We now have a vertical tutoring system in our school, with Houses as the focus rather than year groups. In order to strengthen sense of House identity within the new system a series of challenges are set across the school where pupils can earn points towards their House Cup, presented at the end of the year.
This seems to work well, particularly among the younger years, who have found it much easier to buy into a new system than the older years, who seem to be struggling a little more with the changes.
So, in MFL it was the perfect opportunity to try something new and a little crazy :)
For year 8 'normal' language lessons were put on hold for the week and they were split into small groups according to their Houses (I just told them how many needed to be in each group and let them get on with that bit themselves!) In the first of their two lessons they were given points accoring to team working skills and the quality of their final product, which was to be an original game to help people learn a language. There were some fabulously creative ideas - and some games that I would never have been able to come up with, the vast majority really were fantastic and grading them was tough.
I purposely didn't give out scores at the end of that lesson - just told them it was very close. The second of their two lessons was best, in my opinion. In the same groups, teams were awarded points for cheering skills, behaviour & cooperation, a QR treasure hunt (post coming soon...), a dressing up relay and then either a tongue twister challenge or a spelling bee, all in the target language. It was SO much fun! I don't think I have ever seen pupils so motivated!
This is definitely something that I would like to run again. There were a few teething issues (getting the QR codes to work, getting pupils to not disturb the rest of the school....) but I am confident that these would be ironed out next time. And I think it's activities like these that help us to hold the attention of our younger pupils and keep them eager and ready to learn in year nine.
Bring on the next challenge!!
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Thursday 10 November 2011
MORE learning walks... With our SIP :)
Today I have the absolute delight of being able to do a learning walk with our school improvement partner. It was a great experience, because I had somebody challenging me on my observations and really got me thinking about how what I had seen would impact on my own teaching. Has definitely made me realise that learning walks are better done in pairs :)
This time I saw a year 11 science lesson, a year 8 RPS lesson, a year 9 maths lesson and a year 11 English lesson.
RPS was my favourite! It was a class with some tricky boyish characters and it was interesting to see them in another lesson. They were having a discussion about babies being special and the teacher had the pupils very well engaged in discussion, they clearly all wanted to take part and were not shy to have their say. I was inspired by the confidence and relaxed attitude that the teacher had with allowing the open discussion to flow and how even though it was teacher led in terms of organisation, it was the pupils who were driving the content. In my citizenship teaching I need to take a leaf out of this teacher's book! Just let the discussion flow from the pupils and see what happens... What's the worst that could happen?! I am aware that I am a bit of a control freak and I struggle to loosen my control of the pupils in the classroom, but as our SIP said today "pupils are most confident when they are doing". I am going to make that my target for next week - as many lessons as possible will have an task that involves more freedom and puts me out of my comfort zone (yes that's right, i am trying to organise freedom..!)
I picked up a really nice vibe around the school when I was wandering today. Was lovely to see pupils enjoying their learning so much and the relationship between them and their teachers - everything was so positive, and the positivity was showing through in the results of their learning. When speaking to individuals, everyone seemed to know what they were learning, their strengths, areas to improve upon, what they were meant to be doing in their tasks...
In fact, I have almost come away feeling slightly overwhelmed and unsure of where I need to go and I what I need to do next. Inadequate, almost! It's a great thing really, in that everything I saw was so good and Of course I wouldn't want to see anything bad, but I know that my lessons just aren't there yet and I really want them to be. But, hey ho, that is part of what learning walks are all about and It is experiences like these that will help me get there in the end! (hopefully...)
This time I saw a year 11 science lesson, a year 8 RPS lesson, a year 9 maths lesson and a year 11 English lesson.
