Teaching can be tough - especially when you are sick. I've been really struggling for the last month or so. I've not been sleeping, and to top it off for the last three weeks I have been really sick with a virus. Awesome - just what you want when you have 29 year 8 students in your care 5 days a week. It's been a tough few weeks - and I've not been enjoying being sick, and trying to teach. BUT then Friday happened.
It is all worth the effort when I have one of those days that reconfirms why I do what I do. Friday was just that, one of those days. Usually when I do the roll I use it as an opportunity to discuss different things, this gives all 29 students in my class a chance to have their say.
I have been trying to make sure we keep on top of our Growth Mindset learning, and took Friday's roll as a way to discuss learning pits and I asked my students to identify what was their biggest learning pit. Writing and Maths topped Ruma Tahi's list. Being that we stream maths at BIS, I took the opportunity to put a focus on writing.
When I attended #EducampHB I met some passionate and enthusiastic teachers from Russell Street School - they talked about #Poutama and differentiation in a way that I had not contemplated before. Basically the question they put to us was -Why have 29 narratives, or 29 paintings all looking the same? There is a better way to do things.
Recognising Ruma Tahi identified their own learning needs to be focused on Writing, I decided to use the inspiration I had been given by the #Poutama boys and let my kids lead the way with the text type. We had a discussion and the students came up with this list of ways they would write about our current concept of Sustainability. They decided they wanted to start small with only 10 minutes of writing after morning tea. 10mins ticked by...a few minutes of sharing, then Ruma Tahi blew my mind....they asked for more writing time! A class of students willing to dive into their learning pit, struggle and find their own success, it's what I got into this teaching business for.
CHOICE and acknowledging where the learning needs to happen is what really motivates students
My day didn't end there - we went on to have an spectacular Science session (ooh alliteration) where we made models to represent different types of rock
Yes we made Fudge - BUT it was the grandparents and parents that came to the lesson to help out that made it a truly different type of session. It was incredible to see my students interact with their grandparents and parents, and to hear them explaining about the types of rocks we had been learning about, and how the rock cycle works without any prompting from me.
To top it off the discussion and feedback after the lesson from my students was outstanding. They told me it was a great lesson because it wasn't just science, or cooking, but also maths! Their only complaint was that we should have made more fudge. I can't thank the Science Learning Hub enough for the session lesson plans!
An experienced teacher and someone I admire posted this photo on my Facebook page this week - Just when I really needed it.
I need to remember I am there to make a difference to "My Kids" so that they become life long lovers of learning! 
A great post to read Rachael. There is NOTHING better than learning something new ourselves, purring into practice to find it WORKS A TREAT! I agree the idea of giving students the opportunity to write 'around a topic' in whatever genre they choose to is definitely something I will try too. Thanks for sharing these magical moments ...as you say 'they are what keep yo going'.
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