COL Interview 2025...

What achievement challenge are you considering as an area of focus in 2025 and why? Include in your WHY both evidence and your own passion/expertise.

I would stay with Achievement Challenge 3 of lifting achievement in Reading for students in Years 1-13.

This is particularly relevant as we are all making the shift towards a structured literacy approach. For some of us this is a very real step into the unknown. When we meet our new classes we will meet a new array of learning challenges.

My belief is that one size does not fit all. I know personalising the instruction is vital to breaking down the barriers that prevent our tamariki from accessing their learning. There is a plethora of pre-made resources available but it is also vital that we do not lose sight of the need to plan purposefully so that the teaching aligns with the analysed data pictures of the learners in our individual classes.

What learnings from the 2017 - 2024 CoL teacher inquiries have informed or inspired your thinking.

Learning with and from my fellow CoL teachers has meant I have collected many ideas from others along the way that have become embedded in my practice. I really like the conversations and connections we make with eachother.

How would your work support Manaiakalani pedagogy and kaupapa?

The move from compliance to purpose in planning is a personal journey that needs to be guided and supported in bite sized chunks to make the growth meaningful. It's not about disregarding or undervaluing what individual teachers bring to the table, but rather helping them to see that one size does not fit all.

We need to take ownership of the focus of the lesson to ensure we are meeting the learning needs of the students we teach. Each class is different and each plan should reflect this difference.

No one wants to navigate these seas alone so a collaborative learning journey provides us with the shared focus needed to learn with and from each other. Our goal being to drive the 1.5 times shift by giving our learners the tools they need to find success in all learning opportunities. It's not just finding a 'how' but also about understanding the 'why'.

Which elements of the extensive Manaiakalani research findings inform or challenge you as you think about this?

The picture the data paints shows that our learners continue to struggle to grow and strengthen their connections to the academic literacy that allows them to access their learning. Teacher planning is crucial to the success of this. My inquiry this year has identified one of the biggest challenges leaders face, the challenge of shifting mindsets in planning.

How would you like to be supported in 2025 as you undertake this inquiry?

The support I would like in 2025 is to continue our collaborative inquiry approach as each year this has enabled us to build on and strengthen the processes we already have in place. I find the talanoa opportunities with both the Kahui Ako and the MET Research Team to be extremely valuable as I learn a lot from other's feedback and experiences.

How would you plan to support your colleagues in your school with their inquiries and/or teaching in the area you are exploring?

I have modelled my inquiry on my blog since 2017. All my inquiries are visible and honest. Not all have been a success, and I feel it is very important to reflect this openly as it's the tweaks that are made that we learn the most from.

Having held the Within School Kahui Ako role for the last seven years I believe the best support I can offer my colleagues with their inquiries is to guide them through the inquiry process term by term as this is both rewindable and manageable.

Several years ago I created our PBS Teacher Inquiry DLO, which is our version of a ‘how to’ process and is shared with staff in termly chunks. In term 4 we come together and have our own sharing session. Something I have driven as our PBS within school kahui ako is to ensure opportunities to focus and discuss our teacher inquiries are planned for, in order to keep the process alive throughout the year.

Bursts and Bubbles 2024...

My inquiry this year has had many twists and turns. Achieving accelerated shift in Literacy was identified as being one of the most important issues facing our Y4 - 8 team, this year, when the time point one data was analysed. What began as an inquiry into how learning gained from professional development was helping to strengthen teacher practice and student achievement in literacy, completely morphed into the one you can see on the screen behind me. Why? Because it simply wasn't working.

The effect of staff changes on PLD is something I hadn't initially taken into consideration and I found myself going round in circles. I began my journey by trying to ensure we were all on the same page. I knew consistency and a shared language of instruction would help our students to make the connections they need to be able to access their learning with confidence and understanding.

This wasn’t about disregarding what my team brought to the table, but rather about aligning our thinking. However, as we were all coming from such different places, both literally and in knowledge gained from recent PLD, I hit a wall I couldn’t get over.