RPS was my favourite! It was a class with some tricky boyish characters and it was interesting to see them in another lesson. They were having a discussion about babies being special and the teacher had the pupils very well engaged in discussion, they clearly all wanted to take part and were not shy to have their say. I was inspired by the confidence and relaxed attitude that the teacher had with allowing the open discussion to flow and how even though it was teacher led in terms of organisation, it was the pupils who were driving the content. In my citizenship teaching I need to take a leaf out of this teacher's book! Just let the discussion flow from the pupils and see what happens... What's the worst that could happen?! I am aware that I am a bit of a control freak and I struggle to loosen my control of the pupils in the classroom, but as our SIP said today "pupils are most confident when they are doing". I am going to make that my target for next week - as many lessons as possible will have an task that involves more freedom and puts me out of my comfort zone (yes that's right, i am trying to organise freedom..!)
I picked up a really nice vibe around the school when I was wandering today. Was lovely to see pupils enjoying their learning so much and the relationship between them and their teachers - everything was so positive, and the positivity was showing through in the results of their learning. When speaking to individuals, everyone seemed to know what they were learning, their strengths, areas to improve upon, what they were meant to be doing in their tasks...
In fact, I have almost come away feeling slightly overwhelmed and unsure of where I need to go and I what I need to do next. Inadequate, almost! It's a great thing really, in that everything I saw was so good and Of course I wouldn't want to see anything bad, but I know that my lessons just aren't there yet and I really want them to be. But, hey ho, that is part of what learning walks are all about and It is experiences like these that will help me get there in the end! (hopefully...)
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Google Translate - an inevitable part of modern langauge learning?
I read an interesting thread on the TES website the other day about how teachers should get around pupils using Google Translate for their homework. Many people were suggesting that the way forward was a complete ban on any form of online translator, others openly embracing the use of these online tools.
In the past, I too have been irritated by the pupils who have clearly typed their whole paragraph into the translation engine, clicked a button, and then copied the end result, or even worse, just copied and pasted it into a document. But I think I am beginning to change my mind. Language learning is changing. When I was doing my degree, I did have one of those ridiculously large dictionaries, and I did use it too, but more often than not, I would resort to online dictionaries to help me to complete my work.
Granted, the difference between an online translation engine and an online dictionary is quite big, especially if you are a KS3/4 pupil with limited grammatical knowledge of a language. Online translators are so much better than they used to be, and are getting better all the time, and often there is little 'tweeking' to be done, whereas online dictionaries rely on users own knowledge of grammar and context.
We have recently invested in a set of dictionary Apps for our iPods. Far cheaper than buying a class set of dictionaries (£3.99, rather than £300!!!) and far better suited to a modern way of language learning and teaching.
These days, rather than 'banning' translation engines, I advise pupils that if they are to use them, they are to use them with caution. They may for example, type in single short sentences or phrases (not whole texts), and they should never write down or use anything that they cannot fully explain when later questionned. Anything that they do get from the translator should be double checked either with a dictionary or the work from their book. And instead, I show them online dictionaries and how to use them. With more able pupils I have started using Google translate myself to show common errors and ask the pupils to correct them as well.
I have only been using these methods for a short while, but so far the seem to be having the desired effect :)
Maybe these online translators aren't so awful after all...
In the past, I too have been irritated by the pupils who have clearly typed their whole paragraph into the translation engine, clicked a button, and then copied the end result, or even worse, just copied and pasted it into a document. But I think I am beginning to change my mind. Language learning is changing. When I was doing my degree, I did have one of those ridiculously large dictionaries, and I did use it too, but more often than not, I would resort to online dictionaries to help me to complete my work.
Granted, the difference between an online translation engine and an online dictionary is quite big, especially if you are a KS3/4 pupil with limited grammatical knowledge of a language. Online translators are so much better than they used to be, and are getting better all the time, and often there is little 'tweeking' to be done, whereas online dictionaries rely on users own knowledge of grammar and context.
We have recently invested in a set of dictionary Apps for our iPods. Far cheaper than buying a class set of dictionaries (£3.99, rather than £300!!!) and far better suited to a modern way of language learning and teaching.
These days, rather than 'banning' translation engines, I advise pupils that if they are to use them, they are to use them with caution. They may for example, type in single short sentences or phrases (not whole texts), and they should never write down or use anything that they cannot fully explain when later questionned. Anything that they do get from the translator should be double checked either with a dictionary or the work from their book. And instead, I show them online dictionaries and how to use them. With more able pupils I have started using Google translate myself to show common errors and ask the pupils to correct them as well.
