Summer has arrived - time to go outdoors. Some ideas to consider

Cicadas

They have taken their time but the cicadas are now in full song.

Information about NZ cicada    And more great stuff

What do we know about cicadas?

It is always the way. As soon as the summer holidays have past summer actually arrives.

Teachers and their students, who have up to now had little experience of real heat, are now feeling it, but now confined to their classrooms.

Let's hope teachers have decided to vacate their rooms and do their learning in the cool shade outside.

A chance to develop an awareness of the environment.

Teachers who have not forgotten that environmental literacy is as important as book literacy will no doubt be really enjoying themselves. The big issue of the coming decade is not a literacy crisis but a climatic one - environmental literacy

The sooner students develop an awareness of their environment , and in the process learn to love and respect it, the sooner they will see the need to sustain and protect it. As the future generation they will need to see it as the number one world problem.

If teachers do take their students outdoors they might begin to see that it is through rich sensory experiences that their students develop real insights and in the process expand them their all important vocabularies. They might even understand that in the beginning was not 'the word' but that in the beginning was 'the experience'.

Explore the environment through the senses

So teachers ought to take this hot weather as an opportunity to go outside and let their children explore the environment through their senses. If it was good enough for Leonardo da Vinci; it is good enough for their students. Like Leonardo they need to see and interpret their experiences as, artists , poets mathematicians and scientists.

Sit under a tree and take your mind for a walk

Outside children can sit under a tree and let their minds go for a walk. They can be taught to educate their senses - each sense introducing information for their growing minds to process. Listening

bring in dimensions of sound, smelling will remind them forever of environmental experiences, touching opens the world of textures, and sight the world of movements, colours, and shapes.

Some teachers call this activity 'Going Solo' - space students out to avoid unnecessary interactions

The Simple Haiku ( three line poem)e.g. one thought about looking high above; one thought about something in front of you; and one thought looking down. Model the process in class , put a photo on the smart board or TV.

Encourage students to use their imaginations

Teachers who understand how brain grows will help their students expand on their ideas by

encouraging students to see connections, to use language metaphorically , or to get them to simply describe what they can see. Teachers who appreciate the power of observation will encourage their students to draw what they can observe - encouraging them to focus on something of particular interests. Digital cameras assist in this process by bringing images back into class to further process.

Fill the room with their thoughts, drawing and art.

In rooms ,with teachers who are environmentally aware, the evidence of students curiosity will be all around to see. There will be three line nature poems ( simple haiku), drawings , imaginative paintings, exciting phrases in their written language, and studies developing out of their reawakened curiosity.

By developing environmental awareness both teacher and students can learn to be co-explorers.

Take advantage of their digital devices

Have the students go for a work to collect photos of things that attract their attention. Back in class edit the photos down to five or six. Teachers could narrow the focus by setting a theme e.g textures and patterns, flowers, weed flowers, bark patterns, interesting angles ( geometry study)

Cicadas - a simple environmental lesson

So with  this  in mind this is an ideal time to go outside and listen to the cicadas. What questions come to mind - and what are your students prior ideas about cicadas?

Collect cicada nymph cases seen on tree trunks - they make ideal observational drawing subjects, and through drawing questions and ideas will come to mind to explore.

t may be possible to uncover some nymphs before the emerge but possibly easier to capture some adults to observe/draw and to note differences between nymph cases and adults.

Students could then research answers to their questions. They might learn that many of their questions do not have real answers - not everything has been learnt about the 42 different types of New Zealand cicada! Do all cicada 'sing'? What is the point of all the 'singing'.

To conclude a display could be developed featuring drawings, thought poems and researched questions.

First educational readings for the new year - a year of great possibilities in NZ

Goodbye National Standards. A opportunity for creativity in schools

Education Readings

By Allan Alach

Time for new thinking

The New Zealand school year is about to begin, so Bruce Hammonds and I are back again with our education readings. Hopefully New Zealand schools are well prepared to make the most of the opportunities provided by the dumping of national standards, although we have our concerns that too many principals and teachers will struggle to break their mindsets free from the raising achievement focused dictates of the the previous nine years.

