Inquiry

My Inquiry Topic from Term 2 was to understand being a NE/ Y1 teacher. This is the first time in my career that I have been a classroom teacher at this year level. First I will list the top 3 challenges I faced this year (of course there were so many more!) regarding being teacher at this year level and follow each one with a reflection. Next I will share some successes I feel I have had, and share my reflections about each of these.

CHALLENGES:

1) Studying a diploma in te reo Māori and teaching a new year level REFLECTION: Focus on one new thing a year! If I had been in a year level I was experienced in, or had been working in my current position for a longer time, then perhaps I would have managed both studying and teaching. However this year has been exhausting and I know I have not always put my best foot forward when teaching.

2) Scaffolding appropriately for a NE/Y1 age cohort REFLECTION: Observing other teachers more. I know I would have benefitted from going to other NE/Y1 classes more and observing what my colleagues are doing. I did share and talk a lot with my team, but it's not the same as observing. I know this would have helped with DMIC and being more effective in this.

3) Time management REFLECTION: Always one of my learnings! This one was definitely impacted by doing a course and working, though it was also about time managing how I was running groups so that I could see each child enough in a 4-day week to meet curricular. I will often get carried away with what we are doing in a group and lose track of time, and therefore would impede into other group's learning times. Also I am still learning about how long it takes for this age cohort to complete tasks!

SUCCESSES:

1) Getting what was needed done on time...just! (including this!) REFLECTION: Though I feel almost everything I completed was done in the "eleventh hour", I have managed to make sure my data entry, reports, planning etc, are done when needed. For me this is a HUGE improvement and a big success for me as I have often been the "Um...can I have one more day..." teacher! I feel this is an extra success with having to move class spaces 3 times this year!

2) Learning about how to engage NE/Y1 children. REFLECTION: I have more experience working with intermediate aged children and understanding how to build trusting and safe relationships at this level. I was very nervous about how I would be building relationships and getting to know the needs of my tamariki and supporting them in their learning. I have seen many children be more confident to talk risks and share with myself and others, which indicates they feel safe to. I have learnt how to talk and engage with this age cohort so that both myself and the student are heard and know what needs to be done. I have seen my children step up to being more responsible for themselves in their learning, and in looking after themselves and their learning space.

3) Enjoying teaching and feeling OKAY about what I am doing! REFLECTION: This seems obvious, but I have had many times in my career where I have been very unhappy, felt ineffective, and felt unworthy to be a teacher. I have found the teaching path a difficult one and on three seperate times, have left because I felt I was not 'good enough" to be a teacher. This year, working with NE/Y1, I have enjoyed almost all the time (obviously there have been days that I haven't been as excited!), really happy working with the children in my class. This is a success for me because I have come back to teaching after a Teacher Refresher Course and choosing to give this career one more go. Taking on a new curricular level was difficult, but has reconnected me with the my heart for teaching.

PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL

A personal/professional challenge has been doing my PRT site and working towards my registration. I struggled to do this with everything else, and I put this as my lowest priority with relation to getting other teaching mahi done. I regret this and want to work on meeting my professional needs as well as my classroom teaching needs in a more balanced way. One personal success that I hope will support me as I continue my learning journey as a teacher is completing a Level 5 Diploma in Te Reo Māori me Tikanga nō Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu with an A average...though I will not be doing full-time study and teaching again!

GOALS FOR 2019

-Find a NE/Y1 job!

-Continue to inquire into effective teaching practice with this age.

-Focus on becoming fully registered