is also a factor for children. They need time to breathe, to think, to reflect...to learn. Breathing space and days that are not jam packed with content. Time is actually one of the most critical steps of all.



I really hope that some of these steps have given you cause to pause and think...each one is intended to challenge, because we grow out of challenge....and we grow when we have time to ponder and accept this challenge without fear of being judged.

Looking back...what is it our children need from us?

The start of the year always brings into strong focus for me the true power of play.  The reason for this is simple, I remember what was, and reflect on what is.

Looking back I remember myself and the expectations I had for children and their learning.  I remember the structure I put in place, thinking I was doing the right thing.  I remember the inappropriate way I expected children to engage with learning, how developmentally inappropriate it was of me to expect them to embark on the 'traditional' learning that I so strongly valued.

Reflecting on this, I regret the stress and anxiety I caused children by doing what I was told to do as a new entrant teacher, what I was trained to do, what I was programmed to value.

I remember the struggles I had managing 'behaviour' enforcing routine and settling children into school.  I remember the deficit thinking I applied to children entering school that I didn't think were ready, to their oral language, their readiness for reading and the early childhood that they had come from.

I know now that I was the cause of the behaviour, the upset and the reason why children balked at the routines I so blindly tried to enforce.  I was the reason some children didn't seem to fit.  I was the reason, my lack of understanding around the actual learning process, how it works and what developmentally appropriate practice looked like in action.  It was the way I trivialised play and prioritised achievement through an academic lens that led to some children not truly flourishing.

Owning this is hard.  But once I was able to, I was able to truly fix it and learn from it.

Now play and developmentally appropriate practice, guided by a true understanding of relationships and the power of just being present, truly seeing children has led to a transformation to not only my classroom, but my school.

We have had two days back, the children already feel as if they belong. We've had even the most shy, anxious child embark on the school journey with happiness.  This brings me absolute joy.  Play has already allowed me to see children, their needs, their individuality, their interests, their urges.  It has already opened up the curriculum in a way that my previously narrow, teacher led approach never could. 

Play has taken away any stress.  It has allowed me to meet children where they are at, not the other way around.  I has allowed me to be ready for them, not the other way around.  Our classroom already belongs to all of us, everyone already feels successful.

I have been able to own my practice and the damage it was doing, I have been able to fix it and I have been able to learn from it.  I will never go back, and I want that to be a gift I can give to everyone.

Assessing or Stressing?

This whole topic is so important to me right now.  Actually I think assessment and the very traditional way we still use it in most of our schools is one of the biggest things standing in the way of real time to engage in the teaching and learning process.  It is the hurdle for teachers that want to truly engage with their students, but lack the time to do so because of outdated expectations for assessment.  In fact I believe it is one of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of many truly embracing play based learning.

I believe most of the assessment currently used is redundant when we think about all the research that tells us about how children learn best.  In fact the way assessment is used completely contradicts what we know about the learning process. 

Let me ask you, do you perform well when put into a stressed state?  If asked to do something that was challenging for you, without the opportunity to clarify or to collaborate, or to have a go and get some feedback, how would you go? 

How do you feel when going for a job interview, I bet you spend so much time worrying about where to go and what you will be asked, that its not until the third or fourth question that you actually hit your straps.  That is one of the reasons I always provide the questions well ahead of time and make sure as much as I possibly can that people know what to expect and who will be there.  This is what we need to be doing for our students.

Quite honestly we all know that under stress we would not perform our best.  In fact, if it was me, I am highly likely to completely shut down in a situation where I feel like I am being measured or evaluated that I am not an equal partner in.  I am not a person that will leap to an answer, I like time to mull it over, to listen to others points of view, to research, to seek clarification.  I would say most of the learners in our classrooms are like this.

I would go as far as to say that when we use these very 'test' based modes of assessing (or should I say stressing) we are seeing a quarter of what the student knows.  If we were to use the same questions and actually sit with the student, discuss the question, talk about how they might approach it, let them go away and mull it over, talk to others and then come back and talk to us, we would then see their potential ability (strengths, needs) much more clearly. 

If then we were to ask them about their thinking, ask them about their reasoning, ask them what was difficult, what they need clarified, we would be going another step further to deeply understanding them as a learner.  If we were then to ask them to show us what they understand through a vehicle that is their passion, eg music, drama, literacy, game based etc we would see them in a whole different light, and while we had been 'assessing' we both would be 'learning.'  Assessment, as and for learning.

