Clarifying the Meaning For Students

Clarifying the Meaning For Students

“When designing and reviewing their curriculum, schools will need to clarify the meaning (of the key competencies) for their students.”

Ministry of Education (2007), p.38

We have clarified the meanings of our Dispositions identified in our school vision to ensure our students develop a clear understanding of them. We want our dispositions to be understood and easy to remember to ensure they are used in their everyday lives, both at school and in the wider community.

Model, Teach and Provide opportunities for students to practise…

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  Identifying what a problem is.
  
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  using a variety of thinking tools e.g. SOLO ….
  

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  using a range of graphic organisers e.g. t charts
  
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  solving problems in a variety of ways
  
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  making decisions about their own learning
  
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  setting goals, evaluating/reflecting and setting next steps
  
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  Respecting and valuing others’ points of view.
  
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  establishing good questions - Q matrix
  
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  consciously allowing time for thinking, reflection, wait time and clarification
  
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  whole class discussions. Providing opportunities for discussions with “no hands.
  
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  learning in different settings e.g. own, wider and global communities
  

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  Model and teach speaking etiquette: taking turns; making eye contact; using voice modulation and projection, gesture and body language; pausing;
  
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  Provide opportunities for children to become clear, fluent and confident speakers in a variety of settings –e.g. assembly, class, group and one on one discussion.
  
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  Provide opportunities for children to think and order their thoughts before they speak. (Wait time)
  
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  Provide opportunities to give feedback and to share others’ ideas and opinions.
  

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  Model and teach how to be an active listener – eye contact, being still, ask questions or respond at the appropriate time for clarification or to gain further knowledge, affirming understanding with body language.
  
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  Model and provide appropriate processing time – “wait time”.
  
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  Provide a range of meaningful opportunities including games and fun activities, to promote active listening.
  
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  Acknowledge students who are modelling appropriate listening skills.
  
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  Appreciate and respect the ideas of others’.
  
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  Provide opportunities for students to repeat and act on a set of instructions
  

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  Model and teach the explicit skills of being organised ( professional planning, lists, prioritising, able to find things, having equipment ready to go)
  
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  Have an organised classroom environment, tidy, current displays, rotation of displays.
  
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  Actively reinforce, encourage and empower students who demonstrate their organisational skills.
  
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  Demonstrate flexibility
  
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  Ensure I am always prompt and on time
  
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  Establish clear and specific expectations.
  
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  Use visual reminders such as displaying timetables and task boards.
  
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  Provide explicit opportunities where children are required to manage themselves – (Must dos- Can Dos)
  
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  Have well displayed clear learning intentions.
  
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  Co-construct (teacher and students) success criteria for set tasks to be completed within an agreed timeframe
  
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  Use same criteria for students’ self-assessment.
  
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  Provide meaningful opportunities that cater to different learning styles, abilities, interests and needs.
  
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  Provide ongoing support for those students who require it. eg smaller steps, shorter time frame.
  
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  Provide a range of activities for early finishers. – Can Dos.
  
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  Model and teach reflective practice.
  
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  Modelling cause and effect - ownership of action – eg no reading folder - no book.
  

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  Make goal setting purposeful, exciting and meaningful to children - SMART goals
  

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  Identify areas of need.
  
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  Model goal setting with students, including the steps involved, having a realistic number of goals and age appropriate time frame for completion.
  
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  Discuss learning intentions and success criteria.
  
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  Share teacher’s personal goals. Eg training for half marathon.
  
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  Provide questioning and prompts to facilitate and guide children in their specific goal setting.
  
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  Share class goals.
  
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  Reflect regularly on goals and modify accordingly.
  
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  Provide feedback – peer, teacher, self–reflection.
  
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  Once a goal is achieved, help students see where to go next – Next Step learning to develop new goals.
  
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  Provide role models of successful people who set goals and work hard to achieve them.
  
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  Provide scaffolds to help students to assess and reflect on their goals - Thinking tools, Thinking hats, Questioning Matrix, checklists
  
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  Show examples of a variety of goals from which they could choose – personal goals, group goals, school goals, academic and social goals.
  

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  Explicitly teach and model taking turns, listening, sharing ideas, encouraging and responding to others.
  
