Prepare for a short rant.
Last Sunday, there was a violent altercation between two men who are considered very prominent in Australian society. These men were not under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and in fact, this conflict occurred on a sunny afternoon in plain sight.
Sydney has just undergone a complete overhaul of laws and punishments for 'one-punch' violence in areas of the city. If this fight had gone differently - if one of those punches had landed in the wrong place, one of these men could have been seriously injured or killed.
Yet, plastered across the front of every newspaper, featured prominently on news webpages, mercilessly mocked by radio presenters and in drawn out segments in the nightly news, these two men have been made cannon fodder, with this violent and pointless disagreement dissected minutely by every media outlet in the country.
What is our fascination with the downfall of others? This need to pull others down, cruelly mock them when they misstep, 'tear them a new one' if you will. The Germans have a word for it. Schadenfreude - taking enjoyment out of other's pain. We feed on it - the hungry masses devouring this news of the mighty that have fallen.
And we wonder why kids are so cruel.
On a daily basis, we break up punch ups in the playground, chastise children for insulting each other's mothers, and listen to language used by 10 year olds that would make a sailor blush.
'Where do they get it from?!' we moan. 'Why do they solve everything with violence?!'
Well, perhaps its because Australian media THRIVES on it. We love violence. It's a no-no, so therefore it's cool and it's sexy. We smell blood and scream for more - why else would the media so readily cover any violent altercation over perhaps more meaningful and vital news?
I'm tuning out this week. I don't want to see two neanderthals in track pants solving an issue in a primitive and immature matter. There is so many more important things happening out there. Such as the 300 young Nigerian women who were kidnapped for seeking an education. Or perhaps that there was a large earthquake off the coast of PNG causing a tsunami warning. Or that this young man was murdered in Argentina in a botched robbery.
I want my students to be critical thinkers, who question what they see and read, who think beyond the byline and see the real motive behind a story. Apples don't fall from the tree, so this week I'm going to lead by example.
I urge you to do the same - question what our media considers 'news' this week.
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Sunday, 20 April 2014
The deadly demise of the textbook
After spending a morning shoving my face full of dumplings and going to a fish spa (yep, that's a thing here), I've settled into a lazy afternoon of programming and Notebook creation (and procrasti-blogging, it seems) which gives me a chance to start to organise everything for Term 2.
I'm pretty adjusted now to my school's style of programming, but when I met my prac student for the first time about a month ago, she looked at me with eyes the size of dinner plates when I explained how we develop our lessons.
"You don't use textbooks?!" she said quietly, panic registering on her face.
"Yeah, we're a hands on kinda school." I replied with sly smile on mine.
Why was I smiling? Because the exact same panicked thoughts ran rampant through my head when I first started at my school. I couldn't see how my kidlets would learn without filling in a worksheet or textbook page to 'consolidate their knowledge'. I was lost as to how making human sentences, or creating 3D shapes with play dough would support my student's understanding of the content. After all, that's what we're taught at uni and on prac.
Within the teaching of my first lesson, my view changed completely.
Why have students answering mentals style questions when you can have them physically modelling their understanding? Why write down answers in a book when you can show your knowledge creative manner? Who says the teacher's answer is the only answer?
This is the beauty of the hands on learning style my school takes - students spend time with the teacher, who activates prior knowledge and models the concepts, and then hands the reins over to students to experiment and explore the idea in a practical manner.
Keep in mind I'm teaching a 4/5 composite, not Year 1 students. There IS a place for hands on and play based exploration in Upper Primary. In fact, I'll go out on and a limb and say its absolutely crucial for students of all ages to learn through experience.
Its our duty as teachers to cater for all student's learning needs - and often these needs cannot be met through rote learning of concepts within a textbook. Our students are no different in this sense from kids 20 years ago, but we're just more aware of it now.
Where's the proof I hear you say? Why are there bookshops chockers full of books that tout they improve student understanding?
Because its easy. Its much less work to assign a page in a book, or copy a worksheet that to develop a hands on experience for a class - and we as teachers are INCREDIBLY time poor.
