Making a coconut shell bowl!

Today I enjoyed participating in a Create workshop at Glen Taylor school as part of Manaiakalani PD for this term. I learnt how to cut a coconut shell, take the meat out and the remove the husk using a range of different tools including a sharp knife!Thanks to Mr Raj for sharing your ideas and seeing your mahi in action with your students. There was even a bowl of kava to try, recognising the drink consumed in cultural ceremonies in Pacific island countries such as Fiji. Here are some photos of my perserverance!

My first Create workshop!

This afternoon I delivered an ENGAGE presentation to teaching colleagues hosted by Glen Taylor school. I introduced the research led by Dr Dionne Healy and Jimmy McLachan from Dunedin and Otago University about the importance of teaching young children self regulation skills through playing early childhood games. The acronym ENGAGE stands for Enhancing Neurobehavioural Gains with the aid of Games and Excercise. So then I showed the group the set of resource cards linked to Behavioural/Doing, Cognitive/Thinking and Emotional/Feeling games and actvitives. These games when played regularly contribute to a child's emotional well being and social skills combined with language accumulation. The teachers also had an opportunity to play a few games using items found around your home for the Magic Blanket a pack of cards for memory, and a game of silent ball. I hope those who attended can see the value of playing these games with a group of students on a regular basis.

Staff PD for Term 1

Using a mask as a symbol of self awareness and personal security such as "Mask on/ Mask off". Consider how the school year has been impacted by Omicron with students being absent with infection, self isolation due to family members or parents being cautious and not sending their children to school. What factors have been considered in the following scenarios? Consider a child's own well-being in how they might be feeling. What learning has taken place so far, due to the disruptions of being at home verses coming to school? How can teachers make the transition easier for children who are coping with an unusual schooling experience of face to face versus online learning from home? I feel that keeping daily routines and structures in place are key to this current environment we find ourselves in. I liken it to a divorce where the parents have separated and you need to keep things constant and familiar for the child to feel some form of normality and keep a safety net around them as much as possible to help them feel secure, even though things are strange and different from what they are used to...

New beginnings and new opportunities in 2022...

Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to my continued Professional Development blog for 2022! This year I am privileged to be a part of the "Class On Air" teachers cohort for Manaiakalani. My Inquiry is on teaching Science using a range of hands on practical experiments with a small group of focus children. It will have a literacy and language lense in each lesson. I have named my group "Mrs Carter and the Science Magnifiers". I hope that you can continue perusing my teaching practice and I would like to receive feedback along the way. My videos can be found on this blog page address: https://sites.google.com/d/1-PSmLPkLQuTeg59wA1NBEEtVdHeXM0f5/p/1qtB25xVbzx9mMfxn0mlZ8pqxjt4wUfSE/edit This is my focus group:

Here is my introduction video... I hope you visit my page and leave comments, Kia Ora tatou.

Reflection - Part 2

So after 107 days of being in lockdown, Auckland slowly regained a sense of normality and students were encouraged to return to school... Only half of my class did; 10/20 children came back to school for face to face teaching. The other half remained at home due to their parents wishes. It was a real struggle having to write end of year reports for a child you had not had any evidence of their learning for 3 months! For those children who did return to school and were engaged in distance learning, became evident in end of year testing that was carried out. I do feel for the children who will return to school in 2022 having had less "education" in whatever form that takes after such a long absence. We still need to advocate the importance of reading and writing over the holiday period, as this really does make a difference. The Summer Learning Journey is just the answer and enables children to engage with language and literacy through their own interests in a digital format. If you haven's already heard about it check out the Manaiakalani Program and it's unique philosophy of "Learn, Create, Share". It enables students to engage with their learning in the 21st century and become confident in sharing their ideas with others. As far as end of year targets, well let's just say "Cause Covid" had a huge part to play in such a tumultous, challenging year. Vaccinations and mask wearing is going to be part of our norm in the forseeable future. I hope that my teaching colleagues have a well deserved relaxing break and are able to return refreshed and revived. My constant reprieve during lockdown was practising mindfulness through daily Yoga and relaxation breathing. If we have to go through this again, I will continue this practice to maintain my own well being. Namaste, stay safe in your travels. I can honestly say after travelling the world over 15 years, Aoteoroa is the most beautiful country to live in. We are so blessed with what nature has to offer, we all need to respect the whenua and be kind to one another to keep it real. Teaching is a gift and I am proud to be a teacher. Seeing the children grow and develop as young individuals gives me a sense of gratitude and fulfillment.