Midway through the year I spoke to Naomi Rosedale to get her advice on why this wasn’t coming together for me. To be honest, by this time I had pretty much lost interest as I was going round in circles. It’s amazing the power one conversation can have. I left totally reinspired with a completely new inquiry focus and my new best friend, the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice sitting comfortably in my Google drive. Aligning what I was looking for with the Pillars of Practice was the lightbulb moment I needed. In Term 3 I used the pillars to look closely at what and how we, that is my team and I, were actually teaching the tamariki in front of us, in our reading lessons. Time point one data analysis helped me gauge whether or not the learning planned met the learning needs. To allow for consistency, I took the stance that if it wasn't in the planning it wasn't happening. The follow up discussions were both rich and gave all of us the clarity we needed to help us move forward in our quests to meet the learning needs of our individual classes. This process was repeated in Term 4 and Time point 2 data analysed alongside it. What I noticed was with a shared understanding and stronger knowledge of why we need to make changes, changes had been made. These findings and the student shift we are celebrating are all explained in detail on my blog. Changing my inquiry focus has allowed me to introduce change in a manageable and achievable way. Mindsets where planning is concerned, have moved from compliance to purpose, something I struggled to initially get buy in from. I feel that looking closely at my own planning put us all on an even playing field. Having a framework allowed us to all learn together but at our own pace. The big message I want to share here is that change is good, it should be embraced and we should not be afraid to walk in a different direction if what we have tried is not working.

Exploring Quantitative Data...

To measure the difference our syndicate focus on effective reading planning has made, I have analysed the achievement shifts of our students who achieved 'below' in the PAT Panui / Reading comprehension assessments at Time Point 1 (TP1), and were present for the Time Point 2 (TP2) assessments. The graphs show a decrease in 'below' levels across the syndicate. These shifts across the year groups are illustrated in the graphs in the DLO above. To unpack this further I have analysed the GAP analysis completed by each class teacher. Due to the need to maintain privacy I will not be sharing these docs as students and teachers are easily identifiable. 

Possible reasons for students with no shift or a shift backwards:

• IEP
• Erratic attendance
• Behaviour
• Limited connections to the learning
• ESOL funded
• Disconnect with language of questioning
• Low level text comprehension
• Low self efficacy
• Overthinking the challenge

Continued absence from school prevents strong connections to the learning being made. These students are still learning to read and a lack of continuity means their cognitive load has increased as the gaps in their learning have widened and they have not been able to capitalise on the supports put in place for them. 

A lack of focus during learning time often results in learning has been impacted. Students who are off-task are not engaged in their learning tend to fall even further behind as the gap widens, causing already low levels of self efficacy to become an even bigger hurdle to get over. Low self efficacy also brings about the fear of failure, something often masked with a reluctance to participate and engage in the learning. 

Students with an IEP, or who are ESOL funded, often have disconnects with the language of questioning and low level text comprehension due to their limitations in gaining meaning from text at a higher than normal level. Removal of additional learning support or the opportunity to collaborate in testing situations, are also factors to be considered here as the reality of having to rely on the underdeveloped independent working skills leads to self doubt. In turn this leads to overthinking and/or not knowing how to access and apply the strategies needed to gain meaning. 

Possible reasons for no shift or a shift backwards linked to teacher practice:

• Students not being taught at the right level
• Teacher content knowledge not a strength
• Limited opportunities for differentiation
• Links to writing not planned for
• Learning Intentions and Success Criteria not being unpacked or linked directly to the learning
• Text choice
• Limited opportunities for discussion
• Create opportunities too limited
• Reading To missing
• Shared Reading missing
• Reliance on 'safe' and 'known' comprehension strategies
• No opportunities to reflect on own fluency
• Multimodal opportunities present in only some classes
• Syndicate created comprehension scaffolds used and displayed in some classes

 

Year Group	Shift backwards	No shift	Shift
4	13.3%	26.6%	0
5	6.5%	13%	6.5%
6	0	6.3%	9.4%
7	0	7%	14%
8	0	7%	14%

Time Point 1 achievement data was the catalyst behind the introduction of the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice (MRPP) as a framework to align our reading planning with. Through observations, appraisal discussions and planning feedback I noticed areas in our practice that were strong and the areas that needed strengthening. These are illustrated below in the TP1/TP2 reading planning analysis. After the TP1 planning analysis had been discussed both with the team and individually we set ourselves both syndicate and individual focuses. As with the data above, anonymity has been respected so classes and teachers have not been identified.

