Issue 33

PROFESSIONALLY & PERSONALLY

TeachersMatter The Magazine of Spectrum Education

Using story telling to teach maths p10 Do you really understand what resilience is? p14 Are robot teachers inevitable? p32 Deceptively delicious! p51

NZ$19 / AU$19

Leaders in Developing Teachers

ISSUE 33

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hello and welcome to 2017!

I hope you have had a happy and safe holiday break. This issue of Teachers Matter is filled with many ideas and strategies that you will be able to add to your teaching toolbox.

By reading Maggie Dent’s 10 tips for building a safe and positive classroom culture, and then Alan Cooper’s discussion about why a Growth Mindset is more than just effort alone, you’ll have the basis of a great start to your year!

Irma Cook is continuing to provide us with great lessons from her classroom, plus some extra-yummy recipes with hidden veges. I have tried these out on my kids and they gobbled them up completely unawares! Lauren Parsons discusses an idea close to my heart – mindful eating. As a qualified Pause, Breathe, Smile Facilitator, this is a topic we cover in our classes and I believe that it is a crucial skill – not just for kids, but adults too.

At the beginning of the year it’s very easy to say “Yes!” to every job your are offered/ given, but after a while all these commitments build up and you become stressed and inefficient with your time use. Robyn Pearce’s article gives 5 suggestions as to how you can “do less” and is a must-read at this time of the year.

Enjoy your first term back!

P.S. – Have you played the awesome Study Smarter Board Game with your students yet? If not, order a copy and help them learn the fundamentals of studying in a fun way.

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CONTENTS

In this issue COVER ILLUSTRATION

BY PPBIG

p6 - Growth mindset: more than just effort alone

p10 - Using story telling as an integral part of your mathematics teaching

3

Editor's note

6

Growth mindset: more than just effort alone

8

Glasser’s ‘lead management’ in practice

10

SARAH LINEHAN

Teachers Matter

20

ALAN COOPER

BETTE BLANCE

Using story telling as an integral part of your mathematics teaching CRAIG GRANT

13 Quote

4

19

22

24

Are we preparing students for emerging jobs?

MAGGIE HOS-MCGRANE

Intrinsic Achievement

PIP SOLOMON

Modelling a growth mindset

STEPHEN LETHBRIDGE

Loss and grief

CLAIRE LAURENSON

10 top tips for meetings with parents

THERESE HOYLE

MICHAEL GROSE

KATE SOUTHCOMBE

5 surprising ways to keep your brain young

42

A-Z:S

44

STEM - Making the teaching of inquiry easy

46

Study skills

KATHRYN BERKETT

16

10 Tips for building classroom culture

32 Are robot teachers inevitable?

38

31

MAGGIE DENT

Positive playgrounds management programme

Harmonius discipline

Do you really understand what resilience is?

36

SUE LESTER

14

34 Are your teachers great

learners or just great mates?

TRACEY EZARD

40 Helping children to

acknowledge their mistakes

27 Quote 28

p28 - Harmonius discipline

TERRY SMALL

TONY RYAN

KAREN BOYES

JO LUNN

KAREN BOYES

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MAGAZINE CONTACTS

To receive your own copy of the next issue, send an e-mail to magazine@spectrumeducation.com

Teachers Matter Magazine Team Publisher, Sales and Advertising Karen Boyes Editor Sarah Linehan Art Director Brenda Mihalko Printer Spectrum Print, Christchurch

Subscriptions Toll free (NZ) 0800 373 377 Toll free (Australia) 1800 249 727 Thanks to the educators, speakers and authors who contributed interviews, articles, photographs and letters.

Teachers Matter magazine is registered with the National Library: ISSN 1178-6825 © Spectrum Education 2017 All rights reserved.

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p48- How to help your child develop good judgement How to help your child develop good judgement

p60 - The magic bullet that will give you more time

DR LAURA MARKHAM

64

50

Home science spot

67 Quote

51

Deceptively delicious!

54

Brain exercises

56

Eating mindfully

CHRIS DUGGAN IRMA COOK

KIM CHAMBERLAIN LAUREN PARSONS

59 Quote 60

The magic bullet that will give you more time ROBYN PEARCE

62 Mindfulness boosts wellbeing

SOPHIA GRAHAM

68

Classroom management tips and strategies HEATH HENWOOD

Promoting picture books TRICIA KENYON & BARBARA GRIFFITH

70

The growth of Area School Rugby in New Zealand

74

77

Last word

GEOFF BONNER KAREN BOYES

Useful Products & Services

79 Quote

Parts of this publication may be reproduced for use within a school environment. To reproduce any part within another publication (or in any other format) permission from the publisher must be obtained.

The opinions expressed in Teachers Matter are those of the contributors and we love them!

All Enquiries Spectrum Education Ltd Street Address: 19 Rondane Place, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Postal Address: PO Box 30818, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Phone: (NZ) +64 4 528 9969 Fax: (NZ) +64 4 528 0969 magazine@spectrumeducation.com www.spectrumeducation.com Lioncrest Education Postal Address: PO Box 340 Cessnock NSW 2325, Australia Phone: 61 2 4991 2874 or 1800 249 727 info@lioncrest.com.au www.lioncrest.com.au

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ALAN COOPER

Growth mindset: More than just effort alone

T

he basic disposition for developing Growth Mindset is effort. However, effort on its own is insufficient. It must be closely associated with how effective the effort is. Thus the crucial question is, ‘How does the effort relate to results?’

Convinced that their daughter was underachieving, some parents had been to see me several times. Each time my enquiries to the teachers who taught her emphasised how hard a worker she was, how well behaved she was - never calling out or distracting others, and that she always handed in perfectly presented work.

Her effort they said was exemplary. She was a Growth Mindset student they told me, something to be celebrated not questioned.

She would soon be up for a diligence certificate in assembly.

Her parents were coming to see me again, so I arranged for a camera to be placed in the corner of the room, focused on her desk. I was sure that when I showed them the video they would back off. However the video, when I looked at it, was something of a shock because although it showed her effort going into her presentation, this effort was not productive.

Teachers Matter

She would make some small mistake on her paper, Twink (a correction fluid) it out, blow carefully on the Twink for quite a long period to dry it, test it ever so carefully and gently with her finger and blow again until it was thoroughly dry and writing on it would not smudge. Finally, she would carefully make the correction and continue writing. This was repeated over and over. Because she was spending somewhere between fifty and seventy percent of her time off task and concentrating on appearance, the effort was actually counterproductive.

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Doing Mindset wasn’t working. For it to work - to be productive - the effort needed to be monitored in such a way that the results were evaluated. The Habit of Mind metacognitive reflection is the way to do this.

A simple three step questioning process guides this.

1.

The first question is, ‘What is your story?’ This is a selected, but real happening from current learning - authentic and owned. The KISS technique applies – keep it short and simple – an incident, not a whole chapter.

2.

‘What does this mean?’ is the next question. Again keep the answer simple. Integrity is also required. This is not the time for bull dust, but for plain straight forward analysis.

3.

Finally comes, ‘How do I improve on this?’ Again keep it simple.

“If you fail the first time come back at it with past knowledge, f l u e n c y, a n d inquisitiveness.

You need to twist it and shake it.”

— 8 year old student at a Habits of Mind School in Chicago.

It is also necessary to have the students understand that these questions are the final steps of the Bloom thinking hierarchy, concluding with the creation of a path forward - a goal or goals for further action.

This is looking for learning results to be better than before, in sharp contrast to the Twink story above, where the effort was unproductive as far as learning went. Thus question 3 is setting a personal goal or goals for the future which are self-motivated, and owned.

Importantly this process is developing problem solving skills, but there is much more going on as continuous learning is being introduced and practiced. There are elements of persistence as this is an ongoing process over time, not a one off exercise.

Flexibility will be needed in modifying even a successful practice. These are all Habits of Mind and those who understand the Habits will be able to add more.

Some examples follow.

The class have been learning about mapping in their Social Studies lessons. One girl’s test result has disappointed her. “Last night’s prep was quite easy, but I regret not using my tree map because my mark could have been at a higher level. I only got 9 out of 16, but I know I could have done better.

I was not too proud. If we did another map like this again I would use my tree map. I put the direction in the wrong place but that was soon fixed. I also made a key and I’m sure it’s easier to read now” Using this disposition to reflect, even those who are the exemplary students will seek where extra effort will produce even better results for them. “I got 15/16. I used my tree map from my Social Studies book. Next time I will probably use colour and a better ruler, I will use my Tree Map as a reference as it helped me a great deal. I know I wouldn’t have done so well if I hadn’t had my T.M.” There is no age limit on this. The above are Year 8 students but here is an 8-Yearold from a Chicago Habits of Mind School talking to me about reflecting on how he would solve problems. “If you fail the first time come back at it with past knowledge, fluency, and inquisitiveness. You need to twist it and shake it.”

Once practiced and understood, reflection becomes contagious. It is an important tool to work with in other real life problem solving skill areas outside the classroom.

“This year Mrs. R and Mr E asked me to do a programme for the Operetta. I wasn’t sure what they wanted so I went home sat down and wrote out a list of all the things that should be in a programme. Now I think I can do one.”

PHOTO: ZORAN ORCIK

ALAN COOPER

It is all about self-regulation bringing success.

There is a great opportunity for curriculum overlap in this. From time to time, perhaps at the end of each term/semester an expository essay can be written summarising what has eventuated. This has the advantage of engage the students for the same reason as the reflection does, because it is authentic, student driven, providing for student ownership. Further in this context writing the essay would have high intrinsic motivation. (See my article in Teachers Matter 31, entitled Learning to Write an Argument for instruction on this type of essay writing.).

The examples above are what individuals have done. Collaboration has a huge potential here. When small groups compare notes ideas flow, get modified, broadened out and new areas developed. The Japanese proverb tells us that one of us never knows as much as all of us.

Teachers should be doing this too thus developing the same disposition in themselves as they are seeking to inculcate in their students. Managers, and here teachers are managers, are at risk if they don’t know what goes on at the workbench and understand the process required. John Edwards calls this getting “Dirt under their fingernails,” which can only come from

the personal practical knowledge gained from doing it themselves and thus gaining personal experience. Without this practical experience they are at risk because while theory may bring knowledge, practically doing brings understanding.

The best teachers have empathy for their students. Without doing it, having the experience, empathy is impossible. It is then often replaced by sympathy and the effect is more often than not then counterproductive.

There are many ways of doing this.

South Farnham School in Surrey is recognised as a leading edge school.

Arguably it is the most successful primary school in England. Here the teachers are required to leave a space at the end of every lesson plan for a sentence or two reflecting on the lesson and noting where it could be improved for the future. In my school the teachers were required to formally keep a professional development portfolio where they focussed on an aspect of teaching for a longer period of time, perhaps a term, perhaps longer. This then became the basis for their professional appraisal. Informal diaries are another option. However, this is only a sample. The option limit is the limit of individual imagination.

To use reflection well takes time, certainly months rather than days or weeks, maybe

even years. The quotation beneath is an apt conclusion.

Jim Collins in his book Good to Great explains it thus. “Pushing with great effort, you get the flywheel to inch for ward, moving almost imperceptivity at first ….

You keep pushing and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster …… Then at some point a breakthrough …… You are pushing no harder than during the first rotation, but the flywheel goes faster and faster. Each turn of the flywheel builds upon work done earlier compounding your investment of effort ……… What was the one big push that caused this thing to go so fast? …. It was all of them added together in an overall accumulation of effort applied in a constant direction”

Alan Cooper is an educational consultant based in New Zealnd. As a principal, he was known for his leadership role in thinking skills, including Habits of Mind, learning styles and multiple intelligences, information technology, and the development of the school as a learning community.

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BETTE BLANCE

Glasser’s ‘lead management’ in practice Constructing great relationships and achieving academic excellence

I

recently met with Stephen Blair, the long serving principal at Tokoroa North School, to see what he and his staff are doing differently. This school is achieving outcomes that others are not. A decile 3 school in South Waikato with 469 students, not only has a ver y high percentage of students achieving at or above standard academically, there have been no suspensions, exclusions or standdowns for the last 16 years. The students are out-performing National and South Waikato results in all areas apart from a very small difference in national reading results. All these things in themselves are stories worth telling. I visited the school looking for the reasons for these great results.

The principal told me that William Glasser’s work on the differences between a Boss Manager and a Lead Manager had been a significant influence on his whole way of being in the school. A Lead Manager works on continually improving relationships within the school or workplace. A Lead Manager uses non-coercive practices, where maintaining relationships are paramount.

It is about being a Lead Manager rather than doing Lead Management.

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Stephen stated that, “If the adult relationships are not right in the school amongst teaching staff, then the relationships between teacher and children and children and children will suffer.”

ILLUSTRATION: HUANG WANT JU

Teachers Matter

In visiting this school, I witnessed a good example of a school in which Glasser’s Lead Management principles are being implemented. This has created the conditions for a school to not only build constructive social relationships, but also to achieve excellent academic results as measured by the National Standards.

He believes that people watch him intently (as Principal) to see that he models what he believes in - all the time. He says that it is about modelling the behaviour you want to see in your school.

BETTE BLANCE

Our western society is deeply ingrained in crime and punishment and it is easy to fall back on that approach when things get difficult. It is not a case of moving to Boss Management to suit yourself, as good relationships can quickly be destroyed.

The message of the room for me when I entered Stephen’s office was one of collaboration and team work. The arrangement of his office spoke volumes as it modelled a place where all ideas were valued and could be shared in a relaxed and open way. The comfortable chairs were around a large low table as opposed to a work table. To me this demonstrated the shared beliefs of the school in building trust, sharing decision making and using a noncoercive management style.

Choice was also a feature for staff in the school. Learning about the work of Brazilian Ricardo Semler early in his career, the principal recognised the alignment Semler’s work had with Glasser’s Choice Theory. Staff meetings at Tokoroa North are not compulsory. Believing in personal responsibility, Stephen trusts that people will make choices about attendance and that they will be accountable for finding out the information if they choose not to go to the meetings.

“If the adult relationships are not right in the school amongst teaching staff, then the relationships between teacher and children and children and children will suffer.”

— Stephen Blair. Principal, Tokoroa North School.

The school has been involved in significant training in William Glasser’s Choice Theory and Lead Management, both from visiting consultants and from respected staff within the school. The evidence of the application of the internal control psychology concepts of non-coercion, self-management and the pursuit of quality work that was learnt in this training, is seen in the work of members of staff; the principal, the teachers, the students and parents. This school is truly a great example of what Choice Theory and Lead Management in action can achieve.

Bette is the president of the William Glasser Institute - New Zealand. As a past member of the William Glasser International Board, Bette continues her involvement in the international Choice Theory School project team which is charged with revamping the existing processes of helping schools to improve learning outcomes as well as improving student’s ability to get along together. She can be contacted on bette@choiceconnections.nz. www.choice-connection.com

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CRAIG GRANT

Using story telling as an integral part of your mathematics teaching Create oral lessons to be passed from student to student

T

wo years after retiring I returned to my last school to take up the challenge of teaching a blind boy. While I was there I spoke to the mother of one of my former students. She was in charge of the Special Needs Students. I learnt that her son had said to her that I could teach maths to a stone and she told me a story. I’ll tell it to you in a few words.

One day a boy came home from school.

were fascinated by the brand because they strongly identified with him. Although it was still a story, it had seamlessly moved into a mathematical lesson.

said and did it. ‘Now put the addition sign between the 5 and the 8. Then just add the numbers in the top line and write down the answer on the next line.

‘I’ll show you how it works,’ said Grandpa, and taking a stick he drew a quarter plus two fifths with an equals sign on the ground.

After that the class practised branding fractions so they could add and subtract them.

I wrote a quarter plus two fifths on the board with an equal sign, and acted out the part of Grandpa for the rest of the story. I then drew

The lesson worked amazingly well, so well in fact that the lads in this class began retelling the story and teaching other junior students how to use Grandpa’s cattle brand, so that they could add and subtract fractions too. Then the story was retold by them and some teachers were told too.

‘What did you do in maths today?’ asked his mother.

‘Mr Grant just told us stories,’ replied her son ‘Tell them to me,’ said his mother, and when he did his mother smiled.

‘Why are you smiling?’ asked the boy.

‘He’s been teaching you maths again,’ was her reply.

Teachers Matter

Once, I told a year 10 class of boys a story about a young cowboy on a cattle drive.

There were rustlers, a storm and a cattle stampede. Just before the end of the cattle drive the owner of the cattle, who was called Grandpa, joined the cowboys for a cup of java by their campfire. Now the young cowboy was fascinated by Grandpa’s cattle brand so he asked him about it.

