Long time coming…

This blog post has been a long time coming. It has been quite a while since my last post (so I am afraid as a result this is quite long!) The last 12 months have been… well… I struggle to find words to describe it. During 2014 both my husband and I lost a parent. In June suddenly lost my Father- my rock. A few weeks after he passed my Mother in Law got quite sick and within a few months she too passed away. Not going to lie- hardest year of my life. But like all hard times, rays of sunshine manage to peek through, and life returns to some sort of normality.

Food. I love food. Many of my twitter and Instagram followers know I love to cook and well… eat! Over the past 18 months I have been on a bit of a food journey. I saw a nutritionist and have changed my thinking on healthy foods and what a healthy lifestyle looks like. I now follow many like minded people on social media and continue to extend my knowledge in this area. Let me say- there is a lot of information and conflicting ideas! So many extremist views and ‘diets’ to follow and people getting caught up in the hype without really understanding the research behind it. There was one Facebook group I joined that I thought was full of likeminded people, however, after a few days and some interesting posts, I realised many of the group members were just looking for a quick weight loss diet- not a lifestyle change.  I felt they didn’t have a grasp on the foundations, so were asking if all sorts of processed foods complied with this way of eating. It didn’t take long before I left this group.

As the year progressed, I cooked less for enjoyment and more because my husband was hungry! Less photos on Instagram and Twitter- so much so, I had people asking me where were my photos were!

For Christmas I spoilt myself with a Thermomix. The ultimate cooking appliance. For those wondering- Yes I love it. No it hasn’t taken the joy out of cooking. If anything, for me, it has done the opposite. It helped bring back the joy and gave me the boost I needed to get back into cooking for relaxation and fun. It did however, also add another layer of confusion to the healthy lifestyle mindset. So many yummy recipes that didn’t fit in with my idea of healthy eating, and new cookbooks to discover. To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. So much information AGAIN for me to process! It came to a point, where it was causing me stress- Food causing me stress?!?!

So I realised I needed to simplify. I can’t do it all. Food (something I love) should not be causing me this amount of stress! So I asked myself- What is my ultimate goal? What are my core principles?

For those interested here they are (others skip right on through ;)) –

• A balanced lifestyle is key. Can’t be healthy all the time or a lazy eater all the time.
• Eat whole, real food. Full cream milk, butter, full fat cheese. NO low fat products.
• Less chemicals and as natural as possible. I buy organic veges and grass fed meat as my first choice, but don’t get stressed if I can’t find them.
• The less processed the better! I try to by raw or cold pressed products as they keep the nutrients in tact.
• Avoid added sugar or vegetable oils in prepackaged foods along side NUMBERS (I use an app called Chemeleon to help me understand what the numbers mean and their level of known side effects).
• When cooking every day foods I use natural sugars (instead of refined sugars) and cook with stable fats (coconut oil, butter etc) and Olive, Avo or Macadamia oils for salads.
• Buy local. I go to a farmers market on a Saturday morning and buy fresh, in season fruit and veges. When at the supermarket I try to ensure I only buy things that are grown and packaged in Australia. (The recent berry case is the perfect example of why)
• I will NEVER attached myself to a label. Yes, I may follow some of the principals of High Fat Low Carb or Paleo or I quit sugar, however, I found these labels were what caused most of the stress. Just like my cooking, the amount of restriction they provide and the guilt attached to craving or having a ‘no’ food, is more than I can handle. I love food- If I am out or it is a special occasion- I EAT WHAT I WANT! Life is about being lived, and I would never want to miss out on delicious food!

So what has any of this got to do with teaching?

Well, being a new school year we are all trying to get our classrooms up and running as quick as possible. This = Stress! New group of kids, new grade perhaps, new team (or team teaching partner), new strategies/pedagogies/learning spaces. Oh not to mention all that stuff you want to try after the reading and research you did over the holidays. So much to do, so little time!

