Term 3, 2018 Teacher Observation

Teacher: Debbie Bramwell Observer: Sue Stilwell

Curriculum Area: Maths

Activities Observed: Warm up followed by one group focussing on counting backwards from 20 and numbers before to 20. The next group were focussing on teen numbers and how these were made up.

Evidence of Student Agency in action: Student driven within the framework of the class (Have To Do’s) where the children get to practice any list they want to learn within ‘The List’ and any tricky number that is circled within ‘Tricky Numbers’ as well as any activity pertaining to their learning goal.

What I liked and will take back to my own practice…
That the quick short sharp sessions I have been doing with my littlies is on point as they lose focus, attention and the want to be there when the sessions go to long
The need to get even more resources (loose parts) for teaching sessions
Additional ways to teach and reinforce number knowledge to 20 and beyond

What aspects of the ‘Eskdale Way’ Curriculum were observed…
Fun and engaging warm up activity that all students were fully involved in
Teacher moved around the groups during warm up
Lots of communication and cooperation
Revisiting prior learning that is ongoing
Explicit teaching and modelling
Discussion of strategies with teacher/children then the children talking and working together
Teacher questioning
Children trying to understand what they are being asked
Basic facts/counting
Encouraged and supported during their group learning sessions
Students seemed to be enjoying their learning
Children were encouraged and supported and felt safe and that is ok to take risks
Children were challenged
Te Reo used frequently throughout the sessions

From my observations today I wonder…
How long does the group continue along the same learning focus for?
How do you check when they have achieved the goal they are at and if they are ready to move to a new goal?

3 Student Responses:

What are you learning? Why?
A - doubles - so we can add the doubles together (talking about her independent goal practice.)
Ak - I forgotten.
M - writing numbers - because we can get better at them.
How are you going with your learning goal/s? How do you know? how do you keep track?
A - good. Good cause I practice. I look at my goal everyday to see.
Ak - kind of good. Shrugged shoulders. Shrugged shoulders.
M - good. Because I keep practicing everyday at maths. Just keep on going.

What choice/s do you get to make with your learning? Who decides on the choices?
A - persevere, learn. Yourself.
Ak - choices after maths. Mrs Bramwell.
M - good choices, do everything. Yourself.


Reflection
The time spent on a particular focus really depends on how quickly the children master it. The groupings are fairly flexible so children can more in and out of groups working at different Maths stages, but usually on the same concept e.g. place value, - depending on their targeted learning need. Often I find a focus can last 2-3 weeks and then we change the focus and come back to it again for 1-2 weeks later in the Term and again later on in the year. 
The children are in charge of their individual maths goals. When they think they have aced their goal they organise a buddy to check them and if this goes well they write their name on the white board for a teacher check. I check them or the class checks them, by asking them quick fire facts and the class decides if its a pass and says why or why not. This works as feedback for all of us. Then together the child and I look at the next goal they would like to learn. We do not always work through the facts on the ladder in numerical order. Then the child shares their new goal via seesaw with their family.