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‘Shucks son,’ said Grandpa, ‘My old maths teacher showed me that and I have never forgotten it. You see I had terrible trouble trying to add and subtract fractions and he showed me how to do that by branding them.’

At that point in the story I drew Grandpa’s cattle brand on the board. It consists of two crossed arrows balanced on the edge of a bowl shaped curve taken from a section of a circle. The boys, like the young cowboy,

“Sometimes there is magic in words, and stories are full of words.

Word-weavers use this magic intuitively to pen powerful stories.“ a curve between the 4 and 5 on the bottom lines of the fractions and put a fraction line on the right hand side of the equals sign.

‘Just multiply the bottom numbers together and put the answer on the bottom line of the fraction.’ Then I drew an arrow from the 5 in the bottom line to the one in the top line.

‘Multiply the 5 and the 1 and put the answer on the top of the fractions and the left hand side,’ I said and did it. The next step is to draw an arrow from the 4 on the bottom line to the 2 on the top line. ‘Multiply the 4 and the 2 and put the answer on the top of the fractions and the right hand side,’ I

I tell other mathematical stories as they are an integral part of my teaching. This next story works like a Concrete Concept, linking the development of mathematics to the development of humankind and it will give its readers/listeners an insight into the nature of mathematics. It is a good story to use when you are teaching students about the different number systems. The follow up story on Complex Numbers involves discovery learning and offers students an insight into the creation of new mathematics. It is a Pinnacle Lesson and has a philosophical dimension which is easy for students to understand. It teaches them more than just Complex Numbers.

Pinnacle Lessons are multi-dimensional too.

The Number Systems Story At the beginning of last ice age a tribe lived in caves. The women were food gathers and the men hunted. One day, as the ice advanced closer to their

ILLUSTRATION: SHEN EN-MIN

CRAIG GRANT

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ILLUSTRATION: SHEN EN-MIN

CRAIG GRANT

cave and it became colder, the scouts, who had gone out to find the one of the small herds of animals and count them, returned with disastrous news. All the animals were gone and they could give their leader no number, because they didn’t have a number for nothing. They only knew the counting numbers.

Their leader, who was a wise man, just nodded his head. ‘The herds will be moving south, we must follow them,’ he said and they did.

Other animals like wolves also followed the herds to hunt them. When the tribe began to protect the herd from these predators, they began to make the transition to herdsmen.

Teachers Matter

During this time the idea of nothing was assigned a number by the leader of the tribe.

That number was zero. When it was added to the Natural or Counting Numbers, the new number system was called the Whole Numbers.

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When the tribe became herdsmen, they became more independent and began to trade animals amongst one another. Some herdsmen came to owe animals to others. It was then that the negative numbers came into being and were used for to describe animal debt. These negative numbers were added to the Whole Numbers and the new enlarged number system was called the Integers.

The women were still food gathering while the men hunted and cared for their flocks.

At certain times of the year they gathered grain, and enterprising women sowed seed in suitable places in the spring and the herdsmen would return and harvest it in the autumn. They also planted other beneficial plants where they wandered. It was the beginning of farming.

In time, some of the herdsmen settled in fertile areas, grew crops and tended to their animals. They discovered metals, became knowledgeable and began measuring and dividing things. From division came fractions and when the wise men added the fractions to the Integers they called this new numbers system the Rational Numbers.

The word ratio means fraction. The wise men just added the letters n, a, and l to the end of the word ratio. At that time the wise men thought they had discovered all the numbers, but they were wrong again.

At this time they were measuring lengths using tape measures and the mathematicians came up with the idea of a number line to help explain the mysterious nature of number to the people so that they could use numbers in their everyday life.

Much later the decimal system was invented and it was much easier for people to use than fractions. Then a mathematician discovered that every fraction has a decimal pattern.

For example A half is 0.50000......

One ninth is

0.11111......

It was then that this mathematician realised that there were other numbers like Pi that had no decimal pattern. This was a great revelation. There were numbers between the integers that were not fractions because their decimals had no pattern and the mathematicians decided to call them the Irrational Numbers. The Irrational Numbers were then added to the Rational Numbers and the enlarged number system was called the Real Numbers. Once more the mathematics thought they had discovered all about numbers, but they were wrong again because mathematics is a never ending story.

Craig is a retired math teacher with an interest in improving maths education.

Fishing,writing playing bridge and travelling in his caravan are his hobbies.

He is currently writing a book entitled, 'How to Become a Special Forces Maths Teacher and Leave No One Behind.

“Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.”

PHOTO: VERA KUTTELVASEROVA STUCHELOVA

ILLUSTRATION: RETROSTAR

- Sydney Gurewitz Clemens

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KATHRYN BERKETT

Do you really understand what resilience is?

Learning to recover from difficulty

“R

Teachers Matter

esilience” - This word is used a lot, especially in reference to children. I challenge you to consider whether you truly understand what the word means. Because if we don’t understand the meaning of resilience, then how can we encourage the development of it?

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We o f t e n c o n s i d e r r e s i l i e n c e a s something we are born with, something that is inherent in us – especially children. “Ah, children are resilient”, we hear a lot! Undoubtedly, there are certain behavioural traits that are inherited via our whakapapa.

These traits then interact with our environment to lead us towards or away from resilience. In this equation, genetics does have a role to play, but ultimately the environment is the

trump card when we consider resilience development.

As a teacher your ability to influence resilience development is second only to the home environment. For this reason, it is essential that you understand what it is, and how to encourage it.

You are possibly thinking right now – argh!

Another thing to fit into my day… I have so much to do already. I don’t need more on my plate!

Fair enough. But what if I told you that you are already doing so much resilience development with your students that really you just need to be more aware of what you are doing and more explicit about the process; especially for those children who display less (or no) resilience?

Resilience is defined as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness”. Recover means to return to a state of calm, where we can be more in control of ourselves. If we can enable our students to be more resilient, we are arming them with the capacity to go through life exhibiting more control, rather than acting impulsively. An incredibly important skill!

So how can we learn to ‘recover from difficulty’? It is the same as when we want to learn to read, or to throw a ball; we learn by practicing. We need to repeat the desired behaviour; within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); with scaffolding, encouragement and positive feedback.

But how can we practice ‘recovering from difficulty’? Imagine the student is trying to spell a word, or work out how to unscrew

ILLUSTRATIONS: SHIYIERSHIER

KATHRYN BERKETT

“You are already doing so much resilience development with your students that really you just need to be more aware of what you are doing and more explicit about the process.“ the lid off a container of glue, or is doing running practice for the cross country.

During each of these scenarios, they might get frustrated or annoyed, or begin to give up. This is the ‘difficulty’. You as the teacher offer advice, support, and encouragement – whatever is needed for the student to calm down again i.e. ‘recover’.

It is important to remember that learning happens much faster when we experience success. So ensuring the student gets support when they are experiencing their difficulty is important. If the student gets over-frustrated and loses their temper, or gives up because they lose faith in themselves, this is not learning to recover.

However, it is also important for the student to do as much of the process on their own as possible, as this is the ‘practice’ part of the

learning. This is where really knowing your students is going to help.

The last point on how to best create an environment where resilience will be learnt is to encourage the practice. This piece of advice is almost counter-intuitive because the suggestion is to increase the number of times students encounter difficulty.

Remember, resilience is learning how to recover from difficulty, and practice is essential. Therefore, we need to increase the frequency of difficult moments in order for the student to get the most practice. Again, I am sure you do this all the time, if you have a bit of a think about it. The point is to be more aware of it and feed back to the student how well they did when they ‘recovered’ from their difficulty.

You as teachers are able to make a difference to our children’s level of resilience. This in turn will make a significant impact on the way they are able to live their lives, and therefore affect the lives around them. So go forth and create difficult situations – but be there to support the practice of recovery!

Kathryn is an expert in using neuroscience and physiology to assist us to better regulate ourselves. She is committed to helping teachers and parents to work better with children, youth, colleagues and clients. Kathryn runs sessions around this subject, supporting teachers to understand different ways to assist children to get better at staying calm. www.KBKonsulting.co.nz

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MAGGIE DENT

10 Tips for building classroom culture Classroom culture matters

W

hen your students walk into your classroom, many will decide in the first 10 minutes what to expect from you and your class. First impressions are powerful.

The students are making decisions based on how they perceive you dress, walk, speak and engage with them individually.

The shy students are hoping you don’t notice them and the outgoing ones want to be noticed as soon as possible.

E a c h s t u d e n t ’s u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d i s absorbing invisible messages from their five senses at a very rapid rate.

Above all, what these students will subconsciously be assessing is: “Is this classroom safe? Am I welcome here? Do I belong?”

Without a sense of safety and belonging, students will often struggle with the need for survival rather than the need to learn or be happy.

Teachers Matter

If you could imagine that your classroom is an island amongst other islands surrounded by sea, you may be able to grasp how important it is, within the whole context of a busy school, to create a safe harbour for students. Classroom safety and enhancement is a key element of good teaching.

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Safe classroom cultures with teachers who for m positive relationships with students create the most powerful forces for exceptional learning to occur. Indeed in many studies the three factors that are seen as the most significant ones that create improved academic outcomes for students are: • High-quality teachers • Engaging and relevant curriculums • Positive parental involvement.

“Classroom culture matters and is often overlooked for more testing, detailed p l a n n i n g or curriculum development.“ So what are the secrets to creating a good classroom culture?

1. Your promise or intention – to create a safe, positive environment to help every student improve from where they are, by working hard in class, and to inspire a love of learning and growing.

Start by ensuring you have lots of signs that this place is safe and interesting. I liked to have a small vase of fresh flowers, bright cheery motivational posters, and a saying of the week that was uplifting and inspirational. Building rapport is a key skill of good teaching and many do this without being aware they do it. Smiling, healthy eye contact, warm welcoming stance and a healthy dose of enthusiasm can be sensed by students very quickly. In addressing your class — especially for the first time — my suggestion is to be clear on your intention as their teacher. I always made a commitment to support everyone to achieve, to learn to grow and to enjoy sharing time together. I made it clear that everyone has different gifts and talents, and that the classroom was going to be a safe place to explore, to take learning risks, and to work on improving any areas of weakness

that emerged. I always mentioned that any grade they received from me was never a reflection of my relationship to them, or any indication of their character or humanity; it was simply a mark indicating how they had performed at their given assessment.

I also made it clear that once inside my classroom I would not accept put downs, or inappropriate behaviour that caused pain or suffering to anyone or anyone’s belongings.

Finally, I made a commitment to treat them with respect and would aim to never shout at, shame or embarrass any student.

2. Create connectedness – paired sharing, partner work, having a class song.

Classrooms that feel safe for students to interact with each other freely and easily are the best environments for learning.

Students need to have opportunities to really get to know each other — to connect beyond the masks that keep us all safe. This will build connectedness and inclusion and that’s what makes your classroom a place where students will enjoy being. This is very much about building trust. This can be done through: • Sharing stories of personal events • Allowing vulnerability • Accepting others’ unique qualities and behaviours • Loyalty (committing to goals and visions) • Involving others in decision-making • Valuing everyone’s ideas and willingness to participate.

3. Have the class create classroom guidelines for a positive classroom.

A good approach is to have students work in pairs of their own choice, and write what guidelines they want in our classroom, which will help us manage any inappropriate

ILLUSTRATIONS: AOMARCH/ KOSZTACZKY ANITA

MAGGIE DENT

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MAGGIE DENT

behaviour. Then a class discussion follows and these guidelines become formalised and a copy sent home to parents, as well as a copy posted on the wall. In my teaching career, these seldom changed. Students want the same as teachers — a safe place to learn, where they are treated with fairness, respect, compassion and great enthusiasm for learning about themselves, life and knowledge that will help them realise their full potential.

4. Failure as a gift.

As teachers, we need to model for our students that failure is a normal part of life, not a sign that we are ‘dumb’ or ‘bad’.

Failure should be communicated as a way of showing us what has not yet been mastered, what needs to be practised. If children become afraid to fail, they can become afraid of school and reluctant to try anything new … thus their capacity to learn and grow is diminished. Remember to acknowledge efforts and give specific praise and feedback (not just rewarding success with certificates and stickers, as I’ve written about in a previous edition of Teachers Matter).

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5. Explore 3 Ps – passion, persistence, practise.

Carol Dweck in her excellent book, Mindset (2008), writes about research that shows that when we have a flexible mindset we are more able to “focus on learning and growth rather than how successful each experience appears to the child”. Similar to the idea of failure as a gift, we can have an ethos of the 3Ps in our classrooms and demonstrate and encourage that learning should be approached with passion, persistence and practise. As Pablo Picasso said, “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

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6. Create individual student plans for improvement (PPFIs).

Using a scale of 1-10 (where 10 is outstanding), students review their own progress using teacher feedback and their own feedback. It is important for students to know how they are doing specifically rather than generally and to plot areas that need attention. This may require extra catch-up work at home or school — again a choice students make. Placing some responsibility on to students about their progress during terms rather than just at semester report time can be helpful to identify concerns.

Parents need to be kept in the loop in this process too if possible. Having PPFIs helps build a flexible mindset for all students.

7. Teach about the brain and how to maximise learning and accelerated learning strategies.

Talk to students about the essentials of healthy brain functioning (i.e. oxygen, water, enough sleep, exercise, etc.). Do you offer ‘brain breaks’ in your classroom to introduce movement? Do you encourage water breaks? Are you minimising stress in the classroom as best you can/do you take a few minutes out for relaxation or visualisation? Do you use repetition, music and other memory enhancers as teaching tools? These are good questions to ask in reflecting on how you maximise brain potential in your classroom. You will also be influencing your students to make positive brain chemicals. On top of this, think mind maps, colour, role playing … novelty and bright colours, movement and sound make the brain pay attention.

8. Teach thinking techniques (PMI/ Six hats).

Edward de Bono is, of course, one of the best-known experts in thinking skills and I love his PMI Technique to find the plus, minus and interesting points about an issue. This allows you to ponder and organise your thoughts pretty quickly and includes more points of view, thereby leading to more balanced decision-making.

Of course, de Bono’s iconic ‘6 Hats’ work is also excellent for older students and his OPV (Other Person’s Viewpoint) is a useful thinking strategy. The Habits of Mind by Dr Art Costa are another excellent resource for improving student thinking and learning.

Check them out if you haven’t already.

9. Have fun moments with fascinating facts and funny, witty, light moments.

There is growing research that shows that humour can minimise stress in the classroom, assist with retaining information and help students to understand things better. Using wit, irony, puns, riddles, and jokes, pictures without captions, funny poetry and fascinating facts can hugely benefit classroom culture… plus sense of humour is one of the top three qualities of excellent teachers according to research conducted with thousands of students.

10. Communicate with parents – create the triangle of care.

Parents become enthusiastic supporters of teachers who make an effort to care about their student’s wellbeing and social growth, as well as their academic and intellectual growth. Include parents in your classroom culture building – send them the class guidelines, share what’s happening in the classroom, and invite them to showcases and the like.

To me, classroom culture is a bit like the notion of “if you build it, they will come”, except when it is done really well, it is a case of “if you build it, they will flourish”.

M a g g i e i s a n a u t h o r, p a re n t i n g educator and resilience specialist with a particular interest in the early years and adolescence. A former teacher and counsellor, Maggie is now an indemand speaker and writer. She is the author of nine books and a prolific creator of resources for parents, adolescents, teachers and early childhood educators. www.maggiedent.com

MAGGIE HOS-MCGRANE

Are we preparing students for emerging jobs?

Going beyond the foundational literacies

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ony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith have argued that the skills that students leave schools and universities with are not the skills that are in demand by employers, or the skills that they will need for life. I have recently read the 2015 World Economic Forum’s Vision for Education.

This publication basically states the same as others that I’ve read of late: that students must not only possess strong skills

time, jobs are emerging that require more non-routine and interpersonal skills. The report highlights the fact that in 2014 more than a third of global companies reported difficulties in filling positions because of a shortage of people with key skills. The World Economic Forum conducted a meta-analysis of research into 21st century skills in primary and secondary education, and came up with this graphic of 16 skills in 3 categories.

“Students must not only posses strong skills in language arts, maths and science, but must also have other skills such as critical thinking, problem -solving, persistence, collaboration and curiosity.“ Here’s the problem: assessment tools used in schools traditionally focus on measuring the foundational literacies. Additional tools and indicators need to be developed that can measure competencies and character qualities. How can you help to change thi

in language arts, maths and science, but must also have other skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, persistence, collaboration and curiosity. The reality is that too many students are not getting the education that they need to succeed, and companies are not finding enough of the skilled workers that they need to compete.

