Design For Learning 1B

Wānanga - My major challenge this week was around communication and re-connecting with my classes and associate kaiako. Finding a co-teaching balance that works within the different dynamics of my four classes and learning where my teaching responsibilities lie and what derestriction I have over the class. This will be especially important as I begin to take full control.  

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Over the next few weeks, I will make a greater attempt to embed myself into the lessons were possible and continue to form bonds with the ākonga and learn all their names, to achieve the most seamless transition possible.  

Critical Thinking - This week's major challenge was developing strategies for critical thinking within my classrooms. For my low-level learners (Year 9’s) we read picture books around mental health. The Year 10 classes focussed on newspaper articles around drug usage in teenagers. Lastly my higher-level learners (Year 13’s) focussed on the influences and assumptions we make towards physical activity through the ages.  

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I learnt how important it is to link our current topics to ‘real world’ examples and how it is an effective strategy to engage our ākonga with the subject material because it now ‘feels’ relevant to them. It helps ākonga search for a deeper meaning and gain a larger level of understanding that goes beyond the superficial. It helps them explore the ‘why’ within the HPE discipline and create more independent learners. 

Whanaungatanga - My final week on practicum was an emotional one. I celebrated my successes and reflected upon my challenges with ākonga and kaiako alike. I learnt how important it was to form genuine connections are and how influential they can be on your teaching practice.  

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The classes where I had formed the deepest and more sincere connections were by far the most rewarding and defiantly the hardest to say goodbye to. Not only had I formed a positive, highly respected, classroom culture but I had also embedded myself in the very culture of the kura itself. The whanaungatanga I feel with the kura will remain long after I have left. 

Akoranga - My greatest learning this week was around positive behaviour for learning (PB4L) strategies. Some of the strategies that I put into practice included; supporting ākonga responses, using cooperative learning tasks and encouraging autonomy over their learning. 

 

Another behaviour management strategy I aimed at perfecting this week was ‘pause for effect or wait-time’ where waiting mid-way through an instruction for quiet or waiting for a response to my questions as an effective teaching strategy.  

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Manaakitanga – The biggest success this week was my off-site Year 13 class trip to the local gym. We participated in a body-pump fitness class and went onto discuss the influences, assumptions, strategies, and impacts on physical activity through the 20–30-year age group. My associate teacher was unfortunately away, however this meant I was seen as the ‘lead’ kaiako despite having a reliever present. 

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My relationships I had built over the past few weeks paid off as the values of caring and trust were on full display. The whole class respected my role as their kaiako and we had an enjoyable, smooth, and rewarding lesson together.