I have only been using these methods for a short while, but so far the seem to be having the desired effect :)
Maybe these online translators aren't so awful after all...
Tuesday 1 November 2011
More learning walks
Today I saw an English lesson, a maths lesson and a geography lesson.
The English lesson was great and I got to see an idea in action that I have thought about using myself. The pupils had done an assessment and had been 'levelled' - it was then up them to go through the level descriptors to see what they had done really well and what they could improve on. At first the pupils were a little hesitant (it was the first time they had seen the descriptors) but they soon got into it and seemed to enjoy the responsibility of having an input in the marking of their work. It was a really clever way to get the pupils not to focus on the grade that they got, but the reason that they got it. The focus was on improvement and moving forward.
I think this would work in Languages too. I would like to give it a go, but I find the MFL NC level descriptors a bit awkward sometimes. I am going to have a go at re-wording and chunking the targets for the descriptors and see whether I can get my pupils analysing their work and having input in the marking as successfully as I saw today.
Geography was great fun! I only saw a couple of minutes as I was running out of time but I wish I could have stayed longer. Even just staying for that few minutes allowed me to see exactly what the learning objective was. The pupils were leading their teacher around the school using their newly acquired map skills, using what looked like a school map. It was nice to see the whole school being used as a resource an the pupils learning so practically.
For MFL a similar task could be created quite easily using directions in the TL, with the pupils also using QR codes to follow a treasure hunt around the school.
In the maths lesson that I visited was very interesting. You could actually feel and hear the brains working and the learning happening!! It was so positive to see that at this point in the lesson the teacher wasn't using any fancy technologies, or even colourful worksheets or anything, she didn't need them, she was explaining something simply to the pupils in a very practical and easy-to-understand way and they were 100% engaged and totally understood what they had to do.
I wish I could do that...
I am loving this learning walk thing, it is giving me a lot of inspiration and it is great to see such positive things happening in the classroom around the school. :)
The English lesson was great and I got to see an idea in action that I have thought about using myself. The pupils had done an assessment and had been 'levelled' - it was then up them to go through the level descriptors to see what they had done really well and what they could improve on. At first the pupils were a little hesitant (it was the first time they had seen the descriptors) but they soon got into it and seemed to enjoy the responsibility of having an input in the marking of their work. It was a really clever way to get the pupils not to focus on the grade that they got, but the reason that they got it. The focus was on improvement and moving forward.
I think this would work in Languages too. I would like to give it a go, but I find the MFL NC level descriptors a bit awkward sometimes. I am going to have a go at re-wording and chunking the targets for the descriptors and see whether I can get my pupils analysing their work and having input in the marking as successfully as I saw today.
Geography was great fun! I only saw a couple of minutes as I was running out of time but I wish I could have stayed longer. Even just staying for that few minutes allowed me to see exactly what the learning objective was. The pupils were leading their teacher around the school using their newly acquired map skills, using what looked like a school map. It was nice to see the whole school being used as a resource an the pupils learning so practically.
For MFL a similar task could be created quite easily using directions in the TL, with the pupils also using QR codes to follow a treasure hunt around the school.
In the maths lesson that I visited was very interesting. You could actually feel and hear the brains working and the learning happening!! It was so positive to see that at this point in the lesson the teacher wasn't using any fancy technologies, or even colourful worksheets or anything, she didn't need them, she was explaining something simply to the pupils in a very practical and easy-to-understand way and they were 100% engaged and totally understood what they had to do.
I wish I could do that...
I am loving this learning walk thing, it is giving me a lot of inspiration and it is great to see such positive things happening in the classroom around the school. :)
Thursday 6 October 2011
Learning to be an outstanding teacher
This year is quite exciting in school because after our OfSTED inspection just before the summer hols (which went rather well, by the way!) we are trying to get teaching across the school from 'Good' to 'Outstanding'.