Through automation and digitisation of work, technology is now increasingly able to do jobs that involve both routine manual and cognitive skills. At the same

The Foundational Literacies involve the skills needed for everyday tasks. Acquiring these skills has been the traditional focus on education around the world. But in today’s world, these skills are only the starting point. Competencies in approaching complex challenges such as being able to critically evaluate and convey knowledge and work in a team are now seen as essential to the workforce. The final category of Character Qualities concerns a person’s ability to work in a changing environment.

Maggie Hos-McGrane has been teaching for 30 years, 24 of these in international schools. Originally from the UK, Maggie is currently the Elementary Tech Coordinator at the American School of Bombay and is a member of ASB’s Research and Development Core Team. Maggie is a Google Certified Teacher and has presented at conferences in Europe, Asia, North and South America. www.maggiehosmcgrane.com

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PIP SOLOMON

Intrinsic Achievement Achieving from within

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ntrinsic Achievement is my phoenix that rose from the ashes when I made the turbulent but necessary decision to step away from a teaching career after 15 years. Through the rapid roll out of hastily implemented initiatives, my once enjoyable and manageable workload had dramatically increased, with relentless pressure and stress finally taking its toll.

Resigning proved to be an extremely difficult decision to make and to come to

terms with not only because I have children and a mortgage to consider, but more poignantly because the road I had travelled along to become a teacher in the first place had been no easy journey, every single step had been earnt. Walking away from my full-time permanent teaching position proved to be the longest and hardest choice I had ever made, this in itself surprised me.

However the irony behind my heartbreaking decision was that the very same method and skills that I had developed 25 years ago when I was only 15 and had consciously chosen to turn my life around were once again called upon and put to work. This time I needed to find that same inner strength and self-belief which would now enable me to walk away with dignity from a system that no longer aligned with what I believed the essence of teaching to be about and to begin the

process of establishing my own business.

Intrinsic Achievement is my creation, it is an authentically designed Personal Growth & Development programme using effective techniques which help people of all ages discover their own innate abilities. It is now further refined and packaged for others to use as a guide which they can pick up and run with. I cover a range of generic themes including how to effectively establish your intentions & achieve your goals, increasing your level of energy & motivation, enhancing self-belief and self-awareness concepts, forming & implementing clear boundaries, improving personal organisation & self-management processes and re-discovering original leadership qualities. While Intrinsic Achievement has structure, it also remains fluid enough for me to adapt and modify material in order to incorporate specific requests from clients.

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My services can be delivered as large or small group presentations or as one to one sessions; all have a teaching aspect followed by an action plan component which is where the work really begins. My approach sets out to return people back to a fully cohesive and stabilised state ready to step into their ultimate potential by using physical, emotional and mental techniques that really do work.

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ILLUSTRATION: RIMMA KOVALENKO

PIP SOLOMON

Intrinsic Achievement is the unique and refreshing story of what happens when you embark on a quest to extend your-self, overcome adversity and alter your own circumstances. It is the culmination of mixing grit and determination with courage and action, witnessing how the small seemingly inconsequential internal shifts are then projected and reflected externally, enhancing the world around you.

loss of common sense in exchange for what is often becoming show pony leadership and the emerging semi-corporatised model of education full of PC buzz words that can be superficial. All at the expense of talented teachers who become disillusioned and see through the veneer. The demands now placed on teachers from both upper management as well as from students now exceed what is practically possible to deliver.

helplessness, a phenomena emerging in our young people as we foolishly try to clear their path from adversity. At the other end of the spectrum some teachers are facing surmounting pressure to gain more and more top-end results and Scholarships.

The pressure then projected towards these academic students has resulted in some falling into the downward spiral of stress anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

In the 18 months since I stepped away from full-time teaching my biggest realisation has been that I will always remain a teacher in some capacity. Now my ‘classroom’ is larger and limitless with no enforced pedagogy.

Having the opportunity to work in schools as a relief teacher has also been vital, keeping me up to date with exactly what is occurring - the good and the bad. This means my references are real and current with fresh experiences and perspectives. I can gauge what teaching staff, students and parents (I am one) are all facing in these hectic and chaotic times and the issues are huge. I am aware of the white elephants in the staffroom of many schools where teachers avoid discussing the true issues or drawing attention to their real concerns for fear of going against the status quo - it takes courage to go against the party line.

The other immediate concern I see is the growing erosion of NCEA as a robust qualification. There are inconsistencies surrounding the assessment of internal Achievement Standards and Unit Standards where I have seen teachers giving students the answers. Teachers can be subversively pressured to get many across the line rendering NCEA relatively meaningless and taking away from those who genuinely put the work in. More importantly, through this practise, under the guise of helping or boosting a student’s performance, you are taking away their feeling of personal accomplishment and satisfaction from achieving under their own steam.

The ever increasing distortion of acceptable and appropriate behaviour in the classroom as boundaries are continually stretched is also worrisome for those who have been in the profession long enough to see and feel and the impacts. The introduction and proliferation of digital technology has the ability to enhance students learning which is great, however it also opens up the world to children from the push of a button exposing them to content they may not be ready to deal with or understand.

I believe the most pressing issue right now is the burn out and rising exhaustion levels of teachers which is the adverse by-product of the continual changes taking place within the system. These by-products are, unfortunately, proving difficult to measure as they often remain silent - who wants to own burn out? Many teachers I talk with who are leaving will suggest other reasons for their departure, but dig deeper and the core issues are usually the same. I am all for progress, evolution and learning new things, however I am genuinely concerned with the

As a student I had gained a number of D’s in my junior years, failed School Cert and Sixth Form Cert, and eventually grew tired of the feeling of failure, so by putting myself through Outdoor Pursuits, Spirit of NZ and Outward Bound I ended up achieving more than I imagined, walking away with an A Bursary, Science degree and qualifying as a Geography teacher. This feeling of success due to my own efforts has fuelled and propelled me for the past 25 years. I did not gain inspiration from someone either doing it for me or handing it to me on a platter. Teachers need to be very careful not to confuse helping a student with actually doing the work for them as that a misguided practice and the quickest road to learned

“I believe the most pressing issue right now is the burn out and rising exhaustion levels of teachers.“

The number one resource for students will always be teachers, they are the human links and bonds needed to deliver an education system that will nurture our children. It is therefore crucial that the holistic wellness of all teachers is respected and not brushed aside or paid lip-service to.

If you are in a position of leadership and have the ability to make crucial decisions then use your power to slow the pace down regardless of what researchers may be telling you to implement. The analogy of flogging a dead horse really does have meaning in this sector.

I have not set out to slate a profession that was once my vocation and passion, but I will draw attention to, and raise awareness of, a system that currently ‘needs to be seen to be working’ even as the systemic cracks are beginning to show.

For more information about services Intrinsic Achievement offers please go to www.intrinsicachievement.com or email pip@howtoachieve.co.nz

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Teachers Matter

STEPHEN LETHBRIDGE

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Room 7 kids presenting their reflections in the pit

STEPHEN LETHBRIDGE

Modelling a growth mindset Teaching through doing

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e want our kids to understand that learning isn’t easy. It is a challenging activity, it causes a great deal of head scratching and it requires risk taking.

We talk as a staff about ‘The Pit’ and what we go through when we try something new.

Our class windows and walls are adorned with pits and the associated resources that children have created to help them get out and experience the ecstasy of success.

This morning Meredith Bladen’s class were leading assembly and they walked us through their learning pits.

Meredith works ver y hard to establish a growth mindset culture. It was great to see the children showing their hand drawn graphs with notes and reflections, with actions and emotions all mapped. I have asked Meredith to blog about this but she is a little shy – please tweet her and ask her to write about how she uses learning pits.

“We need our children to know that learning is a challenge, we never stop doing it and that we can always get better with practise and support from the collective group.“

Earlier in the assembly I had talked about one of my faulty learning habits that I was trying to get over… I mentioned how impressed I was that the school always uses NZ Sign Language as they sing the National Anthem and that I feel a little embarrassed about not getting things right so I don’t give it a go. I asked the assembly what I could do … After a couple of weeks in, I was amazed at the response from children of all ages.

In response to a middle school child saying that I should just ask for help, I asked for help. At lunchtime today I had a string of children waiting to help me. One 5 year old

simply said just copy the You Tube clip. This was met with a Year 3 response of, “Yeah he could do that but it is always much better when you learn with someone else.” So for the next 10 minutes I learned and practised with these kids who had given up their lunchtime to help me out. The bell went and they were gone leaving me basking in the glow of that Year 3 child’s response. It was priceless and I was left thinking how lucky that child was to have teachers who model a growth mindset and help their students articulate effective learning strategies and dispositions.

As leaders in schools (And I mean leaders in the broadest possible sense) it is our responsibility to model these behaviours to our children. It is our responsibility to think aloud, to share our thought processes so that our children know that learning is a challenge, we never stop doing it and that we can always get better with practise and support from the collective group.

We are more intelligent when we use our extended networks.

Stephen is a Dad, Husband, Principal, sport mad, gadget man. He is all about learning and growing leaders of the future. He is moving into his tenth year of school principalship at Taupaki School and believes in growing leadership capacity at all levels in school. He has value his involvement in the OUR Education Network for the past eight years, learning from amazing leaders from around the world.

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CLAIRE LAURENSON

Teachers Matter Matter Teachers

“It is the big changes that can surprise us and throw us off balance but they are the ones that make us stretch and grow.“

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CLAIRE LAURENSON

©

Loss and grief… …and family change

W

hen I was a child growing up in the 1960’s, our family structure was a nuclear one and the norm for the times: Mum, Dad and the kids. We also had relatives close by, all of the aunts and uncles from both sides of the family bar one, a few great-aunts and great-uncles, plenty of cousins but only one grandparent for me unfortunately, being the last child in the family. Stability is the word that springs to mind when I think about my upbringing.

I had one friend who didn’t have a dad and she was the exception amongst all my classmates through primary school. I remember her telling me how lucky I was to have a dad - I thought it was a given.

Society has changed so much in a relatively short time in this regard. Family structures nowadays are so diverse and often complex.

In a classroom conversation recently, Year 7 and 8 students could not comprehend the fact that my teacher friend did not have a stepdad.

Looking at this diagram, what strikes me is how much change, loss and grief underscores a lot of these family structures.

Many of them are restructured, having become what they are from having been something else. Without doubt, these changes have involved losses and gains in varying amounts for everyone involved both adults and children alike.

As a teacher, you may find yourself in the position of being among the first to be told of a family’s changed circumstances. This may be because the parent has informed you as the teacher who knows their child, has their best interests at heart and is in a position to keep an eye on them. It may be because you’ve noticed a change in a child’s behaviour and broached the subject with the parent or caregiver, or conversely, you may not be informed at all because saying it makes it real and the parent might not be ready to acknowledge that yet or may carry shame about it.

Impact of change on children From the world around us to the cells in our bodies, change is a constant. Little by little we change and grow every day.

It is the big changes that can surprise us and throw us off balance but they are the ones that make us stretch and grow. Some personalities embrace change readily, while others of us need more time to accept and readjust. When change is thrust upon us rather than through choice, this makes it more difficult to accept and may take more time to process. This is often the case for children who are generally powerless over the decisions adults make. When adults put their own relationship needs ahead of their children’s needs, expecting the children to accept the changes and carry on as normal, parents are often surprised when they don’t.

First and fore mostly, children need to feel safe and loved to grow.

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CLAIRE LAURENSON

Some changes to family structure can happen in a matter of moments, such as when there is a sudden death. Even though it has changed in principle, it can take months and years to integrate that in practice. Like an earthquake, we are jolted by a big shake followed by a series of lesser tremors that continue over a period of time until the ground settles and we can stand on our feet again and trust in life enough to rebuild. In the beginning, the focus is on surviving the present circumstances you unbelievably find yourself in, putting one foot in front of the other, taking one step at a time, it takes time to ‘find (both) your feet’. After a traumatic incident, it is normal to feel that the world will never be a safe place again and as such, be in a state of hyper vigilance, a heightened awareness to potential or perceived threat. While the

brain is pre-occupied with survival, it is not able to concentrate on learning. This may be the case for some of the children in your classrooms today. If this is the case, refer to my article Grief in the Classroom in the previous issue of Teachers Matter for grounding strategies.

Changes in family structure happen for a multitude of reasons; sometimes they are internal to the family, other times external and sometimes both. It may come about through individual choice, mutual agreement or a complete surprise.

Sometimes it is a matter of necessity or survival; sometimes it’s a case of no longer wanting what you have, wanting more or wanting something different. Even when it is your choice and know it is for the best, it is not without loss and grief.

Support through family change There are significant differences in how losses in life and loss of life are managed, and consequently the support they receive.

After a loss of life, we have customs, rituals and ceremonies to mark a person’s passing.

Historically determined by culture and/ or faith, though increasingly secularised, these customs shape the way in which we acknowledge, farewell and mourn that loss. Throughout, there is an opportunity for others to show and provide support in various ways.

Contrast that against a family breakup which can involve multiple losses; the loss of the adult relationship and changes to the family unit and dynamics, the loss of daily contact with the children and vice

CHANGE

Teachers Matter

©

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LEARNING IMPAIRED

UNCERTAINTY

SLEEP IMPACTED

ANXIETY

HYPER VIGILENCE

CLAIRE LAURENSON

versa daily contact with a parent, the family home and possessions, pets, mutual friends, community, financial position and lifestyle. These losses are experienced by all the family, adults, children and pets.

Family separation is not uncommon these days, there isn’t the stigma there used to be but by the same token, there isn’t always acknowledgment of the losses involved either.

What customs and ceremonies do we have for acknowledging and grieving these losses in life? Generally, it is expected that we should just ‘get on with it’ even though some of life’s losses can be so crippling and

debilitating that some people don’t recover.

Some of these losses can leave people feeling as bereft as if someone had died without the benefit of a funeral and time or permission to mourn. Some losses also go unvoiced for fear of judgment or shame, being minimised or trivialised and some losses simply aren’t recognised as that.

Loss is loss and grief is grief, few of us get through life unscathed by it. We can’t see many of life’s losses but we never forget how they feel and we can touch someone else when we share our story and they can touch us when we listen.

Claire is an experienced Grief Practitioner and Educator providing support, education and training, public speaking, facilitating, memory-making and healing and soon to be Funeral Celebrant. You can contact Claire at Grief Relief by phone (04) 970122, email claire@griefrelief.co.nz or at www.griefrelief.co.nz

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Teachers Matter SUE LESTER

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SUE LESTER

How to create harmonious discipline

Use the 4 love languages to your advantage

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ou may be surprised to learn ‘harmonious discipline’ isn’t about children howling in unison as they are yelled at. Jokes aside, there is a secret to harmonising your classroom so the underlying reasons for misbehaviour, and therefore the need to discipline, reduce dramatically. It’s a secret that some teachers enact instinctively, and you can sense it in and around their classrooms. The students are calmer, the room hums with productive activity, and the teacher is rarely in need of a ‘mental health day’. On playground duty children from other classes and previous years seem to follow her around.

The secret is that each of us (child or adult) has our own love language, our preferred way of giving and receiving love. When we feel loved with our own language we also generally feel understood, validated and safe. Conversely, someone could be showering you with love in her language, but it is meaningless to you. You don’t feel loved just because someone tells you so if you’re Visual or Kinaesthetic, you’ll need other ‘proof’ in your love language.

PHOTO: ANDREWLEX

“With patience and practice you’ll find harmonious discipline much easier and less disruptive.“

There are four broad main languages: Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic and Auditory Digital. Within each there are many personal variations and combinations.

Those labels are also used for learning styles, but may not necessarily directly correlate. For example a Visual learner may have a Kinaesthetic love language.

Visual: This language includes eye contact, visual contact, smiles, signals of approval, gifts, handmade gifts, found gifts (flower, shell), prizes, written & video messages,

their name in print, work displayed, photos, going out to new or favourite places, acts of service, items of beauty or uniqueness, artwork, fresh flowers, tastefully presented meals, decorated/tidied/cleaned rooms, sight gags and slap-stick humour.

Auditory: hearing own name, loving tone, nicknames, talking at length about anything and everything, verbal agreement and praise, significant songs, magic words e.g. “I love you. I’m sorry. Thank you.

Please”, laughter, story & joke telling, poetr y, making or listening to music, singing, a patient and sympathetic ear.

Kinaesthetic: positive physical contact including hugs, kisses, shoulder/head pat, handholding, hair stroking/brushing, wrestling, friendly punches, tickling, massage, contact sport, tactile gifts & objects e.g. smooth stone, piece of textured bark, dancing, tactile clothing – particularly soft, silky, furry, gifts of experiences, interacting with animals, shared art & craft, gardening, swimming, sand and water play.

