Day 14 - Wet Weather Days

I am currently situated in a region of Australia called the Sunshine Coast. I should put the Sunshine part in quotes because we've been somewhat unlucky with the weather. Despite the rain and colder weather than we were expecting, we have managed to avoid wet weather lunch periods which is good because it gives the students an opportunity to work off some of that extra energy that would usually morph itself into behavior problems. It showed that the students didn't have their usual outlet to work off some of their energy during the afternoon session. Overall, it was a great day as usual. I began planning for my SOSE unit plan. It will answer 6 major questions.

1. What is culture?

2. What was life like for Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people before the Europeans arrived?

3. What was life like for Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people after the Europeans arrived?

4. What was life like for Native Americans before the Europeans arrived?

5. What was life like for Native Americans after the Europeans arrived?

6. What comparisons can be made between the Indigenous people of Australia and Native Americans?

I would love to go into more depth but right now I need to grade the Maths work and plan my lesson for Monday. After each lesson I'll put up a more detailed description about the different activities I try with the students.

Day 12/13 - Culture Bags and my First Planned Lesson

Tuesday was another great day. It was a fairly ordinary day, but another wave of students brought in their culture bags or "About Me" bags. I'm absolutely amazed at the generosity of my students. They are always offering me things that I haven't tried before or things that I am not familiar with. They spent a fair bit of time asking me about traditional Australian foods and whether or not I've tried them. They promised that they would bring things in the following day so I could "have a go" at some new things. After the day was over I attended the first staff meeting of the year with my host teacher. I know that it's a cause of stress and sometimes it feels a bit monotonous for experienced teachers but my goal here was to become a sponge and just soak in all of the experiences as best as I could. The staff meeting was basically 2 condensed versions of professional development seminars. The first was on behavior management and the second was about inclusive education. They were both interesting and would have been extremely valuable as professional development sessions if it weren't for the abbreviated time periods.

Wednesday was the first day I had a lesson to implement that I completely planned on my own. It was also the day of my feast because there were about 6 students that brought in different things for me to try! Before I was meant to plan my lesson my cooperating teacher gave me the Learning Essentials (Learning Standards in NY Education-speak) that I was supposed to cover. It was a lesson about chance and data which is a large part of their QCAT which is the state test in Queensland. These tests are "low-stakes" in that they aren't published. The results are on the students report cards and are used internally while assessing the students. The lesson familiarized students with proper probability terminology (impossible, certain, equally likely, more likely, and less likely) and the statistics of a deck of cards (number of cards, suits, and colors). The lesson was largely successful from my point of view given that it was my first lesson.

Day 11 - Reward System

Today was another relatively typical day at my school. I ran the quickmaths for the class and we did English work as well as other numeracy work. The students got to write in their journals about camp and continued their spelling work. The spelling program is great in my school and I will discuss it more as time goes on. The main thing that has stuck out to me over the last week or so is how much the rewards system has improved the students' behavior. I think it says a lot about the system here in Australia in general. There's a greater emphasis on "doing the right thing" through the possibility of rewards rather than the certainty of punishment. Kids are always trying to get their way through some form of reward system they set up arbitrarily (the "do this and i'll be your best friend" system, or "do this and I'll give you a dollar). In the grand scheme of things these rewards don't amount to much because the next day, those same students will argue or the one who received the dollar will have spent it on the way home from school that day. But when there's a build up to something that the kid actually wants, there can be an actual, long-term shift in behavior instead of a temporary one that is fleeting and short-term. In the beginning of this term our students were given the choice of what their culminating reward would be for the end of term. They are now striving to do the right thing so that they can end up with the reward that they chose. I think we spend far too much time in the states with threats and punishments while good behavior goes unnoticed. In most cases, children want attention regardless of the form it comes in. When they see that people in the public eye get more time on the news when they do something bad, it sends a mixed message to kids who otherwise would behave and act properly. It's not a conscious decision to do something wrong but the messages that they're getting aren't convincing them that the right thing is always right. If there could be a shift in the way that we as educators approach the reward/punishment system, maybe the behavior problems that we see in the US will begin to dissipate and test scores will begin to rise.

Days 8,9, and 10 - Camp!

Wednesday

We started off the day meeting at the front of the school and waited for the bus. It was nice to see that almost all the parents waited for the bus to come to the school. There was the normal run around trying to make sure everyone remembered everything but other than a few forgotten hats the students were pretty prepared. They were supposed to bring their school issue broad brim hats and before the bus took off everyone had their hat! We arrived at camp and got a quick orientation and then it was off to playing sports until we started the camp organized activities. I learned how to play cricket from my Year 6 boys. It was a lot of fun, there are a lot of rules though! After that I went home but the students participated in archery and orienteering. Then they held a "Redfaces"which is like a talent show, and went to bed.

