Learn to Listen

I have been so tired and unfortunately, am rather ill this weekend. But I think it's meant that I've had a chance to slow down and take stock a bit better (before getting onto reports and assignments...). 

This semester has been filled with assessing students. Scarily, my students are only in their second year of formal schooling. Yet, due to reporting and curriculum pushing, we've been spending quite a lot of our time working through formal assessments - not unusual for the kids in my school or any school in our area, I believe. 

But I realised something sad this week: it had been a long time since I'd heard what's been going on in the lives of my kiddies. So, over 'Crunch n Sip' time last Friday, we sat and just talked about whatever had been happening in the kids' lives. And I learnt a lot. 

I learnt that a lot of them were tired not just because of school but also because many of them were having houses renovated, so lots of moving and getting used to a new environment to sleep in was happening. 

I learnt that a few of them had very little time on their hands because their out of school time is so structured.

I learnt that several of them knew family members who had been in car accidents over the past year. 

I learnt that lots of them like running between the washing at home when mum or dad has hung it out to dry in the sunshine. 

I learnt that someone was sad because their grandfather had to go back overseas this week. 

I learnt that one of them was looking for a new place to live.

There were heaps more stories, but as I sat and listened, I was struck by the wonderful realisation that while these kids were so keen to share, they were all so keen to listen. They listened to each others' stories and giggled and asked questions and reveled in the chance to interact with one another. 

The other thing was that I realised how all of these out-of-school factors were impacting on my kids' learning in class. Why so many were tired. Why so many had been clingy or less responsive in various weeks previously.

A lot of them crave the chance to be heard - to just chat and interact with people face-to-face. In a society where we're apparently becoming more disconnected and isolated because of internet connection (ironic, I know), it's refreshing to remember that it's not always like this - and it shouldn't be. 

Our school operates at break-neck speed - drop the ball, and as a teacher, you're spending weekends and holidays trying to play catch-up. It can be a great thing, there are so many opportunities for the staff, students and the community to take advantage of and be involved in.

But.

I have to constantly remind myself to re-center myself and remember what, why and who I am teaching. We're not just a factory of mark-generating robots. We teach people, and I teach to make a difference in the world. To make a difference, I need to know my kids. 

That is, I have to learn to slow down, not get caught up, and learn to listen. 

Time flies

It's been particularly quiet on here...because in real-world non-cyber life, it's been absolutely hectic! Hard to believe that there are only about 6 more weeks of term to go.

There have been plenty of highlights to choose from, but here are some of the funnest ones that I managed to snap photos of (I need to get better at photographing activities as we do them..): 

My kids tried doing wet felting for the first time (last term) - it was a bit time-consuming, but the children had so much fun. The 'marbled' look was particularly effective. From these pieces that they made, the students created toys and puppets - very cute. 

Thanks to Raw Art, we created some clay 'African'-inspired masks. Again, something the kids adored thanks to the very hands-on nature of the task! This is the second year I've worked with the staff from the Raw Art company, and they were fantastic as always; very explicit, and came with all their own gear to ensure your classroom remains (mostly) clean by the end of the session. 

 With a local expert who came in and did a great talk on growing fruit and veggies yourself, the class planted some snow peas. With much commitment, the kids ensured the seeds were watered each day and they kept a very keen eye on the peas' growth. Much to their joy (and my quiet relief), plenty of the peas sprouted and the kids could take a plant home over the holidays.

Finally, apologies for the bad photography (there was much to do and see on this day) - but this was a quick snap from our trip to a 'Historical Farm' which took the kids back from 2015 all the way to 1889. We have been learning about family life in the past, and this excursion was great! The kids got their own costumes to wear and were wandering the grounds doing 'old-fashioned' activities, learning about the history of the area, and even got new 'old' names! (Some of my kids got named Pearl, Arthur and Mildred, and were asking if their parents had to call them that once they 'returned to 2015'.)

I hope this term is treating you well! :)
missT

First Steps

It's funny how times flies. It seems like only yesterday that I set foot into my uni for the first time, unsure and slightly afraid of what the next few years were going to hold. Was I going to make friends? Would this be the career that I'd really want to stick with? Would I survive?

I'm happy to report that I did make some wonderful friends, it's definitely the career I want to stick with, and...I guess I survived.

And now? Well, I can say that I'm taking my first few steps as a 'real' teacher. Scary stuff.

In beginning a new chapter, I thought this would be as good a time as any to create a new space for my teaching and learning journey as a record of my thoughts, findings, lesson ideas and little moments. This is in a bid to keep me reflecting, sharing and widening my world of ideas and thinking to ultimately help me to refine my own teaching practice.

To kick-start things, I have a question for all the teachers out there: what's the best thing you've learnt about teaching?

Miss T