Te Reo in Room 1

I am trying to find ways to incorporate Te Reo in my classroom. 

Last year I had a strong routine of starting the day with a Karakia and starting the day with simple Te Reo songs e.g. how we greet, counting and naming the colours in Te reo. 

This year, I am finding it a bit trickier as I only start my day after morning tea in room1. What I managed to do this year, which I didn't last year, is to sing Te Aroha at the end of the day. Which is like a karakia at the end of the day. See meaning of words below. 

Te aroha
Traditional Song

(Maori)

Te aroha 
Te whakapono 
Te rangimarie 
Tätou, tätou e.

(English)

Love,
Hope,*
Peace,
For us all.

In preparation to Matariki festival I am teaching my students a song called  Tu Tere mai, using Te Rakau Sticks. 

Originally Tī rākau helped warriors to practise hand-eye coordination at speed. Therefore, this could be very helpful in developing the students hand-eye coordination for writing. 

So What?

I want to build up my knowledge of Te Reo language and use it on a daily basis. I have managed to pick up some words/phrases, but by far not enough. 

Perhaps I could learn with my students more through songs and games. 

Create a visible prompt list that I can use in the class.

Class Walk throughs

Last week we had the opportunity to get critical feedback from colleagues around our class layouts and how our class represents our students.

Here are some of the changes I would like to make

* streamline or minimise movement to resources e.g. by splitting white boards into house groups so that everybody don't have to go to the same spot to get white boards.
* Have a visual prompts for must do's and can do's - visual timetable instead of just writing on the board.
* Share students learning e.g. through photos or displays
* Strengthen PB4L matrices with photos of the children demonstrating the right thing.

I read an article about visual timetables that was interesting and motivates me to streamline my visual timetable more, especially around including brain breaks or down time.

Artcle by:
Lynn McCann, 18th June 2017, URL Reference ,Get your visual timetable right

Not all teachers understand the true purpose of a visual timetable – they let the child know what’s going on and in what order, but are also an important teaching tool. The main teaching opportunities include:

Memory and recall skills

Seeing the structure of the day can improve memory skills for children who think better in pictures than verbal language. Instead of absorbing a list of verbal words, they can utilise their visual memory to remember what will be happening and in what order.

Organisational skills and independence

The child should be managing their own timetable. That means self-checking what they should be doing and where they should be, and taking off symbols and putting them in the ‘finished’ pocket themselves.

Start by ensuring that the visual timetable is pitched at the right level for the child by using objects of reference, photos, symbols and words that will make sense to them. Print them out on cards and laminate them, so that they can be reused each day. Remember to include timetable cards that represent sensory breaks and reward activities, so the child isn’t anxious about when these will take place.

Once the cards are finished, make sure that the timetable is accurately set up with part or all of the day’s activities every day. This presents an ideal opportunity to teach the child(ren) how to manage removing the symbols after each activity is completed. The finished activity symbol should then be posted in a box or envelope to indicate the ending of that activity and commencement of the next.

A pivotal strategy

Over the years I’ve worked with some pupils who were at risk of being excluded for their behaviour. When a visual timetable was used to show them their lessons, ‘calm or choice times’, sensory breaks – and most importantly, when home time was due – alongside other strategies, it had a huge impact in helping the child to navigate the day, reducing their stress and anxiety levels and thus reducing their challenging behaviours.

Honestly – visual timetables can sometimes be a pivotal strategy that makes all the difference for a child.
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TAI - Gradually increasing student participation in academics

IN the last few weeks we have paid a lot attention to behaviour in room 1. Rhys, Gretchen and I have started to communicate about our focus points, and am all working hard to remind the children of that focus point. I have seen a shift in behaviour in the majority of the class. (we still have some tier 1 learners that we are focussing on).

Our first focus was listening. We applied the STOP, LOOK and LISTEN approach. Explicitly explaining what this sounds and look like.

Our next focus will be on how to look after our "stuff" in the class. How to care for it. (Demonstrating AROHA). We will still be focussing on listening, but now be highlighting caring for our environment all the time.