Auditory Digital: these need to think about whether they feel loved or not, so give them the silence needed to process information, questions and experiences.

Your patience is well rewarded.

Harmonious discipline works on two levels.

Firstly, identifying and communicating with individuals in their own love language. This may seem an over-whelming task at first, but the more you apply this, the quicker your class settles and your job becomes easier. Choose 2 or 3 children a day, starting with the ‘difficult’ ones. In no time you’ll have your class worked out.

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SUE LESTER

PHOTO: MAXIM LUPASCU

Secondly, discipline is rarely needed when children are feeling loved, understood, validated and safe. Remember to discipline in the child’s love language too, but gently.

A Visual child might not respond until you yell, but the ‘teacher eye’ will work quickly, likewise an Auditory child only needs a shift in tone as you say his name.

A gentle touch on the shoulder to calm, withdrawing a Kinaesthetic child to the quiet corner, or taking away privileges to use a particular resource will have the most impact. With patience and practice you’ll find harmonious discipline much easier and less disruptive.

PHOTO: JULIJA SAPIC

Younger children are much easier to observe demonstrating their love languages.

However, you can explain the concept of love languages to teenagers, and allow them to identify their own. A key is how they want to be comforted: a sympathetic face, soothing words or a hug? It’s crucial to their own personal development to understand why they respond the way they do to other’s actions, words and deeds. A cruel nickname will be more hurtful to an Auditory person, whereas a rude gesture or social media post will impact a Visual person more. A slap hurts a Kinaesthetic more.

It’s also crucial teenagers (and adults) understand that their love language being fulfilled through a boyfriend’s words, gifts or touch does not make it automatically ‘true love’. Likewise, deeds and words must match, and disrespectful behaviour is not acceptable, even if followed by a gift, “I love you” or a cuddle.

Have fun playing with harmonious discipline, and enjoy the benefits at work, and home.

Teachers Matter

Sue is a mindset coach, keynote speaker, adventurer and author of “The Face Within: How to Change Your Unconscious Blueprint”. A former classroom teacher, for the past 9 years Sue has coached stressed and stretched business and career women across the globe to re-discover themselves, and put the missing “I” back into their L_FE. www.GrowingContent.com.au PHOTO: SERHIY KOBYAKOV

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PHOTO: CLOUD7DAYS

TERRY SMALL

5 surprising ways to keep your brain young Maintain your brain!

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o you take your brain health seriously?

Or do you take it for granted?

Remember, you get one brain.

Isaac Asimov once said, “The human brain, then, is the most complicated organisation of matter that we know”. It needs to be maintained.

There are many well known ways to boost your brain. Here are some that you may not have thought of. Brain science notes these surprising ways to keep your brain young.

Remember, when it comes to your brain, the little things add up....

1. Phone a friend. Or better yet, visit a friend. Having a social life is one of the best things you can do for your brain. Not being socially connected is actually a stronger risk for death than not exercising, or obesity (Time Magazine). Having friends in your life protects your mental health, lowers stress, and supports your immune system. Real-life contact is key. Each laugh triggers happymaking endorphins.

“When it comes to your brain, the little things add up.“

2. Find a good boss. Hating your boss is bad for your brain. If you like your boss, your blood pressure will likely be lower, and your heart disease risk goes down.

Remember, what’s good for your heart is good for your brain. If you are a boss, be a good one.

3. Have a cup of tea. Better yet, have two.

Tea is a powerful source of antioxidants. Tea protects your brain and heart. It lowers your bad cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and lowers your risk of stroke. Green and black teas are brain teas.

4. Give time. Help others, and you do a lot for your health. A review of 40 studies found that volunteering cuts your risk of early death by 22 percent! Volunteerism is linked to lower rates of depression, and greater well-being. Volunteering is good for your brain. Look for ways to make a difference.

5. Work hard. People who work hard at meaningful work live the longest lives, says Howard Friedman (The Longevity Project).

Productive hard work lowers your stress, and increases happiness. Both are important for your brain health.

Every little bit helps......

Terry is a master teacher and learning skills specialist. He has presented on the brain for over 30 years and has a wealth of teaching experience and extensive involvement in applied neuroscience. www.terrysmall.com

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TONY RYAN

Learning and empathy in the world of AI Are robot teachers inevitable?

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n early May 2016, 300 Georgia Tech students discovered that their teacher aide, Jill Watson, was not a real person.

In fact, ‘she’ was a robot that had been capably supporting them via online voice recognition software all through the semester. Rather aptly, it was an online course on artificial intelligence. Most of the students were simply amused by this admission. Others were not as happy, given that there had been no disclosure of the non-human nature of their online helper.

But it gets you wondering, doesn’t it? Where is the limit on the robot support that could be offered to school students?

Mattel’s latest Hello Barbie is another case in point. This interactive doll can listen to a child’s conversation, and then provide a contextual comment from the 8000 different responses in its memory bank. In just a few years from now, similar devices (that hopefully don’t look like Barbie) could be programmed to provide explicit learning support for each student.

Teachers Matter

Are there any concerns with these devices?

There are many. All conversations are being stored in the Cloud, so there are some ominous privacy questions to be considered here. And at what point do these robots adopt a cyber-ethical stance on various issues? Would we ever want children to develop their values from a non-human entity?

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Artificial intelligence has well and truly arrived in our everyday lives. The contentious issues are significant…. but then, so are the benefits. These assistants will release us from many tedious tasks in our personal and professional lives.

Data processing, learning analytics and rapid online searching are just some of the advantages of these innovations. But here is one of the most pertinent questions of all: Will robots partly replace adults who work in schools?

Well… this process has already occurred for hundreds of years in other professions.

Ever since the Industrial Age, the work of millions of people has been supplanted by machinery. Admittedly, it has not been on a scale that is likely in the pending future. In ‘The Rise Of The Robots’, Martin Ford maintains that around 40% of all employees around the world will see significant restructuring or even loss of their daily work within the next decade.

Does this mean that we will see higher unemployment? Not necessarily. According to futurist Thomas Frey, many all-new occupations will become more commonplace e.g. crypto-currency bankers, augmented reality architects, driverless machine engineers. For schools, US-based education forecasters KnowledgeWorks conjecture about roles such as competency trackers, data stewards, micro-credential analysts and pop-up reality producers.

So what is the dilemma with all of this astonishing new work? There is a wide gap between many people’s present skills, and the new skills they will need for these advanced roles. A part-result? We will always be learning and updating our professional skills. Andragogy (the art and science of adult learning) will become as important in schools as the child version (i.e. pedagogy). This andragogy will be continuous, evidence-based and resultsdriven. As well as full degrees, emphasis will be placed on micro-credentialing in order to support time-poor educators.

Regardless of the efforts we each make, is it still possible that robots will take over our jobs? Well… when it comes to the future, you can never say ‘never’. However, I find it difficult to believe that society will accept everyone being replaced by robots. If someone is not receiving a wage, then they won’t be paying taxes. It’s difficult to see our politicians accepting that state of affairs.

Perhaps even more importantly, if no-one

is actively working, then what will they do with their time every day?

H e r e ’s o n e t h i n g w e c a n p r o b a b l y guarantee: The long-term structure of work will change forever. A single full-time onejob-for-life will become a rarity. In any case, most Under-30s shudder at the thought of remaining in one work position for 40 or more years. We may need to keep this in mind as we prepare young people for this future world of work. But what about us right now? For those adults who work with students, and who want to keep their job, what can be done about these changing work patterns? Here are two compelling options.

Point 1. Keep Learning. Education in itself is obviously about helping young people to learn. But it needs to be equally so for the adults who work in the field. The reality? It is hypocritical to be employed in the education profession, and yet not be prepared to learn and develop yourself.

Thankfully, the vast majority of educators are obsessed about their own learning. In the next ten years, they will need to be. ICT and improved pedagogy are not passing fads; they are here to stay, and will progress rapidly. But is this obsession with technology leading to a loss of our very humanity? Let’s look at Option 2.

2. Generate Empathy. Why focus on empathy? Basically, because robots cannot provide it. Robots do not have soul. They never will. I don’t care what the futurists say about the pending age of spiritual machines. These robots will always be artificial constructs that are developed to mimic human behavior. So what do we need to do as authentic humans? Here’s one obvious answer: Explore and deepen our empathic connection with others. Refine our social capacity and respect for different cultures and beliefs (are you listening, D o n a l d Tr u m p ? ) . E m p a t h y will become the critical 21 st century skill. If you want to stay employed in education, look for every way possible to further refine

TONY RYAN

your empathic support for children. They need it; and it helps you to do your work more effectively.

ILLUSTRATION: PPBIG

“Here’s one thing we can probably guarantee: The long-term structure of work will change forever.“

A final thought? The application of technology in education is delicately balanced between Choice and Chance. Choice is when we design our preferred futures, then backward map to the present time, and steadily work on creating those futures. Chance is when we abrogate all responsibility for developing what is ahead, and simply concede to outside forces that inflict our future on us. Can we stop the rise of the artificial intelligence world? No we can’t. Can we choose how to take advantage of this astonishing new world? Yes we can, with learning and empathy. Are you ready to play your part?

To n y i s a t e a c h e r- i n residence and educational consultant who refuses to take life too seriously.

The facilitation of quality thinking has always fascinated him. If you’d like lots more ideas, head off to www. tonyryan.com. au, or to the latest version of Thinkers Keys (available on an Individual and Site licence). Track down Tony at tony@ tonyryan.com.au.

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Teachers Matter 34

“Fear of judgment from others cripples dialogue and our desire to be seen as competent unravels any attempts to share what isn’t going so well.“

ILLUSTRATION: IEVGENII VOLYK

TRACEY EZARD

TRACEY EZARD

Are your teachers great learners or just great mates?

Being a Lead Learner for your staff

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hile it is lovely to have a harmonious hum in a school staff culture – it may not be getting the results you are after. Being friends with colleagues is hugely important to many teachers and plays a big part in building the social capital of a school. If it doesn’t go beyond ‘just friends’, we’ve got problems. There is a litmus test for a truly thriving school learning culture. Do our teachers get joy and professional fulfilment from learning and growing their teaching practice? If so, then we can really get stuck into the work.

Teachers Matter

Scratching the surface below the hum gives a good indicator as to whether our teams have the foundational requirements for looking rigorously at teaching practice. To do this, teams need a strong belief in sharing successes and failures, relentlessly putting their work under the spotlight and pulling it apart. They use data as a springboard for analysis and collaborate on action. A commitment to professional trust and learning provides the drivers for behaviours creating the required environment and dialogue.

This is what elevates the hum to a buzz.

Cracks can quickly appear in a team where everyone ‘gets along well’ but is not skilled or experienced with discussing their individual practice or challenges.

Distrust and a ‘bunker down’ approach then swiftly overtake a seemingly strong team when the focus is on what is actually happening in the classroom. People feel exposed and vulnerable. Fear of judgment from others cripples dialogue and our desire to be seen as competent unravels any attempts to share what isn’t going so well. Any sense of ‘I have nothing to learn from my colleagues’ can also put the kibosh on collaboration and co-creation.

From a neuroscience perspective, if we haven’t created a safe place within our teams for robust debate and learning, our

brains feel in threat, and retreat from the prefrontal cortex – the ‘executive function’ part of the brain. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for lear ning, analysis, connection and collaboration. The way to get it working brilliantly for us is to create an environment where we get joy, value and fulfilment from our work.

Make the Bridge Bridging the strong connection teachers h a v e w i t h e a c h o t h e r s o c i a l l y, t o a connection to each other as learners is the a key to building a thriving learning culture. When investing in creating an atmosphere of fearless collaborative learning, clearly signal what it looks like.

As a leader, encouraging an environment of learning is about modeling it ourselves and working collaboratively with staff to have dialogue based on learning – not just student learning but also staff learning.

Michael Fullan, in his William Walker Oration at the ACEL conference 2015, highlighted his Lead Learner concept as one of three keys to maximising change in schools (the other two being Change Agent and System Player). The Principal as Lead Learner builds collaborative cultures and mechanisms for teachers to learn from each other – and crucially, they participate in this learning as well.

Participate, Don't Delegate Symbolically, school leaders who are never seen at the learning table collaborating and contributing are sending incongruent messages to staff. The importance of learning together and seizing opportunities to discuss the real work of the classroom is realised in actions not words. Leaders who are either absent, or who imprint their presence through giving their opinions as

gospel truths and then leave, undermine the good work being done to build a collaborative learning culture.

Reflection: Being a Lead Learner in 2016 Do I show my commitment to collaborative learning by participating in discussion and professional learning with my staff whenever possible? i.e. Do I participate or delegate this activity to others?

What curious questions do I ask to increase my own learning?

How do I co-create with my staff rather than creating for?

Do I show JOY and EXCITEMENT in my own learning?

Am I transparent about my own learning – successes and failures, exploration, testing, reflection?

Do I create an environment where mistakes are REALLY seen as learning opportunities?

Does the rhetoric of mistakes being critical to learning translate to behaviours?

What are my own learning goals for this year?

Tracey works with businesses, schools, education systems and other sectors to bring together culture and strategy for driving momentum and transformation.

She combines the neuroscience of trust and relationships with the power of collaborative strategy. She is a keynote speaker, author and graphic facilitator. tracey@traceyezard.com +(61) 417 317 563

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THERESE HOYLE

Positive Playtime Behaviour Management Programme Help your school flourish

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re you struggling with?

• Bullying and bad behaviour at playtimes?

• Losing valuable learning time sorting out playtime disputes when children come back into the classroom?

• Children who don’t know how to play?

• L u n c h t i m e s u p e r v i s o r s w h o a r e n ’t engaging with the children?

Teachers Matter

My Positive Playtimes Programme is a whole school approach that supports children in being more tolerant, friendly and kind.

Getting your behaviour management systems sorted at the start of term is essential to providing children with a secure, bully free environment that fosters happy, calm and peaceful playtimes.

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Rules Review your school rules and ensure that you have them displayed inside and outside. Edventure’s Rules and Playground Manners cover the 4R’s of • Respect for self • Respect for others

Assembly at the start of the school year

• Respect for property and the environment

At the start of the academic year schools generally have an assembly welcoming everyone back and reinforcing the school rules which might have been forgotten over the 6 week summer break! It’s really important for every member of staff to be invited to this assembly so that the children see that the whole school staff know the rules and that everyone is working together.

Children will often think that support staff don’t know the school rules so will try and lead them a little dance! This is also a way of building respectful relationships both inside and outside in the school playground.

Rewards

• Responsibility for all your actions

Rewards can take many formats and I have developed a range of attractive and easy to use rewards with Edventure which schools regularly tell me are effective and are easy to implement.

These include: Reward Tokens: “Star child”, “Caught being good” and “Great little helper”, Playground Star Aw a r d C e r t i f i c a t e s , green Reward slips all linked to the Playground Rules and all available from Edventure. ‘The Great Play Award’: (see 101 Playground Games appendix for the certificate) is a special certificate that is given out in assembly to a child who has kept the rules/values of the school; alternatively it can be a plaque or just a sticker. Teachers choose criteria for selection from week to week and ideally choose different children each week.

THERESE HOYLE

Sanctions Is it bad or bored behaviour?

If it is the latter then it’s time to invest in your playground and play equipment. If you are struggling with the former then I would suggest you tighten up your incentive and sanction systems.

Edventure’s red Sanction slips prove a good deterrent and if used effectively can be a useful tool for MSA’s, teachers and Senco’s to track those children who are finding playtimes challenging.

As with all incentive and sanction systems there needs to be a baseline and ceiling otherwise you will find some teachers and MSA’s giving out rewards and sanctions like confetti!

PALs PA L s ( P l a y g r o u n d A c t i v i t y L e a d e r s ) are a vital part of playtimes. These are u s u a l l y Ye a r 5 a n d 6 p u p i l s w h o g o through a rigorous recruitment and training programme. They help organise games, mediate disputes and ensure the playground is a safer, more enjoyable space for everyone. To learn more about how to set up your PALs please go to http:// theresehoyle.com

“It is important to provide children with a secure, bully free environment that fosters happy, calm and peaceful playtimes.“

Circle Time to foster positive relationships and develop social skills On my Positive Playtimes Masterclass I run circle time sessions with the children and the school staff observe. The aim of these sessions is for me to find out what is going well at playtimes and the behaviours children are struggling with.

Circle time helps develop conflict resolution, communication and social skills. I suggest to schools that there is an ongoing time table of circle time and that it is held once a week at a set time.