Shift in effective teacher practice between TP1 and TP2:

• Data analysed effectively to support group learning needs
• Teacher content knowledge strengthening
• Text choice strengthened
• Text structure and vocabulary focus introduced in all classes
• LI/SC align with syndicate co-created LI/SC to promote shared language of instruction
• A wider variety of reading comprehension strategies being explicitly planned for
• Multimodal opportunities present in 4/5 classes
• Explicit links between student achievement data, long term plans and guided reading plans
• Wide variety of questioning being used
• Questioning linked to comprehension strategies
• Syndicate created comprehension scaffolds used and displayed in all classes
• Planning is moving from being done for compliance to be done for a purpose.

                                      

Adopting the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice as a guiding framework has directly benefited our students by empowering our team of teachers with the knowledge and tools to improve instruction. This shared understanding has facilitated our collaborative learning journey, and highlighted the importance of using data to inform our planning to help us meet the learning needs of the students in our classes.

Exploring Qualitative Data...

This qualitative evaluation explores the impact of the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice (MRPP) on reading planning, teacher practice and capability, and student achievement within our school context. Capability, defined as the ability to effectively apply knowledge and skills to achieve desired outcomes. By aligning our planning to the MRPP has helped strengthen teacher capability and enhance reading instruction for our Year 4-8 teachers. In turn this has helped accelerate shift in student achievement in Reading.

To do this I analysed both long term planning and guided reading lesson plans with the time point 1 student achievement data in mind. Learning conversations with teachers allowed us both to explore their perceptions of what was needed to help all our students find success in reading. This process fostered a shared understanding of effective reading instruction within our team and promoted a cohesive approach where our thinking is more aligned. It allowed us to introduce mini PLD sessions that explored and unpacked comprehension strategies and the need for an aligned shared language of instruction in our team meetings. We co-constructed learning intentions, scaffolds and group norms. Using these resources helped us strengthen the questions we asked to ensure we were introducing our students to a wider variety of comprehension skills and providing them with increased opportunities to apply these skills in context both independently and collaboratively through discussion.

The MRPP has provided a clear framework for aligning long-term and short-term planning with evidence-based practices. The use of student achievement data alongside this has facilitated a shift from compliance-based planning to purposeful instruction. This shift has resulted in teachers moving away from simply falling back on the known to actively considering the specific needs of their students and tailoring instruction accordingly. 

                                                               

This process has introduced opportunities for rich professional conversations to take place. Additionally it had provided opportunities for best practices to be shared and both syndicate wide and individual areas that need strengthening to be identified. Using the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice has provided us with a clear framework for planning and instruction. This has as previously mentioned, reduced ambiguity, strengthening teacher confidence and has helped to put us all on the same page. From a leadership perspective this process has been the stepping stone we needed to engage in rich professional conversations where both successes can be identified, hard messages given and clarity of where to next co-constructed.

Use of a gap analysis has helped us to tailor instruction to meet individual learning needs of the tamariki in our own classes. Embracing change by beginning to multimodal text sets has provided our students with more opportunities to engage with and unpack the texts in front of them. We still are still on a journey but with a stable staff going forward we have the advantage of having already taken the first steps towards change.

The implementation of aligning our planning with the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice has had a positive impact on teacher capability and student achievement. It has provided us with the common ground needed for professional collaboration, and has highlighted the importance of implementing the data-driven planning decisions around our syndicate wide focus on the comprehension strategies. 

Describe and Explain the changes/tweaks you have made in your practice along the way...

My inquiry this year has had many twists and turns. Achieving accelerated shift in Literacy was identified as being one of the most important and catalytic issues of learning facing our students in Y4 - 8, this year, when the time point one data was analysed. Exploring how learning gained from professional development is helping to strengthen teacher practice and achievement in literacy is something I haven't looked at before so I began with one idea which over the course of the year has completely morphed into another. Not because as I mentioned in an earlier post, because it was unachievable, but because my initial idea simply wasn't working. The effect of staff changes on PLD is something I hadn't initially taken into consideration. What began as an inquiry into how we (PBS) are using PLD to accelerate shift across our school' and over the course of the year required a change of tact to inquiring into how are we building and strengthening our capability in raising student achievement outcomes in Reading for years 4-8 at PBS.