Reflection - Part 1

As we enter the start of a new season (Spring), it brings me a sense of renewal...daffodils are flowering in my front garden, new rose buds are starting to appear, vegetables are ready to harvest and baby lambs are being born on farms around Aotearoa! My reflections this week come after two weeks of online teaching have passed as Auckland resumes being in Level 4 lockdown. It is so wonderful to be able to connect with my class twice a day! To see their smiley, happy faces brings so much shared joy and a continued sense of belonging. The content we have prepared as teachers is less structured on purpose, as to engage the children in their learning from home. We understand that there will be varying degrees of support as some families also juggle parenting and working from home. One parent may be an essential worker, so that leaves the other parent to multitask (parenting, working, feeding hungry mouths and maintaining housework) throughout the day! There are a number of children at home being cared for by their grandparents who are not familiar with computer technology. One advantage of Pasifika families is that there is usually one, two or three older siblings available to help with their learning or IT queries. Some children took a little while to navigate our Google Meets, learning how to mute and unmute their microphones to speak, clicking on the raise your hand button to speak and being sensible in front of the camera is all learned behaviour and the social ettiquite of "Google Manners for Google Meets" is practised daily. We have to remember that these digital natives are only 6 -7 years old, and already this has been engrained in their young lives. It is here that I feel greatful for being in a digital 1:1 school, as the expectations are laid from the junior school about of Kawa of Care. The children have been given their school iPads during this lockdown which has made a significant difference to their participation this time around. We remind the children to take care of their iPads during the day, keep them covered so that the screen is protected, leave them in a safe place and remember to charge them overnight. There is a combination of reading, writing, maths planned for their learning within a week. We have also included Inquiry with a focus on Healthy Mind and Body. Adding in some interactive activities also helps with engagement for the children to participate in some fun practical "learning through play" ideas which combine science and arts together. Creating short video clips is something which I have become well versed with. However, only by learning these skills at the reknowned "DFI" (Digital Fluency Intensive) course from the help of Manaiakalani facilitators and using the pedagogy taught on a regular basis have I become capable and gained confidence. My own class has become more confident in writing a sentence about how they feel and why as part of their daily journal entry throughout lockdown. Although this period of time is a different way of teaching and learning, who is to say that this will be become the norm? At least we are well prepared for these scenarios and have a range of expertise to gather knowlegde and skills from which I am also really thankful for. There is a plethora of teaching colleagues who can support and suggest alternative ways of sharing information and support with technology along the way. In amongst all the uncertainty of living in a worldwide pandemic, I feel truly blessed.

Level 4 lockdown!

So here we are again, back to teaching online as Auckland got the announcement that the Delta strain has hit our shores! Our Prime Minister Jacinda Adern put us into Level 4 lockdown and record numbers of Aucklanders began getting Covid tests. My own boys and I are awaiting our first vaccination scheduled for next month...In the meantime I am starting to miss my class, even though we have scheduled twice daily Google Meets. Our amazing admin team got Team 2's school iPads delivered earlier this week and as a result we have seen so many new faces online! It has been awesome to get emails from my supportive parents of their children's evidence of reading, writing and maths activities completed and submitted online. I am so proud of these families who are trying their best to make it work. Keep staying safe everyone and follow the rules to combat the virus.