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  Teach and practise how to give and receive critical feedback
  
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  Model how to value and respond to others’ contributions.
  
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  Teach specific group roles.
  
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  Provide opportunities to practise skills within a controlled, supportive environment and in real life situations.
  
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  Model and role-play conflict resolution.
  
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  Provide authentic role models.
  
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  Provide time to reflect on effectiveness of the team.
  
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  Discuss how to confidently accept and fulfil an unexpected role in a wide range of situations.
  
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  Model and encourage the understanding and acceptance of diverse points of views. (Agree to disagree)
  
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  Modelling cause and effect – eg no reading folder - no book.
  
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  Ownership of action. – positive reinforcement.
  
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  Joint decision of outcome – where to from here? (Restorative Justice)
  

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  Use the language “Right place, right time, right thing!”
  

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  Clarify expectations
  
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  Reinforce correct models.
  
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  Praise
  
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  Positive consequences and rewards.
  
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  Engage students in recognising responsible behaviour.
  
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  Catch them being good.
  
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  Smiley face.
  
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  Model being trusting. (of them being responsible)
  
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  Teaching and practising making good choices
  
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  Create a safe classroom climate
  
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  Okay to make mistakes
  
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  Ownership of class rules Who owns the problem
  

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  Provide opportunities for students to develop their self-esteem.
  
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  Teach and model Darfield Primary School core values
  
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  Value students’ diversity
  
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  Create an environment that fosters high expectations
  
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  Foster relationships within the school and wider community
  
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  Celebrate success –big or small
  
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  Acknowledge and value individuals
  
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  Teach and provide opportunities for students to take on leadership roles
  
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  Provide opportunities for students to be positive role models
  
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  Access community role models
  
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  Encourage students to take pride in their appearance, wearing the correct uniform and positive affirmation for those who do so.
  

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  Foster pride in bookwork - setting high expectations and being consistent throughout the school.
  
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  Teachers sharing personal achievements.
  
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  Sharing student achievement.
  
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  Celebrating success - the degree of individual achievment rather than always the top students.
  

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  Respect diversity - cultural, socio-economic, gender, special needs, and special abilities.
  
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  “Know” the students in your class.
  
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  Model respect for themselves and others.
  
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  Celebrate and highlight success – no matter how small it is.
  
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  Encourage students to express their ideas.
  
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  Assist students to recognise their learning styles and to embrace others.
  
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  Encourage students to take pride in their own identity
  
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  Help students to feel accepted.
  
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  Provide opportunities for students to take on challenges.
  
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  Create a safe environment.
  
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  Develop peer support within the classroom.
  
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  Develop strategies to help students deal with setbacks.
  
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  Identify areas of need including special needs and abilities
  
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  Involve students in challenging experiences.
  
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  Help students to believe in themselves.
  
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  Provide opportunities for students to be experts eg leaders, teachers,
  
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  Use the school values to demonstrate and model behaviours.
  
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  Respect their culture and the culture of others’.
  
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  Share in and celebrate other people’s successes.
  
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  Embrace success in the community.
  
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  Provide opportunities for students to have a voice.
  
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  Acknowledge children’s involvement and achievement in assemblies.
  
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  Encourage children to be involved in school activities.
  
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  Have high expectations of all aspects of the school.
  

At Darfield Primary School we use a variety of ways to ensure our students are developing strategies for self-monitoring and collaborative evaluation of their performance and progress using the criteria established to support the dispositions in our school vision, and hence the national curriculum key competencies.

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  Self and peer review of children’s work - Feedback from children to children–from given criteria.
  
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  Providing specific feedback and feed forward reflecting success criteria.
  
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  Encouraging students to come up with their own next steps for learning.
  
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  Providing a range of thinking and reflection tools.
  
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  Questioning students as to what they are learning and why.
  

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  Develop a visual representation of the Darfield dispositions. Vision, Dispositions and Values to be displayed everywhere.
  
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  Use language of dispositions and values extensively.
  
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  Focus on dispositions/social skills.
  
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  5-10 minutes ‘Reflection Time’ at the end of the day- this will also educate parents and toddlers that come in at the end of the day.
  
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  10 minutes at the beginning of the day to set the scene for the day.
  
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  Effective use of goal cards that correspond to a specific disposition.
  