But I challenge you - give it a go. Chuck out your textbook! Burn your worksheets! Drag out those dice! Even if its just for one lesson, change it up and watch your student engagement soar.
Feel free to share your hands on experiences below :)
I'm pretty adjusted now to my school's style of programming, but when I met my prac student for the first time about a month ago, she looked at me with eyes the size of dinner plates when I explained how we develop our lessons.
"You don't use textbooks?!" she said quietly, panic registering on her face.
"Yeah, we're a hands on kinda school." I replied with sly smile on mine.
Why was I smiling? Because the exact same panicked thoughts ran rampant through my head when I first started at my school. I couldn't see how my kidlets would learn without filling in a worksheet or textbook page to 'consolidate their knowledge'. I was lost as to how making human sentences, or creating 3D shapes with play dough would support my student's understanding of the content. After all, that's what we're taught at uni and on prac.
Within the teaching of my first lesson, my view changed completely.
Why have students answering mentals style questions when you can have them physically modelling their understanding? Why write down answers in a book when you can show your knowledge creative manner? Who says the teacher's answer is the only answer?
This is the beauty of the hands on learning style my school takes - students spend time with the teacher, who activates prior knowledge and models the concepts, and then hands the reins over to students to experiment and explore the idea in a practical manner.
Keep in mind I'm teaching a 4/5 composite, not Year 1 students. There IS a place for hands on and play based exploration in Upper Primary. In fact, I'll go out on and a limb and say its absolutely crucial for students of all ages to learn through experience.
Its our duty as teachers to cater for all student's learning needs - and often these needs cannot be met through rote learning of concepts within a textbook. Our students are no different in this sense from kids 20 years ago, but we're just more aware of it now.
Where's the proof I hear you say? Why are there bookshops chockers full of books that tout they improve student understanding?
Because its easy. Its much less work to assign a page in a book, or copy a worksheet that to develop a hands on experience for a class - and we as teachers are INCREDIBLY time poor.
But I challenge you - give it a go. Chuck out your textbook! Burn your worksheets! Drag out those dice! Even if its just for one lesson, change it up and watch your student engagement soar.
Feel free to share your hands on experiences below :)
Thursday, 27 March 2014
How do you measure success?
Today was a day in which I felt successful.
Everything went well - students were well behaved regardless of wet weather (unlike previously, as described here), they were focused and they LEARNT SOMETHING.
In fact, it is the first time I have felt successful with my class this year - we've had a fairly eventful and rocky start.
Success is a word we throw around a lot in education. Success of our education system, success as a school, teacher success, student success. We are always brainstorming and reinventing our definition of success as a staff, a stage, as individuals. We ask ourselves What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like?
That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, get out your Y charts.
Richard St. John, in his 2005 TED talk 8 Secrets of Success takes years of research and attempts to define what makes a person successful.
If you're a visual learner like myself, this screenshot will help you consolidate that speedy presentation:
So, basically, St. John says we need to work hard and love what you do. So, by that definition I must be DROWNING in success.
Truth be known, in its own abstract nature, success is a concept that manifests uniquely for each individual. The 'face' of success has a different look and a different feel for everyone. There's no overarching imagery we can use paint a picture of success - in fact, this is as about as close as we get:
Success is something that we as humans strive for - that feeling of satisfaction from achieving something that we have worked our sweet little tushes off for. In fact, success is something that our individualistic western society has come to expect of us - if we're not striving for success, then what the hell are we doing?
So, with its individual 'face' that looks, feels and sounds different to all of us - how can we measure the abstract concept of success in our students?
We, as teachers, attempt to measure success in a multitude of ways - from achieving 'expected' academic growth in the long term; down to getting them to JUST SIT STILL FOR FIVE MINUTES, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD in the short term.
Our students measure success by achieving their learning goals, by accomplishing success criteria and seeing an improvement in their report marks. Maybe. We hope.
But what about teacher success? When do we get a chance to measure how successful we are? When do we stop to focus on our own accomplishments and achievements? Do our students have to achieve 'success' for us to feel successful?