I began my journey by trying to ensure we were all on the same page. Consistency and a shared language of instruction help our students to make the connections they need to be able to access their learning with confidence and understanding. At the start this wasn't about paying no regard to the skills and knowledge my team brought to the table but rather to align our thinking. This is explained in detail with examples in an earlier blog post. This wasn't as successful as I hoped as we were all coming from such different places both literally and in knowledge gained from recent PLD, so it was back to the drawing board.

After speaking with Naomi Rosedale, I realised I needed a new pathway forward, a pathway that included a framework that would bring everything together and provide clarity. Aligning what I was looking for with the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice (MRPP) was the lightbulb moment I needed. In Term 3 I used the MRPP to look closely at what and how we, my team and I, were actually teaching the tauira in front of us in our reading lessons. I looked at the data and used the initial gap analysis to help me gauge whether or not the learning planned matched the student needs. To allow for consistency I stood by my decision that if it wasn't in the planning it wasn't there. The follow up discussions were both rich and gave all of us the clarity we needed to help us meet the learning needs of our individual classes.

This process was repeated in Term 4. I am yet to complete all my follow up discussions but have them timetabled for later in the week. What I noticed was with a shared understanding and stronger knowledge of why we need to make the changes. All my team have now included multimodal text sets, are looking at the structure and language in the different text types and have put a lot of thought into the questions they are asking. There is definitely a growth in the use of our shared language of instruction, a wider variety of comprehension skills being accessed. 

Changing my inquiry focus has allowed me to introduce change in a manageable and achievable way. Mindsets where planning is concerned has moved from compliance to purpose, something I struggled to initially get buy in from. I feel that looking closely at my own planning has added the 'teacher model' element to the learning. By using the MRPP it has allowed us to all learn together but at our own pace. Sharing people's successes and valuing their ideas has afforded us opportunities to learn with and from each other. 

The big message I want to share here is that change is good, it should be embraced and we should not be afraid to walk in a different direction if what we have tried is not working. 

You can't help yourself if you can't see yourself...

Once again I'm tapping back to Jason Borland's thinking in our 2015 Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher's PLG where he stated that "You can't help yourself if you can't see yourself." This thinking resonated with me when I first heard it, and after following Jason's inquiry I have often repurposed this idea in the classroom but know it has reaches much further and wider than only our learners.

At the start of this term I asked my team to video themselves teaching a guided reading lesson. The idea was to help everyone to see what they were doing well and what they felt they could do in a different way. I made it clear this was for personal use only, I didn't want to see it and I definitely didn't want a written analysis of it. The only video I wanted to see was my own because I do the same as I ask my team to do. It also gives me a video to use as a resource if I need to model the process. All wanted was for everyone to take a moment to reflect on what they do in the classroom to help their learners connect to the learning. 

Initially this challenge was seen as something my team needed to do for me. However, this recording definitely wasn't for me, it was for them. Falling back on the phrase 'you can't help yourself if you can't see yourself,' was the game changer. Through observation opportunities I have been able to see each room first hand. I often record these observations for this purpose but after watching some parts together I imagine time plays a huge part in the decision to continue watching it in entirety or not. When challenged to watch and reflect in a safe way, the table below identifies areas from our team discussion that we need to strengthen. 

This picture is real and as is it co-constructed there is an element of ownership that we can all capitalise on to make the changes needed in our practice that will help accelerate student achievement.

Where am I at and how will I measure this?...

As my inquiry has now taken a new direction I needed to collect an additional set of time point 1 (TP1) data that can be used at the end of the year to provide evidence of shifts in teaching. As this is for inquiry purposes the information needed to be formative. It needed to identify our current strengths as well a identifying our areas for development. The Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice (MRPP) matrix has helped me do exactly that.

After analysing my reading planning against the MRPP with Toreka, the next step was to work together to analyse her reading planning. On this occasion I took the lead but asked her to step in if I needed to relook at something. Again a rich conversation was had and a clear picture of where she is at captured. I then repeated this process with the rest of my team.

                                        

The feedback was really positive and discussions had were rich and honest. I think the high levels of trust play a huge part in this process and I want to thank my team for their parts in these conversations. This process fully was transparent and I openly shared my matrix with my gaps clearly identified. I think this helped in strengthening the buy in as it wasn't about finding out right and wrong but rather finding out where our areas of strength and areas to strengthen were. The latter have since become part of our co-constructed team PLD plan going forward.

