Appraisal workshop: Monday 29 October in Whangarei

Monday 29 October

Whangarei:

Being an appraiser in an appraised driven world
Good way to start the week. Appraisal workshop in Whangarei led by Richard Watkinson of Evaluation Associates.

Notes:


Appraisal conceptual framework:
Learners are at the centre. Must be a teacher led appraisal. Every teacher should be in control of leading their own appraisal., with strong enquiry focus.
All 6 standards must be met annually.
Evidence of observations are needed. Gather student voice as well. Ask them during the lesson. Observer can observe the engagement.

Observations are really good. See how students are going/ engaging. Good plan for the teacher to video themselves, and the students.
The teacher can also then reflect about/on this video.


Evaluative Capability:

Appraisal is an evaluative process.

Do all appraisers have a clear understanding of what GOOD teaching/good practise is….what does good practise look like in our school?


Assessment of learning:


1. Describe what good looks like


2. Develop indicators (work with colleagues) to shape full understanding of "good"


3. Ask Q: "how does my practise enact each of the Standards for the Teaching Profession?"


4. Determine the perspectives/source of evidence to answer this Q.


5.Use suitable processes to gather this question.


6. Evaluate the evidence and what it tell about my practise.


7. Use the evidence to examine whether there is a significant gap between my practise and "good"


8. Answer the evaluative Q by reaching a reasoned conclusion and decide on the next STEPS.


What do effective appraisers do?


1. Focus on student learning


2. Focus on teaching and learning as enquiry


3. Ensure collection of evidence endures over time


4. Provide ongoing quality conversations over time


5. Recognise that the process is led by the person being appraised.


This ensures that the teacher meets the STANDARD.

Watch these videos:

conversations about practise video:

awkward appraisal video:


The importance of Open to learning (OTL) Conversations:

difficult conversations = awkward and can be confronting.

What strategies do u use?

1. Model good practice

2. Give lots of hints

3. Be direct

- tell how it should be

-:tell them the expectations

4.Ask lots of Q's

5. Tell lots of positives and sneak in area 2 improve.

6. Put it in writing...have opportunity to go away and think about it

7. Totally avoid the issue - have a nice chat instead

4 key OTL CONCEPTS

1. Everyone has theories...to effect real change..engage with beliefs

2. We have espoused theories (how we think we act) and theories in use..how we actually act.

3.there is often a tension between progressing the issue and maintaining the relationship.

4. Everyone has a ladder of inference..it makes sense to them

 Ladder of inference

Talking about the ladder of inference

Be open, honest and respectful. Share what u think, the reasoning, see what the other person thinks...check in.

Effective discussions:

Establish clear purpose

Share your thinking

Share your reasoning

Check in..enquire into others view

Evaluate views

Co-construct POA

Open to learning

What is open learning

Suggestion:

The Our Codes, Our Standards Quality Practise Template

Put this template up on staff room wall.

Column 3: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN OUR SCHOOL?

Column 4: WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE OF THIS IN OUR SCHOOL?

Staff/whole school complete. This will lead to teachers asking the question:

"do I engage in this practise?, What evidence support this practise?" And if the answer to this question is NO, then it can be the "work-on's" for goal setting if it is not happening.

What does appraisal without the arinui tool  look like?

1. Must have evidence of improving

2. Goal settings

3. Evidence of goal(s) = achieving

4. Evidence of students' achievements.

5. Evidence of at least 2 observations.

6. Evidence of more than 1 source.

7. Thinking/looking at time (not only before the end of appraisal, but throughout the year/cycle)

STANDARDS→evidence ↤ PRACTISE

The evidence is the tool to connect the STANDARDS with the teachers' PRACTISE.

If you are interested in using arinui head to: www.arinui.com for a free trial

Awkward Performance Review

Lots of AROHA for my babies...

Don't you just love working with the youngest students...they are so FULL of energy and not reserved or shy to let you know exactly how they feel.

Had a highlight moment today in class:
We are busy with INTEGERS and I sang the song on my video and in class yesterday :
(ROW ROW ROW THE BOAT )
Same sign: keep and add
different signs: subtract
Keep the sign of the biggest number
then you'll be on track
(and I added)
and never smoke crack..

So today, I gave them a worksheet and started singing, and a few sang with me, to remind them about the rules for addition of integers.

How cool!!! Love my job (especially on a Friday).
Lotsa blessings!!
ps. one did tell me: please just don't sing...hahah

Counting my blessings on the second Friday of term 4

All teachers of seniors, would probably understand the emotions surrounding the "final weeks"  of teaching our senior students.  Some of them won't be returning to school.  Some of them are focused and working hard, others have already passed their year level, and are just wasting their time away, others are totally stressed out and nervous about the upcoming externals...I call it my  QUALITY STREET moments...the whole MIX, and in South Africa on the smarties box, it says one word: wotalotigot...How blessed am I to guide my students through these last moments of their school year. While I'm sitting here a tear is crawling over my cheek.  I am so blessed to still care about my job as much as I do, and yes, I must admit, the special students that I have, make it so much easier to have this LOVE for my job.

It is also the FIRST year of my 35 years of teaching, that I feel my students have all the tools that they can have for preparing for their externals.  I have the JOY of putting these "tools" , worksheets, exemplars, teaching videos of myself and other teachers, on their class site.  Now, it is the fine line, of revising with them, keeping in mind: Am I doing too much, and they too little, am I leaving them to do it totally on their own, do I spoon feed them if they spend too much time with me?? Do I try and control their learning for the next few weeks up to the external??? In the words of one of my year 13's: I actually feel good about the upcoming maths exams, as I know that I am doing my best, and : "miss this is really helping that we are doing it mostly on our own, and just ask questions, as we go along"....yay yay...hopefully it is working for ALL of them.

Well, at least I know that I've done my BEST, to encourage them to go FULL OUT ! I've put the tools in their shed (class site) and it is now up to them to take the tools and "build" something.  I am at peace, happy and content...I've done my part.  Good luck to all seniors doing externals.

OOO the JOY of teaching SENIORS

For everyone of you guys who are teaching....the Juniors tend to "suck up" all my energy in the period that I spend with them...in a NICE way (I am sure you understand!!!) They truly keep me on my toes, and make me give my 5 cents -worth back to the school every minute. They each assume I am only there for them, and want their questions answered immediately...even if I am already busy assisting someone else. They are super excited, to have my individual attention most of the time, and the coolest thing is, waiting for them after morning tea or lunch, and they come running up to class with all of that exuberence....READY 2 LEARN..

Unlike the seniors, no running to class...a senior  will first listen to the video of me teaching the day's topic, and then only ask for support, if they can't figure it out on their own, and after having a korero with their classmates.These moment I treasure like gold nuggets, to see how they support each other, I find myself "eavesdropping" just to make sure that the "correct" information is shared, and that the person who asked the question, understands the solution/or the help.

They (the seniors) support you (the teacher) in whatever you want to try, new teaching ideas, new ways of learning, and they will give you valued feedback.  As I often tell my seniors:  "see this is why I teach, I learn something new from you guys, every day".

As a teacher it is so important for me, to find a few minutes a day, where I talk to each of my seniors, making eye contact to see how they are and how they are with the new learning for the day. So, to have my year 13's being excited about sharing their learning through making videos, were absolutely "mind-blowing-ly" COOL.  What they did, each of them chose a different part of the topic for the external, then they made videos of them talking through all the different examples.  They then shared it with each other and me, sharing their learning with all of us. They were so excited to plan, make the videos and then to share it with each other, and to compliment each other on it.
I am so blessed to be a teacher, and to have the opportunity to learn, create and share with my students.