Judy Halbert and Linda Klaser, the geniuses behind Spirals of Inquiry, have developed four key questions that allow students to reflect on their own learning and understanding.
But, perhaps, we should be asking these questions routinely of ourselves. Our feelings of accomplishment should not always be directly correlated with student achievement. Considering Richard St. John's perspective, even if our students are not 'successful', we are - because we persevere even when they don't get it, we are passionate about developing student understanding and we are incredibly dedicated, even when it's really hard.
Hell, somedays, just getting out of bed after one alarm is a success.
So, ask yourself those 4 key questions:
What does the 'face' of success look and feel like for you, and how do you measure success in your pedagogy?
Everything went well - students were well behaved regardless of wet weather (unlike previously, as described here), they were focused and they LEARNT SOMETHING.
In fact, it is the first time I have felt successful with my class this year - we've had a fairly eventful and rocky start.
Success is a word we throw around a lot in education. Success of our education system, success as a school, teacher success, student success. We are always brainstorming and reinventing our definition of success as a staff, a stage, as individuals. We ask ourselves What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like?
That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, get out your Y charts.
Richard St. John, in his 2005 TED talk 8 Secrets of Success takes years of research and attempts to define what makes a person successful.
If you're a visual learner like myself, this screenshot will help you consolidate that speedy presentation:
 |
Truth be known, in its own abstract nature, success is a concept that manifests uniquely for each individual. The 'face' of success has a different look and a different feel for everyone. There's no overarching imagery we can use paint a picture of success - in fact, this is as about as close as we get:
 |
Clichéd, I know. But look at his little face!
|
So, with its individual 'face' that looks, feels and sounds different to all of us - how can we measure the abstract concept of success in our students?
We, as teachers, attempt to measure success in a multitude of ways - from achieving 'expected' academic growth in the long term; down to getting them to JUST SIT STILL FOR FIVE MINUTES, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD in the short term.
Our students measure success by achieving their learning goals, by accomplishing success criteria and seeing an improvement in their report marks. Maybe. We hope.
But what about teacher success? When do we get a chance to measure how successful we are? When do we stop to focus on our own accomplishments and achievements? Do our students have to achieve 'success' for us to feel successful?
Judy Halbert and Linda Klaser, the geniuses behind Spirals of Inquiry, have developed four key questions that allow students to reflect on their own learning and understanding.
- Can you name two people in this school/setting who believe that you can be a success in life?
- Where are you going with your learning?
- How are you going with your learning?
- Where are you going next with your learning?
But, perhaps, we should be asking these questions routinely of ourselves. Our feelings of accomplishment should not always be directly correlated with student achievement. Considering Richard St. John's perspective, even if our students are not 'successful', we are - because we persevere even when they don't get it, we are passionate about developing student understanding and we are incredibly dedicated, even when it's really hard.
Hell, somedays, just getting out of bed after one alarm is a success.
So, ask yourself those 4 key questions:
- Can you name two people in your world who believe that you can be a success as a teacher?
- Where are you going with your teaching?
- How are you going with your teaching? (and what makes you say that?)
- Where are you going next with your teaching?
What does the 'face' of success look and feel like for you, and how do you measure success in your pedagogy?
Monday, 24 March 2014
Formatively Fantastic
Before I get into the intelligent smarty pants stuff, on a side note -
WHAT IS IT WITH KIDS AND WEATHER??
The temperature drops a couple of degrees = DRAMA
It's windy = CHAOS
It's raining = CABIN FEVER
Here is an short informative clip that demonstrates my classroom during wet weather:
Anddddddd we return to our scheduled programming.
I have mentioned before here that our school is a bit nuts for formative assessment. We very rarely use summative assessment, as the way I interpret it, the students don't really need end of unit/term/year assessments because we are constantly assessing them, and they are constantly assessing themselves (Don't quote me on that - it's just my interpretation).
I knew all about formative assessment in university, but it wasn't until I started teaching that I really picked up some great strategies to feed up, back and forward to my students. Our students can articulate what they're learning, why its important and where to next - real metacognition in action!