The start of the year is an important time to establish your behavioural systems with regards to playtimes, but it’s never too late to start at any time throughout the year!

Thérèse is the bestselling author of 101 Playground Games and 101 Wet Playtime Games and Activities. She runs Positive Playtime, Circle Time and the Flourishing Schools Programmes nationally and internationally. If you wish to develop her ideas further please read her books, available from Edventure, or contact her direct for in-depth advice on designing and developing your playground.

Tel: 0044 121 369 1998 Email: info@theresehoyle.com www.theresehoyle.com

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MICHAEL GROSE

10 top tips for meetings with parents

Basic ground rules to guide your behaviour

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arent meetings can be tricky. They require considerable expertise as there can be a lot of emotion involved as parents have so much invested of themselves in their children.

To help even challenging meetings run smoothly it helps to have some basic ground rules to guide your behaviour, and stop you from being reactive to parent agendas and moods (yours as well as theirs).

Here are 10 simple ground rules that will help your meetings be effective and conflictfree:

Teachers Matter

1. Work ‘from the best interest of the child’ The child’s best interests are often lost when there is conflict between the school and family. It’s replaced by winning the day, which is largely about ego. Always keep the best interests of the child in mind when meeting with parents.

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2. Remember that parents won’t always follow your rules Teachers by nature are rule-oriented, procedural people. Education generally demands adherence to policy and procedure. Parents aren’t necessarily bound by adherence to the same rules of conduct and behaviour as you. Be alert, but not alarmed.

3. Separate your person from your position Your relationship with a parent is first and foremost a professional rather than a personal relationship. That means you stick to professional standards, using appropriate language and behaving like a professional. Aim for effectiveness rather than being liked.

4. Match the time, place and format to the requirements of the meeting An informal meeting with a parent at drop-off time may be ideal to give some good news about a child’s learning break through. However it’s probably not the best time or place to talk about a child’s difficult behaviour. Better that type of

conversation occurs during an arranged meeting. That may mean that you politely invite the parent to meet with you at a more convenient time so that can fully attend to the problem or situation at hand.

5. Prepare yourself with the facts, figures and documentation It’s not always possible to have everything you want at your fingertips before a meeting but do your best to produce documentation to support you if conversations become difficult. The best way to get around parent denial is to back up what you are talking about with samples, documentation or correct information.

MICHAEL GROSE 9. Remember, you can’t be a free agent for a parent There are times when parents may want you to go way passed what’s reasonable for their child. While special circumstances require specialised responses you can’t operate outside normal protocols and procedures.

You represent a school that represents a system.

ILLUSTRATION:IOULIA BOLCHAKOVA

10. Be careful what you promise In the interest of creating good feelings in a meeting it is easy to promise more than you can deliver in the classroom, playground or learning centre. Only promise the things that you can deliver and make sure you do as you say you will.

“Make it the best experience possible for parents.“ 6. Find out what the parent knows Whether you or a parent calls a meeting, let the parent fill you in on what he or she knows about a situation before you give your take on it. Get the parents’ viewpoint first.

7. Look for the educative moments There are many times in meetings and other interactions with parents that you can educate parents about children in general, good teaching and learning practice and school protocols and procedures. Remind them what they know rather tell.

8. Make it the best experience possible for parents Regardless of the content of the meeting, work hard to make the meeting process as enjoyable and professional as possible. Parents need to feel valued and listened to during meetings and conferences.

That is the way of teaching professionals.

Will parents leave a meeting or interaction with you saying that that was enjoyable experience? Will they leave feeling listened to and valued? Will they tell others of the professional way that they were treated?

A bad experience travels a lot faster and further than a good experience.

As much as is humanly practical, try to have parents leaving a meeting with feeling that they have been listened to, that you value their contribution to their child’s education and with feelings of hope, that there are solutions to problems and there are strategies that they can put into place that will improve situations – whether learning, behavioural or social.

Author, columnist and presenter Michael Grose currently supports over 1,100 schools in Australia, New Zealand and England in engaging and supporting their parent communities. He is also the director of Parentingideas, Australia’s leader in parenting education resources and support for schools. In 2010 Michael spoke at the prestigious Headmaster’s Conference in England, the British International Schools Conference in Madrid, and the Heads of Independent Schools Conference in Australia, showing school leadership teams how to move beyond partnership-building to create real parent-school communities.

For bookings, parenting resources for schools and Michael’s famous Free Chores & Responsibilities Guide for Kids, go to www.parentingideas.com.au.

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PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE

KATE SOUTHCOMBE

Helping children to acknowledge their mistakes And acknowledging our own.

Teachers Matter

I

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was pondering some of the interesting things we say to console people or to apparently ease pain or suffering in the moment when a mistake is made. One that immediately springs to mind is ‘Everyone makes mistakes, it’s ok’. It seems like a harmless phrase, and quite appropriate when someone has upended the apple cart or failed an exam or mucked up in some way. We do need reminding that mistakes happen and life goes on, somehow.

Here’s a great example. A friend sent me a link to a YouTube clip. The clip was from a live concert and featured Robert Downey Junior singing a duet with Sting.

It was titled - Is there nothing this man

can’t do?! I have always admired RDJ and I can’t say exactly why! It does help that he is incredibly attractive, appears to be smart and has a wicked sense of humour - yet the defining feature for me is he faced up to his mistakes. He publicly admitted his previous problems with addictions and moved forward. He has indeed turned his life around and is probably more successful now than ever before and certainly more so than many of his fellow actors from that brat pack era.

Facebook when many in the public eye make a ‘mistake’. I do not recall what was circulating originally when Downey first fell from grace but maybe he too was slammed.

He seems to have some sort of resilience that has enabled him to rise above any barrier.

Behaviourally you could say he has a history of reinforcement for keeping going!

It may also be that he was surrounded by people that supported this rise from the ashes and provided further reinforcement for’ keep going’ behaviour.

So why this, how was he able to make this incredible comeback when so many others fail and fall by the wayside? Consider the harsh abuse and rude comments made on

So if mistakes truly are a part of life we need to adjust our attitude towards mistakes. Society judges mistakes as either acceptable or not – after all that is

KATE SOUTHCOMBE

“We can train ourselves to consider that all mistakes may not be equal but how we deal with them must be based on our behaviour being consistent.“

what our entire judicial system is based on – did you intend to do it or was it a mistake and if so, does society accept it as a mistake or not? We then punish the person accordingly; although as behavioural science tells us a punisher is defined by its effect on behaviour not on what we believe is punishing. For many, prison doesn’t act as a punisher, therefore it doesn’t reduce the unwanted behaviour, hence the high degree of reoffending. However imagine how difficult it is for children to discriminate between acceptable and unacceptable mistakes when they are bombarded by our emotive judgmental comments about what is happening in the media and in politics?

What do they base their learning on? Clear guidelines? Easy to follow instructions? No, they are probably basing it on what you can get away with or whatever happens to resonate with them at the time.

If we are attempting to help children understand and acknowledge their mistakes we can’t allow judgment to enter into what is acceptable and what isn’t – there is no grey area, you made an error, you corrected, now move on! Next time you find the judgment alarm going off you might like to try my game and ask yourself the following question….do I want to be right or kind?

I have found this enormously helpful in changing my behaviour towards apparently aggressive drivers, rude shop assistants, and rude friends, and in potentially confrontational encounters. By choosing to be kind we may find ourselves changing our behaviour for the better. Maybe, by starting with accepting these small mistakes, we can train ourselves to consider that all mistakes

may not be equal but how we deal with them must be based on our behaviour being consistent, and not on the size or severity of mistake.

While this is only a small selection of examples it is the beginning of taking responsibility for your actions and modeling the correct behaviour for our children.

So how does this transfer to the classroom?

How can we help children to acknowledge their mistakes? Here are a few suggestions.

Unfortunately, as a society, we are caught up in the emotive concept of retribution and just desserts and requiring people to learn a lesson. Behavioural science has shown us that learning a lesson requires an effective reinforcer and a systematic approach to training, rather than the trainer’s personal judgment calls! How different our life might be if we took to heart that famous quote - let he who is without sin cast the first stone – surely it is the ultimate rule to live by? The message remains the same - change our own behaviour before we attempt to change others. Another behavioural byproduct of changing your behaviour is that we might notice opportunities to say something nice to someone. Perhaps if we focused on what people are doing that we like and appreciate, we might see more of it! Meanwhile, rock on Robert Downey Junior!

• Encourage children to self-assess their work – ask for their thoughts and opinions on their class work.

• Remove erasers from the classroom – face up to errors and use them to your advantage especially in art work!

• Use a draft book for writing - this may help them to get ideas down in any format before they start editing – allowing for ‘mistakes’ • Be sure to acknowledge any attempt to apologise or fix the problem without your support. Often children are quite capable of sorting their own problems out if the teacher conveys the expectation that they will do so.

• Acknowledge your own mistakes in class – for example I would discuss spelling issues with my class using the dictionary in front of them to make corrections • If you make a mistake involving a child, admit to it immediately – this is modeling how to own up to a mistake in a responsible manner. For example if you mistakenly reprimand a child, apologise!

I have often seen teachers rationalise, even though they have made a mistake and told off the wrong child!

Kate provides individually tailored professional development for Early Childhood Centres and schools on evidence-based behaviour management.

She also consults for par ents of children with specific behaviour concerns. kate@eprtraining.co.nz

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMN KAREN BOYES

A to Z of effective teaching A by-the-letter guide

Seating

Self-esteem

State

The seating arrangement in a classroom can create the tone of a class. Having all students facing for ward gives a more authoritarian tone, whilst seating students in groups may give a more co-operative feel. If you are working towards students being more independent in their learning, an environment with flexible seating such as sofas, bean bags, group tables, quiet areas etc. may be more

Having confidence in your own abilities and own worth is referred to as self esteem. Many students have lower self-esteem and require reassurance from others to know they are OK. Setting attainable goals and praising the effort towards reaching the goals is one step to assist students to raise their self-esteem. Create opportunities for students to use and develop their strengths. Teach them they are no their results and the results they get are a reflection of their techniques and strategies rather than their self worth.

A learning state is the particular condition in which a learner is in, at any given time. They may be alert, distracted, bored, intrigued, confused, engaged etc. The skill of managing a student’s learning state is a key ingredient for learning success.

Ideas include, varying the lesson with visuals, discussion, lecture and activities. Have students stand when discussing or moving to a different part of the room for an activity. Vary the tone and pitch of your voice. Use stories to engage the students. Provide purposeful learning intentions or use music to change the state of the class.

Teachers Matter

appropriate.

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMN

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NOPQRSTUVWXYZ KAREN BOYES

Stress

Sleep

W h e n a s t u d e n t ’s b r a i n i n perceiving a threat or stress in a learning environment, the brain responds with a complex cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters. Whilst this is great in a life or death situation, it is usually detrimental to the learning ability as the brain downshifts from the frontal cortex, where higher order thinking and problem solving occurs, to the brain stem of fight, flight or freeze. Minimising stress in the classroom by creating a safe environment and this will help maximise the learning.

On average, researchers recommend teenagers have nine and a quarter hours sleep per night for maximum brain health.

Sleep allows the brain not only to rest, it also aids consolidation of long term memories. A good nights sleep can increase your motor speed and may even improve accuracy. Sleep keeps new brain cells alive, which in a learning context means memory and recall of the learning will be enhanced. REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), one of the deepest parts of sleep, typically during the last two hours of sleep, also enhances emotional memory and learning retention.

NOPQRSTUV

Striving for Accuracy & Precision

The sixth Habit of Mind from Professor Art Costa and Dr Bena Kallicks research, Striving for Accuracy is aiming towards excellence and craftsmanship in all you do. It is about taking the time to check and recheck, and be the best you can be. This Thinking Disposition is not about perfection, rather the striving to produce the highest possible standard. Craftsmanship includes exactness, precision, accuracy, correctness, faithfulness, and f i d e l i t y. F o r s o m e p e o p l e , craftsmanship requires continuous reworking. Mario Cuomo, a great speechwriter and politician, once said that his speeches were never done—it was only a deadline that made him stop working on them!

Karen is an expert in effective teaching and learning, study skills, motivation a n d p o s i t i v e t h i n k i n g. S h e wa s awarded the NSANZ Educator of the Year 2014 award and works in schools throughout Australasia teaching students how to Study Smart and teachers how to raise achievement. www.karentuiboyes.com

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JO LUNN

Making the teaching of inquiry easy STEM

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ou’ve probably seen STEM or STEAM on Pinterest. Lots of cute task cards outlining problem-solving a c t i v i t i e s . Yo u m a y h a v e w o n d e r e d how STEM is taught, when would it fit into an already busy timetable, and probably wondered if there is any benefit to incorporating STEM into your programme? I wondered the same things and I can say categorically, STEM is great. In this article I outline how we use it in our FLE and the benefits it has.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths and STEAM is Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths. But even when we know what it is, it doesn’t really help us to understand how to teach it. And that, I decided, actually doesn’t matter. We can take the concept of STEM and use it to enhance our programme, not to create a new one. STEM & STEAM are basically challenges that learners can complete either individually or in small groups. They somewhat resemble the old BP Technology Challenge tasks that were around when I first started teaching - which is a very long time ago!

Teachers Matter

The great thing about STEM that we have found is that it is a brilliant vehicle for explicitly teaching our School’s Inquiry model and I’m sure it will enable you to do the same with yours. The following is a quick overview of a STEM-based Inquiry we completed with our Year Ones and Twos.

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Most Inquiry models start with some form of Hook - something that captures the learners’ attention and wonderment. I use letters a lot as motivators. Last year, Fairy Tale characters wrote to our students asking for help. As you can imagine the little kids were hooked! The poor characters were sick of not being able to solve their own problems. The Three Little Pigs were tired of sharing a house and needed help designing and making a new ‘wolf-proof’ house. Jack enjoyed climbing the beanstalk for exercise but he needed a quick way to get down to escape the giant and the Three Billy Goats Gruff wanted the children to help them cross the river safely away from the Troll’s bridge.

Each character wrote to the children individually outlining their problem. Each letter contained the criteria which the children had to meet. Simple things like the characters saying they weigh the same as plastic animals and so the bridge for example must be able to hold three of them. Depending on the age of your learners, you can make the criteria for challenges more or less involved.

The next step in our Inquiry model is Wonder. At this point the children were required to brainstorm all their thoughts, ideas and questions about the task required to be completed. Children worked in groups and used organisers I’d made to record their thinking.

From there the children move into Explore. Here we’d watch videos of how strong different designs of bridges are.

We tested materials to find the one that would gently float down when dropped for a parachute for Jack. We learnt all about truss bridges and arch bridges. We learnt about load and pressure-points. Children worked as a team and recorded their answers on an organiser.

Around this point we asked the children to stop and reflect on what they were trying to do, what they had found out and what did knowing this information mean to them and to solving the problem. Once again we had an organiser for them to record their thinking on and together they came up with a plan for where to next.

For these challenges the children were able to design a solution. They drew plans for bridges, parachute designs, houses with barbed wire chimneys and moats to stop wolves from coming in. We set criteria for what makes a good diagram and let the children each design their solution. In their groups they shared their plan and together they decided which one or which combinations of plans would work the best to solve the problem.

The next part was probably the children’s favourite part. The part where they got to make their designs. We used Lego, plastic

bags, boxes, ice-block sticks etc to build some marvellous creations.

Each group had what we called a STEM Captain. This leader was designated to make sure the Inquiry model was followed and was charged with keeping their group on task.

At the end of the Inquiry the children received another letter saying the fairytale characters were going to send a representative to come and see all the solutions the children had made. One of the Mums works for an amateur theatre company so it was not too hard for her to rustle us up a princess to come to a special assembly. We set the stage with fairy lights and the children sat as quiet as mice waiting for their special visitor to arrive. A soundtrack of a horse and carriage pulling up played, and you could’ve heard a pin drop. In entered Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

The children spent the next half an hour explaining their solutions for each of the characters problems and outlined the process they went through. We had a room full of parents who had come to share the special celebration of their child’s learning and it was a big success.

This year the Lorax has written to the children asking for help for the birds as they have nowhere to feed since the Onceler made the thneed. Our children are currently busy designing bird-feeders and one child, who we also taught last year, has asked if I think the Lorax could come and visit like last year.

STEM provided our learners with authentic (although somewhat imaginative) learning. It allowed of the stages of our Inquiry model to be specifically taught. After scaffolding the learners through the process on a couple of challenges, were we confident in their ability to follow the process by themselves. That’s what you want. Lasting memories and fun all make for a successful teaching of Inquiry using STEM as one of your vehicles. Good luck.

