6 Months In

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Birthday Wishes
It doesn't seem that long ago that I was introducing myself to my class for the first time. I still remember how nervous I felt and how unreal it all seemed; I could barely believe that I was a real teacher. Now after six months of teaching it is surreal to look back and consider how much I have changed. I have learnt so much, become more confident and I have fallen more in love with teaching.

At our Manaiakalani PLG we shared a highlight of our term with one another. For me, the highlight has been in creating more engaging lessons and activities for my learners. I have taken some risks in the lessons that I have taught (we took a few trips to the kitchen!) but I have thoroughly enjoyed them.

Teaching procedural writing was my favourite unit this term as there were many opportunities for rich discussion and hands on activities. I introduced the topic by presenting my learners with some instructions to follow which required them to create electrical circuits. The students then discussed their experiences and realized that the instructions that they had been given were quite different and they explained what made some easier to follow than others.

Check out the students creations
My learners were also given the task of writing and creating their own potato recipes. These had to be cheap and easy to make by children in the Manaiakalani cluster. I was thrilled by the students creativity and the learning that occurred through the cooking.

The other highlight of my experiences so far would be the relationships that I have built with my learners and colleagues. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching this class and working with such a strong and supportive mentor. I was lucky enough to receive birthday messages from them all (my birthday is in the school holiday) and was really touched by what they had written.

Bring on the next six months!

Comments

  1. Dorothy Burt11 July 2016 at 17:46

    It sounds like you have had a great term Danni. You positive attitude has made a huge contribution to the experience you have had and of course having a supportive mentor is huge too. I have been enjoying following your blog from afar and look forward to seeing you come into your own with this class in the second half of the year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Danni Stone13 July 2016 at 10:04

      Thanks Dorothy! It has been a really enjoyable term and I look forward to reflecting on my experiences at the end of the year; there is still so much to learn.

      Delete
  2. Amy Tofa11 August 2016 at 22:37

    Oh as soon as I saw the pink hearts my heart melted thinking of the effort and the very deep thinking they did to write those messages. They were so serious in thinking because they wanted to put the right words to express how they feel. I suppose within the Glenbrae School community we too have our own little community in Room 7 with our very own tribal council every now and then :). The year is flying by so quickly too. Full steam ahead :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Danni Stone12 August 2016 at 16:43

      Those notes were so sweet, they really made my birthday special! Thank you so much for organising that :)

      Delete

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