So here they are, my top 5 formative assessment strategies for a cross stage classroom: (or any classroom for that matter, but mine is cross stage and it sounds fancy, so there.)
1. Mini whiteboards
Using a mini whiteboard is a great tool, because not only does it get students directly involved with any modelling you are doing, but it also allows you to find out, on the spot, whether students understand what you are talking about and allows you to change your practice accordingly.
Example? Today when teaching rounding in maths, I asked students to round a 3 digit number to the nearest 10. about 50% of students got it right. I remodelled in a slightly different way, and all students were then able to get it right and justify their response (linking in with our success criteria).
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| Disclaimer: This is not my class. I thought I had pictures of kids using whiteboards on my phone but I was oh so wrong. Please enjoy this image of some class somewhere using formative assessment. |
 |
| There's deep thoughts on them. BEWARE! |
2. Exit Slips
Exit slips are a form of summative-formative assessment in a way, as they are usually completed at the end of a lesson as a form of reflection upon learning, or as a chance to ask further questions. I like to get kids to post them on my door as they literally 'exit' the classroom. It's fantastic to see whether students have grasped a concept, or if they need help in certain areas. They can be anonymous, or have names, depending on the task. I usually either give students a deep thinking question or a visible thinking routine (more on these later) to really challenge their thinking.
3. Bump it Up
Bump it up walls are BRILLIANT. They get students to reflect on their learning in a particular activity - in this case independent reading - and rate themselves against criteria that they have created! It reinforces the concept of 'where to next' - what kids need to do next to become better readers. This is actually my wall from last year, as again, I didn't have a photo of this year's, but you get the picture.
If students are consistently achieving the top level, I like to get them to create the next level up so they have something to work towards as well.
4. Individual Goals
Individual Goals, whether set by the teacher or by the students, are a great way for students to work towards a specific criteria that they need to focus on. These goals are worded in kid-speak, but still use any relevant metalanguage to develop student vocab. I check the reading goals during guided reading groups and remind students of them constantly. Writing goals, however, are monitored by a student's thinking partner - their buddy for a fortnight who they share their thinking and learning with.
5. And last but not least...LISC
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are absolutely essential to any lesson. It tells the students what we are learning about, why and what they need to do to achieve it. They're simple, taken straight from the syllabus, and give students a focal point for learning.
WILF = What I'm looking for - your expectations
TIB = This is because - real life connection for learning
WALT/WALA = We are learning to/we are learning about
There obviously are many others that are absolutely fantastic - this is not an all inclusive list of what I use in my classroom, I also show much love for thumbs up/down, paddle pop sticks, wait time, reflection statements, Think-Pair-Share etc.... but we would be here all day and you would find it as boring as batpoop.
(nice simile, huh? Wouldn't mind seeing that in some student writing...)
Do you use formative assessment in your classroom? What's your go to strategy?
Friday, 21 March 2014
The Story of Miss Matters
Today, I'm going to tell you a wonderful story. Sit down, make yourself comfortable, grab that glass of wine on the table and relax - this one has a happy ending.
This is the story of the marvellous Miss Matters.
During my second year of university, while trying to make sense of a MATH106 tutorial, I had the fortune and good sense to sit down next to one Miss Susanna Matters, a fellow pre-service teacher struggling in a maths course with a heavily accented lecturer. We instantly bonded in our shared lack of enthusiasm for uni level mathematics and (pointless) education lectures.
Little did I know, 4 years later, Miss Matters would become somewhat of a household name.
(Well truth be known I did know, Susie is one of those people you know is destined for greatness).
Susanna is founder and CEO of her own charity, Goods for Girls, that aims to facilitate the education of young women in rural Kenya through the provision and self-manufacture of reusable sanitary products.
Oh yeah - and she's also one of the most incredible teachers I've ever had the pleasure of working with.
So back in 2010, when I first had the pleasure of meeting Miss Matters, she was a face of Girl Guides Australia and a UN Youth Ambassador (much to my jealousy, as an MUN nerd), often jetting off on the weekend to speak at conferences or attend meetings, and running the local Girl Guides troupe in her spare time. I joined her on a volunteer basis, learning the ropes and getting to work with a wonderful group of young girls - all experience for teaching, I thought at the time.