Thursday

On Thursday I got there just as they started the day and we participated in a Radio Rogaine activity. It's basically a scavenger hunt, mixed with orienteering and trivia questions. They got to use the radio with code names and they all found it really fun and it seemed to keep their attention well. After the Radio Rogaine we tried out the Commando Course. It included a rope swing, a cargo net A-frame, up and over logs and other elements. Next, we had morning tea and headed over to the high ropes course. They were not letting me get away without doing it so I did it and tried to help as many of the students as I could. A lot of the students were nervous throughout various parts of the course but almost everyone finished. I was really proud of them for facing their fears at that age! At the end of the day, my class went canoeing around the canal at camp. It seemed like it would have been fun, but because my ride was coming I wasn't able to participate. It was amazing to see that they get to participate in so many fun activities as a part of school. It's easy to see why students here seem to have a more positive view about school and education.

Friday

We arrived early Friday morning and my class was doing the "human yo-yo" activity. All the students but one were hooked up to the end of a rope that was attached to a pulley and the other student was hooked up to the other end. The group of students would run away from the pulley and pull up the other student at the speed and to the height that the human yo-yo wanted to be pulled. We had a quick lunch after that and then the kids were able to play sports while we waited for the buses to arrive. Then it was back to school to wait for all the parents to pick up their kids. It was an amazing experience to see a camp that was obviously well run and that the students truly enjoyed.

Day 7 - Thrown into the fire...

Tuesday was the day before camp for our Year 6 class. Needless to say it was EXTREMELY hectic between paperwork, and chasing down medical forms/payment forms. There wasn't a lot to do for the class but I was in charge for the day. I've been slowly working myself into the mix by running quickmaths every morning and bringing the students inside the classroom from their meeting areas. It doesn't seem like much to some people but it's a huge deal to slowly transition from the observation student in the back of the class to the teacher in the front. It's not an easy switch by any means because I'm so young and the students tend to see me as a friend because of that. I did work out a little strategy to help with the transition from outside into the classroom. When I walk out to greet them I go out and say hello and time how long it takes them to get ready. When they improve their time as a class they each get a sticker for their reward chart. Every student that has 100 stickers gets to participate in the olympics that we're planning for the end of the term. Every day I've been taking on more and more responsibilities and I think that's the only way to get myself prepared for when I have a class of my own someday.

Day 6 - First Assembly

Today was another great day. It's really easy to get through the school day here in Australia. There are two major breaks during the day; one comes at 1045 and it's Morning Tea, the other comes at 1250 and that's Big Lunch. There are fewer behavior problems here in Australia and I think that's a testament to the fact that students are given an outlet throughout the day to expend their extra energy. In my opinion it seems that everything from the set up of the school building to the organization of the day is based around the simple idea that students are kids. If the education system tries to force them to "grow up" too soon then we have problems where students are being left behind. Just typing that phrase scares me because I could write for the next 24 hours with no breaks about No Child Left Behind and still not say all I need to about it. Our system back in the states has flaws, as does the Australian system. But the system in America, despite the word "child" being in our plan, doesn't take into account that students are children. In Australia, there are grass fields and students have no choice but to walk outside from building to building. In the states, students are cooped up in a building with little to no breaks during the day and in some places don't even have grass. I don't think Australia's system is perfect, it has its flaws but the overall efficiency of each second that teachers are teaching is far greater than what we're used to seeing in the states. In most cases it comes down to a common sense approach. I've become frustrated during my short time in my placement here in Australia because the resources that are available to teachers as a standard part of school are far superior to what I've found in schools at home.

Now that I've spent enough time on my rant, I guess I should actually talk about the day. Today was a great day. I've been running our quickmaths program each day and it's a great intro to working with my class. It's a low stress activity to take control of and I find that it's helping to transition me from guy from New York observing the class to Preservice teacher. Then during middle session (between Morning Tea and Big Lunch) the students shared their culture bags. They included a lot of great things that let me know a lot about each of them. One of the students brought in a sticker from the place he goes motorbiking. I had mentioned that when I was on my trip I got a sticker from everywhere we visited so I could put them on my guitar and he came up to me after class and gave me the sticker. It's moments like that where I'm one hundred percent positive that I made the right choice when I decided to become a teacher. At the end of the day I experienced my first assembly at my host school. It's a great way to get students from all different grades in the same setting and make announcements. The assemblies really build a sense of community. At each assembly certain students from each class are given awards for various things (including improvement in subjects, or kindness). Overall, it was another great day in my host school and I couldn't ask for more from the kids or my host teacher.