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz

Assessment too often fails to prioritise learning – let's change that

‘By relying less on data and more on teachers’ judgment, schools can give student assessment greater meaning while also cutting workload.

Often the focus is on what tracked data tells us about student progress, but I know of no large-scale study that demonstrates the positive impact of data-tracking systems on learning. My hunch is that you could delete all this data and the students would never notice the difference in terms of the education they receive. The majority of teachers have excellent knowledge of their students, with or without the data.'

http://bit.ly/2DwI7Bt

IXL: Caveat Emptor & Personalized Misery
NZ may have been saved from this by the change of government, but …

As the computerized version of personalized [sic] learning continues to gather steam, we can anticipate increasingly aggressive marketing. Remember – you don't win in a free market by having the best product, but by having the most effective marketing. Marketing for these algorithm-driven software packages of mass-produced custom education belongs to a special class of marketing – marketing that is designed to sell a product to people other than the actual end users… Education has always suffered from this problem-- teachers get stuck using products that are purchased by district administrators who will never have to actually work with them.’

http://bit.ly/2DBRDaD

This is the one skill your child needs for the jobs of the future

‘Every child begins their journey through life with an incredible potential: a creative mindset that approaches the world with curiosity, with questions, and with a desire to learn about the world and themselves through play.

However, this mindset is often eroded or even erased by conventional educational practices when young children enter school.’

http://bit.ly/2E7697n

Contributed by Bruce Hammonds:

'A World of Difference': the philosophy of a Taranaki pioneer creative teacher - Bill Guild

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Bill's room  environment

In 2003 Bill Guild attended the Frankley Road 150th Jubilee, a school he had been principal of for 28 years from 1959 to 1986. An accomplished photographer, Bill complied a book ‘A World of Difference’ of the experiences and creativity of the students he taught to share with past students attending. Later an edited booklet was shared widely with teachers throughout New Zealand who knew of the quality of teaching he was well known for. Maybe it’s time to share his ideas again?’

http://bit.ly/2DASbgJ

Creative teaching:Learning from the past - John Cunningham teacher 1970s

Creativity not conformity

Uncovering ideas worth sharing

‘The other day I was visiting my old friend John Cunningham. He had been recently sorting through old notes ( John is a bit of a hoarder) and had found some photos from his 1970 classroom and I suggested they might make an interesting blog.  In all areas of life we need to look backwards to move into the future; ' Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it' (Santana).’

http://bit.ly/2DBcjLT

Starting the year right – building learning-focused relationships

'If we want students who are confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners, how do we

maximise the beginning of the school year to ensure this happens? We often use words such as ‘learning’ and ‘learner’ with our students, yet how often do we stop and check that they understand what these words actually mean? It seems to me that with a new year before us we have an opportune time to unpack these concepts with our students. Learning-focused relationships with and between students will not happen by accident; they need to be nurtured through careful planning and design.’

http://bit.ly/2rCzvb4

Why Are Kids Impatient, Bored, Friendless, And Entitled?

I am an occupational therapist with years of experience working with children, parents, and teachers. I completely agree with this teacher’s message that our children are getting worse and worse in many aspects. I hear the same consistent message from every teacher I meet. Clearly, throughout my time as an Occupational Therapist, I have seen and continue to see a decline in children’s social, emotional, and academic functioning, as well as a sharp increase in learning disabilities and other diagnoses.’

http://bit.ly/2GdfZFf

Teachers celebrate the end of National Standards

‘Primary teachers sound excited after the sudden announcement of the dropping of National Standards, and their New Year’s resolutions for teaching in 2018 are about re-discovering the New Zealand Curriculum, and locally relevant learning. They’re talking about passion-based projects, vision, and innovation; about drones and gardens, marine reserves and whakapapa. The romance has been re-ignited.’

http://bit.ly/2FbzLzM

Ken Robinson – How Schools Kill Creativity

Now that national standards have been dumped in the rubbish bin of history, it’s timely to bring back Sir Ken Robinson.