With all this in mind, we would also like to gradually increase learning.

My last reflection on my TAI, I mentioned that I wanted to eliminate risk. I took as step back, and tried to observe what my children liked and liked to do. I have noticed that most of my boys particularly like cars, zombies and superheroes. And my girls loves cats. I also noticed how some boys particularly loves colouring in, and how others like to build lego and play with slime, rather than colouring in. (When I had all these options available at the same time, none of the children asked for Ipads - interesting)  I would really like to use this knowledge in a way to encourage participation in learning.

I have also started using the phrase, "Don't worry, I will help you" a lot. Also, "bring your picture with you and you can continue when you are done". This has seemed to calm the children down, so it might have been a fear of 'loosing' their activity that made them not wanting to come to me for learning.

So what? 
I am going to ensure that there are activities available that caters for all my children.
I am going to try and get all groups to come to me for learning, but not keep them long, so that they can continue with their choice of activities.
I am going to eliminate the fear of loosing out on things by preparing things for each child by name eg: when making clay, break it up into small bags (one for each child) so that they don't have to argue about sharing. (A next possible focus point).

I also read up on TKI Online independent literacy activities  and got some more ideas for literacy activities which I want to try out:

1. Providing magazines for children to cut from.
2. topic word cards to match each word with its meaning. Arrange word cards in \
3. alphabetical order as a step towards using a dictionary or index or locating fiction by the author's surname in the library.

Reflection PB4L

The last couple of weeks has beed extremely hard for me in Room 1. I was trying to get routine and creating a culture of learning in my class, unfortunately, Room 1 has higher needs and I desperately needed advice.

What I observed. 
- Obsessions with online games like Wormate and Cool Maths games
- Even after lowering the cognitive expectations, very few students were able to work independently and staying engaged 
- Huge behaviour outbursts if ipads have to be packed away
- Children sneakily getting ipads, hiding behind couches or around corners and going on online games without completing tasks or participating in group activities.
- There are only a few children willing to help with tidying up at the end of the day

After having reflections on a daily basis and conversations with Michelle and Gretchen, this is what we came up with: 
- Rewarding children with stickers as much as possible.
- To eliminate the obsession with online games, provide time in my daily routine where they could play on it.
- Set out activities on the tables before the children come into class after morning tea and lunch.
- Create a space for Neo with activities for him.
- Set his TA up so that she knows what to do and how to transition him into the class before she leaves.
- Super star children to have milo with Michelle in the morning. (All the children that behaved well).
- Count children down in preparation to packing ipads away.

Outcome:
- The children are coming into the class and settling a lot faster - star chat working.
- Most of the class responds really well to the time allocated in the day for online games. There are still 2 children that sneakily go on at the wrong time. And 4 children not responding when prompted to pack away. (2 of them even willing to stay after school in order to continue with their games)
- Neo's had 2 good days, with no outbursts.
- Some children come in after MT or lunch and start to work on the activities immediately. Although they are not coming to the mat, at least they are settled and listening.
- Reading groups has started to function as there are less interruptions and children are responding well to the count down to golden time.

New problems: 
- Although I have taken groups and introduced new literacy games such as Bingo and alphabet loop game, these are not activities the children choose to do as an independent activity.
- The children that are not behaving are in the minimum, so now nearly the whole class is able to have milo with Michelle - which is not practical.
- Children that is refusing to pack ipads away because of online games, are now willing to run away with ipad in order to continue playing.
- There is a group of children that loves colouring in- which I encourage due to the fine motor skills developing - however, very few seems to finish it and a lot of paper is wasted.

So what?
- Consult with Room 1 teachers for a solution around ipads not being packed away at the given time.
- Research ideas on literacy activities that children will be able to use independently.
- Ask colleagues for advice and solutions around how to encourage children to help with tidy up time. (Possibly a JOB chart?)
- Think of a practical way to solve the paper usage in room 1.