But we don't.  We often sit them down with a test, we put them in a stressed state within the constraints of time, where they are already doubting themselves and we expect to be able to 'know' what they are capable of or not capable of at that current mode.  We put the brain in a stressed state and expect to see what they can do.  This completely contradicts what we know about the brain. 

As an example I will share with you my take on exams.  They are a waste of time, I hate them, yet as a student, exams were something I coped fine with.  They are an old measure that does in no way replicate what our young people will do in the workplace.  A student I know well, who is highly intelligent, failed an exam they should have passed.  Quite simply because it was an online exam and the worry of actually being able to 'get into the exam' worried them hugely.  In fact the stress of this meant they completely went on the wrong tangent for the exam and explored the question from the 'wrong' perspective.  In short, they didn't know what was in the examiners head when they asked the question.  If this student could have sought clarification, they would have passed and passed well, in this case and exam was not a good measure of what they actually knew.  But I would I would say that I don't ever think an exam is a good measure of 'intelligence' or ability.

There are many test based assessments in primary school that also need to go.  Very sadly we do allow our Year 6 students to experience PAT assessments because we don't want them to be petrified when they move on and have to do them, largely there is really no other reason we use them.  We simply want to take the fear of the unknown out of the test itself.  Do they give us some information, yes probably, but nothing we couldn't have found out by posing a few questions in a non-stressful collaborative way and engaging in a learning discussion with the child.

Am I claiming we should ditch assessment altogether.  Of course not.  But we do need to reframe it.  Any of our tools can actually be modified so they can be used in a collaborative, dynamic way with our children.  Believe me, actually asking them about 'why' they have answered a certain way, or approached something in that way is very revealing.  Often a wrong answer, reveals a very interesting thought process a thought process that we would never have even known about had we not asked.

For those imposing assessments upon you, I challenge you to ask them 'why'...what is the assessment providing us with that dynamic assessment would not.  Where is their research for using this assessment?  What is the purpose?  For ERO, they deserve the same questions, if they can not back up what they are asking with research, then the process is an absolute waste of time. 

If the purpose and reason for the assessment is useful for teacher and learner, then use it.  If not, ditch it and spend the time you gain talking to your students.   I promise you will learn so much more.

Always ask this question, are we assessing or are we stressing?

If through the process of assessment we are causing children stress, then we are never going to be finding out what they actually understand. 

When did the Arts become fringe? An essay by my daughter

There have been a few articles shared recently around concerns of the fact the arts are dying in school.  I have to say it has made me really happy to see this finally out there as it has been something of great concern to me.  If you have read my blog to the 'system' or listened to my conversation with Kate Webber, you will know that my daughters schooling journey, since she left the shelter of primary has really given risen to this concern.

Contrast this with my highly sporty, people pleasing son, and their experiences are night and day.

You see, my daughter is a creative.  She thrives on this, it is what makes her heart sing.   Not only that, the performing arts have been a bright light helping her through a deep dark tunnel of anxiety.

Around the country, the Arts have been shelved, and if they have not be shelved, the way they are taught have become so product driven that any essence of what would or could be called creativity has been drained out of it. 

If you know my work at all, you will know the Arts from the basis of our school, largely through play and Mantle of the Expert.  This is not to the detriment of the other areas of learning, instead it has enhanced everything.  Everything is connected and should be.  By cutting out the Arts we are crudely cutting off an arm and a leg from the body that is learning.  Art (and I mean all areas of art) is a means of expressing, it brings learning to life, gives it breath.  It is in fact a huge part of our human experience.

Anyway this blog post is not really about me, if you will scroll through my posts, you will see many of these themes repeated.  This post is in fact dedicated to my daughter and her (almost over) journey through school.  She is a great speech maker, with something to say.  Her speech last year was exactly around this subject...so I thought I would share it here, so we can hear directly from a student, now entering her last year of High School, who believes deeply in the power and importance of the Arts.


---------------Please remember, this is written as a speech, not a perfect essay by any means, but the idea and theme is very clear.