Day 5 - Thank Goodness for Technology...

Friday was my final day of week 1 and it could not have gone any better. We started the day with their quickmaths test. Each day they do a column of 25 questions after either the teacher or I read the questions to them. They have to do the math in their head so it's great practice for them to really understand the concepts behind what they're doing without figuring out how to come up with tricks to get by. Then at the end of the week they're given the 4 columns from the week. They get as much time as they need and are graded at the end. After morning tea, I had the opportunity to have the class for the whole middle session. I had prepared a Google Earth tour that showed my house, my elementary schools, New York City, Los Angeles Airport, Brisbane Airport and then the elementary school where I'm placed now. It was timed out so I could tell them all the things I thought were important, but of course, my computer wouldn't work with the projector. It happens sometimes, and you just have to roll with the punches as a teacher. We closed the week with a game called Chair Ball, which I used to play with the kids at my camp when I was athletic director. It was a perfect way to end a great week.

Day 4 - Language barrier? But we all speak English...right?

When people go to study abroad there are a great deal of things to take into consideration and a lot of questions to ask yourself before deciding to go. The first question is "can I afford it" but when it comes to an opportunity like this a little bit of debt never hurt anyone. The second question is "where should I go". I've always wanted to travel to Australia and I've known about this program since orientation before college so it was a no-brainer to decide on this program. The last question is "what language do they speak there". Australia's official language is English, but it's impossible to tell. This isn't American English. Here's a quick breakdown of the words I came across just today:

1. toilet/loo = bathroom

2. have a go = try it out

3. 5 of 10 = 5 times 10

4. 5 from 10 = 5 over 10

5. decimal 3 = point 3

6. full stop = period

7. have a think = think about it

8. have a chat = make a conversation

9. have a sleep = take a nap

10. smells = farts

11. heaps = lots

12. reckon = believe/think

13. crayons = colored pencils

14. colors = crayons

15. tuckshop = lunch counter

16. avo = afternoon

17. chemist = pharmacy

Today we did quickmath and I carried out my first lesson. I didn't have to plan or write it because it was already set in place but my teacher let me give them the quickmath test. It went well, I confused some of the kids because of the terms I use. But they were all very understanding and patient with me. Tomorrow I have to teach a lesson about myself. I'm going to use Google Earth to show all the students the places I've been and to give them a look at the schools I've attended. I'm also going to show them how to make a culture bag to show how unique they are. It's a great activity and I hope that they enjoy it. Now, it's time to start planning for tomorrow!

Day 3 - SOSE, Writing, and Social Networking! Oh my!

We started off our day today by welcoming the students into the classroom. One of the first things that came up was that one of the students had asked to be my teacher's friends on Facebook. This sparked a discussion about safety and what's appropriate/inappropriate on the internet. For obvious reasons, students aren't allowed to be friends on Facebook with their teachers to ensure that the students are 100% protected from everything that could go wrong with these sorts of "relationships." It's sad in a way that a few bad experiences has ruined the trust of many, if not all, teachers. But this is the world that we live in now and it's better to be as safe as possible in these types of situations to avoid misunderstandings.

After morning tea we began a writing exercise where the students were able to talk about their holiday between term 2 and term 3. The students got to talk about certain aspects of their holiday yesterday but there's obviously not enough time in the day to hear about 26-27 two week long holidays. The students brainstormed for about 10-15 minutes about possible things to discuss and then they were given 20 minutes to free write. The twist for the story was that it had to include the words "heavenly", "disastrous", "horrible", "amazing", and "hilarious." This is a great activity because the students had to include good and bad points about their holiday. It allows them to include a variety of vocabulary and experiences into their writing. During Year 6 in Australia, students are expected to be able to write Factual Recounts. They're expected to write with proper grammar and be able to use vocabulary appropriate for the content of the writing (in this case, their holiday experience). The students are also expected to document a series of events and to show their significance in an explicit way.

At the end of the day we took the students to the computer lab to do research. Today is the 14th of July, which is Bastille Day in France. It's the day the French celebrate their independence, much like Australia Day (January 26th) and America's Independence Day (July 4th). The students were given about 40 minutes to find out as much as they possibly can about Bastille Day. Then the students came back together and discussed what they learned about the holiday. It was a good introduction to the SOSE unit about different cultures that will begin in the coming weeks.