‘And the third part of this is that we’ve all agreed, nonetheless, on the really extraordinary capacities that children have — their capacities for innovation… And my contention is, all kids have tremendous talents. And we squander them, pretty ruthlessly. So I want to talk about education and I want to talk about creativity. My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status… ‘

http://bit.ly/2GfruvK

Who should learn most about White Privilege—Māori children or Pākehā children?

Ann Milne:

‘Although, internationally, there is a significant body of research on Whiteness and White privilege (for example, see here, here, and here), in Aotearoa New Zealand we have been largely silent about White spaces in our “Whitestream” schools. The racist backdrop that is pervasive in our education system creates and perpetuates the White spaces that marginalise and alienate our Māori learners, yet it is a backdrop that we rarely name as being a problem.’

http://bit.ly/2rBpDy6

Secret Teacher: why can't my school just trust us to do our job?

Time to trust

‘When I started my career in teaching, I was encouraged to be creative and experiment. I loved that freedom and I think it helped to make me a good teacher. I got used to reading around my subject and trying out different ideas. I made some mistakes, but I was always thinking, always learning, always trying to do better with my students. I got good results. I enjoyed my work. Contrast that with the situation I and many of my colleagues face today. My job and so much of what happens in my classroom is being controlled and my teaching hindered by excessive micromanagement.’

http://bit.ly/2n8FQ9E

From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:

What messages does your school pass on to students?

‘It is important if students are to become active learners for them to tell their own stories, to pose their own questions and to make their own interpretations of what they experience. If their ‘voices’ are not recognised there will be many who will continue to disengage from their learning.’

http://bit.ly/2n9NRLn

Beginning the school year

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Seven ideas to consider

Pass on to interested teachers.

Beginning a school year is a challenge to all teachers - even the most experienced. In teaching, it seems, there is no shallow end!

Check out the links below the seven ideas below - you might find some of them useful to you.

'Begin with the end in mind' 

Business 'guru' Steven Covey advice is to 'begin with the end in mind'. A good idea ( for an individual teacher or staff) is to define the attributes of a great learner that you would like all students to achieve by the end of the year. 

This is equally a good idea to discuss with a new class at the beginning of the year.  They could be posted in the classroom for reference. In New Zealand they could be part of a class treaty linking the idea to the Treaty of Waitangi if so this might define positive teacher behaviours as well.

Once such attributes/ competencies have been defined then when  seen in action students could be given praise. See ideas 6 and 7

Here is what educator John Holt hoped all schools would achieve - it reminds us of how the very young learn before school.

In 1970 he was asked:

‘If American schools were to take one giant step forward this year towards a better tomorrow what should it be?’

John Holt - a perceptive educationalist

‘It would be to let every child be the planner, director of his own education, to allow and encourage him with the inspiration and guidance of more experienced and expert people, and as much help as he asked for, to decide what he has to learn, when he is to learn it, how he is to learn it, and how well he is learning it. It would make our schools,..... a resource for free and independent learning, which everyone in the community, of whatever age, could use as much or as little as he wanted.’

Idea number one : what attitudes do students bring with them?

In a few days teachers and students return to school to begin a new year.

One excellent idea is to gather data about students current views on a range of

school activities. Ideally this would be best as a whole school activity and the information gained used to suggest area for teachers to improve attitudes. Student poor attitudes interferes with their achievement levels

For some ideas click on this link.

 Number two:The power of personal experience/writing.

A good idea is to prepare a small presentation about yourself - students will be extremely curious about their new teacher!

Value the 'voice' of your students

Give the a potted history of your life experience and tell them that over the year you will get to know all about them.

To read more click on this link

Idea Three: developing a 'growth mindset' through a simple portrait ( the research of Carol Dweck)

With strategies we can all dr

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What are your students' views about their artistic ability?

Do they believe that only some students are born with the ability to draw or that everyone is  an artist?