Let’s be real- Can you do it all and be this amazing educator from Day 1? Good luck to you if you can, but my advice- Be realistic and simplify, just like I had to with my food obsession.

So I ask you:

What is YOUR ultimate goal? What are YOUR core principles?

You can’t do it all! So what will you aim to do this year? Prioritise and set yourself a goal or two. Not so many that you get stressed as you aren’t achieving them. You may have read about all these amazing new things people are doing and you want in- but don’t feel you have to do them all at once! Try one, make it work, then try another. Change in pedagogy takes time. Be kind to yourself. Surround yourself with those who will support you and your educational approach.

Research the pedagogies you want to try. Know WHY you are doing what you are. Having a research background will help you not only convince your colleagues but also the parents of the kids you are trying all this cool stuff with! Remember to come back to your core principles. Stay focused on the end goal.

Don’t feel you have to attach yourself to a label- especially if the label stresses you or your colleagues out. Experiment, give it a go, reflect and refine. What works for one school, class, group will NOT work in the same way for another. Be open to adapting as you go, as teaching and children are fluid, not static.

What do you ultimately want for your students? Honestly, for me, it is about learning. I want my kids to be happy and love learning. I see all too often the effect ‘schooling’ has on kids. I want my kids to want to keep learning anywhere, anytime and with anyone for the rest of their lives. I want them to see that in me, my love for food and cooking and use that as inspiration for life long learning.

Teaching should not feel like a chore. It should be a labor of love. Without a doubt, there are times in our life where school is work. Family become our focus and we take each day as it comes. I know that all too well. But I promise, there is a light at the end of that very long tunnel. I come into this year much brighter and excited. I do LOVE my job, and have a fabulous supportive team and team teaching partners that have got me to this point.

Remember, when it becomes a bit too overwhelming- take a step back, refocus AND simplify!

What is your ultimate goal? What are your core principles?

Skills are the new knowledge…

Knowledge is power… or is it? We can gain knowledge in an instant. Google is knowledge. So, what is the new power?

The other night, I was watching Million Dollar Minute, one of the newer Australian quiz shows. As each contestant was answering what I believe to be the most random ‘general knowledge’ questions, the host made us aware that one of the contestants was a teacher. His immediate comment was ‘oh you have an advantage being a teacher in this kind of game.’ Really?!?! Is it our job to be the barer of all information? Is teaching all about knowledge? Are you trying to stuff as much information as possible into your students brain?

A few days later I was having a conversation with my grandparents about the role of a teacher. My 86 year old grandfather said that he felt a teachers role in todays world is to teach kids how to ‘live together in an ever changing and increasing world’. He said there appears to be ‘too much stress on people trying to be better than one another, as opposed to working together.’

So what is our ideal graduate and what is our role as educators?

I believe the role of the teacher is to give students the skills they will need for their future as a life long learner and contributor to society. I do not believe that teachers ‘hold all the knowledge’. I as for one am very upfront with my students about my strengths and weaknesses. Why? I want them to know I am not perfect and have areas I need to work on, as they do. For example, spelling is not one of my strong points. Rather than see it as my job to be perfect speller for my students, I share with them the skills I use to ensure I am spelling correctly. Is my idea of the ideal graduate a perfect speller? Or someone that has transferable skills for the workforce?

I am sure we have all seen Ken Robinson’s animation on Changing Education Paradigms and the changing workforce. Not to mention the quotes about how we are preparing our kids for jobs that don’t exist yet. We all know the future looks very different from our past. Our ideal graduate has changed dramatically over the past 50- 100 years and it still is everyday! I only hope my students are resilient problem solvers, who are creative and work well in a team. So do I see my role as a teacher to cram as much knowledge as possible into their brains? No way!

So, what culture does your classroom embrace? How do you create an environment reflective of the learners?