The matrix for all initial discussions was very much a working document (see image above). This gave me an opportunity to identify what I saw in the planning and my team to talk to it. Sticking firmly to the idea that 'if it wasn't in the planning it wasn't there', allowed for consistency across the board but it didn't mean I didn't listen. Using pen and paper on this occasion meant any adaptations made were clearly visible to both of us. The part of this process that I really liked was being able to celebrate and sometimes point out, people's successes. I found that by doing this first the door was opened for those more challenging conversations to take place. 

The presentation below is the formalised version of these conversations. Each teacher has their own digital copy that identifies areas of strength, areas to strengthen and next steps.

From the perspective of team leader, I now have a clear and visual picture of where we are at and what it is we need to do to help accelerate shifts in student achievement in reading. 

Stocktake of my Inquiry...

My inquiry this year has been to say the least, challenging. Not because it is unachievable, but because my initial idea just wasn't working. I had several attempts at exploring the effect of our recent Reading PLD on student achievement but soon found out this wasn't going to work as my team are are all coming at this from different places. The PLD I have had differs greatly from what the others have had. My biggest learning has been the realisation that something I think is a normal part of a lesson is not necessarily seen the same through the eyes of others. It was also a real eye opener to realise the effect of staff changes on PLD, something I'm sure all schools experience. 

After speaking with Naomi Rosedale at the last COL meeting, I realised I needed to make some changes. Once I had worked out my new pathway forward things began falling into place. I had a plan and had begun putting that plan into place, but what was missing was the framework to bring everything together. Naomi suggestion was that I align what I was looking for with the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice. That was the lightbulb moment I needed.

Last year two of my team took part in the Reading Program Intensive (RPI) and although I didn't, I did join them in their journey through my role as a mentor. As a mentor I didn't get the explicit introduction to the Manaiakalani Reading Pillars of Practice (MRPP) so I needed to strengthen my connections. I did this by reversing the roles. This time it was me in the learning seat and Toreka in the mentor role, and turned into one of this richest learning conversations I have ever had. 

Together we analysed my long term reading plan and one randomly selected example of a guided reading plan against the MRPP.  As we unpacked each section I could see a clear picture of where my successes were and where my gaps were. Toreka was far more generous than me with this process. She kept saying 'I know you do this, I've seen you do it...' but I was of the opinion that if it wasn't in the planning it wasn't there. That decision allowed for consistency when I repeated the process with my team's planning.

The image above is the result of my conversation with Toreka. I'm sure to anyone looking at the writing all over the MRPP matrix it will look chaotic, but to me it's a rich summary of observations made, explored and discussed. I think what I liked the most in this process is that it is a true picture of my strong belief that we learn best when we learn with and from each other.

Engage, Empower, Inspire: 2 words 2 minutes...

2 words 2 minutes is a great way to engage all my learners in writing regardless of ability level. This is my version of an idea I have tweaked from Jeff Anderson's book 10 Things Every Writing Needs to Know. It is a power writing challenge that helps to build writing stamina. Jeff Anderson uses 2 words 1 minute but I have found the extra minute allows for thinking time. For our lower ability writers we use 'teacher minutes' to allow them to find success at their own level.

Before we began I wrote two words on the board generated by my students, ‘Greece’ and ‘athletes’. Students needed to include both words in their writing. To add a fun element I used a randomiser after asking everyone for a word. The topic we chose was the Ancient Olympics. This allowed me to see how much learning they had retained from our inquiry challenge as well as allowing them to recall facts from a known and recently explored topic. 

Before we started we set some norms:

1. Don't stress, just guess! (This took away the need to stop the flow of writing when the correct spelling wasn't able to be recalled).
2. Write as fast as you can.
3. Make sure its makes sense.

We talked about ideas with a partner, then we had 2 minutes to put those ideas into sentences. After the time was up we had 2 minutes to reread what we had written and make changes if anything didn’t make sense or if we had words and punctuation in the wrong place. We did this part in pairs. When we finished checking we had 2 more minutes to carry on writing our descriptions. At the end of each two minutes of writing time my learners counted their words and wrote the number in the margin. 