We as teenagers are currently living in the time of adults trying to work out how to try and improve our wellbeing.  This is something our school tries very hard to do but sadly often falls short. While I appreciate the posters telling me to meditate the occasional visiting speakers all sharing ways to cope with our angst and the seemingly random drop out if you’re struggling messages we get in assembly, they really do fall short on what we need and are often counteractive when it comes to improving our wellbeing.   Sadly they often cause us more worry. Alarmingly NZ has the highest suicide rate amongst young people of any developed country, not something to be proud of, and not something simply meditating can change.  

If schools genuinely desire to see an improvement in our mental wellbeing, one very valuable thing they should consider caring more about is the arts.

I feel that in today’s society the arts are losing their value and recognition due to lack of funding in schools and a failure to prioritize these areas of learning. Sadly everything else seems to be prioritised above the arts.  Yet in our world of today, where mental health issues are on the rise, where people feel disconnected, where creativity and innovation are being forgotten, the arts and all the wonderful benefits they bring are becoming more important than ever before and we should be accepting, encouraging and celebrating these areas more. 

The arts is a great way to express yourself and become more connected to the world around you, whether you are creating the music or listening to it you are expressing yourself and using it as an outlet to speak your mind in a way. Everyone likes music even if you can’t perform it everyone enjoys listening to it and using it as a tool to express ourselves, the type of music you listen to can direct express your outlook on the world or how you wish to be perceived. Just think mid 2000s teen angst music, although perceived as over the top by the general public or people of older age groups it was used as a form of expression by those teenagers that they had no other way of expressing. 

Music through the years has been used as a way of starting political movements and giving others a voice, it has been a way of saying things that you couldn’t get away with normally to express your opinion and outlook on the world.  Music should play a big part in our lives. Research suggests that music can stimulate the body's natural feel good chemicals (e.g. endorphins, oxytocin). It can help energise our mood and provide an outlet for us to take control of our feelings. Music can even help us work through problems in our lives.  

In today's world we have a very high rate of depression and general stress, especially in teenagers, in my opinion, one way we could help to support this is by promoting the arts more. Although the arts could not necessarily cure anything directly I do believe it is a way to support some of these issues, as it is something that brings joy and a sense of relief. I know personally for myself and many other people that theatre can be a great stress relief and a good way to boost confidence. By doing something creative and pouring your heart and soul into it whether it is theatre or art or music it can be a great way to relieve stress, you can totally forget about all your stresses and just focus on one thing. 

Things like drama also build confidence as you get put out of your comfort zone and in the end are rewarded with the satisfaction of performing and seeing people enjoy what you have created, same thing with any of the other arts. Doing anything in a group results in feeling more connected with other people and if it is something you all enjoy you are guaranteed to feel more accepted and connected to those around you. Not only that, but drama helps us to explore situations from different perspectives and in turn increases the empathy we have for them.  The performing arts is an effective way to learn about our world and understand our place in it.

The world is changing that is something we all know, we have technology that people even 30 years ago could never even imagine having. Along with all these new amazing advancements in technology we also have a lot of new problems such as climate change, poverty, and mental health issues along with many others. We are going to need creative and innovative people to solve these issues and one of the ways to support creative people is to support the arts, by participating in anything creative you are growing your skill to think outside the box and to think of new ways to do things. 

Along with all these creative benefits we also see an improvement in maths and languages when children take part in structured music activities and an improvement in literacy when they take part in drama. If we support creativity and the arts more as a society we will see more people rising up to help these issues in new ways that may not be thought of otherwise and will see more people excelling in literacy and math which would also help support a stronger future. The arts are a window to the world, they give us a sense of perspective and belonging.  They are a way we can make sense of our world.

In conclusion I believe that we as a society as outlined above are facing many challenges that could be solved or better supported by those in power prioritising the arts. Wellbeing is negatively affected when we lack the vehicle to express ourselves and feel isolated or disconnected from those around us.  The arts allow this connectedness, they give us value and a way to be seen in a positive light. The arts light up our brains and leave us feeling more positive about ourselves, the arts give us a voice. The world faces many problems some of which are yet to be discovered, it is the ability to be creative and innovative that will solve these issues and help to create a better society. We foster this ability through the arts.  

Haylee Allen - Year 12 2019

I love this quote and it is exactly how I feel...but what if their weirdness means they have to dwell on the fringes of curriculum?