Every member of staff is completing a learning walk this half term with a focus on looking for outstanding practice in the classroom.
Today I did my first one - I spent about 15/20 minutes watching a BTEC art class, which was lovely. The pupils were all fully engaged the whole time and the pupils were working in a very calm and focussed atmospehere. Progression was obvious - the pupils were making prints in a William Morris style and pressing them over a watercolour backgroud - the work they were producing was stunning. The other things that struck me was that the pupils seemed quite confident in what they were doing. Pupils that perhaps struggle elsewhere in the school and lack confidence to 'have a go' were really going for it and were proud of their work. The teacher had a really nice relationship with the group as well, she had them doing exactly where she wanted them and yet it still felt like they were working with her, not for her.
So how could I incorportae these things into my language teaching? Next week I am going to set one of my lower ability, less motivated groups off on an art project to help them with their German learning and I am now even more confident that this may work well. If I can get the pupils to be proud of their work in the way that this art teacher could, then I reckon they may well start to enjoy their language learning a bit more and grow in confidence. It also taught me that should learn to not feel the need to have every child under my full control all the time. I am not very good at letting pupils 'just get on with it' and promoting independant learning is not a strength of mine!
It was a very positive experience and I can't wait to visit the next class!
Every member of staff is completing a learning walk this half term with a focus on looking for outstanding practice in the classroom.
Today I did my first one - I spent about 15/20 minutes watching a BTEC art class, which was lovely. The pupils were all fully engaged the whole time and the pupils were working in a very calm and focussed atmospehere. Progression was obvious - the pupils were making prints in a William Morris style and pressing them over a watercolour backgroud - the work they were producing was stunning. The other things that struck me was that the pupils seemed quite confident in what they were doing. Pupils that perhaps struggle elsewhere in the school and lack confidence to 'have a go' were really going for it and were proud of their work. The teacher had a really nice relationship with the group as well, she had them doing exactly where she wanted them and yet it still felt like they were working with her, not for her.
So how could I incorportae these things into my language teaching? Next week I am going to set one of my lower ability, less motivated groups off on an art project to help them with their German learning and I am now even more confident that this may work well. If I can get the pupils to be proud of their work in the way that this art teacher could, then I reckon they may well start to enjoy their language learning a bit more and grow in confidence. It also taught me that should learn to not feel the need to have every child under my full control all the time. I am not very good at letting pupils 'just get on with it' and promoting independant learning is not a strength of mine!
It was a very positive experience and I can't wait to visit the next class!
European Day of Languages
I like European Day of Languages, because the pupils like it. It is so refreshing to have pupils showing genuine interest in different European cultures and embracing the day. I also enjoy the fact that it often leads to challengiung discussions with them about why MFL is an important part of the curriculum today. In school we had the canteen menu changed for two days to include more European inspired dishes, had quizzes going on, flag work, Who Wants to be a Millionaire in French, not forgetting of course the anual teacher competition for who can incorporate the most foreign language into their lessons.
This year we were also offered a fantastic opportunity by Kelda Richards (@ElKel99) of Isca College and Chris Fuller (@ChrisFullerisms), an independant consultant in Devon. They put together a brilliant day at the University of Exeter working for local schools, working alongside La Gourmandine creperie in Exeter (if you live near to Exeter, make sure you go there and have a tuna crepe for lunch, delicious!) Pupils were to create an advert for the company in French and then present their ideas to the other school groups at the end of the day.
I took two groups of 6 pupils from years 8, 9 and 10 and they had a brilliant day. They LOVED using the iPads that were provided by Isca and despite being quite shy at the beginning soon embraced the challenge of using French that they had never really come across before. They worked so incredibly hard and did Tiverton High School very proud, and their determination and enthusiasm saw them produce some lovely work that they should be very proud of.
The next part of the task was for the pupils to spread the links to their ads, which had all been put onto a blog. This really motivated the pupils who were busy rallying support from tutor groups and across the whole school.