I endeavour to create a learning space for my students that is owned by them. Our furniture is moved daily to suit their needs as individuals and small groups. We embrace 21st C skills as they are an essential part of our daily work. Our focus is on skills students need as opposed to content. You could say we flip it. We do not try and cover every aspect of every area in each outcome. Instead I provide my students with an opportunity to dig deeper and gain deep knowledge through our class projects. I see my role as an educator, to facilitate learning. This looks different every day depending on the phase of our project, the needs of the students, and the focus skills for our session. Through these experiences, students construct their own knowledge and develop skills throughout the process. My hope, is that the skills they develop, will  be the foundation for their journey as learners today, and the rest of their life.

After all, skills are power!

Quality teaching is…?

In my current Year 2 class, I have a mix of students with a range of learning needs. The majority of my students are learning English as a Second Language and a number have recently arrived in Australia.

I have had a number of conversations with colleagues recently around how as educators  we can cater for ALL our students. Here are some key ideas that have been going around in my head and some conclusions I have come to:

– We can only do our very best to cater for all students and their learning needs, all of the time.

– We need to provide students with a rich learning environment and opportunities for purposeful discussion. Oral language development is the basis for English language development for ESL students. Take them out of the classroom and talk, talk, talk!

– Learning needs to engage all students. Different strategies work for different students. Provide a variety of options for students and allow them voice and choice where you can. Learning looks different in every classroom and for every child.

– Teachers need to stop talking about integrating technology and start embedding it into learning experiences. Use whatever resource you need, when you need it. My kids use a range of technologies- iPads, laptops, an Interactive Whiteboard, but also pen, paper, post it notes- depends on what we are doing and the best tool to suit the learning experience. Good teaching practice is exactly that, good teaching and learning.

– Students need a purpose for learning. No point teaching something if students can’t see why they need to learn it. Project Based Learning (PBL) provides students with a real connection to life and learning and it keeps them engaged throughout the learning process. My students love their projects and WANT to learn. Their current project with Lee Hewes is evidence of that. You can read about the students and their learning throughout this project here.

– Collaboration is not only for the classroom- teachers work best together. On Saturday I attended the second #PLSM13 (organised by the fabulous Bianca and Lee Hewes) where teachers were immersed in creating original projects for their students. You can read Bianca and Lee‘s recounts of the day. Together, participants brainstormed their original ideas for their projects, bouncing off one another to enrich the learning experiences and create a better product. This was followed by the ‘project walk’ where participants commented on each others projects using post-it notes. This whole process was a team effort. Each project was enhanced by educators working together, throwing ideas around to provide unique learning experiences their students WANT to participate in. Learning (for students and educators) should be fun and enjoyable.

– Students should be at the forefront when planning. I am sick and tired of hearing teachers say- ‘Why reinvent the wheel?’ Well it is for a perfectly good reason- what works for one student/class, doesn’t work for another. Yes we can share and learn and grow from each other, but there is noting worse than picking up a unit/lesson/resource and not making it suitable for your context.

– Teaching is forever changing. Don’t sit still. You have never ‘got it’. There is always something you can learn. If you aren’t ready to keep changing, and trying new things teaching isn’t for you.

‘What is Quality teaching?’ is a never-ending conversation and worth much more than one blog post. However, at the end of the day, Quality Teaching to me, is providing authentic learning experiences for all my students.

Expand your PLN… explode your teaching

A few weeks ago, I delivered some professional learning on Twitter to some executive at a local school.  I was in my element as I showed them the basics and talked about it’s benefits. Proudly I said it was my main source of professional learning and the Principal questioned me. “How?”.

Well here it is:

Through twitter I found a whole network of dedicated educators from all sectors (public, private, catholic) from all over the world that I follow and learn from everyday.

Through twitter I have connected with so many of these fabulous educators face to face and had the pleasure of visiting their schools and learning from them further.

Through twitter I learnt about Project Based Learning and BIE which has transformed my teaching.

Through twitter I connected with #ozprimschchat which gives me endless ideas every Thursday night and connects me with other awesome primary educators in Australia.

