Profiling students is an important part of generating self image and developing student goals. These goals keep them focused during the difficult years of senior school.
Sadly, often profiling is a haphazard event, and I'm not sure it should be this way. Today, small schools have limited options for students, especially as the half cohort travels through the system reduces subject offerings. If we put subject offerings and student profiles together, career options could be made more transparent.
eg.
Medical via University (Science Degree, RN, Medical Sciences etc)
Human Biology 2A, 3A Maths, Psychology 2A , English 2A, Chemistry 2A
Medical via Tafe (EN):
Human Biology 1A/Integrated Science, 1DE Maths, English 1A (and 3 of Media, Art, Psychology, WPL or cert courses)
Arts via university
etc..
By generating profiles that are supported by the timetable, students can aspire to these pathways and these can be published throughout the school so that students understand what they need for these subjects.
This could be taken further into lower school so students can aspire to higher learning. Students in 8D need to aspire out of it or seek alternate pathways (and be given reassurance that this pathway is viable). These alternate pathways need to be developed to build self esteem and empower lower ability students. Lower school pathways may look like:
Workplace
8D and business studies, (C grade average or lower)
Tafe
8A/B/C, (C grade average, B grade or higher in selected vocational class)
University
8A, Extension Math and English (B grade average or higher)
Now students have reason for taking extension classes or participating fully in options classes. There is a clear return on effort - a trait of the current millennial generation.
Each lower school "generalist" profile needs a profile champion that builds the self esteem of students and focuses on the positives of each profile.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Engaging parents through Edmodo
Edmodo is a product that I have used a lot this year. With continuing use of ICT I have noticed that the effects are often not what is expected.
The most recent effect is the re-engagement of parents in education. Parents have felt disengaged from education due to (I think) the closed door nature of classes. Parents have expressed that they are afraid to teach their students as they do not know the correct way to present mathematics. Often they can complete a problem but have difficulty with using the correct working.
Now, having marked a few teachers work, this is no real surprise as teachers use a wide variety of techniques to solve problems. A method ok in year 8 is a big no no in year 9. Balancing method in year nine is where I most often put my head in my hands as students often have no real connection made to BIMDAS(order of operations), nor to where a new line of working (formal algebraic notation) should be used.
Edmodo, by presenting board work online (such that parents can access it), is starting the process of re-engaging parents in high school education. They can see what homework is set, what teaching method has been used and what the mark was on a test - such that they can help a student revise/relearn/correct any practices that are not up to scratch.
It has also relieved pressure on teachers as comments like "You haven't taught my child that", or "I didn't know my student was doing poorly" are now not as potent - the information has been available all along. It gives parents back a role in the teaching process as the primary carers (at least for the other 14 hours of the day) - something that has been lacking in recent years, especially where parental knowledge is not sufficiently great to understand the difficulty of engaging and teaching students.
Is it a pathway to parents again understanding that teaching is a real skill and that for the most part teachers are doing a reasonable job?
The counter side is that it will expose dodgy teaching techniques and (through increased scrutiny and transparency) open teachers to criticism. The lack of use (as stated before in a previous post) may also expose a teacher at risk, as posting information online is often the first thing to go when available time is poor.
The most recent effect is the re-engagement of parents in education. Parents have felt disengaged from education due to (I think) the closed door nature of classes. Parents have expressed that they are afraid to teach their students as they do not know the correct way to present mathematics. Often they can complete a problem but have difficulty with using the correct working.
Now, having marked a few teachers work, this is no real surprise as teachers use a wide variety of techniques to solve problems. A method ok in year 8 is a big no no in year 9. Balancing method in year nine is where I most often put my head in my hands as students often have no real connection made to BIMDAS(order of operations), nor to where a new line of working (formal algebraic notation) should be used.
Edmodo, by presenting board work online (such that parents can access it), is starting the process of re-engaging parents in high school education. They can see what homework is set, what teaching method has been used and what the mark was on a test - such that they can help a student revise/relearn/correct any practices that are not up to scratch.
It has also relieved pressure on teachers as comments like "You haven't taught my child that", or "I didn't know my student was doing poorly" are now not as potent - the information has been available all along. It gives parents back a role in the teaching process as the primary carers (at least for the other 14 hours of the day) - something that has been lacking in recent years, especially where parental knowledge is not sufficiently great to understand the difficulty of engaging and teaching students.
