This years causal chain was a joy to make. I'll be honest, I think I finally have my head around the understanding of my theory of action.
I have included my Inquiry focus/question - some of the outcomes I wish to achieve - my intervention - what my learning will be and what learning I hope the learners achieve - a few measurable outcomes I hope to achieve at the end of the intervention and what it should look like.
Share: Share data that you have collected/ recorded about the implementation of your changed practices or intervention (what evidence do you have about what you did differently?
Describe: Describe the evidence you have so far about the effects of your changed practice/intervention on desired learner outcomes and how you summarised and recorded these
Explain: Explain the reflections and tweaks you have made along the way and the reasons why you made these changes. Share your evidence for these decisions.
Sooooo,
Let me give you an insight to what my intervention is.
Because my CoL is around the transition of Y8 to Y9 - I decided to create a target group in both Year 8 and Year 9. I thought 6 students would be ideal because it's not too big or too small. Fortunately with Tamaki College being our local High School and I know some of the teachers there, I contacted Ms Amber George, Ms Dorothy Apelu, Mr Mansell and Mr Albert Stevenson for some help.
Eventually, I was able to form my target groups and from Term 2 of this year, I have met with my group 3x. Another bonus is, my Y9 target group are my ex-students from last year.
The plan is to meet with them 3x this term and 3x next term. For my sessions this term and term 4, they will be working with my 6 Year 8 students, in the role of a mentor.
For their first session, it will be a 'get to know you' session and for the remaining 5 sessions - they will be working on some 'Critical Thinking' tasks. These will include Reebus Puzzles, Riddles, Brainteasers, Debate Provocations etc
Last year we had the WayFYnders mentor group from Tamaki College come and work with some of our Y8 students. We found it very effective. The students who were selected as mentees were students who had attendance, self-esteem and motivation issues. After a term of mentoring, our Principal checked the attendance rate of the learners and we saw some really positive changes. This was the inspiration for my intervention this year.
I am hoping that through this mentoring programme between Y9 and Y8 students, the anxiety and stress for the Y8 learners transitioning into High School will be less tense and less pressure for the learners.
This term I have had the opportunity to meet with Sandhya from GI primary and Scott from Tamaki College.
We met because we wanted to talanoa about our inquiries and gain ideas from each other. Sandhya said she needed anothers perspective on what her intervention ideas were. We spent a good hour sharing our inquiries to one another and even the barriers we came across this year.
Scott and I met because our inquiries were quite similar. I am looking at the transition of Y8 to Y9 and Scott is inquiring into the importance of learners being one with their culture, language and identity (something along these lines). Scott had a lightbulb moment when he came to our farewell assembly for our previous Tumuaki and saw how engaged the learners were (In Primary level) with their cultural background. He noticed that in High School, their main focus is on NCEA and teaching Reading, Writing and Maths. It's missing the sense of belonging and identity aspect. It was a very effective talanoa because we left agreeing that Scott will make a visit to GTS - to observe how it is in the classroom, the culture and group teaching we do and I left making plans of meeting with my Y9 students who will mentor my Y8 learners.
A great TALANOA indeed.