We added to the challenge by co constructing a list of the language features and punctuation we should include: capital letters, full stops, commas, question marks, simple/compound/complex sentences, adjectives and adverbs. At least one example of each used correctly was expected. 

As we become more familiar with this task I add to this list to include anything we have been focusing on in our literacy lessons and increase the the word and minute count. 

What was exciting to watch was seeing each student find success as they all wrote more words than the first time we did this activity. A bonus was that I was able to use what they had written to see how much of the learning in Inquiry had transferred to Writing. In total we talked for 2 minutes, wrote for 4 minutes with an additional 8 minutes of proof reading (2 minutes per person each time). Then had 1 minute to look at anything we needed to practise or had omitted. This became our personal learning intentions (PLI). This meant the whole activity took 15 minutes from start to finish and definitely is a fun way to increase confidence and build stamina in writing. 

Engage, Empower, Inspire... Reading around the Room

I have been thinking about creating a space on my blog to record the lessons that simply just work. These will be ideas (both old and new) that I have tweaked or reworked to appeal to my learners and help them make authentic and purposeful connections to their learning. 'Engage and inspire: Lessons that work!' is what I have decided to call this section and will be easy to find by clicking on the link in the page tabs under the header.

Today I decided to revive an oldie but a goodie. Reading around the Room was an activity I loved as a child because I got to choose what I wanted to read and I didn't have to sit at my desk or do a boring worksheet. It also gave me an opportunity to look at how others had done something and think about how their work was different to mine. At the time I didn't know that's what I was doing, but I do remember changing the way I did something based on other's work. 

We have recently created some great DLOs about the Ancient Olympics that have been shared on our blogs and displayed on the wall in the classroom. This activity was a collaborative research challenge and can be found here. I was really impressed with how well this activity was done and wanted to think of a way we could capitalise on it as we moved through the term. So rather than simply having a 'decoration' on the wall I turned it into an interactive learning space. 

             

The challenge I set this time is called the LS2 Quiz Challenge. It is actually a way of getting my learners to practise writing questions and answering them by using evidence from the text to support their thinking. 

I introduced this by modelling how I could use a ruler to help me focus on the words I was reading in the information held in this display. Dianne (my teaching buddy), was my partner and together we modelled what we wanted our ākonga to do. Their challenge is to read the information in pairs, co-construct a set of 10 questions using whiteboards then join up with another pair to co-construct and create a quiz where all the information can be found or inferred from what is on the display. This allows for rewindable opportunities as I saw today when one group had already moved onto answering a quiz, that they were running back to the wall to check their facts before recording their responses. That part was not something I reminded them they could do.

I am currently in the process of adding all the quiz links to our site and will timetable an opportunity for everyone to try out the different quizzes. With any new challenge I find if I limit the create options to ones everyone will find success with, I get the best buy in. This also allows for my learners to suggest their own ideas. Kahoot and Pear Deck have already been suggested to me as ways we could do this differently next time,

We must have 'sold' this challenge really well as there was a constant rotation of groups wanting to try the challenge. The next steps with this idea are to extend this challenge to encompass all the walls. I will think of further challenges to support our 'new' Reading around the Room activity as I see this as a great way to strengthen connections to learning whilst practising a wide variety of comprehension strategies. 

Causal Chain - mapping my inquiry...

As a part of the Manaiakalani Kahui Ako we are challenged to think about what we want to achieve then work backwards to map our steps. This is called a causal chain and is the logical thought process we follow to help us stay focused on on track throughout the entirety of our inquiries.

A causal chain is when a cause leads to an effect and that effect becomes the cause of another effect - A leads to B. B leads to C. C leads to D...start from D and work backwards Any intervention you design will (consciously or not) be based on a causal chain you have in mind - this is your theory of action.... To really understand deeply how teaching (as a cause) leads to a valued student outcome (effect), we need to know about more than just the first cause in the chain and the final - we need to know about each link.' - Dr Aaron Wilson

 

Link to my 2024 causal chain

Teaching as Inquiry 2024

Click here to see how I align my inquiry with the Manaiakalani framework.

“Recognising and spreading sophisticated pedagogical practice across our community so that students learn in better and more powerful ways...”