Is it a pathway to parents again understanding that teaching is a real skill and that for the most part teachers are doing a reasonable job?
The counter side is that it will expose dodgy teaching techniques and (through increased scrutiny and transparency) open teachers to criticism. The lack of use (as stated before in a previous post) may also expose a teacher at risk, as posting information online is often the first thing to go when available time is poor.
Labels:
daily reflection,
ICT
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Types of teachers
There are a number of different types of teachers. Support at critical points in careers make or break teachers. The availability of this support is something that is often in question.
Who can supply this support?
Collegiate support is the first line of defence. Supportive colleagues is important to navigating the issues of the teacher gaining competency. A colleague with the ability to support another is worth gold in an organisation (not only giving lip service but also providing practical help). Without that support I know I wouldn't have made it through my first few years of teaching. I'm pretty grateful to these people.
The second line of support is friends, family and the community. Without this support, a teacher could not have made it through university, much less the first year of teaching. It's a hard time learning classroom management and tying together content, pedagogy and support requirements can continue for many years.
The third line and last line is administration. The strategies available at this level are pretty dire.
For those with limited support at a family level, in schools under stress with limited ability to provide collegiate support, administrative support is going to be fairly limited and action fairly direct. The half cohort has placed a number of schools in this category - with considerable pressure placed on relatively few. Filling in the gaps from this point is predictable.
I have thought that is why teaching is full of assertive personalities that "win over" students rather than those that have the best teaching ability (with regard to content and pedagogy). Teaching also has a few teachers hiding beneath the radar, giving good grades but doing the bare minimum.
I know that assertive and avoidant teachers are not all, but it would be good if those that were good at teaching, trying hard but not "assertive" also found their place through support at critical times. These people could make phenomenal teachers in the right location.
Who can supply this support?
Collegiate support is the first line of defence. Supportive colleagues is important to navigating the issues of the teacher gaining competency. A colleague with the ability to support another is worth gold in an organisation (not only giving lip service but also providing practical help). Without that support I know I wouldn't have made it through my first few years of teaching. I'm pretty grateful to these people.
The second line of support is friends, family and the community. Without this support, a teacher could not have made it through university, much less the first year of teaching. It's a hard time learning classroom management and tying together content, pedagogy and support requirements can continue for many years.
The third line and last line is administration. The strategies available at this level are pretty dire.
For those with limited support at a family level, in schools under stress with limited ability to provide collegiate support, administrative support is going to be fairly limited and action fairly direct. The half cohort has placed a number of schools in this category - with considerable pressure placed on relatively few. Filling in the gaps from this point is predictable.
I have thought that is why teaching is full of assertive personalities that "win over" students rather than those that have the best teaching ability (with regard to content and pedagogy). Teaching also has a few teachers hiding beneath the radar, giving good grades but doing the bare minimum.
I know that assertive and avoidant teachers are not all, but it would be good if those that were good at teaching, trying hard but not "assertive" also found their place through support at critical times. These people could make phenomenal teachers in the right location.
Labels:
daily reflection
Saturday, May 19, 2012
The important of positivity
It's been a busy term and everyone is a little frayed. It's time like this that a school like ours can start to wear on you a little. You see only the negative and miss all of the good things that are being done. You start to become that teacher that has been at the school a little too long and starts to believe the reputation of a school rather than see the potential of students.
If this happens, I hope you are able to take a step back and look at what you are doing. I hope you have great people around you that can fill your sails with enthusiasm and drive you past the negativity - and similarly you can be that person for others in the organisation. I hope you can look over your shoulder and see all the kids that have passed through the system successfully and realise that you are a part of something that makes a difference in your community.
I only noticed it this week because I was doing long hours and getting tired. I was at a social function and a few jokes were bandied about our school (which is fairly normal - we have a reputation that we no longer deserve) and probably for the first time I wasn't one of the ones leaping to our defence. Yet, I was surrounded at the time by two math teachers that graduated from our school (and were now working in the local area), my current practicum student is a graduate from our school, three of our past practicum students keep close contact with the school because they are keen to work with us (not only did practicum not scare them off - they can see the support and challenge of a school like ours), past students at university drop in all the time and visit. Nearly every student that I have taught stage 3 courses to is now at university and is successfully traversing their degree.