JO LUNN

Sharing our learning

Completing a Wonder Sheet

Testing a parachute for Jack

Our Special Visitor - Belle

Bridges for the Billy Goats Gruff

“STEM provided our learners with authentic learning.“ Reflecting on their progress Jo is a passionate educator. She is Team Leader of a Year 2 team at Riverdale School in Palmerston North

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KAREN BOYES

Study skills for success Starting the year with success in mind

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tarting your year off with a positive mindset and some proven study techniques can make all the difference.

Here are 4 to get you started this year…

1. Be ready to learn Start the year with curiosity and wonderment of what you might learn this year. It is often helpful to look over the text book, read the chapter headings, scan the index and take note of the captions under pictures and diagrams. This provides a base for new learning to sit upon, just as when a painter starts with a base coat of paint to ensure the main colour will bond.

Teachers Matter

Turn up to class ready with your note taking tools. Whether you are using pens and paper or a devise, ensure you have these ready. Great learners also have a note taking system. Develop a bank of note taking symbols and short hand. For example: w = with, ∆ = change etc. Learn

ILLUSTRATION: ANASTASIIA NEVESTENKO

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to paraphrase what the teacher has said, rather than writing it word for word. If you are using a phone, take a photo of the information, upload it to a Google Drawing Document and add notes with speech bubbles and text boxes.

Even if you are not interested in the information your teacher is teaching – pretend you are! Looking like you are interested will give the teacher the impression you are interested and it is much easier to teach an interested student, than one who is mucking around and doesn’t care about the information. Participate in all activities and volunteer – it will all help with your learning.

2. Set learning goals Create a strong reason to learn the information this year. Maybe it is the foundation for future work which will lead onto to something bigger for you. The

stronger the foundation, the easier the new knowledge will be to learn. Maybe you have your eye on an academic prize or simply want to be able to get better marks than you did last year.

Once you have your why - the big reasons or picture - then break these big goals into smaller achievable goals. Create milestones and dates when you would like to achieve each step.

You might consider breaking up your learning goals per subject and topic.

A great idea, used by many successful people, is to create a chart or poster with photographs, key words and motivational phrases to help keep yourself focused for the year. Remember to place your creation somewhere you will see it each day, or photograph it to use as a screen saver.

KAREN BOYES

class or send an email to your teacher after school.

Be ready to learn Set learning goals Engage in the learning process Evaluate your learning 3. Engage in the learning process Ask questions if you are unsure. Did you know research shows the more questions students ask, the higher their marks will be?

It makes sense, as asking questions means you are engaged in the learning. If it is challenging to ask during class, ask after

If you are not sure go to websites designed to help. Here are some of my favourites: • LearnCoach.co.nz for NCEA Maths and Science • NoBrainTooSmall.co.nz Science focused • SparkNotes.com is for English, Drama, Economics, History, Computer Science and more The great thing about these sites is they are FREE – which actually means you have no excuse! Get searching, downloading and learning today!

When revising from your textbook, notes or a video don’t just read or listen to it as these are very ineffective ways to being able to retain information. Instead read or watch 2-3 sections and summarise each before you continue. Use colour and draw diagrams to make the process more fun and memorable.

If you are musical, make up a song about the information you need to learn. Create

mnemonics or memory pegs for information you are required to remember. Make flash cards with questions on one side and the answers on the other and test yourself regularly.

Learning takes energy – it is not a passive activity and the more you engage in the process, the faster you will learn.

4. Evaluate your learning So how do you know if you are learning?

Ask yourself these questions…

• Can I explain the information clearly?

• Do I have confidence in discussing my learning with others?

• Can I effectively teach it to someone else?

• Can I apply this learning in a different context?

• Can you emphasis with the situation/ people • Do you ask questions to further your understanding?

• C a n y o u d e b a t e y o u r o p i n i o n a n d understandings?

Another way you will know if you are doing well is from the teachers’ feedback.

This will mostly come in the form of your assignments, tests and practice exams.

Read the teacher comments and work out what you could have done to improve. Most importantly, go over and learn the questions you got wrong.

Remember, learning takes energy and time – and it often feels difficult, challenging and hard. Acknowledge those feelings as part of the learning process and use proven study methods to help you increase your knowledge and understanding.

Karen is an expert in effective teaching and learning, study skills, motivation a n d p o s i t i v e t h i n k i n g. S h e wa s awarded the NSANZ Educator of the Year 2014 award and works in schools throughout Australasia teaching students how to Study Smart and teachers how to raise achievement. www.karentuiboyes.com

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DR. LAURA MARKHAM

Help your child develop good judgement 6 practical tips

M

any adults are crippled with indecision when faced with difficult choices. Others, worse yet, make self-destructive choices and repeatedly demonstrate poor judgement. But no one is born with good judgement and the ability to make wise decisions. Good judgement and decision-making skills develop from experience combined with reflection. As one sage noted, “Judgement develops from experience. Good judgement develops from bad experience.”

Your goal is to give your child experience in making decisions, and make sure she has the opportunity to reflect on them and learn. You also want to raise a child who feels good about herself, so that she takes pleasure in making good decisions, rather than bad ones. Research shows that kids who’ve been treated less than kindly get used to feeling bad, so as teens and adults they make decisions that make them feel bad.

How can you help your child develop good judgment?

1. Practice makes perfect.

2. Be clear about his span of control.

Give your child practice making choices even before she begins talking and she’ll never have a problem making decisions.

(Who cares if the stripes and flowers clash?

She thinks she looks like a rainbow. And if other people can’t figure out that she dressed herself, you don’t really care about their opinion of your parenting, do you?)

Emphasise what he has the right to make decisions about, and what you, as the parent, retain the right to exert control over.

Teachers Matter

“Judgement develops from experience.

Good judgement develops from bad experience.”

PHOTO: LZFLZF

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With toddlers: “Yes, I guess you may wear your Superman outfit again, although you’ve worn it every day this week. You’re in charge of your own clothes. But you’ll need to change before we go to services, because there we dress up to show respect. And you’ll need to brush your teeth.

Do you want to do it now or before we leave the house?”

With preteens: “You can invite your friends for Friday night dinner if you want, but you’re expected to have dinner with the family on Friday night as usual.

You can either go to the movies with your friends after dinner on Friday, or on Saturday.”

3. Consciously help your child develop good judgement by reflecting with him.

Many people never develop good judgement because their experience isn’t accompanied by reflection. Help him to make decisions consciously (“How will you decide what piece to play for the recital?”) and to think through the possible repercussions of various choices before he makes them (“I wonder if you’ll feel too pressured about getting your homework done if you add another after-school activity.”)

Just as important, offer her the opportunity to reflect on how her decisions worked out (“I know you were worried about having a threesome this afternoon. Are you glad you invited Clarisse to join you and Ellie for the play date?”)

DR. LAURA MARKHAM

5. Give your children control of their own decision-making as it becomes age appropriate.

What’s age appropriate? Check out the list of age-appropriate responsibilities on my page.

4. Model the process of decision making.

Share how and why you make decisions from the time your child is tiny: “I think I’ll bring an umbrella on our walk.

It looks like rain.”

“I’m going to try the salmon; it’s really good for you.”

6. Expect your child to make some bad decisions.

He’s still learning about himself as well as about life. It’s just more opportunity for reflection and the development of good judgement, as long as you help him consider afterwards how things could have been different if he had made different choices. Teens have more decision making latitude, and they’re bound to make some bad decisions. Just try to resist the universal impulse to say “I told you so,” and they’ll learn from them.

“I’d like our family to help with the drive for school supplies; all children deserve a good education, and this is one way to help.”

Laura is the founder of www.AhaParenting.com and author of Peaceful parent, happy Kids: How to stop yelling and start connecting. Laura trained as a psychologist, but she’s also a Mum, so she translates proven science into practical solutions.

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CHRIS DUGGAN

Home Science Spot

Kiwifruit marinated Lamb shanks.

Recipe available at www.zespri.com

Enzymes in action

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his is a great activity that combines Chemistry and Biology.

The Background: Enzymes are biological molecules (proteins) that act as catalysts and help complex reactions occur everywhere in life. Sometimes enzymes speed up reactions, and sometimes they slow them down.

The study of chemical reactions in living things is called Biochemistry. Kiwifruit and pineapple have enzymes in them and are fun fruits to experiment with. Jelly relies on a protein to set; this protein is affected by the enzymes in the fruit.

The Method: Make some jelly according to packet directions. Divide the runny jelly into several small glasses to set. Before it sets, place a small piece of kiwifruit or pineapple into half the cups. Leave the jelly for several hours to set firm. What do you notice?

The Investigation: Now try a variety of fruits in your jellies – fresh as well as canned pineapple, orange, apple, banana, etc.

What conclusions can you draw? Place some slices of kiwifruit on top of firm jelly, leave

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for an hour and record your findings. Some people like to put kiwifruit in a marinade for their steak. Try it and see if the steak is affected. Make sure you have a control – some steak without kiwifruit - to compare your results.

Thanks to the Science Award trust for this activity, it is part of the Matauranga Matu Kainga/Home Chemistry Badge. Happy investigating everyone.

Trained as a biochemist, Chris worked in a variety of different jobs before taking time out to raise 2 daughters.

She then became a Science/ Chemistry teacher and spent 15 years in the classroom, 10 as a department leader. In 2013 she left teaching to establish a charitable trust called the House of Science which now has seven branches across the country aimed at raising scientific literacy in the local community.

IRMA COOKE

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!

Made with hidden veges...

Rototuna Junior High School Hamilton’s newest school Rototuna Junior High (opening 2016) team have been un-schooling and deconstructing the curriculum to get to the heart of what makes good learning. Letting go of all our pre-conceived ideas of what school should be and explore the endless possibilities of what we can make it.

The team at Rototuna Junior High School try out a rich chocolate brownie made from vegetable purees.

These fooled everyone!

Chocolate brownie

These brownies are low in calories and saturated fat.

But not like you know it – You won’t believe how good these are or how good they are for you until you try them yourself!

Ingredients 200g Whitakers rich dark chocolate ½c

spinach puree

½c

cauliflower puree

½c

firmly packed brown sugar

¼c

cocoa

2 tbsp Olivio spread 2 tsp vanilla extract 2

egg whites (size 7)

¾c

plain flour

½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt

Spinach and cauliflower are a rich source of fibre and packed full of vitamins, both claimed to be a rich source of antioxidants

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Dairy Free Chocolate ganache and date crust tart

IRMA COOKE

This recipe is really adaptable. Add chia seeds, pop different berries or a berries coulis on top to cut through the rich chocolate flavour. I haven’t tried a mascarpone yet, but like the combination idea.

Ingredients Crust 1½ c finely shredded coconut ½ c

oats

¹∕³ c

cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla paste 1 c

pitted dates

3 tbsp maple syrup pinch Maldon sea salt

TIP

Ganache

Double the puree recipe and freeze half of it for your next brownie in zip lock bags.

¾ c

full-fat coconut cream

150g Whitakers rich dark chocolate

½ c

coconut oil

100ml cream

¹∕³ c

maple syrup

Heat for two minutes in a glass or plastic bowl in the microwave and whisk until smooth and creamy. Cool, cover and place in the fridge for one hour or longer until firm.

Method Purees Bring to the boil 2 large peeled and diced carrots with ½ cup of water in a medium pot, cover and simmer for up to 10 minutes until soft. Drain and puree while hot in a food processor until smooth.

Bring to the boil 3 bunches of spinach (large) with ¼ cup of water, cover and simmer for up to 5 minutes until wilted. Drain and puree in a food processor until smooth.

Brownie method Preheat oven to 170C. Coat a 20x20cm baking tin with cooking spray.

Melt the chocolate and Olivio spread in a medium size pot over a low flame until melted.

Take the pot of the element and cool slightly. Whisk in the two egg whites until well combined. Combine the purees, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Teachers Matter

Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon until just combined.

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Filling ¹∕³ c cacao powder

Pour batter into the baking tin and bake 30-35 minutes. Cool completely in the tin before cutting into 12 portions.

Using two tablespoons gather one tablespoon of chocolate ganache and transfer onto each portion of brownie followed by a chard of nut crunch brittle.

1 tsp vanilla extract 250g dairy free chocolate Method: Put coconut, oats, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt into your food processor and pulse briefly to mix.

Add the pitted dates and process until the dates are finely chopped and the mixture starts to clump.

Press into a 20cm flan or a round spring form tin (we used an oblong tin with removable bottom) and leave in the freezer to firm a little while you prepare the filling.

For the filling place the chopped chocolate pieces in a small bowl Heat the coconut milk and the coconut oil in a small pot and then pour over the chocolate.

Then mix carefully until all the chocolate is melted.

Add vanilla and cacao powder and syrup and then pour the chocolate ganache evenly over the chilled crust.

Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours until the ganache is firm. Cut with a hot knife (run it under hot water before cutting each piece.

IRMA COOKE

Nut crunch brittle ¼c

sunflower seeds

¼c

pumpkin seeds

3tbsp chia seeds 300g Sliced almonds 4 tbsp honey Toast nuts and seeds over a moderate flame until golden brown. Turn up the heat and add honey. Mix until well combined. Turn out onto a greased proof sheet of paper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Easy Chocolate Pudding Ingredients ½ c self-raising flour 1 tbsp chia seeds ½ c

cocoa powder, plus extra, to dust

½ c

brown sugar

¾ c

fresh or frozen raspberries

¾ c

milk

3

eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions Sift flour and cocoa powder into a small bowl. Stir sugar and chia seeds through flour-cocoa mixture.

Add raspberries to bowl and stir to coat with dry mixture.

Whisk milk, egg and vanilla in a separate small bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a fork until

just combined. Don’t over mix or the pudding will be tough.

Spoon mixture into a 200ml capacity cup or mug and transfer to the microwave.

Cook on high for 60-90 seconds or until pudding rises and top just sets.

Don’t overcook. Ser ve the pudding immediately with extra cocoa powder.

Top with nut brittle or berry coulis, or your favourite bar chopped up!

Irma, a former Chef who now puts to good use her skills and passion for food as a Specialist Food Technology leader.

When she isn’t judging Waikato’s restaurants or working with student teachers for Waikato University, she is busy collaborating with the team of teachers at Hamilton’s newest school, Rototuna Junior High School.

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KIM CHAMBERLAIN

5 Minute Brain Exercises Keep your brain active with these short word exercises. Game or puzzle? A puzzle has a definite answer, while a game will have a number of suitable answers and can be done more than once. Puzzles give you the discipline of working out the ‘correct’ answer, while you can develop your creativity by finding a several answers for a game.

Word Line Start at the letter in the circle and draw a continuous line right, left, upwards or downwards, (though not diagonally) to find the letters in the saying. The punctuation marks are not included.

Words and Sounds Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. Use the word in the balloon to make up a sentence or sentences where the word is used twice with two different meanings. The first one has been done for you.

I heard my dog bark, then scratch at the bark on the tree.

Leaping Lizard

Teachers Matter

The words of a sentence have been jumbled up and placed onto rocks.

The lizard is leaping from the rock with the first word, to the one with the second word. Work out which order the words go in, and draw a line to show the lizard which way to jump. The first one has been done for you.

You can write the sentence at the bottom.

Sentence: ___________________________________________________

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Speed Words

KIM CHAMBERLAIN

Choose words that fit the description. Use words that don’t start with a capital letter, and use a different word for each question.

Word Search with a Twist Find the names listed. The letters that are left will spell a girl’s name beginning with the letter T

EXTRA NAME: ______________________________________

answers on page 78 55

LAUREN PARSONS

Mindful eating

Transform how you feel with this essential life skill

W

ith the increased prevalence of adult and childhood obesity, eating disorders and countless questionable diets on offer, it’s important for us as adultas to set a healthy example in our attitude to food. Learning to eat mindfully, and sharing this skill with your students and children will equip them to develop healthy habits for life.

I first discovered mindful eating as a high school exchange student in France. After struggling with my weight due to mindlessly over-eating the delicious food, I found that by adopting the French attitude to food I effortlessly got back to a healthy weight, (a story you can read about in my latest book Real Food Less Fuss). The secret was not changing what I ate, but simply shifting my perspective to keep things in balance and to eat guilt-free.

Teachers Matter

When it comes to nutrition, there is a lot of focus on what to eat and even more on what not to. However what I have found through working with my clients over the last 16 years, is that before you address the what, it is much more important to focus on the how.

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Addressing how you eat is the starting point for real nourishment and happiness. The number one thing you can do to improve your eating, and as a result boost your health and feel fantastic, is to eat mindfully.

Often our eating habits and attitudes to food are developed and ingrained in us as children. It’s much easier to nurture a positive relaxed relationship with food from a young age than it is to shift those behaviours later on. Role modelling mindful eating for the young people in your life will boost your health and happiness as well as theirs!

