Student well-being. Change of timetable

 The daily timetable has been changed to accommodate students needs. Students go out to play before they eat and time is given throughout the day (by me) for water breaks. 

Sufficient time is given for students to finish their morning tea and lunch. 

A sandwich break is scheduled at 9:30am.

Other Class Ob - Year 3/4 Low Writers

Observation:     15^th November 2017
Writing – Year 3/4

Set Up: Students in circle on mat with book.
Hook: Mystery Book

Discuss simple and compound sentences. Compound – Has 2 ideas. Basic has 1 idea.

Students ask questions about what’s in the box: Ie: What shape is it?

T – “What’s our simple sentence to start our writing?” 
T – Writes simple sentence on whiteboard students copy.   Big focus when T is writing simple sentence. Discuss Blends/diagraphs. What makes the er sound?

If it starts with a vowel we say an ie: an apple, an elephant  not a apple, a elephant.

Ideas are written together using both simple and compound sentences. Students can copy off the whiteboard. At the end the item is revealed.

Other Class=
Middle Writers – Planned writing yesterday “What would you find in your enchanted forest?” Drawing picture today to match enchanted forest description.  

Reading WALT

WALT written, modeled and displayed for a week. Refer to it every reading lesson for that week.

Learning With and through our buddies

Here is a lesson learning about groupings within 5.  More able/confident students are put with those needing a bit more support.

 

Oral language activities

Conversation with Livvy Sheehan (other new entrant teacher) about improving students oral language.

We discussed how some of our students oral language was not strong. Some were unable to speak clearly, some cannot share their ideas. Some students comprehension is very low.

Idea:
Make Wednesday’s whanau hui into a wondering Wednesday. Ie; show a short video, share a news article or photo. Pose questions to the students to get them thinking and talking.
Sharing ideas = Think, pair, share. Doughnut circle.
Popsicle sticks = All names written on a popsicle stick. Can either make groups by drawing names out. Or that is how students are chosen to answer. Ie: instead of picking the same kids everytime.

Kapa Haka

2017 gave me a chance to lead the Kapa Haka. It was something I really enjoyed doing.

Changing timetable to suit children's needs

For Term 1 and 2 2017 I ran my Friday program with a craft in the morning and then after morning tea a poem.

I found it a bit disconnected and taking up more of my teaching time than i wished.

My release teacher suggested that I combined my craft with my poem.

Ie: From 9:30am until 10:25 the children would make a craft relating to that poem.

Ie:
Shape monsters for a monster poem.
Spiders for incy wincy spider poem.
Snowmen for a winter poem.

This then allowed me to fit in more handwriting (a need) after morning tea.