We are lucky at the moment to have an administration that is challenging us to do more, and is helping those that want to rise to the challenge. They are supportive of our hair brained schemes that may help our hair brained students, ideas born from the extensive experience of the teaching team and through discussions with students. There are even levels of real performance management entering the system - which is exciting as this is the heart of real change in the school.
We are doing things that very low SES schools don't do.. overseas trips, winning state and national competitions in multiple areas (science, history, home economics, dance from my knowledge in the last 5 years). We develop leadership.. With each PD I find that our school department has developed teachers in TiC and HoD positions all over WA that remember the school fondly.
I hear comments about how students miss our school once they have left and it's not just our stage 3 kids. With the development of an active PE department, a T&E dept (focussed on vocations not just skills), dedicated dance and drama teachers and a MESS group that is getting their head around national curriculum delivery, we should be positive about the direction of the school.
It was a little surprise to discover I had become a teacher that had real pride in our school, rather relying on my more natural cynicism about everything!
Sure, we'll take hits in year 11 exams, as students start to realise a work ethic is needed to succeed but past experience says that the majority will get there (at least the ones that can surmount the problems the area brings). The kids make the transition (giving us more grey hairs whilst making this transition) and it is ok. Perspective needs to be maintained.
I think we need to be mindful of staff that focus on the negative aspects of schooling and miss the great things that are happening. These members are always there, and it is a group I don't want to be a part of.
For someone like me that is developing their leadership skills, I think positivity is a real area I can work on. As an art of leadership, inspiration of a team requires real belief in what you are doing. If you feel that your belief is waning, take a good look around and see what you have done to make a difference, listen to colleagues that are in the zone, if that does not work, go make that difference instead.
If this happens, I hope you are able to take a step back and look at what you are doing. I hope you have great people around you that can fill your sails with enthusiasm and drive you past the negativity - and similarly you can be that person for others in the organisation. I hope you can look over your shoulder and see all the kids that have passed through the system successfully and realise that you are a part of something that makes a difference in your community.
I only noticed it this week because I was doing long hours and getting tired. I was at a social function and a few jokes were bandied about our school (which is fairly normal - we have a reputation that we no longer deserve) and probably for the first time I wasn't one of the ones leaping to our defence. Yet, I was surrounded at the time by two math teachers that graduated from our school (and were now working in the local area), my current practicum student is a graduate from our school, three of our past practicum students keep close contact with the school because they are keen to work with us (not only did practicum not scare them off - they can see the support and challenge of a school like ours), past students at university drop in all the time and visit. Nearly every student that I have taught stage 3 courses to is now at university and is successfully traversing their degree.
We are lucky at the moment to have an administration that is challenging us to do more, and is helping those that want to rise to the challenge. They are supportive of our hair brained schemes that may help our hair brained students, ideas born from the extensive experience of the teaching team and through discussions with students. There are even levels of real performance management entering the system - which is exciting as this is the heart of real change in the school.
We are doing things that very low SES schools don't do.. overseas trips, winning state and national competitions in multiple areas (science, history, home economics, dance from my knowledge in the last 5 years). We develop leadership.. With each PD I find that our school department has developed teachers in TiC and HoD positions all over WA that remember the school fondly.
I hear comments about how students miss our school once they have left and it's not just our stage 3 kids. With the development of an active PE department, a T&E dept (focussed on vocations not just skills), dedicated dance and drama teachers and a MESS group that is getting their head around national curriculum delivery, we should be positive about the direction of the school.
It was a little surprise to discover I had become a teacher that had real pride in our school, rather relying on my more natural cynicism about everything!
Sure, we'll take hits in year 11 exams, as students start to realise a work ethic is needed to succeed but past experience says that the majority will get there (at least the ones that can surmount the problems the area brings). The kids make the transition (giving us more grey hairs whilst making this transition) and it is ok. Perspective needs to be maintained.
I think we need to be mindful of staff that focus on the negative aspects of schooling and miss the great things that are happening. These members are always there, and it is a group I don't want to be a part of.
For someone like me that is developing their leadership skills, I think positivity is a real area I can work on. As an art of leadership, inspiration of a team requires real belief in what you are doing. If you feel that your belief is waning, take a good look around and see what you have done to make a difference, listen to colleagues that are in the zone, if that does not work, go make that difference instead.
Labels:
daily reflection,
leadership
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