What is mindful eating?

Mindless Habits

Mindful eating means paying full attention to what you are eating while you are eating it, and to notice how it makes you feel.

Sounds pretty simple right?

Because food is available in such abundance, many of us have lost touch with our natural hunger cues. Rather than eating to satisfy hunger and waiting until we are hungry again we often eat purely out of habit and can snack mindlessly right throughout the day. This is not ideal for either our digestive health or for maintaining a healthy weight and body shape.

The challenge is that mindful eating requires us to focus and eliminate distractions. We are often so busy we feel pressed for time while eating. Many of us multi-task while eating, perhaps with TV, emails, social media, reading or even intense conversation, which means we rush through our meal hardly noticing what is passing our lips.

“When we slow down and eat more mindfully, we naturally regulate both the quality and quantity of our food intake.“

It’s strange really when you think about it.

Why would you eat a meal without paying attention to it? Think about the last meal you ate. Where were you and what were you doing? Were you sitting down, did you eat it fast or slow? Do you recall what each mouthful tasted like and how it made you feel? Why did you eat the way you did and is this your typical pattern?

Over time we can develop eating habits that don’t serve us, however we continue with them simply out of routine or because we’ve never tried a different way. For example, food might be associated with certain activities such as eating ice cream while watching TV, snacking on cheese and crackers while preparing dinner or eating chips on a long drive in the car. We might always finish our plate regardless of how full we feel or routinely have seconds even when we are no longer hungry. We might eat lunch standing, talking, walking, working or doing several other things because we feel rushed and overloaded.

All these habits affect our digestion, our satiety cues and the total amount of calories we consume. It is surprisingly easy to adjust your habits if you choose to do so. All it takes is a mindful approach which starts by being intentional about how you eat. One of the best things we can do for our tummies and waistlines is to slow down and focus when we eat.

PHOTO: CATHY YEULET

LAUREN PARSONS

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LAUREN PARSONS

PHOTO: TOBI

How to eat mindfully:

When you eat mindfully you: • Take your time and savour each mouthful • Feel pleasure and satisfaction • Have time to appreciate and be thankful for the food you have • Eat in a relaxed manner that leads to improved digestion • Slow down as your hunger is curbed • Easily stop eating when you are satisfied as you are aware of how that feels • All of these things set us up to feel better, to eat in line with our bodies’ needs and ultimately lead to total health.

Teachers Matter

Not only does mindful eating improve your absorption of nutrients but it also ensures your brain sends the correct messages to your digestive system, reducing potential bloating and discomfort. You eat amounts in tune with what your body requires. You notice the quality of the food and how it makes you feel and you have time to experience gratitude, which is a key to happiness. Overall, you feel much more satisfied physically and emotionally from the meal you have eaten.

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Imagine every meal you eat tomorrow is eaten without rushing, without distraction. Picture how different it would be and how different you would feel. I can’t emphasise enough what a HUGE impact this will have for you! The best way to see that difference is to try it out yourself and the best way to teach others is by role modelling it in your life.

Choose an appropriate place to eat. Sitting together around a dinner table has many benefits. It can create a positive association with coming together and helps you physically and mentally get ready to enjoy the meal.

• Sit down to eat (always, always!)

• Eat all meals and snacks off a plate and use cutler y (unless it is highly inappropriate for the meal, in which case emphasise the ‘fun’ aspect of eating things like tacos or wraps for example with your hands).

• Switch off all electronic devices large and small (or turn them to silent and put them out of sight).

• Look at each forkful or spoonful of food before you eat it.

• Savour each mouthful thinking about the different flavours you can taste. If you have children, invite them to guess what ingredients are in the meal. This is a fun start to food appreciation.

• Avoid starting the next mouthful until the previous one is finished.

• If you are talking, take extra care to savour each mouthful and don’t feel you have to rush in order to speak.

I invite you to try it for the next three days.

Pay attention to how you feel and reflect on the difference it makes.

As you continue to focus on how you eat, what you eat will change too. You will pay attention and be much more aware of how your food makes you feel. If you eat processed foods you will most likely notice they leave you feeling flat, lethargic and under-nourished. You will notice your body and soul desires to eat more real food that leaves you feeling vital and vibrant.

It’s also important to be mindful of our language when we speak about food.

Teach your students that certain foods are super nutritious and will help them become strong and healthy and this is why we mostly eat these foods. Rather than labelling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, simply reinforce that we always make sure we eat enough nutritious food to fuel our body well. Remind them that while treats are tasty that they won’t feel good after having too many of them.

These balanced, positive messages will avoid them seeing certain foods as bad, and therefore feeling that they themselves are bad for eating them, later in life.

If you can gift the young people in your life with the ability to truly appreciate their food and it will be a life-skill they will enjoy and pass on to the next generation.

• Focus on the textures of your food. Is it crisp, juicy, tender, creamy, crunchy?

• Be aware of your breathing. Breathe deeply and slowly from your belly.

• Pause a few times during the meal and put your cutlery down. If you are typically in a rushing mode you may find this a challenge. I invite you to persevere. You can adopt a new habit!

• Aim for the whole experience to be relaxing and nourishing.

Once you adopt this mindful approach it will transform your eating and your life.

When we slow down and eat more mindfully, we naturally regulate both the quality and quantity of our food intake.

In short, it’s very hard to overeat or to enjoy poor quality food when you truly eat mindfully.

Lauren is an award winning wellbeing specialist with 16 years’ experience.

For more on mindful eating, overcoming cravings and a practical ways to plan, cook and eat well, check out Lauren’s new book: Real Food Less Fuss – The ultimate time-saving guide to simplify your life and feel amazing every day. www.realfoodlessfuss.com

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ILLUSTRATION: KAKIGORI

ROBYN PEARCE

The magic bullet that will give you more time Don’t dodge it!

B

efore I tell you what the magic bullet is, try these questions:

• Do you have all the energy you want, every day?

• Do you get all your work done smoothly and efficiently every day?

• Is your work/life balance exactly as you desire?

Typically, most people will answer ‘no’.

Instead, life seems to get busier, work/life balance becomes a distant dream, and energy levels fluctuate considerably.

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ROBIN PEARCE W h o ’s i n c h a r g e o f y o u r r e g u l a r commitments? Of course, if you’re working for an employer you’re rightly expected to deliver the results they need. But is it only the boss (you might be the boss!) that overloads the schedule? Are we doing it to ourselves and then playing ‘martyr’? Or trying to keep up with the schedule of those around us?

Here’s the answer …. and don’t dodge this bullet!

It’s ….. Do Less.

It sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? But let’s dissect this a bit.

Good time management is really energy management. As soon as you start to feel stressed and pressured, your adrenal glands go under stress, your body tenses, mistakes are more likely to happen – and there will be little or no room for error, delays by other parties, breakdowns, or system malfunctions of any sort. (This could include external issues such as accidents, traffic snarls, computer breakdowns, weather incidents, or illness.)

Of course we must be efficient and effective with the use of our time. I’m not saying it’s fine to sit and twiddle our thumbs just so we can feel calm and relaxed. Most businesses will go broke if we all did that! When we’re in work mode let’s be as fast and effective as possible.

But – are we trying to cram in too much?

Are we taking enough breaks? We need both small (micro) 10-15 minute gaps every couple of hours through the day as well as longer (macro) breaks about every 6-8 weeks of at least a full weekend to completely switch off.

If we work as effectively as we can, yet also allow a good margin for unforeseen incidents, it feels as though we’ve got more time. Everything flows more smoothly and our work (and private undertakings) become more enjoyable.

You may be reading this and think, ‘That’s nonsense. I can’t do less.’

Here are a few suggestions: 1. Play the ‘I’m really sick’ game.

Imagine that you’ve been told you’ve got a serious illness. You will recover but it’s essential that you slow down for six months.

Ask yourself questions such as the following:

• What is really essential?

• What can be stripped away, delegated, turned down?

• What can I say ‘No’ to?

• What are the consequences of letting some things go, and can I live with the results?

• How can I do things differently so that the wheels won’t fall off while I slow down?

• What support or other resources will I need?

2. Imagine that you plan to take a sabbatical/extended long holiday in another year or two.

What would you need to put in place to help your various interests flow without you? For example, a number of my friends have walked the 5-6 week Camino from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. A participant in one of the CEO groups I worked with last year in the UK shared that walking the Camino significantly changed his business – for the better. Over the two preceding years he put company structures in place so he and his wife could be away without worrying about work. It spread the responsibility, empowered other staff and future-proofed the business. He returned to a business in great shape.

3. Watch your language.

Whatever we speak is what we’ll get. When someone asks, ‘How’s it all going?’ or ‘How’s work going?’ how often do we answer, ‘Flat out’, ‘Really busy’ or ‘It’s crazy round here’? I confess – I used to say those kinds of things.

These days, if I notice I’m falling into the old patterns I now stop in mid-sentence and reframe it with: ‘It’s great. I’m as busy as I want to be.’ The curious thing is, as the language changes, so do the feelings of stress and pressure. The body feels calmer.

4. Do a self-audit on your family and personal commitments.

• How many commitments do you and your family have after work and on the weekends?

• How many balls are you keeping up in the air?

• How many hours of TV or screen time do you have in the evenings?

• How much exercise are you getting? Did you know that you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to lose weight and increase fitness?

“ G o o d t i m e management is really energy management.“

5. When you accept a meeting, allow more time before the next one.

I’ve been amazed at my increased calmness when deliberately allowing more time between meetings. Especially if you work in a congested city such as Central Auckland, trying to squeeze in too many meetings in a day is a recipe for stress. Take extra work with you in case you’re waiting. Or you can always whack out a few emails on your phone while you wait (if you choose to receive email that way).

We’re not machines. Pushing more and more tasks into your calendar is just a recipe for mistakes, burnout and ineffectiveness.

Robyn Pearce is known around the world as the Time Queen, helping people discover new angles on time.

Check the resources on her website www.gettingagrip.com, including a free report for you: How to Master Time in Only 90 Seconds. She is a CSP, a Certified Speaking Professional. This is the top speaking accreditation in the profession of speaking and held by only about 800 people around the world. www.gettingagrip.com

• What time are you getting to bed?

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SOPHIA GRAHAM

Mindfulness boosts wellbeing Pause, Breathe, Smile

M

indfulness, the skill of paying attention to what is presently occurring with kindness and curiosity is making calm, but powerful waves across schools in Aotearoa.

Teachers Matter

Mindful Aotearoa (part of the Mental Health Foundation), has been delivering its unique and proven mindfulness programme Pause, Breathe, Smile in classrooms across New Zealand since 2013.

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The 8-week, locally designed and researched programme was developed to align with the key competencies of the New Zealand curriculum and addresses specific learning areas, particularly within the health curriculum.

Mindful Aotearoa has partnered with research teams from Auckland University and AUT University and published results show the programme is achieving outstanding results.

“We have measured significant increases in the wellbeing of those students who have participated in the programme, with increases in their ability to self-calm, pay attention and focus on the task at hand”, Mindful Aotearoa operations manager, Grant Rix says.

Throughout the course, students learn mindfulness practices such as mindful breathing, mindful eating and mindful moving. In a remarkable finding from the latest study of year five and six students, 80 per cent of those who took part said they practised mindfulness outside the classroom.

“A child might be in the playground and witness an altercation, and they can feel themselves getting hot with anger. Having been introduced to mindfulness they start to recognise that emotion in their body. They notice how they are feeling and then they have a strategy to respond to that emotion, rather than giving into it and lashing out,” Mr Rix says.

SOPHIA GRAHAM

“ To b e m i n d f u l w h i l e l e a r n i n g i s t o p a y attention to the teacher and the subject matter. To be mindful while teaching is to pay attention to the students.”

Research shows our mindfulness in schools programme:

— Dr Craig Hassed & Dr Richard Chambers

• helps with conflict resolution and the development of positive relationships

• increases calmness • improves focus and attention • enhances self-awareness

• reduces stress.

The vision: Nawton School in Hamilton have seen firsthand the positive impact of the programme and would like every student and teacher in their school participating by the end of 2016.

“We’re seeing real benefits to the children – it teaches them to focus their attention on their school work during instructional reading, writing and mathematics. We’re also noticing they are persevering when they meet challenges, not just when they encounter challenging behaviour from others, but also when they’re finding learning difficult. When it’s hard, mindfulness gives them the skills to keep trying,” Nawton School principal, Rubina Wheeler explains.

Mindful Aotearoa’s work is not solely focussed on children in the classroom.

As well as Pause Breathe Smile, Mindful Aotearoa have developed Foundations of Mindfulness an online programme which is open to anyone interested in learning how to let go of tension and stress, focus attention, and better manage everyday anxieties with greater kindness and nonjudgement.

“Now that we have measured the benefits for students, we are particularly interested in how we can support school teachers to learn more about mindfulness for their own wellbeing and to start integrating the practice in the classroom” Mental Health Foundation’s Chief Executive, Shaun Robinson says Completing the Foundations of Mindfulness online course also forms the first step in the pathway to becoming a certified Pause, Breathe, Smile facilitator.

“I’ve found mindfulness has strengthened my leadership skills,” Ms Wheeler says. “On any given day, I have to focus on a variety of very different things, quickly shifting my attention from student achievement to finance to property management. Practising mindfulness helps to bring focus and clarity to the tasks at hand, and allows me to switch easily between tasks.

“I also come to school in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to start a new day!”

Mindful Aotearoa exists to support the Mental Health Foundation’s vision of creating a society where all people enjoy positive mental health and wellbeing.

Sophia is the PR and Communications Specialist at the Mental Health Foundation, working on the Mindful Aotearoa programme.

Sophia has a BA from the University of Auckland, majoring in both psychology and classics. She has travelled widely, including a stint teaching at a school in Huayllarcocha, Peru. Sophia has a passion for learning about other cultures, social justice and listening to the stories people tell. www.mindfulaotearoa.nz

Want to find out more about Pause, Breathe, Smile, Foundations of Mindfulness, or how to become a licensed facilitator in schools?

Visit www.mindfulaotearoa.nz.

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PHOTO: WAVEBREAK MEDIA LTD

HEATH HENWOOD

Tips and techniques to maximise learning Classroom management

F

or many teachers, their biggest concern is classroom management. How will I make sure that my classroom is a safe community and that kids will follow the rules?

Teachers Matter

This challenge, which appears new each day for teachers, requires them to continually develop their skills to manage the classroom, especially the pointy end students.

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This article does not aim to answer all the questions, but rather provide some true and tested strategies for working with classes and students - particularly difficult students.

Using a normal, natural voice works fine most of the time. However, by dropping the tone of our voice, we assert more authority, while protecting our voice. Raising our voice to get students’ attention is not the best approach, and the stress it causes both teacher and students is not worth the effort.

Besides it doesn’t work in the long run.

Students will mirror the teachers voice level, resulting in more noise and less attention than before.

So, if raising our voice doesn’t work – what does?

Speak only when students are quiet and ready. This requires waiting, and then waiting some more until all students were quiet. Students catch on and prompt each other to be quiet, to listen. Patience pays off for both the teacher and students.

By utilising hand signals and other nonverbal communication teachers can effectively communicate without raising or even using their voice. There is a variety of signals from holding one hand in the air; clapping; counting down using fingers.

Students need to be trained in the routine, which includes teachers waiting until all students respond, and then talking.

HEATH HENWOOD

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HEATH HENWOOD

Turning the lights on and off is a highly visual attention getter that is effective in gaining student’s attention. This sends a clear signal to students to quieten, and focus on the teacher.

By ensuring that the class has a set of classroom rules and expectations, that the students have input into creating, it enables student ownership of expectations. Students often want stricter rules, and more structure

“Boundaries, when coupled with praise, are an effective method to provide students with structure and support, bringing harmony into the classroom.“

Teachers Matter

than teachers realise. It allows for more security for students, knowing that there are boundaries. Rules should be revisited frequently, and explicitly taught to ensure there is a common understanding across the class. Rules should be written clearly and published in a highly visible place at the front of the room.

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Rules should be applied consistently, to ensure a sense of social justice in the classroom. This means teacher need to strictly enforce the prevention troublemakers g e t t i n g a w a y w i t h m i s b e h a v i o r.

Inconsistency in application of rules can result in students who are generally wellbehaved becoming disruptive, thereby creating more issues for the teacher, and a generally disruptive classroom.

A method of gaining student’s attention is by publicly rewarding students that

are displaying positive behaviours. Other students are quick to follow the example set by their peers. By rewarding more than you punish, students are encouraged to do the right thing. Rewards for an effective class without behavior distractions might be no homework or creating a fun game that might help students learn more than they would during a traditional class.

