Day+12+3rd+October+2012

I have to be out in schools, talking to and learning with and from teachers. Seeing first hand how ideas and theories translate into classroom practice and getting a deeper and more contextulaised understanding of teacher's concerns and difficulties. Don't have the answers but am pretty good with questions and observations. If there is a craft to teaching, how can I stay on top of the game, especially with more complex outcomes and accompanying skill sets expected of students which inadvertently places more stress on teacher design, assessment, mangement and faciitation competencies. How can I help teachers cope and thrive? There is still so much to uncover. There is still so much richness and depth in the work and learning. TEach Less, Teach deeper.

Spoke to EL HOd and SH about new PSLE format for 2015. Spoke about concerns at setting and marking papers. Stressful for teachers! How to train teachers andprepare pupils. Danger is format of exam impacting instruction - example of process writing involving exact question type for EL paper 1.





Carried out lesson on Writing/Peer Review. Lesson went ok except for the following: - Need to think through how tasks demands impact my mangagement routines - When is practice enough? - How to monitor students' understanding? - WHen you introduce new routines/methods to students that demand reorientating, what are effective pedagogic moves? - We learn from what we do - Reflection is vital They are so enthusiastic, but their competency levels are really strung along a long continuum. Got to remember they are still P4 mainstream - and writing is complex!











Nitty Gritty - IS review of their criteria of a good story imminent? - Should I show them a good short story and ask them why it is good? WIth reference to their list- what would they add now? (intergrating writing n reading) - Promised to show them graphic novel/picture book next week to show them how words and pictures can work together - interplay (visual literacy) - conjure an activty to make them work with text/graphics - plus oral oral work and presentation