Searching for the Holy Grail

1. Searching for the Holy Grail

2. Building Confident, Competent Teachers in a Supportive Learning Environment

3. Kotetamaititeputake o tekaupapa • The child – the heart of the matter

4. Glen Taylor School

5. Background Information • Positioned on the lowest socioeconomic scale • Demographic – 58% Pasifika, 24% Maori, 18% other cultures (growing Burmese refugee population)

6. School culture School systems Pedagogy The component parts

7. System Level • Good assessment tools • Good achievement information • Aspirational School targets set in response to achievement information • Understanding of the purpose of assessment – who is it for? • A relentless focus on raising student achievement • Urgency about teaching • Appraisal goals

8. School culture Beliefs Principles We strive to develop learning partnerships with students To create a learning environment that develops students’/ teachers’ self esteem as learners. Teaching as inquiry. We are an assessment for learning school we give time to this • Deficit thinking is challenged • High expectations (2 years worth of learning in 1 year) • We believe in our students • No secrets

9. Archway of teaching and learning capabilities

10. Teacher Capability Matrix Promoting further learning. Active reflection. Clarity about next learning steps. • Building learning-focused relationships. • Being clear about what is to be taught. • Assessment literacy.

11. Classroom Learning Environment • An ethos that encourages students to developmental belief about their intelligence • Make it clear that learning requires effort • Explain that effort requires connections in your brain • Discourage student behaviours that involve learned helplessness (withdrawing effort, giving up, refusing to try)

12. Importance of Goals • They help the learner to know themselves • They can help students make connections between the learning intention and their goal • Help them to understand that your socioeconomic status does not dictate your intelligence • Goals provide a framework for feedback

13. Goals and Learning - Students • Students understand their own data and can share in the identification of next learning steps • They connect the next steps with their learning goals.

14. Goals and Learning (Teachers) • Effect sizes of Y4-8 teachers is calculated • Videoed baseline teaching practice is used to position teachers on a Teacher Capability Matrix and identify next steps • Formative appraisal process

15. Student-led Conferences They: • Ensure that AFL pedagogy is sustained • Demonstrate our deeply held beliefs about assessment and who it is for • Enable us to use our students to educate their parents about curriculum levels, national expectations and national standards

16. Students’ views on the value of Student Led Conferences • What did you do to make sure that someone from your family came? • My parents work at night, so I talked to them and said, ‘if you want to go to work that’s okay, but if you want to know about my learning, take some time off and come to my student-led conference.’ • How did you feel talking to your family about your learning? • I was a bit embarrassed because I hadn’t gone up in Writing and I had to explain that, but since then I’ve gone up 5 sub-levels, from 2B to 3A.

17. Contd • Do you think your parents learnt anything from the conference? • They learnt I wasn’t dumb. If I don’t have homework my parents make up some for me to do. • When I ask for help, Dad used to say, “in a minute,” but he never helped me, now he helps me. • Did anything change in your learning, your attitude to school or your behaviour after the conference? • Ithought about my behaviour. I’m really good during Maths because I’m good at Maths, and I like it. I’m not so good at Reading and I know I talk during Reading time. I decided that

18. Contd • if I was going to improve in Reading, I had to behave during Reading time like I do at Maths time. I’m trying to do that.

19. School Culture • A lean organisation with a focus on learning • Learning is an urgent business – begins on the first day of the school year and ends on the last day • Everyone is a learner • Every teacher is expected to deliver high quality learning programmes all of the time • Teaching as inquiry is included in every syndicate meeting • Staff meetings focus on professional development • Appraisal is a formative process, not summative • Unannounced walkthroughs and observations are part of what we do

21. Kotetamaititeputake o tekaupapa • The child – the heart of the matter