Minecraft trial with 9 Asp

Build a part of the school using Minecraft
Team 1 - English block
Team 2 - Science block

Plan what your block looks using tape measure and graph paper

Plan - measure the block. Different people do different parts.

Main parts - deck, 4 classroom, film room, toilets, hallway, ms mccleans office,

Each block is 1m

Organising a plan for who was going to measure which part of the English Block

Measuring

Great problem solving conversations happened

Teamwork

They had to think about what was the best way to measure aspects of the rooms

Prior to building their section of the building in Minecraft, two girls drew a plan

It's coming together!!

Overall, I found it a positive experience and look forward to seeing the program develop,  There are so many opportunities for problem solving and communication.  It brings in aspects of Mathematics such as measuring and estimating and there is the possibility to build in literacy including procedural writing and oral presentations of what they did.  There is also leadership roles that need to be filled.

For me personally, I got to interact with a group of student's I don't get to spend a lot of time with and it was fantastic to see some of the student's known for their off task behaviour to be focused and loving what they were doing.  There was a range of abilities but together they helped each other and it was exciting to see the blocks come to life in Minecraft.  I also got to see how Minecraft works and how it can be used in a classroom setting.

Skills being used-problem solving, measuring, communication, learning to use minecraft.

Year 12 garden - Trip to Paeroa Garden Centre

This year I decided to include an Agricultural and Horticultural Standard, AS91296.  They need to design and create a Potager garden.  Before we began this unit of work we headed down to the Paeroa Garden Centre.  It was the first time I had taken a group of student's on a trip outside of the class.  To ensure I did things correctly I spoke with my mentor and the teacher in charge of EOTC.  I needed to complete the following information and consent form.  As it was a low risk trip it was covered by the blanket consent from so didn't need permission from their parents. As the weather, was a bit hit and miss we took the school van.  

The goal was to find out what plants they could include in a winter garden.  There was lots of fantastic information and the student's were receptive to it.  Some of the student's did need to be reminded to not touch things and when we were back in class we talked about some things we could do differently next time such as asking more questions, ensuring they had the right shoes and being respectful of their surroundings at all times. 

Healthy Relationships - Kia Kaha Program

Today, I sat in with Year 9 ASP while they participated in the Kia Kaha program which is about building healthy relationships.  We talked about the importance of working with people and how good relationships are beneficial.  All different types of relationships such as siblings, sport teams, work collegues, all take work.  

The student's brainstormed, "What does a healthy relationship look like?"

They came up with:

See - smiles, team work, passion, honesty,
Hear - laugh, positive comments, healthy communication, compliments, encouragement,
Feel - happy, secure, safe, respected, loved, trust, important, special, heard, valued, included, 

We then watched a short video clip called Ivan by Gabe Pope.  It was about a student being picked on as he was poor and smelt. No one was speaking up. Some laughed, others ignored what was happening.  After class, a girl talked to him about what was happening, she showed support.  Ivan now had one person who was on his side, lead the way and others backed her and him. 

This discussion then moved on to how other people's words become your inner voice.  It is important to recognise that what people say is more about them. It can be helpful to tell yourself that "they don't know me so why should I take on what they say".  

Bullying is not ok.  If you are being picked on at school..how can you focus and learn.  If you witness bullying it is not ok to do nothing.   It is also important to remember that the bully might be a nice person but his behaviour is not acceptable. 

To sum it up, if there are healthy relationship in class there are positive outcomes and it provides a better learning environment.  Talk about people in a positive light, be respectful and show empathy to others.  Everyone is responsible.  It takes work but is worth it.  

My thoughts:  It was fantastic to see this topic addressed and I am pleased to see that they will be continuing with the Kia Kaha program next year.  It would be fantastic to see all teachers involved in the program as well so that we can consistently include the same messages in all our classrooms. Good relationships are important, we need to be mindful of others and the journey they are on. Working together is better than being against each other. 

10Ruru Christchurch Trip

After a roller coaster year with 10Ruru I was privileged enough to join them on a trip of a life time for 7 young individuals.  For all most of them it was their first time on a plane and they were terrified (some more than others).  My favourite moment was seeing one of the students go from sitting with a jersey over her head on the plan to sitting by the window gazing out at the magnificent view.  

Airport

Two weeks prior to heading down to Christchurch I damaged my ankle during a PE lesson so was on crutches.  I was determined to keep up with the group and participate in every aspect of the trip. Have to say though it was a relief to sit in a wheel chair and get pushed around.

Tired of using my crutches

For a lot of them it was the simple things, the things I take for granted, that were the most enjoyable for them.  Whether it was being taken out for a hot chocolate or being given $10 to buy themselves some lunch.