For further information click on this link. Idea Four:Observation is an important skill in all areas of learning - all too often students look but don't see. 

Close observation encourages a slower pace of work which assists student memory.

Once the skill of observation is in place it can be used throughout the year in all learning areas.

Link to further information.

Idea Five: What talents do your students bring to your class?

All individuals whose talents weren't recognized at school.

With the current press in schooling focusing on achievement in literacy and numeracy it is all too easy to overlook the unique talents that students have. An education focused on developing all students talents and gifts also provides students the opportunity to become literate and numerate in meaningful contexts

Link to further ideas to consider

 Idea six:-how do we learn?

How did you get better at firing arrows?

Did  your students learn something new during their long holidays - or get better at something during this time?

Students need to appreciate that learning is what humans all do from birth - think about how young babies learn. What do they do to learn

Unfortunately many young people  think learning is something they do at school - and worse still many students have 'learnt' that are aren't good at many things. As Henry Ford said , 'If you think you can or you think you can't you are both right!'

Link to further information.

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Idea Seven : Developing a 'stance' as a teacher- ideas of Robert Fried and William Glasser.

Socrates's 'stance' was clear -is yours?

It seems students quickly pick up on the stance of their teachers so it is worth thinking about what's the 'stance' about teaching you want them to pick up? Now is time to think about how you want to come across to your students and fellow teachers.

Robert Fried, in his excellent book 'The Passionate Teacher',  writes about how teachers need to create an atmosphere that makes the students want to be their rooms.

Link to further ideas

Beginning a new school year.....

Beginning Teaching - some practical advice to start the year

Teaching is one profession where there is no shallow end.

 From day one you are presented with up to thirty plus young individuals for you to shape into a learning community; and every class community will be different. Even experienced teachers have

No shallow end for new teachers.

second thoughts about starting a new class .

This blog shares some ideas to select from..

Teachers need to negotiate with their students as much as possible to ensure empowerment or a sense of ownership and then to hold students to completing what they have agreed to do to develop a sense of responsibility.

First read this  excellent advice to make a shiny happy classroom!
Another link for new teachers

The challenge for teachers is to think up ways to tap into their students innate sense of curiosity. of curiosity. Educationalist Jerome Bruner has written that teaching is ‘the canny art of intellectual temptation’.Thankfully students are easily trapped by their innate

curiosity if what is put in front of them appeals

Keep in mind during the year

An important phrase from the New Zealand Curriculum to keep in mind is for each student to  be helped to ‘seek, use and create their own knowledge’..

The whole purpose of education is to help every learner develop a powerful learning identity, a strong sense of self,  a feeling of being a valued and worthwhile person. This involves the teacher really listening to their students’ questions, ideas and concerns. With such a vision in mind teachers can slowly, as students develop skill, pass greater responsibility to their students.

First impressions count and the students' parents will be waiting to hear from their children what their teacher is like so it is important not to leave it to chance. Dress well!

Develop a class treaty

Teachers will be planning their first few days now. Wondering about routines to establish and behaviours they want to establish.

 One good idea is to undertake a mini unit around the Treaty of Waitangi and use this as an opportunity to develop a class treaty outlining behaviors required of both students and the teacher.

An idea some teachers use is a letter to parents about your goals for the year - but if this is done it needs to be done with input from your team leader or principal. At least have something prepared to introduce yourself to your class . Students will be very curious to learn about their new teacher.

Catching an eel

Another  idea is to share with your class one of your holiday experiences and then get them to do the same.  They could 'mind-map' or list all the neat things they did and pick one to expand on. This activity will give you an idea of their writing and handwriting skills. 

If you do the above them students could add a drawing - one again get them to focus on exciting event.

Crossing the wire bridge

Learning to observe is an important and overlooked skill. You could bring in a simple leaf for the class to draw. This is an ideal means to encourage the class to work carefully - many children spoil work by rushing.

With the weather so great do some nature walks.