Through twitter I have had many meaningful and in depth discussions on many topics in education at anytime, anywhere that interest me.

Through twitter I learnt about ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and attended their 2012 and 2013 conferences in USA- presenting in 2013 to educators all over the globe.

Through twitter I connected with educators attending ISTE12 & ISTE13 before I left and continued to once I was there making the conference all about the people and the connections!

Through twitter I find links to websites, blogs and current research that keeps me up to date with current pedagogy.

Through twitter I have created joint projects for my classes and refined projects through discussion with my colleagues.

Through twitter my school and class share their learning instantly with their family, community, and other people around the world. It gives them purpose and opens discussions with others to enhance their learning.

Through twitter I learn anywhere, anytime, from anyone, on what I want ever I want to learn about. It is tailored to my interests.

Through twitter I share my passion for teaching and learning with others around the world and give back to the education community.

What does Civics and Citizenship look like in a Year 5 classroom?

As part of our preparation for the Australian Curriculum, we have spent a few weeks focusing on one of the general capabilities or other learning across the curriculum areas. I have been focusing on Civics and Citizenship, one of the other learning across the curriculum areas the Board of Studies added.

What is Civics and Citizenship? When ever I hear it, I think of politics and all things adult related. Something too hard for children to understand.

Well it isn’t. It is much more than that. We live in a democratic country and with that comes rights and responsibilities for all, not just adults.

The Australian Government’s website http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au explores Civics and Citizenship Education as a crucial part of every child’s education. It is about “equipping them with the knowledge, skills, values and dispositions of active and informed citizenship”. Something we value and identify, as being a big part of being Australian. It continues to talk about shared values and attitudes, an area we work really hard to educate our students on and enforce daily in our classrooms. We are lucky to come from a country where these values and attitudes are such a strong part of our culture. As teachers, we want to create citizens that are informed and have the ability to critically reflect on the world around them. We want them to be ACTIVE participants in our democratic country and what better time to start this education but NOW?

I have been working alongside a Year 5 teacher this term to change the way we teach State and Federal Government. It has been a challenge as it is a very big unit to engage students in at the beginning of Year 5. We decided to make it more relevant for the students, we would examine their role as active citizens and what it means to Live in a democratic society.

At the beginning of the unit we invited students to vote on an area they would like to campaign for. They ranged from a large swimming pool for the school to a games day in the classroom. At this point it became very clear what my Action Research would focus on.

How can I help to develop active, informed and empathetic citizens through learning about government?

The classroom teacher and I devised a project where students would campaign about a current issue and decide which of the 3 A’s they were going to focus on: Creating Awareness, Being an Advocate or Taking Action. Suzie Boss talks about the 3A’s here. When video conferencing with her at Project Learning Swap Meet, it struck me how important these areas are for creating active citizens through service learning projects.

After some research on current issues, the students decided Natural Disasters were effecting many Australian’s at this time and this would be an area they would like to focus on. The students voted to help Dunalley Primary School in Tasmania as it was completely demolished in recent bush fires and they students related to their situation.

They set to tasks in groups and together devised a persuasive campaign pitched at the Principal on why they should help Dunalley Primary School. Each group is taking a completely different approach from fundraising money to making a blog with jokes and videos to make them laugh, to creating picture books to help fill their library. The determination and engagement from these students is amazing me. The students can see a real purpose for what they are doing. Their learning about democracy and the role of the government is put into perspective, because of a real life case study to focus on, they are able to make connections. We are half way through the project and I can’t wait to see their finished products.

This is what teaching and learning should be about, all the time. If students ask ‘Why are we learning this? or Why are we doing this?’ and you don’t have answer, rethink what you are doing. I have taught this unit before, but only this time have I felt like it is being taught with justice. Students are making connections and seeing relevance. They are becoming active, informed and empathetic citizens. They are making a difference in other people’s lives, not just their own.

There is no bigger lesson they could get from this project than that!