Step Two - Mathematics Development

**Before you start reading, the great thing about agency is how you deliver the mathematics is totally up to you, the crucial part however is that it is a collaborative problem solving approach.  My only plea is that you leave worksheets where they belong, in the recycling bin and make your maths visual, oral and hands on.

**Also your villains, the names you give them and what they look like, are up to you.  When I first started they were simply still images that I acted out.

**No video needed for this one as I think it is pretty straight forward :)

-----

So the next step after developing the narrative is thinking about what maths development will look like within agency.  Specifically what are the mathematical foundations you are aiming to develop, build on and consolidate throughout the year.

For me, this is all about number sense, no matter what level you teach.  Our aim, in my opinion should be to give children the gift of fluidity and flexibility with number, to have a deep sense of number, not a rote learning of facts that they don't even understand.  Fact learning comes long after a deep sense of number is developed.

For that reason my planning in mathematics will always centre on number sense and everything else will flow out of this even what we call 'strand maths.'  It is important to remember that within a class that is based on play, a lot of very purposeful and authentic maths understandings will be explored.

This year, I have decided to take some of the core parts of the maths out of agency, just because I feel it is just so important that it needs to be done every day if possible.  That is maths eyes.  The skill of noticing and being able to talk about what is noticed folds deeply into strategy development.  Using a range of pictures, patterns, shapes, everyday images, specific subitising images etc through a math talk approach has the biggest impact on children I have found.  It allows them to really develop that sense of pattern and number that is so crucial for mathematics development.  I have decided to give this a slot somewhere in our day, rather than in agency, allowing me to do it more frequently, with a range of different images, in different ways and allowing me to further streamline the flow of our 'in agency' time.  You will see this reflected in my initial plan.

This is the time I try to break down what I actually want to focus into into smaller chunks that I can build on throughout the year, this however is where the blank page next to my plan is so important, because as we all know, our teaching is guided by where the children are at, so next to my plan, I will scribe what we are actually covering as well and what I am noticing in terms of common or individual need.  I guess the key ideas in the mindmap are my 'musts' the specifics that I really want to be bringing through in Professors PD.  The games and activities he leads will be based around this mindmap.

This is also where 70:30 comes in so strongly for me and in my opinion should be priority in every classroom.  Each session will be 70%, or even 80% of content that we have already covered and 20-30% new understanding.  Everything we do is built on in this way, the games professor plays remain largely the same, but are simply layered and extended on throughout the year with new understandings.  Everything is connected, because everything should be connected.

Years ago I used to do a topic in maths for two-three weeks and then move onto a new topic.  This could be in strand or number.  This did nothing to show children how connected all of mathematics is and did nothing to deepen their understandings.  In fact it did nothing to build their thinking skills, which in fact is what I want.  Now learning is woven in and layered, we build on what we know, but never leave the understandings we have been developing previously.  This allows us the opportunity to see and make connections.  This also means a wide of needs are catered for because the games and activities we play can have a low floor entry point, but a high ceiling for those that need stretching.

Mathematical language is really important as well as understanding this vocab ensures consistency of understanding. 

And so in terms of mathematics within this world, I will start with a few favourite games, songs and activities and then build on them from there to meet the needs of the agents and to assist them to see connections and develop fluidity and flexibility with number, sticking within the agree rhythm of the session each day so it is familiar and safe.  The villains then will present us with problems that will allow us to use our knowledge and further develop the strategies we have been working on.

In terms of the villains, they are not all created equal within agency and Knight Adder, Subtraction Shark, Which is Mine and Gaza the Grouping Goblin and seen far more regularly than the others.  The Colour Changing Dragon challenges us with strand based challenges from time to time and the Puzzler hits us with codes to break.  The challenges these two set often take the whole session.

Using the villains In this way gives a purpose for the mathematics and for the agents it all clicks slowly into place in a happy, playful, fun learning environment where they always come out on top!

Here is my planning for this term :)

Step One - Part 2 Building the Narrative

The important part of this approach is a strong narrative.  My narrative is based strongly on the Sci-Fi movies and shows I was forced to watch as a child, with a touch of batman and a sprinkling of any other good vs evil story I have ever read or watched.  The narrative needs to be open enough to allow children to add their own voice to it, and obviously doesn't have to make much logical sense.  It just needs to capture the imaginative play of children.