Students respond thrive on relationships and praise. Show an interest in students, discovering what they life and what their interests are. Praise is important, and often a motivator for not only the student receiving the praise, but for classmates as well. Ensure that praise is spread around the class, so that it is received by many students, just not the teacher’s pet. Personal, sincere, verbal praise can make a lasting impact on students, making their day, while dispersing negative feelings about school, and self.

Personal positive notes are the simplest, quickest and most effective way of getting a good message communicated well. The impact of positive notes is significant; particularly when students collect them and put them on display them as an ongoing reminder.

Implementing a ritual each morning is a great way to start the day with curiosity, prediction, and positive emotion. Teachers should begin by modelling this while the students time them, and then sharing their list to model trust and engagement.

School students need structure to look forward to enable them to concentrate, and learn. They are drawn into the learning with solid expectations, behaviour boundaries, and fun, active learning experiences.

Address behaviour issues quickly and wisely.

The emotions of students change rapidly, and small disagreements can grow quickly if they are left unaddressed. Issues should be addressed quickly and quietly away from the attention of other students. I often use just inside or outside the door, to discuss issues. It is important that teachers listen to students, rather than accuse them of something. Display empathy, even when you have none.

When dealing with inappropriate behaviour, take a positive approach.

Discuss the issue or behaviour, not the person. By reflecting on students previous

good behaviours, you can redirect current negative misdemeanors of students.

By getting out in the playground and eating areas with students, teachers can build relationships with students, while discovering more about students and the issues in their lives. The relationships you forge will be strengthened, with opportunities for conversations presenting themselves daily.

Always have a well-designed, engaging lesson. It is much better to over plan, rather than be caught short, and need to develop activities on the spot to fill in time.

Lessons need to be engaging; otherwise students are inclined to get bored. Bored students tend to disrupt others, and get into trouble. Lessons with hands on learning or inquiry based lessons, are frequently more engaging for students.

Classrooms, while difficult places at times, can be places of effective teaching and learning, when teachers are effective in managing students. Boundaries, when coupled with praise, are an effective method to provide students with structure and support, bringing harmony into the classroom.

Heath is an educator, community leader and works with schools and parents to ensure best practices are adopted in the classroom and at home. He currently teaches at Yeppoon, and coaches teachers to develop pedagogical practices. Heath also works with P&Cs Qld facilitating parent learning in the Capricornia area. He recently competed in the world land sailing championships finishing in the top 10. Heath is married with two teenage children.

“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill;

the willingness to learn is a choice.”

PHOTO: STOCKSNAPPER

- Brian Herbert

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Promoting picture books

BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

My Dad Still Thinks He’s Funny Author Illustrator Publisher ISBN

Katrina Germein Tom Jellett Black Dog Books 978-1-742032-38-2

This is a sequel to the hilarious bestselling ‘My Dad Thinks He’s Funny’.

A young son endures annoying wordplay from his Dad as Dad reacts to everyday situations with humour and absurdity. Tom Jellet’s simple, but effective illustrations express, and add to, the feelings and emotions of Dad, his son and family.

1

Wordplay in the story.

Identify Dad’s wordplay on several pages and then give an explanation as to why it is funny.

Consider hyperbole, puns, double meaning, and using homonyms.

Teachers Matter

Examples in blue.

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From the story

Why is it funny?

Type of wordplay

I suggest chicken. Dad say’s “that’s fowl”.

fowl / foul - Dad probably means ‘foul’.

Pun using homonym

Mum suggests lamb. Dad say’s “no shanks”. Keeping with lamb idea, but Dad means ‘no thanks’.

Using rhyme and a pun

I say, “I’m b o r e d ”, and Dad says, ‘A Playing with bored/board surfboard or a floorboard?”

Pun with homonym.

BARBARA has been a primary school teacher for 36 years. She has specialised in the teaching of literacy for more than 20 years and recently retired a position as a Resource Teacher: Literacy, which she held for the last 16 years.

TRICIA has been involved in the field of literacy for 17 years, firstly as a Resource Teacher: Reading, then as a Resource Teacher: Literacy. She is passionate about books and reading and feels privileged to be in a position where she can share that passion with students, their parents, and fellow teachers.

2 Discuss how the boy really feels about Dad’s playing with words.

Identify some of the emotions that the son feels during the storyline, e.g. frustration, embarrassment, shared joy etc.

3 Think about your Dad, Stepdad, Uncle or most important male role model in your life.

(NOTE We have used ‘Dad’ to indicate, and stand in for, significant male below.)

What do you love about your Dad? Using post-its to create a chart of the things you love about your Dad. Sketch what you love about Dad. List the funny things your Dad says.

Do you have any shared jokes?

What are the hobbies/ experiences you share with Dad? What special things does Dad do with you?

4

His favourite saying.

Design a t-shirt front based on a ‘favourite saying’ from your Dad/ significant person.

5

Playing with words.

In groups, create some new puns, hyperboles, exaggerations etc based around a character or occupation i.e.: teacher, doctor, garbage collector.

6

Research to create a reference book.

Using the library and the web, research and collect appropriate examples of these and other wordplays and create a class reference book, with illustrations if you desire.

69

GEOFF BONNER

2015 NZ Barbarians Area Schools vs Waikato Harlequins

The growth of Area School Rugby in New Zealand Providing opportunities for isolated youth

Teachers Matter

F

70

or most aspiring young sportspeople, the path to becoming an All Black, Silver Fern or other national representative is straightforward – make your school team, get noticed by a provincial selector, play consistently well and catch the eye of the national selectors.

Quite simple really! This pathway has become even easier in recent years with several high school matches getting higher visibility through television and online media, resulting in selectors getting a better look at more players.

However, for a select group of players, the initial step of making the high school team is not an option. These are the kids from the approximate 40 Area Schools spread throughout NZ, from Taipa in the far north

to the Catlins in the deep south. Many of these schools are in isolated areas, hundreds of kilometres from large provincial centres.

For the most part, these schools have too small a roll to accommodate teams such as a rugby 1 st XV, so the players end up playing sport for the local club against older players, or in some cases don’t play regular sport at all. These players represent a missed opportunity both for their own potential development and to NZ sport in general.

The sporting highlight for these players is the National Area Schools Tournament held annually in July. Teams from several sporting codes represent their zone of either Northland, Central North Island, Top of the South or South of the South and players compete for selection in either the North

Island or South Island teams for the final in each code. National teams are then selected, but typically these are only ‘paper’ teams with no game actually played so the opportunity for individuals to showcase their talents on a bigger stage is removed.

The opportunity for these players to shine started to evolve further when, in 1993, the National Area Schools Tournament was held in Whitianga, near the top of the Coromandel Peninsula. It was hosted

by Mercury Bay Area School, which happened to have their Deputy Principal and rugby stalwart Mike Smith as one of organisers. Mike played top level rugby for both Northland and Thames Valley, coming through the NZ rugby development programmes, before trying his hand as

GEOFF BONNER

2015 NZ Barbarians Area Schools Coaches with NZ Barbarians President Bryan Williams & Kiwi Teamwear Director a coach and manager. Rugby was a key aspect of the Area Schools Tournament and Mike, along with Ron Morgan and other organisers noticed the anomaly of there being no clear development path for their players beyond selection in the tournament team.

The group felt that progression should continue beyond the selection at the tournament and they sought to develop a structure under which the Area Schools rugby players could mix with peers of their own age and skill level and gain exposure to selectors for higher honour teams. They determined that a separate event should be held in August or September with the players coming into camp for 5-6 days of specialist coaching and one or two matches against other representative teams. This environment also provides the players with an insight into the off field aspects of higher level sport and seeks to assist them with a smooth transition to other representative teams.

Since the inception of the 1993 team, the NZ Area School’s Rugby team have played in Australia, had an international fixture

with a USA school and played other NZ representative teams such as Northland V i k i n g s , H a w k e s B a y S a r a c e n ’s , N Z Harlequins, Waikato Tainui Waka Academy and Thames Valley Secondary School under 18 teams. The organisers have had their original intent confirmed with some great match results and several players going on to higher honours. These include Zar Lawrence who was an All Black Sevens representative, North Harbour sevens star Whiria Meltzer and several provincial players in the Heartland Championship.

Opportunities like this unfortunately cost a considerable amount to organise, even with much of the coaching and supporting roles being provided by volunteers. Travel from the remote schools to Hamilton where the camp is held is typically expensive and accommodation and food add significantly to the bill. In the early years, the players and their families or communities self-funded the tour, but it was doubtful whether this method could be sustained for the longer term.

“A structure has been created to establish true pathway opportunities for young rugby players that would otherwise be left isolated in more than just a geographical sense.“

Luckily, word of the success of the concept had started to spread and Mike and Ron

71

GEOFF BONNER

introduced it to Rocky Patterson, CEO of the NZ Rugby Foundation in 1996. They were able to negotiate with Rocky for not only the financial support of the Foundation, but also for Rocky to become the patron of NZAS Rugby. This began a relationship which continued for almost 20 years until in 2013 the Foundation changed the focus of their targeted support and the financial contributions to NZAS Rugby were discontinued.

An urgent review of funding options was required to prevent the programme from being cancelled. At this time, Kiwi Teamwear agreed to a 3 year sponsorship deal to meet the apparel needs of the team and staff, covering both on-field and offfield items. The agreement was renegotiated in 2016 and support secured on an ongoing basis.

The organisers however remained concerned that the concept would falter if the main costs were pushed back on to the players so they restructured the entity to make it

2015 NZ Barbarians Area Schools Team

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more eligible for funding from charitable trusts to compliment other sponsors. With this in mind, in mid 2013, NZ Area School Rugby formally became an Incorporated Society dedicated to supporting the annual national representative team along with the general development of rural rugby players from the Area Schools.

At the same time, The NZ Barbarian Rugby Football Club, which is a non-profit organisation supporting the development of rugby, was approached for support. In recent years The Barbarians have become a major sponsor of primary and secondary school rugby and it was felt that there was a good fit with NZ Area Schools Rugby. The generosity of the Barbarians has removed the key cost concerns and the two entities now work together to share the costs and workload in funding and organising fixtures for the annual team. It was also agreed to rename the team as NZ Barbarian’s Area Schools Rugby. NZ Area Schools Rugby Inc. still seek additional sponsorship to cover lesser costs such as selector flights,

accommodation, meals and transport at the national tournaments.

Like many other sports entities, the success of the NZAS Rugby programme is the result of many hours of dedication by a passionate group of volunteers. Mike Smith remains the instrumental figure and his dedication to rural school rugby has seen many players develop and flourish in both rugby and personal terms. He has been well supported by the work of many others including Ron and Rocky who retired some years back, Marie Relph in the key administration role and by Bob Telfer as selector & coach.

They’ve been able to create a structure to attract funders and other supporters to establish true pathway opportunities for young rugby players that would otherwise be left isolated in more than just a geographical sense. It would be interesting to see if other sports codes and entities can replicate the programme with similar results.

GEOFF BONNER

2015 NZ Barbarians Area Schools vs Waikato Harlequins

Geoff is the owner of Kiwi Teamwear which provides both custom-made and locally stocked apparel and hardware for most sporting codes. He specialised in the international marketing and procurement of sports products before starting Kiwi Teamwear. His company has a well-developed network of suppliers and strong communication processes, resulting in a reputation for quality products and reliable delivery. www.kiwiteamwear.com

73 73

THE LAST WORD: KAREN BOYES

Last word Knowing how I know

“I

don’t learn anything at school!” shouted my daughter (Miss 14) as she left the house. Not a new revelation from her – but today she seemed more intent on ensuring I knew I was wasting my time sending her each day. So I decided to ask the BIG question. “How do you know when you have learnt something?”

The response was “I don’t know!” With a heavy heart I wondered how have I let my daughter down so much. When did I miss that she didn’t understand about learning?

It is what I stand for – successful learning – I’m known as the study queen to teens all over the world, a facilitator of thinking and learning to teachers worldwide and yet my daughter has no idea how the learning process works.

Feeling ashamed but not despondent, I spoke to Mr 17 and asked him the same question. He was in the middle of exams and simply answered, “I can pass the test.”

Probing a bit further, he said he didn’t know.

Now I know the metaphors of the plumber with the leaky taps or the builder with an unfinished house, so I concede that perhaps I have not been as diligent at home as I could have been.

However, as a teacher, I would expect all my students to understand the learning process, be able to explain where they are in the process and what steps they would need to take to ensure they know they know.

I challenge you to ask your students to brainstorm a list of how they know they have learned something. Actually can you, as a teacher, articulate what learning is and how you know it has occurred?

As an educator or parent what evidence do you have that learning has happened? Here is my list…

• Can your students explain it accurately?

• Can students apply the new information in various contexts?

• Are they able to teach it to others?

• Do students ask questions to further their understanding?

• Can your students accurately answer questions on the information • C a n y o u r s t u d e n t s g i v e t h e i r interpretation?

• Are they able to empathise?

• Can they take on another perspective?

• Do they chat freely and intelligently about the information/skill?

• C a n t h e y w r i t e w e l l c o n s t r u c t e d , interesting narrative?

• H a v e a n a c t i o n p l a n t o u s e t h e information to make a difference in the world?

What would you add to this list?

Learning has many layers: It involves memor y techniques, working through the hard to get to easy, being aware of the learning pit, feeling uncomfortable, consciously choosing strategies to help when it is challenging, repetition, metacognition, having a purpose – a big why, mindset, seeing the big picture and so many more facets…

One model I believe it is useful to understand is the Four Levels of Competence.

PHOTO: JORDI2R

There are four key stages to the learning process identified by Noel Burch and more recently has been attributed to Abraham M a s l o w. T h e s e a r e v a l u a b l e s t e p s t o understand in understanding the learning process for both teachers and students.

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KAREN BOYES

Stage 1: Unconsciously Incompetent We all start here. This is when you don’t know what you don’t know. When you were young, you did not know that you could not tie a shoelace or drive a car. At this level we are often ignorant to the facts and ability, and maybe have a blind spot. This is where, as older learners, you may be in denial about the usefulness of a skill.

To move to the next level learners need to see the bigger picture, of what is possible and an awareness of the possibility that they cannot perform the skill or the realisation that they don’t know. They need to be able to recognise their own incompetence and develop a value proposition towards learning the new skill.

Stage 2: Consciously Incompetent This is when you know you don’t know. You now have a strong awareness of your lack of skill and or ability. Following the earlier example, you now know you cannot tie a shoelace and cannot drive a car.

This stage is when many people are likely to be discouraged and quit as the gap of incompetence often seems so big, you can’t see the possibility of being able to achieve the task. Learning at this stage requires demonstrations and encouragement, as well as building the vision of being able to successfully complete the skill. Making mistakes is a critical part of being able to move forward from this level.

Stage 4: Unconsciously Competent Stage 3: Consciously Competent Now the learning of the new skill starts. It is essential to break it down into manageable steps and this level requires concentration.

When learning to tie a shoelace, the internal (or it may be external) voice repeats: over, under, through, pull, make a loop, etc… Do you recall learning to drive a car? Having to think about all the steps: Clutch, first, hand brake, clutch, accelerator, mirrors – “Don’t talk to me while I’m driving!”

At this stage everything feels stiff and awkward. Frustration will be plentiful.

Feedback is essential and every small improvement significant. Coaching may be essential here as well. It is also important not to get cocky or arrogant at this stage, as then the learning process can stagnate or stop. Hands-on practice is the key here.

“As a teacher, I would expect all my students to understand the learning process.“

After all the active, slow and steady practice comes the fourth stage of when the skill becomes automatic, or at least can be performed without conscious effort. This is when you do not need to think about how to tie a shoelace or drive a car – you just do it. The skill becomes second nature or perhaps can be described as a habit. More consolidation may need to occur at this level, as you continue to refine the skill or ability.

Recognising (both for the teacher and the student) which step they are at, when learning a new skill, can alleviate the frustration of the slowness it takes for their learning to occur. Research tends to indicate it can take between 21 -26 days of active participation to move from one stage to the next. Of course this depends on the motivation level, initial skill level, your ability to think about your thinking and the desire to do the hard work.

The essential part to remember for both student and teacher is learning takes time and allowing time for each stage will help.

Now to go and explain this to my children…

Karen is an expert in effective teaching and learning, study skills, motivation a n d p o s i t i v e t h i n k i n g. S h e wa s awarded the NSANZ Educator of the Year 2014 award and works in schools throughout Australasia teaching students how to Study Smart and teachers how to raise achievement. www.karentuiboyes.com

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