Evidence: Some evidence I have about the intervention and how it's going:
- Cross-Group Teaching: At the end of Term 3, my team decided (with the input of the students) to cross-group teach in Term 4. Reason being, we followed cross-group teaching in Term 1, during the time of Hybrid learning and we found it very productive. We went back to single cell classes for Terms 2 & 3 because we needed some normality back in our routines and expectations. Because this term is crazy and super busy, we thought we'd go back to cross-grouping and flexible learning spaces.
Below is how our groups look like for Reading/Writing. In these level specific groups, we break them up into smaller flexible groups and use those groups for our guided sessions. We use the Murray Gadd 'thumbs-up' approach. "Thumbs up if you understand, thumbs to the side if you need support and thumbs down if you have no clue what to do". We found our students to be honest and use integrity and there is no shame if your thumb is to the side or down. Through teacher observation, we did notice those who would *hide in the corner* and we make time to conference with them too.
- Collaborative Planning: In my team, we plan collaboratively. We're a close knit team with different strengths and we utilise those strengths to the best of our classroom programme. Ronil would plan our Maths/Science, Mary would plan our Art/Inquiry learning and I'd plan Reading & Writing. Evidence is available on my learning site GTS Room 11 and also on Mary and Ronil's class sites.
- Teacher Observation: Through constant teacher observation, I noticed how the bond and relationship between Teacher/student and student/student manifested into something positive and empowering. Because of how the year started, my focus was on "Occupational Well-Being of the Teacher and how this impacted the students' learning". Having flexible learning spaces and cross-grouping really helped with ensuring the teacher did not have "teacher guilt" if they had to stay home due to having flu like symptoms. Reliever shortages was also an issue and often the classes would be split. But because of collaborative planning, even when we were a teacher down, the learning continued because planning was accessible online and they knew what the students were learning.
- Student Engagement - Because the learners were able to work alongside their friends from other classrooms and continue to develop the relationship in the team throughout the year, Team Tui became united in everything we did. Often the attendance award would go to our team because we found attendance and punctuality to improve. The termly overview was often shared with students at the end of each term to give them a heads-up into what next term would look like. Students voiced they wanted to learn more about history and science so we turned that into practice. Manaiakalani voiced 'Extended Discussion' as a focus for reading, so we approached RTLB support for Reciprocal Teaching and we ran with this programme for Reading. Books were selected by students and according to their interests and Inquiry topics. School trips were intentional and were planned according to the learning of the term. Sharing of student learning included mini exhibitions at the end of each topic, Team presentations and whanau involvement.
- Attendance - According to our Principal, our Year 8 students have had the highest % of attendance in the whole school. (Graph to be shared shortly)