Blogpost #13: Intervention Tools - RPI Resources and Ideas

 

A huge drive in our Reading Programme this year has been the implementation of RPI resources and Ideas into our teaching and learning. Being the mentor teacher for our 2 teachers in the RPI programme has helped with the consistency of running it.

Here are some snapshots of some of the RPI learning by the mentee teachers and we have implemented in our teaching for the term. These were also some of the favourites for our students:

 

- Vocabulary activities to help with decoding words

- Word Consciousness activities

- One Shot Film - a unique way of promoting the book you are reading.

- Figurative Language in our Writing to make our writing more effective and appealing to the readers. To also help with painting a visual image in the readers minds.

Upon discussion with my team, we have decided to dedicate at least a week each next term to what has been covered in RPI. Some of those ideas are: 

• Great Beginnings Writing
• Figurative Language 
• One Shot Film
• Creating visual representation of the book we read
• Levels of Thinking - Literal, Interpretive & Evaluative
• Word Associations

Blogpost #12: Intervention Tools - changes implemented in teacher practice...(Teacher Workbook)

 Thanks to the RPI intervention, we gained a thorough and more in-depth understanding of what a Teacher workbook should consist. We were given an example of a Teacher workbook, teacher modelling book etc. 

As a team, we agreed that it was too much to have different documents. As a teacher, we like to work 'smarter, not harder', so we decided to combine the 2 and title it TEACHER WORKBOOK. In this google spreadsheet, we also have an achievement data tab that includes learners achievement data for reading, from all their assessments between the beginning of year and end of year. This helps us teachers track and monitor the learner and the progress they make throughout the year.

For every couple of weeks, we have a tab that has the learning intentions, deliberate acts of teaching and a column that allows us to reflect on how the lesson went and what we have observed during our guided reading sessions.

These changes have really helped me and my teacher practice around reading. I feel more efficient and I have evidence of the teaching/learning that takes place when I see the students. I also have a 'one stop shop' where I can easily access data for learners and teacher observation anecdotal notes. This will also help me with report writing. Even if parents request to an appointment to check in on their child's learning, the teacher workbook is sufficient enough.

Blogpost #11: Intervention Tools - changes implemented in teacher practice... (Reading Taskboards)

One of the main changes we made to our Reading Programme in Team Tui, was the introduction of Taskboards. The benefits of taskboards include:

• Key Elements that support Reading as Core to Learning
• Instruction and learning is linked, clear and explicit learning intentions
• Guided Teacher time and independent time to grow good readers (e.g left to right Monday 'Must-Do's' includes a Reader Interest Survey and 'Activity for Choosing a Good Fit Book'; weekly choice board; and Guided Reading time with the teacher twice a week
• Learners are also developing their discussion skills about topics related to their reading (and for a cross-curriculum task linked to the reading of graphs in LCS/Inquiry).
• Teacher Notes also include achievement data for each student. This allows teachers to track the students progress throughout the year. It also has a tab that allows us to reflect on and also have a list of learning intentions we could pick from throughout the year.

Blogpost #10: Intervention Tools - changes implemented in teacher practice... (Team Tui Collaborative Learning Site)

Thanks to RPI - our team have had an exciting experience with Reading this year. This opportunity has enabled us to make some effective changes to our Reading Programme and has resulted in some great student output, better teacher practice and teacher/student engagement.

Some of the exciting changes we made along the way and through the course of this intervention was our decision to cross-teach our Senior students this year. Part of the reason for this, was because we started the year off sharing one learning space - Our School Hall, while our classes were being renovated. This prompted us to use an MLE approach of teaching, which we believe was really successfully. 

We moved back into our single cell classes for the beginning of Term 2, but we continued the MLE approach of team teaching and cross-grouping. This resulted in creating a learning site for the team as a whole, rather than individual classes.

Through this site, the kids can access learning resources from Term 1 till now. This encourages REWINDABLE learning and gives access for the learners to go back through what has been taught earlier in the year. If they feel the need to refresh on a math or reading strategy, or go through the structure of a particular writing genre, all can be accessed through the learning site.

Blogpost #9: CoL Teacher Inquiry: Causal Chain

Our task before the next CoL meeting was to create a causal chain to structure our thinking in regards to our intervention and to understand more deeply what we can do as a result in a shift of student achievement. Also, to share this causal chain on our blogs. Here is my causal chain that summarises my inquiry so far and begins to layout a plan for my intervention in Term 3.

I have zoomed in on this part of my causal chain as it highlights key aspects of my intervention and my plans for Term 3 onwards. Creating this causal chain gives allows me to monitor and track my inquiry. It also allows me to visualise where I want my students to be at the end of the year and what learning (student and teacher) will gain from this.

A key part of my inquiry is setting up a 'vocab wall' in class and to ensure my mentee teachers do the same. This was recommended through RPI. I also endeavour to plan opportunities for my learners to build their confidence in asking questions and seeking clarification of vocabulary meaning.