developing inquiry - considering challenging questions, and general related thoughts...
How can I use dramatic inquiry in the classroom to promote communication and participation?
Targets? - Jason, Pihanga, Te Neha, Karayje
Targets? - Jason, Pihanga, Te Neha, Karayje
Challenging questions
At this stage of the inquiry you can ask yourself:
- What's going on in my classroom for learners?
- What do they say about their learning?
- What do I observe?
- What are my "hunches"?
- What do I need to learn more about to make this better?
- What's not working in my classroom? What is?
What's going on in the classroom for my learners?
Some wild and feral behaviours. Disengagement. Bored students. Unsettled. Defiance. Lacking class culture. Relationships being established. Two teachers. Absences.
What do they say about their learning?
>> I need to gather student voice.
>> I need to gather student voice.
What do I observe?
Te Neha chooses Mathletics, lego. Is creative. likes stories being read to him. will offer opinion, ideas, joke. Difficulty dealing with disappointment. Enjoys hanging out with older students. Responds well to praise, reasoning, having responsibility and incentives. Shows leadership at kapa haka.
Jason - so proud of learning i.e. being able to read and write numbers. Likes to draw. Likes to make books. Likes to climb trees. Likes stories. Likes painting. Likes boxes. Likes taking work home. Enjoys one to one time with adult - i.e. cutting fruit in mornings. This is becoming a routine and he likes having responsibility to give it out etc. Have also been using this time for maths :) Not able to add numbers. Learning to write name correctly. Can skip with skipping rope.
Karayje - often seems on outside when sitting as a class - seems to like to separate himself at times. Likes to draw. Is a confident mathematician - as in confident in his abilities. Likes Lego. Will role play friends while playing - ie creating scene with lego etc and playing out a story/scenario. Can get angry but has been calm this week.
Pihanga - often brings things to school, likes trinkets etc. Seems to have difficulty working in groups but seems ok working with one other and likes 1:1 time. Lots going on at home at the moment. Proud of work she is doing with Alida in RR.
What are my hunches?
That children need choice/agency. A positive class culture is crucial. Mantle will increase collaboration. Will lead to curriculum integration, purpose for learning, engagement. Mantle will support our school values (i.e. the values the 'responsible team' will have will reflect the values our school has.) Mantle will support PB4L
What do I need to learn more about?
Process drama. Drama games. Doubling down on tier 1 PB4L stuff to help build class culture and manage behaviour. Problem solving re chn with tier 2 behaviours. Learning about creating an environment where children feel safe, accepted, engaged and challenged in their learning. Mantle of the Expert.
What's not working? what is?
Is this question specifically to do with my inquiry question or just 'in general"??
...so specifically in relation to inquiry - what is working is that I have the Mantle of the Expert learning from Summer School and feedback from Viv re my planning for Term 2. I have a good relationship with the students and playing games with them has really helped strengthen our relationship.
What's not going so well is that I've been too easily put off the drama activities I've planned/wanted to do. For example today I wanted to do the Lighthouse keeper lesson (there's a link to it on this page This is not a mantle - it's process drama). But I'd forgotten about soccer (importance of me being more organised with my time!). So it didn't fit into morning block. Middle block I'd attempted to follow Alida's literacy planning. And I wasn't going to try last block.
I need to stop this - I'm making barriers for it not to work. I'm nervous about it as well as excited. And I find myself focussing a lot of my energy on the few kids around the edge that are outside screaming in trees or sitting at the whiteboard table instead of the mat - and thinking 'Oh they won't cope with that' - but really there's a large group that will, and maybe, hopefully, the others will too.
So in general also - because maybe some of this will link in...
positive - handwriting is going well. This is a routine. It's achievable. Everyone does it. We now can all use our handwriting book - we know what page to use and what way round the book goes (well most of us!).
I am hearing and seeing improved student relations - more and more many children are respectfully asking for something, using manners, reminding other children about the right thing to do in a polite way.
Maths - I am getting some good knowledge of where the students are at and what their gaps and next steps are by small group activities. I've been able to talk to the children about their next steps and tailor quick follow up activities. Ensuring these are documented is an important next step. These have been fairly random. I've made some notes on planning and data sheet and need to be more consistent with this and ensure I'm seeing all kids.
not working - many students quick to get angry and seem unable to 'self-calm'. How can I help with this? e.g. I need to find out what prompts/techniques Sifa is teaching Te Neha and reinforce these in classroom. Neo needs to be 'pre-loaded' with what to do if he's feeling stressed. While Yoleena is being fairly peaceful, she is mainly drawing. She is completing handwriting and will now use Mathletics (this is new and a positive step). She will play a maths game with me though has 'agreed' to partipate in only two group lessons. She does though often participate from afar - so while she's not sitting with the group I'm working with, she might be nearby and randomly including herself or calling out an idea. I need to engage her with math problems that have a context she is interested in.