The Manaiakalani Community of Learning is working together on this task using the expertise existing in of our community of learning. 

Labels:

LEvidence, LScan, LTrend, LHypothesise, LResearch, LReflect,

CPlan, CTry, CInnovate, CImplement, CReflect,

SPublish, SCoteach, SModel, SGuide, SFback, SReflect

Implement and Try #1...

I am a firm believer when it comes to the effectiveness of professional learning development (PLD) is that when a team walks the journey together it becomes a journey that has life. PLD done alone or in isolation is much harder to keep going as there is no one to bounce ideas off, share successes, problem solve when it doesn't quite go to plan or to keep you on track.

With new team members there is always the challenge of getting everyone on the same page. With this thinking in mind at the end of Term 1 I got my team together and suggested the idea of an 'in house' literacy PLD day. In my team leader role I spend time in each room coaching and supporting my team in their literacy practice. This traditionally was always on a 1:1 basis which meant I wasn't using my time effectively and ended up repeating myself a lot. We all agreed to use a CRT day, and despite the logistical nightmare of ensuring everyone was released on the same day, we went ahead with the full support of our management team. 

With a wide range of teaching experience in my team I chose to start at the beginning by looking at how we are using the data to inform our planning through to the scaffolds and words we are using in front of our tamariki. You learn better when you physically do the task so I asked my team to see the learning through the eyes of our learners by taking them through the lessons. This provided us with clarity, a shared understanding of what procedural writing looked like and how to use the strategies I was sharing in context. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my team for approaching the day with open minds and a willingness to actively participate.

The DLO below shows what we covered. Some links are restricted to keep student anonymity. The aim of the day was to set us up for success in Term 2 by leading a guided planning session for the first three weeks of literacy. 

As with anything you try for the first time there is always an element of risk. I didn't want to undervalue what my team was bringing to the table but I did want to streamline our process by helping everyone make connections to our 'why' as well as our 'how'. 

At the end of the day I asked my team what their takeaways were. Their anonymous responses are below:

Teacher A 

• How explicit things are if you show and tell - you learn by doing it
• Foundational basics are important
• Refer back to the data

Teacher B

• How to unpack a text type - going back to basics
• Tapping into prior knowledge and data
• Gallery walk
• Working in pairs
• The power of talk

Teacher C

• Prior knowledge shows me what the students already know
• How to model explicitly eg- time connectives
• How we can combine reading and writing together - integration
• What to focus on when you teach a text type
• How to use the data

Teacher D

• Going back to basics
• Integration of planning
• Clarity in planning transfers to the lesson
• How to use the data

As you can see the responses were different as we connect best to what resonates with us and what we needed to learn or be reminded of. Going forward as a team we have decided to continue with this type of PLD, only this time covered in our team meetings. It won't always be a literacy focus and it won't always be led by me. We have a great skills set in our team that we can tap into, after all we learn better when we learn together.

Looking at the Research...

Professional learning development (PLD) refers to the ongoing process through which educators acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be effective in their roles. To support the reasons behind this inquiry I have looked at the research to further inform my thinking. The notes below are written are summaries of the key points I took from these readings.

Teaching is a complex and demanding profession that requires ongoing, high-quality support and training. Professional learning and development (PLD) is essential for maintaining and improving teacher quality, with the primary goal of enhancing classroom practices. In 2009, schools faced challenges in allocating enough time to fully integrate new practices, which frustrated teachers.

In New Zealand, publications like the Ministry of Education’s Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) and John Hattie's work highlighted the importance of teacher quality in improving student achievement. Professional learning encompasses what teachers have learned from formal development and the informal knowledge they gain through feedback, discussion, reflection, and action. Effective PLD is diverse, linking directly to classroom practice to ensure practical application.

