It has been such an interesting week trying to manage a really tough student. We are beginning a unit on Maori technology and I have sparked her interest. I gave my children quite a bit of free reign on their reading this week but for this particular student and her group I gave a focused activity on describing the marae. She asked to work independently in my office and along with the other girls worked solidly for 2 hours. Upon asking her is she wanted to go have her treat for good behaviour and hang out with the little class she said "No, I want to stay and do this".
As research has shown "improving student engagement is a necessary condition for improving educational achievement
I do feel I have completely neglected all my good intentions of making Tikanga Maori a part of my classroom and making sure my actions and words showed I valued the culture. Another struggling student said, in relation to the marae design, "we should put patterns all around these walls, look I'll show you" and she pulled out a strip of leftover Maori designed border. These girls have been so animated. I also saw one girl trying to peek at the story of the Whare in the journal we were reading...clearly it is of more relevance and interest to her. They have a natural curiosity and desire to learn more about their culture.
If what we learnt at University was anything to go by, incorporating Tikanga Maori methods and behaviour is useful for the whole class and benefits everyone.
Incidentally, my white boards markers keep running out-have I been doing too much front of the room teaching?!
So what can I change?
The ETP had these reminders:
High expectations: making the children see how clever they are.
I have instigated
1) Labels in Te Reo for classroom objects.
I do feel I have completely neglected all my good intentions of making Tikanga Maori a part of my classroom and making sure my actions and words showed I valued the culture. Another struggling student said, in relation to the marae design, "we should put patterns all around these walls, look I'll show you" and she pulled out a strip of leftover Maori designed border. These girls have been so animated. I also saw one girl trying to peek at the story of the Whare in the journal we were reading...clearly it is of more relevance and interest to her. They have a natural curiosity and desire to learn more about their culture.
If what we learnt at University was anything to go by, incorporating Tikanga Maori methods and behaviour is useful for the whole class and benefits everyone.
Incidentally, my white boards markers keep running out-have I been doing too much front of the room teaching?!
So what can I change?
The ETP had these reminders:
- Manaakitanga – teachers care for their students as culturally located human beings above all else.
High expectations: making the children see how clever they are.
- building relationships with students
- utilising students’ prior knowledge to plan, implement and evaluate lessons
- having high expectations of students
- fostering individual student’s strengths
- talking with students in ways that they can relate to
- fostering a safe learning environment within the classroom.
I have instigated
1) Labels in Te Reo for classroom objects.