I need to be better organised and better with my timekeeping as children need to be well prepared for things. so 'oh it's 10 o'clock we need to get to soccer - just leave things as they are and we'll come back to it - quick line up' is not going to work!
On Thursdays when I am in Room 1 for the full day I will use my own planning. Today I wasn't able to teach what Alida had planned (apologies Alida!). I think it will be better and easier for us both if I plan literacy activities for this block.
Pihanga - often brings things to school, likes trinkets etc. Seems to have difficulty working in groups but seems ok working with one other and likes 1:1 time. Lots going on at home at the moment. Proud of work she is doing with Alida in RR.
What are my hunches?
That children need choice/agency. A positive class culture is crucial. Mantle will increase collaboration. Will lead to curriculum integration, purpose for learning, engagement. Mantle will support our school values (i.e. the values the 'responsible team' will have will reflect the values our school has.) Mantle will support PB4L
What do I need to learn more about?
Process drama. Drama games. Doubling down on tier 1 PB4L stuff to help build class culture and manage behaviour. Problem solving re chn with tier 2 behaviours. Learning about creating an environment where children feel safe, accepted, engaged and challenged in their learning. Mantle of the Expert.
What's not working? what is?
Is this question specifically to do with my inquiry question or just 'in general"??
...so specifically in relation to inquiry - what is working is that I have the Mantle of the Expert learning from Summer School and feedback from Viv re my planning for Term 2. I have a good relationship with the students and playing games with them has really helped strengthen our relationship.
What's not going so well is that I've been too easily put off the drama activities I've planned/wanted to do. For example today I wanted to do the Lighthouse keeper lesson (there's a link to it on this page This is not a mantle - it's process drama). But I'd forgotten about soccer (importance of me being more organised with my time!). So it didn't fit into morning block. Middle block I'd attempted to follow Alida's literacy planning. And I wasn't going to try last block.
I need to stop this - I'm making barriers for it not to work. I'm nervous about it as well as excited. And I find myself focussing a lot of my energy on the few kids around the edge that are outside screaming in trees or sitting at the whiteboard table instead of the mat - and thinking 'Oh they won't cope with that' - but really there's a large group that will, and maybe, hopefully, the others will too.
So in general also - because maybe some of this will link in...
positive - handwriting is going well. This is a routine. It's achievable. Everyone does it. We now can all use our handwriting book - we know what page to use and what way round the book goes (well most of us!).
I am hearing and seeing improved student relations - more and more many children are respectfully asking for something, using manners, reminding other children about the right thing to do in a polite way.
Maths - I am getting some good knowledge of where the students are at and what their gaps and next steps are by small group activities. I've been able to talk to the children about their next steps and tailor quick follow up activities. Ensuring these are documented is an important next step. These have been fairly random. I've made some notes on planning and data sheet and need to be more consistent with this and ensure I'm seeing all kids.
not working - many students quick to get angry and seem unable to 'self-calm'. How can I help with this? e.g. I need to find out what prompts/techniques Sifa is teaching Te Neha and reinforce these in classroom. Neo needs to be 'pre-loaded' with what to do if he's feeling stressed. While Yoleena is being fairly peaceful, she is mainly drawing. She is completing handwriting and will now use Mathletics (this is new and a positive step). She will play a maths game with me though has 'agreed' to partipate in only two group lessons. She does though often participate from afar - so while she's not sitting with the group I'm working with, she might be nearby and randomly including herself or calling out an idea. I need to engage her with math problems that have a context she is interested in.
I need to be better organised and better with my timekeeping as children need to be well prepared for things. so 'oh it's 10 o'clock we need to get to soccer - just leave things as they are and we'll come back to it - quick line up' is not going to work!
On Thursdays when I am in Room 1 for the full day I will use my own planning. Today I wasn't able to teach what Alida had planned (apologies Alida!). I think it will be better and easier for us both if I plan literacy activities for this block.
I found reading your blog helpful for me to plan and move forward with my own, even though it is focusing on a different area. Thank you for sharing.
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