I thought I'd end off the blog today with a list of the rules of Room 6P.

1. Always try your best.

2. Use your common sense.

3. Respect everyone and their belongings.

4. Do not judge people or make fun of them.

5. Keep your hands and feet to yourselves.

Day 2 - First Day with my Year 6 Students

Today I arrived at my school for the first time. I, of course, couldn't remember where my building was. The layout of the schools are very different here as compared to the US. At my school there are small buildings spread out throughout a large campus. There are groups of classrooms in each small building that are organized by age group. I'm in a Year 6 block with 4 teachers. Today was the first day of interaction with the students and it was amazing. It was the first day back from holiday so the students were able to discuss anything exciting they did. I shared what I did during the school holiday as well and the students were all interested. We did a worksheet called Quick Maths. It's a sheet of paper with 4 columns that contain 25 questions. It's a rapid fire math exercise that really gets the kids involved because they each have their own work to do but it's a bit of a competition among the class. Then after lunch we discussed the reward for the behavior management plan. My teacher does a great program where the students are given fake money as rewards for appropriate behavior. They then have to put the money in their wallet on the pocket chart to save up for the end of the term. This activity is really important for students of any age because it helps math and life skills. The students decided that as a class we will tie in the culture unit for term 3 into the reward. The reward is that we will organize olympic events that connect to the different cultures. It was a great day to ease in to term today and I look forward to the challenges ahead.

Day 1 - Pupil Free Day

Today, I joined my host teacher for a Pupil Free Day (Staff Development Day in NY). We attended several workshops at a local university. One particularly interesting workshop was called "Seven Steps to Writing Success" and it opened my eyes to a great deal of strategies that I imagine will be very effective in my future classroom. Step 1 is titled Plan For Success. It implores students to examine the typical trajectory of a story line. (See attached picture) One major tip is to make sure that students know the ending to their story before beginning to write. Some teachers also find it valuable to scaffold the students writing in the beginning by giving them an ending to start with to see how students are able to develop a story. Step 2 is titled Sizzling Starts. This step helps students remember to start when the action starts. Most students start their stories at the beginning of the day (i.e. I woke up and ate breakfast.) but an easy fix to change this into a sizzling start is skipping all the mundane details and begin with the first details that are important to the story (i.e. if it's a story about going to dinner the student should start with the main character entering the restaurant). Step 3 is titled Tightening Tension. This is the step where students must make the reader believe that the main character will fail. During this step, sense words become very important and sentences become shorter to instill a sense of urgency in the tone of the story. Step 4 is titled Dynamic Dialogue. This step is vital to the story in accomplishing three things. Dialogue can make scenes dramatic, it moves the plot, and it also reveals the character's personality. Step 5 is titled Show, Don't Tell. This step is important because it prevents the reader from having to think about the details because they can visualize them without any effort. A helpful tip for students is to remind them to avoid the past tense. Step 6 is titled Ban the Boring Bits. It suggests that students should avoid the "boring 'b' words" such as bed, breakfast and bus trips. The students are reminded that in movies the hero is never seen traveling, they always simply arrive and the action begins. Step 7 is titled Exciting Ends. This was discussed in the planning phase but it's extremely important to double check and ensure that the ending is as exciting as possible.

Today was a great day to start my experience here in the Australian education system. I know that our system in America has its flaws and I'm hoping that this blog can serve as the beginning of a longer discussion into the strategies and methodologies that can be shared between our two systems.

Pre-PreService Teaching

It's 7:30 on Monday, July 12th and I'm preparing to go to a Pupil Free Day. In the states we'd call it a staff development day. With my mom and sister already a part of the teaching profession in New York I know what staff development consists of here and I'm extremely curious to see how things are different here in Australia. Over the next 9 weeks I will be conducting some research into the Australian methods and philosophy of education. I am placed in a Year 6 classroom here in Australia on the Sunshine Coast. For obvious reasons, I won't be able to discuss specific names of my school or teachers and students names. I'm hoping that this blog can begin a conversation about what we as American Educators can borrow from our Australian colleagues. This blog was created to critically examine and analyze the differences between the two education systems. It isn't about right and wrong, it's about discovering a more broad range of techniques and styles in order to incorporate all learners into the classroom. No two classes are the same but with skillful adaptation and a little effort, we can always learn from one another as educators.