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  Reflection Tree.
  
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  Use of exemplars to show quality writing, to develop success criteria with students from.
  
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  Use of Goals/WALTs in children’s books – highlighted while working with the children.
  
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  Teachers to include the development of the Dispositions in their planning to ensure qualities are targeted and tracked.
  
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  Students invited/encouraged to attend, participate and/or lead (3 way conferencing or student lead conferencing) parent/teacher discussions.
  
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  Photo and video evidence of learning.
  

“The Curriculum supports and empowers all students to learn and achieve personal excellence, regardless of their individual circumstances”.

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  Darfield has respect as one of our school values.
  
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  Our Vision is for our students to Dare To Be Different – which includes setting high personal standards, meeting challenges and being innovative and dynamic in their thinking.
  
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  Individual Responsibility for self, class, school environment.
  
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  Share personal success with other teachers and the principal.
  
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  Consistency in expectations for behaviour management both within the classroom and playground.
  
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  Modelling staff and student teamwork.
  
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  Communication with parents.
  
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  Certificates and trophies at assemblies and prize giving.
  
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  Verbal affirmations and celebrations.
  
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  We set high target achievement level for all students.
  
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  Quality marking of students’ books.
  
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  Quality oral and written feedback.
  
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  Recognise individual expectations – eg behaviour in assembly.
  
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  Principal Awards.
  
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  Developing quality reporting to students and parents
  
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  High quality modelling – using students’ own work where possible.
  
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  High expectations for our learning support students. (both learning needs and gifted and talented)
  

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  Reflection time
  
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  Circle time
  
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  Three-way conferencing
  
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  Greater differentiation in planning and learning programmes for Gifted and Talented students.
  

“The curriculum acknowledges the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand. All students have the opportunity to acquire knowledge of te reo Maori me ona tikanga.”

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  School has a sequential programme in Maori.
  
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  Te Reo integrated into our classroom programmes.
  
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  Quality teacher resources
  
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  School Kapahaka Group run by a parent.
  
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  Myths and legends.
  
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  Maori Signage around the school.
  
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  Library resources – fiction and non-fiction.
  
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  Singing of the National Anthem in Maori.
  
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  Consultation with Maori community
  
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  Use of Maori symbols on planning sheets in the junior school.
  

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  More consistent use of our Maori programme across the school
  
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  Occasional visits to cultural venues
  
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  Hangi.
  
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  Matariki (Celebrate the Maori New Year)
  
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  Professional development for teachers and leaders.
  
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  Continue to tap into community resources – people.
  
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  Sustainable systems developed within the school for Tikanga Maori.
  
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  Include the Maori perspective more in our teaching.
  

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  Our values include respect…
  
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  Te Reo and Tikanga programmes.
  
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  Greetings in some classes.
  
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  Having a wide range of resources available in the school library.
  
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  Through current events senior students encouraged to appreciate, understand and value cultural diversity.
  
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  Regular visits from International students from the local high school.
  

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  Continue to develop the importance of being a New Zealander. (Being a New Zealander plan)
  
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  More consistent use of greetings in a range of languages
  

“The curriculum is non-sexist, non-racist, and non-discriminatory; it ensures that students’ identifies, languages, abilities, and talents are recognised and affirmed and that their learning needs are addressed.”

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  Open to new ideas – non judgemental.
  
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  Children with Special needs on register and learning support provided where appropriate.
  
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  Provision of additional staff (school funded) to cater for the varying identified needs of students. Eg Reading Recovery- extra hours than those provided by MOE), Teacher Aides, Learning Support Teachers for ORS students.
  
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  Teachers identify cultural diversity and celebrate it. i.e. select texts and lessons around affirming cultural identity.
  
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  Identify strengths and interests of students through consultation, and build on them.
  
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  Buddy reading system.
  
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  EOTC programmes.
  
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  Welcome information given to new families.
  
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  Professional development.
  
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  We pride ourselves on providing a balanced curriculum, which includes a diverse range of learning experiences across the curriculum to cater for all needs and interests.
  
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  Parent meetings.
  

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  Further develop systems for transition from preschools and to the High School
  
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  Continue to reflect on ways that we could enhance community involvement.
  