This section of the planning builds on to the blog I posted earlier today and is part of the same step in the planning.  Basically it is a little like my storyboard.  It sets the parameters of the story that are agreed to by the 'actors' working within it.  Your narrative does not have to match mine at all, and a lot of the narrative that will be built on this year, was introduced by last years agents.

The hooking in stage will be fleshed out more when I get to that stage, with specific problems to deliver.  My children are Year 1 and 2 so these problems will be based within Level 1 of the curriculum.

I hope you can read these ok, sorry for my messy scrawl, also excuse the twink, for some reason my holiday brain just couldn't get the word villain spelt right. 

I have actually decided to keep all my Number Agent planning in a scrapbook this year in handwritten form,  I find it fits my learning style much better and allows me to backward plan and reflect easily when I have to.

Building the narrative/rhythm of agency(what is agreed to)

Specific Storyline for 2020

Step two will be about building a skeleton of the mathematical understandings or number sense that will be built on or developed in 2020.  Will get to that video as soon as I can.

The skeleton - step one, my planning

So it took me a couple of days to get this done.  I like to handwrite this stage of planning, I find my creativity flows a lot better this way.  It makes it a little harder to read, but I hope you get the idea.  My intention in sharing each stage of my planning is not for you to copy, as your agency will be up to a different stage than mine, but to give you an idea and a framework to sit yours on if this is new to you, or you just want to try something different.

I start with mindmapping the world.  The characters, main, supporting and cameo roles.  I think about the setting and about the nuts and bolts of our agency.  The things that make it tick on a daily basis, the gadgets, the artefacts, how we will check in and out, our ritual etc.  I call this production management.  You will see from my planning that I think of agency very much like a tv series or chapter book.  Number Agency to me is a narrative.

In the next post I will share the backstory and plot for 2020 along with the hooking in and building belief stage, just finishing that off now, then it will be on to step two...mathematical development.

Stepping In - Post One

This video details the first step I go through in my yearly Number Agent journey.

Basically it is all about creating a skeleton of the world, your vision for the world you want to bring to life in your classroom, who will be the characters, who are the goodies, who are the baddies, who will the bit players be, how will the agents be symbolised (numbers, initials etc) how will the agents move in and out of this world?

How will children be hooked into this world, what will be the very first clues, the steps into agency.  Who will be the key players in this world?  What symbols and gadgets will be used.  How will belief be built once children are hooked in?  What rituals will be established?

I map this all out as it helps me to further develop ideas, the process of recording for me really feeds my creativity.

I really hope this video plays ok, you may need to play it full volume if it is hard to hear, but it seems all good from my end.

I will check in with you soon in a few days with my skeleton plan, in the meantime have a read of the book as it will explain a lot of the 'why' behind this stage.

What is it?

Before I start detailing my journey in 2020 with Number Agents.  I think it is important that you know what it is so you can decide if it is a journey you want to take with me.

I have created this 13 minute video describing what agency actually is.  If you have not read the book, you can grab the PDF copy from Teachers Pay Teachers, just search my store Number Agents.

I no longer produce a hard copy.

I will post my first video in this years journey tomorrow for you so you can follow along with me.

Let's talk about bullying

Ok, so this post is going to deviate from my normal.  However it is absolutely connected to the everything that I stand for.

Bullying is rife in our society, it is absolutely everywhere, in fact, it is very sad to say that for many of us, even as adults it is part of our day to day life.

Does it have to be?  Well I don't think it does, but I think if we are to banish the bullies to the fringes of humanity, we must start with our children.

And yes, that does mean it comes back to education to step up.  Sadly if we are to continue to make it an issue of parenting, the problem will just continue to grow and our beautiful children will continue to live anxious lives where there really are monsters around every corner.

Too many schools say loudly that bullying is not a problem in their school.  This is an absolute nonsense, bullying is an issue in every school and in every fragment of society, and until we can accept that, we just won't move forward or make a difference.  In schools that would have you believe bullying isn't a problem, I would hasten a guess that the bullying is just a lot more hidden, it is more likely to be relational, it is more likely to be happening in ways that adults simply don't see, and often by the children you would least expect.  The children that adults see as absolutely outstanding young humans...these children are incredibly clever, they know which mask to put on and when.  Believe me, these can be the worst type of bullies, they hide their vicious words with a beautiful smile and fantastic manners.