Lunch at Burger King

Going up in the Gondola's was a great experience.  Some of the students (and adults) were unsure about travelling up into the ranges in a tiny gondala but it was awesome to see them do it anyway.  Unfortuately, the weather wasn't the best so the views were not as spectacular as they could be but again it was just awesome to be able to share in a new experience with these group of students.

Gondola's (http://welcomeaboard.co.nz/gondola/)

We all walked out to the end of the Brighton Pier.  It was freezing!!! My favourite moment was seeing a couple of the girl's strike up a conversation with an older guy fishing off the wharf.  Their confidence and the respectful way they spoke to him was heartening to see.

Brighton Pier

This next photo was taken after we had all explored the Christchurch Museum.  The student's engaged in a number of the displays and overall they were respectful of the space they were in.    

Group photo after visiting the Christchurch Museum

On a tour around the city, it was inspiring to see what the people of Christchurch were doing to rebuild their city and the heart of their people.  The art displays around the town were beautiful and the use of shipping containers to build shops was inventive.  Amongst all the hope we also got to hear of the loss and witnessed the fall of this building.

Tour of Christchurch - Demolition of one of the many damaged buildings

At the International Antarctic Centre, we experienced blizzard conditions, went for a ride in hagglund and listened to a passionate penguin carer.  All fantastic learning experiences for our students and would build fantastic learning opportunities back in the classroom.

International Antarctic Centre (http://www.iceberg.co.nz/)

Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for students and teachers alike.  The home backgrounds of these students is not overly positive and the opportunity for such an adventure wouldn't normally be out of their reach.  Through funding and a lot of hard work by Mrs Hale and amazing experience was possible.  I really hope they take all that comes their way, grow and learn.

For me personally, it was a fantastic opportunity to build connections with this students and teachers. Each student came along with a different life story, different strengths and challenges.  I need to listen to them and find the best way to support them. In order to that I need to leave all prejudice and came at each situation with a fresh pair of eyes.  I also gained an insight into organising trips outside of the classroom and it opened my eyes to what is possible within teaching.

Student Voice 11Sci 2013

11Science in 2013 were a very loud class and as a result bit was difficult for the students to focus. The SCT at the time completed some student voice in their core subjects of english, science and mathematics. 

As a result we came up with 4 expectations;
1. Always have a do now ready at the beginnjng of the lesson.
2. At 10 mins of silence every lesson.
3. Silence during critical learning time.
4. No distractions,  electonic or other.

Te Pumaomao 2013

Takawai and Chris provided us with knowledge and increased our understanding on the history of Maori. It enabled us to construct our own informed view of our role as an educator. They unravelled a numbernof myths and mistruths. Our group came up with a number of different things we could put into place back at school. It is important to make links between school and our students heritage.

10Ruru - Inappropriate behaviour

At the time this was a very challenging situation.  The path that I went down to try and get help with 10Ruru ruffled a few feathers. I gained advice from my department but in hindsight I should have had more direct conversations with their dean and the deputy principal. 

Through this experience I grew. I formed stronger relationships with senior management, through some tough discussions, as I got to understand where they were coming from. I had to articulate my thoughts and identify what the underlying issues were.

I was also able to be able involved in a class discussion with all of their teachers.  It was a great session and I would have loved to continue with the process. Unfortunately, there was no follow up.

Gratitude Jar

After a shocking lesson, I asked each student at n my year 9 class to write down one thing they like about class, something they don't like and a change they would like to see. The flood gates open and they added plenty if insight. It eas hard to read at times but when I stepped back I identified some common themes;

1. They wanted to feel part of a team.
2. They wanted the class to be quieter.
3. They needed to have work set at their level.

After that day I introduced the gratitude jar. They idea is to write down something you are grateful for and place it in the jar. I then read out them from time to time. I wanted to build empathy and connection between the members of the class.  It is also important that each student can find something positive in their life and then that feeling can be brought into the class.

Inspiring Others

I received some beautiful words from two of my students today. It was very humbling and reminded me why I am in this profession. It is all about relationships and my students.

One girl wrote,

"Thank you for the things you have done for me, for making my days worth coming to school, basically everyday I come into your class just to see you! You always make me smile, and laugh heaps and I can share anything with you. Thank you for being there for me, thank you for helping me get through my work when it was hard :L I just thank you for everything even though it may seem small, its big to me. You are an amazing lady, teacher."

Over the course of the year the kind messages have continued as I have got to know the girls more and been able ti support them to believe in themselves. I feek privileged to be part of their life this year. 

To show their appreciation of me they organised a special lunch and bought me some amazing gifts.  Teaching is so rewarding.