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  Enrichment programmes to be further developed.
  
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  PMP provided for all Year 1 to 3 students.
  
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  Buddy class system for additional support.
  

“The curriculum encourages all students to reflect on their own learning processes and to learn how to learn.”

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  Learning intentions, co-construct success criteria, self-assessment, self monitoring by students of key competencies.
  
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  Use our school wide sequential model for teaching and using thinking tools. (to be developed)
  
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  We provide regular opportunities for our students to reflect on their learning.
  
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  Self Assessment/reflection
  
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  Rubrics
  
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  Valuing learning
  
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  Model high and consistent expectations
  
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  Use appropriate and meaningful contexts
  
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  Support learning with ICT
  
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  Professional Development
  

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  Continue to develop school wide inquiry model with students
  
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  Continue to resource ICT
  
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  Continue Professional Development for staff
  
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  Continue to develop consistency across the school – planning, assessment, values
  
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  Setting goals – 3 way conference, individual and group goals
  
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  Inquiry process used consistently across the school.
  
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  Continued understanding/application of learning styles and thinking preferences by teachers and students
  

“The curriculum has meaning for students, connected with their wider lives, and engages the support of their families, whanau, and communities.”

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  Regular newsletters and parent information.
  
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  Parental support for assemblies, sports days etc.
  
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  Parents involved in classrooms, camps, sport, cultural activities
  
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  Communication to parents re learning.
  
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  Communication by homework reading notebooks.
  
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  Home book for students with specific needs.
  
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  Visits by and to pre-schools.
  
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  Celebration and performances for parents eg end of year prize giving.
  
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  School surveys on a variety of issues..
  
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  PTA and BOT.
  
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  School working bees.
  
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  Sponsorship from local businesses.
  

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  Continued parent information evenings - Curriculum evenings.
  
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  Open days/afternoons for parents to be able to come in and talk to their children about their learning.
  
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  Encourage parents of the older students to pop in before and after school to celebrate students’ learning. (not to organise them personally)
  
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  Encourage parents to attend assemblies.
  
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  Community to assist in establishing and maintaining a school garden – produce.
  
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  Once a term, hold a welcome session for new parents to the school - perhaps coffee before assembly.
  
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  Three way conferences.
  
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  Whanau reporting of achievement
  
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  School involves itself fully in community initiatives.
  

“The curriculum offers all students a broad education that makes links within and across learning areas, provides for coherent transitions, and opens pathways to further learning.”

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  Provision of ICT to enhance learning across the learning areas.
  
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  Provide opportunities for students to engage in different ways. Eg Jump Jam,
  
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  Standardised Assessment tools used across the school.
  
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  Staff professional development – school wide.
  
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  Emphasis on building on prior knowledge/learning where possible.
  
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  Integration across the learning areas where relevant.
  
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  School wide behaviour management procedures.
  

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  Continue to develop communication and sharing between teachers. Share planning concepts, tracking, and then follow through from one to the other.
  
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  Use school wide Inquiry learning model.
  
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  Enhance our school wide system of assessment to ensure consistency across the school.
  
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  “Buddy” opportunities/interaction/involvement.
  
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  Develop consistency of systems for recording assessment data.
  

“The curriculum encourages students to look to the future by exploring such significant future-focused issues as sustainability, citizenship, enterprise, and globalisation.”

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  Respect - is highlighted as school disposition/learning quality and is part of our vision for our students. It encourages students to be more aware and take responsibility for environmental issues and Citizenship.
  
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  We provide opportunities for our students to display leadership in these ways:
  

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  Bus monitors
  
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  Librarians
  
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  Classroom/school responsibilities
  
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  Road patrol
  
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  Student council
  

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  Globalisation – connected to the world via ICT.
  
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  Recycling - sustainability
  
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  Making the purpose of learning transparent to our students.
  
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  Encourage students to take rubbish home, thereby reducing the school’s waste.
  
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  Students taking responsibility for organising and running assemblies.
  
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  Further develop School Website.
  

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  Education for sustainability as a school wide focus
  
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  Continue professional development and up skilling on the practical use of ICT across all learning areas as a tool to enhance learning.
  
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  Encourage students to take rubbish home, thereby reducing the school’s waste.
  
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  Cool Schools Mediation