I was really lucky that she didn't seem to mind my disturbing sense of humour and weirdness at that time, and we began to support each other through a rocky 3 years of an undergraduate education degree (including a few dodgy master teachers and incorrect degree advice).
Somehow, through many shared all nighters with supportive text messages, complicated coffee orders and mind numbing 8am lectures, we got through - and both were targeted by the DEC.
However, in late 2011, Miss Matters went on a teaching holiday to Muhaka - a village in rural Kenya. She spent a few weeks over there teaching local high school students and seeing an amazing part of the world.
When she came back, there was a light in her eyes - a fiery passion that had been ignited out of frustration and empathy that could not be extinguished.
Miss Matters sat with me in T2 with 27 million amazing photos that we poured over, amongst cups of Madagascan Vanilla and bites of crusty, warm Roast beef sandwiches (our staple diet at uni). She explained that she had noticed that many of the girls were missing significant amounts of school, and after speaking to one of the teachers, she discovered that this was due to these girls having their periods, and being made to feel unclean and unable to use anything to control their flow. Miss Matters immediately went to the closest city and bought the girls enough sanitary pads to last them quite a while.
As she spoke to me, the light in her eyes burned brighter as she began to explain her vision.
She wanted to create a charity that not only provided a permanent solution for this problem through the girls creating their own reusable sanitary pads, but encouraged girls to stay in educational environments and seek opportunities for higher education.
It wasn't easy. For the next year, Miss Matters struggled with the legalities of starting a charity, establishing a Board to run the organisation, a massive time difference and finding individuals willing to work for free, all while completing a full time university degree and working part time.
Slowly, Goods for Girls became a reality. Miss Matters continued to travel to and from Kenya, establishing the charity base both there and in Australia, all while waiting for that fateful phone call that would finally tell her she had a teaching job in a girl's school in Sydney.
What a journey it has been for her.
In 2014, Miss Matters was named one of The Australian Women's Weekly's Women of the Future, gaining a scholarship, which she has used to support the construction of toilet blocks in Muhaka village. This year, Goods for Girls turns 2 - a massive achievement for the marvellous Miss Matters and her team.
Even though she is managing a class of beautiful Year 4 girls, an international charity and her own personal life, Miss Matters always makes time for 'old lady sandwiches' and iced tea Saturdays - our whinging and support time. I'm called upon every January to create something arty for her classroom walls, and we sit drinking tea and staring at her very slow laminator as it churns through endless displays.
So what is the implication of this story for us as teachers?
Miss Matters is an advocate of Global Education - it is an ideal that she attempts to weave so artfully through all her pedagogy, encouraging and fostering a global mindset within her students.
It is a philosophical mindset I share, and attempt to integrate into my own pedagogy (although it is easier for me, as my class is slightly more culturally diverse than hers!). I aim to encourage a student's sense of place in the world and a critical view of that world; to foster creativity in constructing solutions to problems and the development of an empathy and understanding for cultures other than their home culture.
Our students have access to the world at their fingertips, but still need to be guided in their exploration of it. Miss Matters and I both attempt to develop student empathy and understanding by sharing our own experiences of global culture...what's your strategy?
To learn more about Susanna and Goods for Girls, visit: http://www.goodsforgirls.org
or the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/goodsforgirls.
Both are updated regularly with news from Australia and Kenya!
This is the story of the marvellous Miss Matters.
During my second year of university, while trying to make sense of a MATH106 tutorial, I had the fortune and good sense to sit down next to one Miss Susanna Matters, a fellow pre-service teacher struggling in a maths course with a heavily accented lecturer. We instantly bonded in our shared lack of enthusiasm for uni level mathematics and (pointless) education lectures.
Little did I know, 4 years later, Miss Matters would become somewhat of a household name.
(Well truth be known I did know, Susie is one of those people you know is destined for greatness).
Susanna is founder and CEO of her own charity, Goods for Girls, that aims to facilitate the education of young women in rural Kenya through the provision and self-manufacture of reusable sanitary products.