The best things that came out of the day was that a couple of the year nine pupils said to me that they were now thinking about taking GCSE French - how fantastic is that!!!!
Thank you Chris and Kelda for such a brilliant day.
This year we were also offered a fantastic opportunity by Kelda Richards (@ElKel99) of Isca College and Chris Fuller (@ChrisFullerisms), an independant consultant in Devon. They put together a brilliant day at the University of Exeter working for local schools, working alongside La Gourmandine creperie in Exeter (if you live near to Exeter, make sure you go there and have a tuna crepe for lunch, delicious!) Pupils were to create an advert for the company in French and then present their ideas to the other school groups at the end of the day.
I took two groups of 6 pupils from years 8, 9 and 10 and they had a brilliant day. They LOVED using the iPads that were provided by Isca and despite being quite shy at the beginning soon embraced the challenge of using French that they had never really come across before. They worked so incredibly hard and did Tiverton High School very proud, and their determination and enthusiasm saw them produce some lovely work that they should be very proud of.
The next part of the task was for the pupils to spread the links to their ads, which had all been put onto a blog. This really motivated the pupils who were busy rallying support from tutor groups and across the whole school.
The best things that came out of the day was that a couple of the year nine pupils said to me that they were now thinking about taking GCSE French - how fantastic is that!!!!
Thank you Chris and Kelda for such a brilliant day.
Saturday 23 July 2011
First year - done!
Well, that's it, my first year is over. No longer can I hide behind my mentor when I get things wrong!! Scary!! But I have a had a brilliant year. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself and actually, secretly, I am kind of looking forward to September already...
People keep asking me what I have learnt this year, and I think that is the most difficult question to answer - not because I haven't learnt much - quite the opposite! I have learnt so many valuable lessons that I don't know where to begin!
My favourite bits have been:
Developping some really nice relationships with some great classes - and I get to keep lots of them next year too :)
Getting to about February and things feeling like they were slowly beginning to 'click' into place
Experimenting lots with all sorts of different creative teaching and learning techniques
Getting on Twitter and learning soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much from some very inspirational and helpful people
BLOGGING - thoroughly enjoyed reflecting on things I have done and sharing them on here (even if not many people read it ever!!)
Things I have struggled to enjoy as much:
It has taken me a while (and I am still not there yet) to learn not to take things personally. I still struggle a little bit with those very rare but hurtful remarks from individuals - despite fully understanding that they are not really meant to hurt me.
Time management - will I ever get good at this??? (Haha)
OfSTED - actually I enjoyed it on the second day but the first day was very scary!!
Not having my own classroom - I had to teach in 10 different rooms!!!! (Sadly THS was due a New Build, which was cancelled) But now I have one and I love it :) :) :) :)
So here's to a new year - better get my thinking cap on to come up with some more experiments before then!!
People keep asking me what I have learnt this year, and I think that is the most difficult question to answer - not because I haven't learnt much - quite the opposite! I have learnt so many valuable lessons that I don't know where to begin!
My favourite bits have been:
Developping some really nice relationships with some great classes - and I get to keep lots of them next year too :)
Getting to about February and things feeling like they were slowly beginning to 'click' into place
Experimenting lots with all sorts of different creative teaching and learning techniques
Getting on Twitter and learning soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much from some very inspirational and helpful people
BLOGGING - thoroughly enjoyed reflecting on things I have done and sharing them on here (even if not many people read it ever!!)
Things I have struggled to enjoy as much:
It has taken me a while (and I am still not there yet) to learn not to take things personally. I still struggle a little bit with those very rare but hurtful remarks from individuals - despite fully understanding that they are not really meant to hurt me.
Time management - will I ever get good at this??? (Haha)
OfSTED - actually I enjoyed it on the second day but the first day was very scary!!
Not having my own classroom - I had to teach in 10 different rooms!!!! (Sadly THS was due a New Build, which was cancelled) But now I have one and I love it :) :) :) :)
So here's to a new year - better get my thinking cap on to come up with some more experiments before then!!
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