Simon Cossey Professional Blog

Introduction:  Michael Hempseed is a popular speaker about mental wellness and the author of the book, "Being a True Hero." He presented a free seminar for principals/leaders/teachers at the start of the lockdown. Keith Tetzlaff shared the  Webinar Link   He also has a TEDx talk about failure. A few points:  - Many people experience a crisis (like Covid-19) and get through fine.  This can be because of the 'protective factors' like positive, stable connections.  Lack of 'protective factors' and more 'risk factors' can mean that kids/adults find it hard to cope.  - Keep boundaries Some parents might be very stressed at this time. Don't take that stress on yourself. Also, be realistic about what you can do. - Hopefulness  Humanity has overcome a lot of challenges in the past, e.g. smallpox. We have successful brought back some species from the brink of extinction (white rhino). Dwelling on the present can be scary. Recogn...

Data, data data!! To me our data is showing that students need the ability to transfer skills, knowledge and strategies from one context to another. To me, the dialectic teaching approach is really important to this because this encourages the students to think for themselves, to think flexibly, to transfer knowledge. Identifying the gaps... - fractions - measurement - decimals - statistics (especially interpreting statistics). We also discussed the importance of students revisiting previous learning to practise. Our ipads and chromes are ideal for practising concepts until they are solidified. This means that teaching time is not used for practising with students, but for modelling and supporting students with new learning (and engaging in dialectic teaching and learning) The challenge for me is to stop and let the students struggle - just the right amount of struggle - and to achieve success themselves (then celebrate that). Often I dive in to 'save' kids from t...

Where am I at:  How well do you think you are at getting students to do the 'heavy lifting' of classroom talk?  I'm on the journey, I'd say 35 / 100 Reason? My head and my heart are in it, but my habits need reforming. I've started, but now I'm working at gaining the skill and practising them in a live teaching situation. What I learned:  - A range of tools / strategies for including discussion in the classroom - There are talk rules (norms), Talk moves (skills) and talk goals (expected outcomes).  - Start small - be explicit.  - Speaking is essential for success in life, even more that reading, writing.  - Teach stems - Sentence starters Reflection:  This is how I love to learn. I wish I had been able to learn more this way in my primary/secondary/tertiary education Students are trying to come to a group conclusion (a really important feature in our Maori and Pasifica cultures), which sometimes may be black and white (9+4=13). Or som...

What we did:  Today I was excited to learn about Seesaw - an app to record student's learning. Parents get notifications when students post work and they can comment. Reflection : What a innovative way to engage with whanau. It's timely and relevant for parents and purposeful for teachers. Action steps:  View the timeline with students when I go into their classes. Co-ordinate with classroom teachers if they would like me to use Seesaw to post an activity we have done.

What we learned:  Relationships - Know students names, know what they like, know what is important to them. Understand what it feels like to be them.  Routines - Be really explicit, draw it, write it down Reinforcement - Be specific, keep it short. "2 lines, matching leaders, Manaakitangta!" My reflection:  The values give students the reason 'why' we do something and remind us what we want our students to be: now and what we want them to take with them into their lives. Great teachers create atmospheres where students can feel safe and their brains are ready to learn. Teachers have great power to create memories - good ones, horrible ones. Learn from mistakes and share these with students. My action steps:  Use the 2:10 window to identify a student to spend 2 minutes with for 10 days. Give really specific, short descriptions to reinforce.