Oh yeah - and she's also one of the most incredible teachers I've ever had the pleasure of working with.
So back in 2010, when I first had the pleasure of meeting Miss Matters, she was a face of Girl Guides Australia and a UN Youth Ambassador (much to my jealousy, as an MUN nerd), often jetting off on the weekend to speak at conferences or attend meetings, and running the local Girl Guides troupe in her spare time. I joined her on a volunteer basis, learning the ropes and getting to work with a wonderful group of young girls - all experience for teaching, I thought at the time.
I was really lucky that she didn't seem to mind my disturbing sense of humour and weirdness at that time, and we began to support each other through a rocky 3 years of an undergraduate education degree (including a few dodgy master teachers and incorrect degree advice).
Somehow, through many shared all nighters with supportive text messages, complicated coffee orders and mind numbing 8am lectures, we got through - and both were targeted by the DEC.
 |
| Just so good looking. |
When she came back, there was a light in her eyes - a fiery passion that had been ignited out of frustration and empathy that could not be extinguished.
Miss Matters sat with me in T2 with 27 million amazing photos that we poured over, amongst cups of Madagascan Vanilla and bites of crusty, warm Roast beef sandwiches (our staple diet at uni). She explained that she had noticed that many of the girls were missing significant amounts of school, and after speaking to one of the teachers, she discovered that this was due to these girls having their periods, and being made to feel unclean and unable to use anything to control their flow. Miss Matters immediately went to the closest city and bought the girls enough sanitary pads to last them quite a while.
As she spoke to me, the light in her eyes burned brighter as she began to explain her vision.
She wanted to create a charity that not only provided a permanent solution for this problem through the girls creating their own reusable sanitary pads, but encouraged girls to stay in educational environments and seek opportunities for higher education.
 |
| Miss Matters on her first trip to Muhaka, Kenya |
Slowly, Goods for Girls became a reality. Miss Matters continued to travel to and from Kenya, establishing the charity base both there and in Australia, all while waiting for that fateful phone call that would finally tell her she had a teaching job in a girl's school in Sydney.
What a journey it has been for her.
In 2014, Miss Matters was named one of The Australian Women's Weekly's Women of the Future, gaining a scholarship, which she has used to support the construction of toilet blocks in Muhaka village. This year, Goods for Girls turns 2 - a massive achievement for the marvellous Miss Matters and her team.
 |
| Image from: http://www.goodsforgirls.org |
So what is the implication of this story for us as teachers?
Miss Matters is an advocate of Global Education - it is an ideal that she attempts to weave so artfully through all her pedagogy, encouraging and fostering a global mindset within her students.
It is a philosophical mindset I share, and attempt to integrate into my own pedagogy (although it is easier for me, as my class is slightly more culturally diverse than hers!). I aim to encourage a student's sense of place in the world and a critical view of that world; to foster creativity in constructing solutions to problems and the development of an empathy and understanding for cultures other than their home culture.
Our students have access to the world at their fingertips, but still need to be guided in their exploration of it. Miss Matters and I both attempt to develop student empathy and understanding by sharing our own experiences of global culture...what's your strategy?
To learn more about Susanna and Goods for Girls, visit: http://www.goodsforgirls.org
or the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/goodsforgirls.
Both are updated regularly with news from Australia and Kenya!
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
A quick giggle...
I've been out of action the last few days with some sort of stomach virus, hence my absence.
Note: now dousing myself in Dettol every time a kid breathes on me.
I'm still a bit under the weather, and not really capable of my usual wittiness and hilarity.
(yes, even when sick, my ego remains)
So here is a quick giggle for any teachers out there - it was National Teacher's Day in the US last week and this was a message sent out by their national union.
Happy Wednesday!
Note: now dousing myself in Dettol every time a kid breathes on me.
I'm still a bit under the weather, and not really capable of my usual wittiness and hilarity.
(yes, even when sick, my ego remains)
So here is a quick giggle for any teachers out there - it was National Teacher's Day in the US last week and this was a message sent out by their national union.