Bullying can have a significant impact on a person's life, in fact, the impact of bullying can be something that an individual carries with them forever.  Bullying can lead to mental health issues and anxiety related conditions.  Individuals that are bullied for a length of time often struggle to trust, they can believe the worst about themselves, believe they can't possibly be loved, be quite paranoid and be fearful of being watched, talked about or embarrassed in social situations.  Bullying takes a huge chunk of their self-worth, that they often struggle to get back.

Our society has long been a 'harden up' society, a 'she'll be right' society, but it is time for us to be a more nurturing, empathetic and understanding society if our suicide statistics are anything to go by.

So if all schools have bullying, what can be done about it...well in my opinion, a lot!

Step one  -  Own it.  Admitting that we are dealing with children who are human and make mistakes and are still learning about how relationships work,  accepting that one of our core duties as a school is to develop character beyond anything else.

Step two -  Teach it.  Name it.  Illuminate bullying and have zero tolerance for it.   Show children what it looks like, help them understand what it feels like.    Explicitly teach children right from the start about their emotions, help them to name them, let them feel their emotions, encourage them to be able to speak up about how they are feeling.  Set up a restorative culture that enables children to own their actions and restore relationships.  Help children to be mindful and teach them how to cope with feelings of frustration and anger.

Step three -  Foster character and citizenship.  Actively teach and model kindness and empathy.  Put a great big spotlight on it and make it cool to be kind.  Make this the most important thing about your place.  Encourage connectedness.  Children that know and care about each other are far less likely to bully others.  Don't segregate the playground.  Allow all ages to play together so that developmental stages can meet.  Use strategies like tuakana teina throughout the school.

Step four -  Empower.  Empower children to be upstanders, to stand up for those being bullied.  Give them strategies to combat any type of bullying behaviour.  Make sure they have avenues of help they can access for themselves and others and empower parents to come to you sooner rather than later.

Step five-   Act on it.  If you are told about it, show you will actively assist the child to rectify the situation.  Include the bully in this process and help them to also make change.  Follow up, make sure children know that if you know about it, you will do something about it, and this won't include victim blaming or making them feel responsible for what has happened.  Set up a team around that child, make sure they know they are not alone.

Step six - Encourage Success.  Set up a school based on catering for individuals and ensuring the are seen and have success.  Bullies often bully to feel powerful, if they are gaining success and feeling seen, this is likely to stop any need for this behaviour.

Step seven -  Live it.  Model kindness, respect and empathy, make sure children see what it looks like in their everyday lives.

Step eight - Engage them.  Keep children active and outdoors, let them play.  Children that are allowed to be children, that are active and engaged in their play are far less likely to be bullies.  The outdoors is important for the soul, ensure children are spending lots of times outdoors.

Step nine - Just do it.   Make it just part of what you and every other adult in the school does each and every day.

Step ten(and probably also every other step too) - Define it.  Make sure everyone in your school community understands what constitutes bullying.  Have a nice, clear definition for it.


To truly combat our bullying culture, we have to stop accepting the behaviour in the first place, but we also have to be prepared to work hard to build a culture that is not based on competitiveness, but collaboration.  If we have a community based on collaboration and cooperation, bullying can become a thing of the past.  If we teach children to appreciate everyone's unique strengths and talents and value difference, then the very thing that ignites bullying will be extinguished.

This is where this connects up with all of my other work.  We need to slow down and work on building and growing robust, kind, empathetic individuals that experience success in their own way and make progress in their own time.  Take the stress away, stop fixating on acceleration and comparison and a lot of the work will be done.  Build resilience in children, so that any mean behaviour directed towards them bounces back off them, that it doesn't get them down, that they are able to see it for what it is, mean.

Schools need to actively teach, cultivate, and celebrate kindness.  When acts of kindness are not random, but deliberate and just a way of being, we will know that kindness now has the power that was once awarded to the bullies.  We need to build communities where bullying is not just unacceptable, but unusual.  We will know then that we are winning. 

In specific terms of bullying, it is also really worth becoming a KiVa school.  We got on board with this several years back now and it is great for giving us a framework to work within.
http://www.kivaprogram.net/nz

Are we perfect, no, no school is, even if they tell you they are.  Are we working hard to do our bit...yes absolutely!