The first few days are a good time to assess your new classes attitudes towards areas of learning. Prepare a list of learning areas of aspects of learning and get  individual class members to indicate their attitudes towards items with a 1 to 5 scale - from 1 love it to 5 dislike it.. This would best be drawn up by all teachers. The results will give you an idea of areas you need to change for various individuals. Be interesting to use the same survey at the end of the year.  Do the survey with your class as if you were their age - and tell them how you have improved your attitudes since then - or areas you still want to improve.


If you know about the mindset research of Carol Dweck you could add to your survey  add : 

Well worth the read

1 Do you think were are born as smart as you are ever going to be ( 'brains' or sports ability) and there are some things you just can't do ? Or 

2 Do you think you can get better at anything if you try hard and practice? 

The first is a 'fixed mindset'.Low ability students get their lack of ability affirmed at school ( through ability grouping, national testing or streaming) and high achievers ( often girls) do not risk their status by new areas of learning becoming risk averse. Those with a 'growth mindset' just have a go at anything believing in effort and focused practice and see not succeeding as a challenge.This 'growth mindset' underpins the New Zealand Curriculum; ' have a go kids' 

An idea to work on is to  ensure your class appreciate your stance as a teacher - what you stand for as a teacher.

What are your strengths

Discuss with your class how they think they learn. Discuss with your class what they have learnt recently and how they went about it.

Take the opportunity to find out the range of talents class members bring to the class - and share the ideas about Multiple Intelligence of Howard Gardner.

A study based on sport

Personalizing learning is the ideal but the best way to get to the individual is by using group work. Most teachers use group work as part of their literacy and numeracy programmes but group work also works well for study ( inquiry) work as well.

(A link to some advice on classroom management )

Plan out a study unit to introduce to the class to introduce an inquiry approach to learning . The Treaty of Waitangi might be

Great mini study

one. Two good mini unit to make use of might be a study based on cicadas or a flax bush in flower.  Develop a model of inquiry teaching to make use of during the year.

The units above, or any idea you have chosen, will provide ideas to introduce as part of your language programme - and, if appropriate, maths as well.

Whatever is chosen it is worth helping students present their ideas well - and to encourage them to show gradual improvement  as the year unfolds. Encourage them to improve on their 'personal best' in all they do.

Teach simple layout skills

At first students may have little skill in presenting their work well but with time they will gain skill through your teaching ( if you think this is important) and as work is completed display it well. With time create a powerful learning environment.

All students buy a set of exercise books to begin the year. Some schools I know have reinvented these books as portfolios as they ought to show qualitative improvement (the Japanese call this continual small improvement 'kaizen'). The first days of school is the time to introduce students to this expectation. It is a good idea to

Simple powerful display

introduce them to simple graphic presentation ideas. It is also a good idea to aim, by Easter, for all books to show improvement.In the schools that have developed their books as portfolios all books are sent home before parent interviews for their comments and later to discuss during interviews.

This last link provides a summary of the ideas presented above.

I appreciate that the ideas presented  above reflect my own teaching beliefs and as such  my advice is to take only ideas that make sense to you. I see the classroom as a community of young scientists and artists exploring ideas they want to learn more about - with an emphasis on the immediate environment. My emphasis is on inquiry learning with literary and numeracy as much as is possible seen as 'foundation skills'. I am not sure many school have the same emphasis.

Developing this learning community is the real challenge for any teacher. Good schools will provide structures,

organisations and curriculum guidance to assist but it always worth having ideas up your sleeve.

First impressions count and the students' parents will be waiting to hear from their children what their teacher is like so it is important not to leave it to chance.

It is worth keeping in mind that the New Zealand Curriculum has its vision for all students to be 'confident life long learners', for them to have the necessary key competencies to do so - to be 'seekers, users and creators of their own knowledge'.

Advice for new teachers!

Have fun during your first week

A link to some quotes about learning to reflect on.

Good advice is regularly visit other classrooms to see what they are doing. They will be pleased to assist you and you will soon find teachers with experience and ideas to help - you need to 'seek, use and create your own knowledge' as it says in the NZ Curriculum.