Happy Wednesday!
Friday, 14 March 2014
The Power of Collegial Support
Friday is a great time to look back on a week and really reflect both on your professional practice and personal life. Today, I'm looking back on a mixture of both.
My school is not the toughest school in the world, but it is far from the easiest. We have kids from a range of cultural backgrounds, a range of socio-economic backgrounds and a range of educational backgrounds. We have kids that want for nothing, and kids that have nothing.
But some days, it is not the kids that keep me coming back to work.
It is my amazing, supportive, hilarious and caring colleagues.
The people I work with are like our kids - we come from a whole range of places, have a whole range of life experiences and have a whole lot of different teaching philosophies.
But, unlike our kids, our staff get on like a house on fire.
There is not a day where laughter cannot be heard from the staffroom, whether it be at the expense of ourselves or our kids. There is not a day where you cannot find a shoulder to cry on, or someone to give you a hug when you feel you're at your wit's end.
The power of collegiality is very evident at our school. We are a team, a force to be reckoned with, an army, if you will - armed with formative assessment tools up the wahzoo, and a wicked sense of humour that whizzes straight over our kids heads, but will have each other laughing so hard we need to do a wiggly wee dance.
Maybe its the emotional nature of our profession - one in which we are so involved in the lives of our students that their pain is our own - and it is this shared experience which brings our staff together so closely.
Perhaps its our pedagogical standpoint - that we all share similar goals and views on current educational theory - that allows us to team up so easily and work collaboratively.
Possibly, its our Exec team - our experienced teacher mentors who are ready to share knowledge, support our crazy ideas and help us develop professionally and personally. (A special thank you execs for supporting me in this blogtastic venture).
Or perhaps its just that we're really really ridiculously good looking.
Either way - as teachers, its absolutely vital that we recognise the power of collegial support in our professional lives.
My school is not the toughest school in the world, but it is far from the easiest. We have kids from a range of cultural backgrounds, a range of socio-economic backgrounds and a range of educational backgrounds. We have kids that want for nothing, and kids that have nothing.
But some days, it is not the kids that keep me coming back to work.
It is my amazing, supportive, hilarious and caring colleagues.
The people I work with are like our kids - we come from a whole range of places, have a whole range of life experiences and have a whole lot of different teaching philosophies.
But, unlike our kids, our staff get on like a house on fire.
There is not a day where laughter cannot be heard from the staffroom, whether it be at the expense of ourselves or our kids. There is not a day where you cannot find a shoulder to cry on, or someone to give you a hug when you feel you're at your wit's end.
The power of collegiality is very evident at our school. We are a team, a force to be reckoned with, an army, if you will - armed with formative assessment tools up the wahzoo, and a wicked sense of humour that whizzes straight over our kids heads, but will have each other laughing so hard we need to do a wiggly wee dance.
Maybe its the emotional nature of our profession - one in which we are so involved in the lives of our students that their pain is our own - and it is this shared experience which brings our staff together so closely.
Perhaps its our pedagogical standpoint - that we all share similar goals and views on current educational theory - that allows us to team up so easily and work collaboratively.
Possibly, its our Exec team - our experienced teacher mentors who are ready to share knowledge, support our crazy ideas and help us develop professionally and personally. (A special thank you execs for supporting me in this blogtastic venture).
Or perhaps its just that we're really really ridiculously good looking.
 |
| If you don't get the reference, then get out of my office, like right now! |
Think about it - have you recognised the incredible influence of the support of your colleagues this week?
It is these colleagues - the ones we sit brain dead with on a Monday morning, simultaneously trying to finish off that Notebook file while stopping each other from drowning in our coffee - that help us keep it together.
So colleagues - I raise mytea mug very full wine glass to you. Thank you for being the ones who keep me, me.
It is these colleagues - the ones we sit with around the staffroom table on a Friday afternoon sharing war stories from the week - that help keep us sane.
It is these colleagues - the ones we sit on the couch with on the weekend eating scones and drinking copious amounts of tea - that keep us doing what we do best: educating little monsters wonderful children.
So colleagues - I raise my
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