Principals who were actively involved in the learning process, participating as learners themselves, facilitated professional discussions with staff based on shared knowledge. Teachers felt more committed to changes when included in decision-making and valued opportunities for professional discussions, idea sharing, observing peers, and giving and receiving feedback. This interaction influenced their thinking and led to improvements in teaching practices. - Managing Professional Learning andDevelopment in Primary SchoolsJanuary 2009

Professional development (PD) for teachers should be practical, relevant, and fit into their busy schedules. It should empower teachers to lead in curriculum development and confidently manage classroom demands with confidence. PD must address teachers' needs, fostering collaboration and reflection. The most effective PD values teachers' experiences and offers ongoing support. When teachers are at the centre of PD, they more easily become reflective and transformative professionals capable of shaping curriculum and education policies. - Empowerment . . . through professional development set 1997: no. 1

With the belief that abilities are set in stone, individuals with a fixed mindset might not invest in continuous learning or skill development. This can lead to stagnation, where they find themselves left behind in rapidly evolving fields or areas of life.- Growth vs. Fixed Mindset: The Implications for Leadership and Innovation . 

Further Reading:

• The impact of data use professional development on student achievement MK Lai, S McNaughton - Teaching and Teacher Education, 2016 

• Professional development, changes in teacher practice and improvements in Indigenous students' educational performance: A case study from New Zealand - R Bishop, M Berryman, J Wearmouth, M Peter… - … and teacher education, 2012 

Mapping out my Hunches...

Mastery, in the context of professional development, goes beyond simply acquiring new skills or knowledge. It's about achieving a deep understanding and proficiency in a specific area of your field. It's a continuous journey of improvement, fuelled by a desire to be able to use the new learning effectively. 

If I think about myself in this situation. When I am introduced new strategy or concept in maths I usually switch off or shut down because I don't immediately understand what it is that I am being asked to do. Falling back on what I know and understand feels like a much safer option than been seen to 'fail'. It's not because I don't want to jump on the learning train, it's more that where maths is concerned, it takes time for me to process, understand and internalise the new learning. This differs greatly from my teaching buddy who has the ability to simply look at the new maths learning and somehow has the knowledge of how to use it and impart it with confidence. In maths she is a quick adapter and luckily for me is always happy to walk me through the new learning at a pace that works for me. As I said earlier it's not that I don't want to embrace the new maths learning, I simply just need more support to be able to make the shift in mindset and in practise. 

To guide my direction and help me narrow my focus I asked my team:

• What ideas from recent literacy PLD are you currently using?
• How has this strengthened your program?
• What encouraged you to make these changes?
• How does the PLD help shift student achievement?
• What stops you implementing new PLD?

From their responses I have compiled a list of hunches as to the possible reasons why teachers why choose to embrace or not embrace PLD. Although in the infographic below these are numbered, they are not listed in order of importance.

PLD 2024: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder: Knowledge to Improve Student Learning, Participation and Outcomes.

I have recently completed the online course run by Sue Larkey, Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder: Knowledge to Improve Student Learning, Participation and Outcomes. This has given me a huge insight into the minds of those students in our kura with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and will help me as a team leader to support my team when my support is needed. 

                               

An analogy that resonated with me was that a child in a wheelchair needs a ramp to access a building and will need this throughout life. Age is not a factor as the same need is there, regardless of age. ASD students need their ‘ramp’ to navigate successfully through all years of school so we need to leave supports in place to help these students gain and keep independence to be able to access the learning. These children need repetition and structure as their needs are the same and should not be taken away. People with ASD do not suffer from ASD they simply have a neuro diverse outlook.

My takeaways are:

• Each child is different and one size most definitely does not fit all. 
• ASD is the term used to encompass a neurodiverse diagnosis
• We need to all be on the same page when it comes to supporting out tauira.
• Communicate by starting the sentence with a name - this is the most important word as students know you are talking to them 
• Think about the words you are using
• Stay calm
• Persistence and consistency are the key to effecting change
• Choose your battles by thinking about what the educational outcome is that you are trying to achieve
• A diagnosis allows for support but as tecahers we can not disclose a diagnosis without parental consent
• It is easier to change the structure than its is to change the child. Teachers need to think about what can they can put in place to effect change. (eg: having extra pens for those who just can’t find one rather than having a battle each time a pencil can't be found).
• Structures and adaptations are about equity to allow all to access the curriculum on an equal platform
• Different people need different structures and adaptations at different times
• If you take away the glasses from someone who wears them they replace this with body behaviour eg: squinting… if you take away the support structure they replace this with behaviour defiance
• Visual prompts, pre warning and time to process allow for success to be achieved.
• Embrace difference to make a difference
• ASD children engage and socialise differently to peers so often get left out

Here are my notes