Intervention Check-in...

 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

• e-asTTle - assigning termly tests for learners to sit to monitor progress.
• Teacher Observations - photographs of learning moments
• Student Confidence and Engagement
• Reading Task-boards - including student text selection and voice in what they're learning

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.

• Everything is still in action so it is quite hard to reflect explicitly. However, something thats proven to be a slight issue in this inquiry is TIME. For a number of weeks now I have had to step into class due to shortage of relievers, meaning I don't get my release, so I don't get to work on my Inquiry.
• Y8 and Y9 learning timetable. It has been difficult to organise the sessions for both cohorts of students to meet because learning times are different in Primary than High School. I had to schedule our first mentoring session to have straight after we had Tech down at Tamaki College.

Intervention insights...

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 4x this term and 4x 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 6-7 sessions - they will be working on some 'Critical Thinking' tasks, Q&A session, Reading Focus session, Debate session, Key into Inference session, a 'shadow my Y9 mentor' session etc. Some of the activities included will be around Reebus Puzzles, Riddles, Brainteasers, Debate Provocations, Professional Readings 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.

Meeting with fellow CoL teachers

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.

Lightbulb Moment

I had a lightbulb moment today and I am proud of it - YAYYYY!

I have a clear understanding of my CoL intervention now. 

Inquiry Question: How will I change my teaching practice to ensure I am creating opportunities for learners to think critically in their learning?

Intervention Draft: I have been in touch with a couple of staff members from Tamaki College to talanoa about my vision. So part of my inquiry this year is the transition from Y8 to Y9. So far, I have a target group in Y9 and a target group in Y8. The students have helped by putting this intervention idea together. 2 key ideas I gathered from meeting with both cohorts were:

• Have more High-school weeks at school. Often this is a one week initiative a year that we hold in Term 4. The Y9 learners have suggested perhaps having more of those. 2 in Term 3 and 2 in Term 4. Reason being, one of the main struggles for the Y9 learners was moving around the school for class.
• Create an opportunity for the Y9 learners to mentor the Y8 students. Meet with them couple times in Term 3 and in Term 4. First session is a "Get to know your mentees" and the rest of the sessions is when I implement some critical thinking tasks for the students to work on with each other.

Professional Readings

 1. Teaching Critical Thinking - An evidence Based Guide

Critical thinking is about reasoning and asking questions, analysing and internalising. Critical thinking also allows students to become problem solvers through active investigation. It is also about “high order thinking processes”  in order to make some informed decisions.

• Games to promote critical thinking 

  1. Puzzles, mazes, mystery bag, brain teasers, rebus puzzles

  
  

  HOW?

  • Encourage agree & disagree

  • Asking why questions

  • Talk about implications / solutions

  • Reflections

  Encourage students to listen, internalise and then respond

- This reading was a reminder of why teaching Critical Thinking is important for the students learning. The benefits of critical thinking goes beyond the classroom and can be applied to any experience in education.

- As teachers, when Teaching Critical Thinking Skills, it's important to slow down the pace. Pose a question of the day as something to stimulate thinking. Create a response box that students can slot their responses in throughout the day. Debates is also a great class activity for students to partake in. Deciding whether they're for or against a proposition is effective.

2. 5 Critical Thinking Skills Kids need to Learn

• Children are naturally curious to find out how things work, to make sense of the world around them - they use their critical thinking skills.
• Children who have been taught critical thinking skills, have higher IQs and do better in language comprehension and problem-solving. 

• Encourage students to ask ‘why’. Ask do you agree/disagree and give reasons. Ask for clarification and if they can give you an example.

• Talk about implications. When reading a story, stop in the middle and ask what do you think will happen next. Why or what would you do.

-This reading was a reminder to encourage opportunities for students to practice questioning and giving full detailed answers (for younger learners). Teachers to also encourage exploration and investigation to find the answers.

3. How to help your child develop Critical Thinking Skills

• Children who have been taught critical thinking skills, have higher IQs and do better in language comprehension and problem-solving. 
• Encourage students to ask ‘why’. Ask do you agree/disagree and give reasons. Ask for clarification and if they can give you an example.
• Talk about implications. When reading a story, stop in the middle and ask what do you think will happen next. Why or what would you do.

-This reading was a reminder that Children are naturally curious to find out how things work, to make sense of the world around them - they use their critical thinking skills.