Response to 2025 Manaiakalani Kāhui Ako teacher within-school role

 

What achievement challenge are you considering as an area of focus in 2024 and why? Include in your WHY both evidence and your own passion/expertise.

I’m considering The Achievement Challenge 2 as an area of focus.  - Lift the achievement for boys' writing in Years 1-10

I’m also considering my Inquiry focus question to be around:  The Writing Process

In 2023, I focused on implementing culturally responsive teaching, and I introduced Extended Discussion with my Reading groups (Reciprocal Teaching). This year, my major focus was on Reading Stamina, and there were great positive outcomes. 

However, in 2025 I would like to focus on Writing as I have encountered other significant challenges such as my learners not specifically following the writing process:

Prewriting

Drafting

Revising

Editing

Evaluating

Publishing

What learnings from the 2017 - 2024 CoL teacher inquiries have informed or inspired your thinking?

Since joining Glen Innes School in 2014, I've been immersed in the Manaiakalani pedagogy and kaupapa. Over time, I've grown increasingly familiar with the Learn, Create, Share pedagogy, finding it remarkably easy to explain to friends and family. This clarity and confidence have been empowering.

Zhydah and Kaysee, early CoL teachers at our school, inspired me with their focused inquiries. My own TESOL studies further fueled my passion for inquiry-based learning. In 2023, I decided to take the next step and apply for the CoL within school role.

Witnessing the dedication of past CoL teachers, including myself, and the joy of sharing our achievements has been incredibly motivating. The sense of accomplishment and celebration that comes from this inquiry approach is truly inspiring.

How would your work support Manaiakalani pedagogy and kaupapa?

I will mostly use collaborative pedagogy with my learners. It will be learner-centred so that they are empowered to share their thoughts and opinions freely and confidently.

I will also ensure that learning is ubiquitous and visible as well. For the past two years, I have worked closely with the SLT  and they have been supportive throughout.

My inquiry will follow the learn, create and share model as I dive deeper into writing, create a structured approach to literacy that best meets the needs of my tamariki and share this teaching inquiry with my colleagues at Glen Innes School, and the wider Manaiakalani CoL. 

Which elements of the extensive Manaiakalani research findings inform or challenge you as you think about this?

I explored Edpotential and read the cluster report for Manaiakalani and the school report. Our school writing data suggests that writing is an area of need.

How would you like to be supported in 2025 as you undertake this inquiry?

I have been using a collaborative approach with my colleagues and I will continue to do so so that my work becomes more manageable. 

I am looking forward to engaging with the Manaiakalani team, and other CoL teachers in professional conversations.

Inviting CoL (AS) teachers to observe my writing class and provide feedback.

How would you plan to support your colleagues in your school with their inquiries and/or teaching in the area you are exploring?

I would love to have the opportunity to share my findings during staff meetings and visit classrooms during my release in order to share my findings. Teachers from junior and senior sides are always welcome to my class and I am always willing to share my practices with them. 

2024 CoL Teacher Inquiry: Bursts and Bubbles

 I'm delighted to share my amazing CoL journey with you all. As we arrive at the end of 2024, it's a moment to reflect on the insights gained and anticipate the possibilities ahead! It's been an incredible year of learning and growth. As we reflect on our CoL journey in 2024, I'm filled with gratitude for the insights gained and excited about the possibilities ahead. I'd also like to extend my congratulations to Anjila for sharing her inquiry journey and to all the inspiring CoL teachers who have generously shared their experiences. Your journeys have truly motivated me.

Here is a short reflection of my Inquiry Focus for 2024 and following that, there's a summary of my 2024 Inquiry in the form of a Google Slides presentation.

Kia Ora everyone!

My Inquiry question for this year was: Can reading stamina and increased reading mileage, lead to improved performance in e-asTTle reading comprehension/PAT assessments?

I identified this as my focus when I noticed that many of my students struggled to sustain their attention during extended reading tasks, and their comprehension of complex texts was often limited.

To build a rich picture of my student's learning, I used various assessment tools, including PAT Reading Comprehension, e-asTTle Reading, student voice, recorded lessons, and baseline observations.

During the profiling phase, I noticed a significant gap between my students’ reading ability and their engagement with text. Many students lacked the stamina to read for extended periods, and their comprehension strategies were often ineffective.

After taking a mini-lesson with my focus group and profiling my teaching, I gained valuable insights. For example, I could have asked more probing questions, provided more wait time for students to respond, and reduced my own talking time.

The changes I made in my teaching included:

Implementing small group reading instruction, Increased Variety of Text Types, and Sending extra reading materials home: This strategy helped, especially those learners who had attendance issues. 

This year Glen Innes School has embraced a new learning model, Flip Learning, to enhance student engagement and outcomes. The flip learning is based on the learning theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. 

Our school's implementation of Flip Learning in Terms 3 and 4 provided a valuable platform to enhance student engagement in my reading class. By involving whānau and utilising this strategy, I witnessed a noticeable improvement in collaborative learning. While implementing Flip Learning presented some challenges, consistent communication with whānau through Class Dojo and phone calls was crucial in achieving improvements in student engagement and learning outcomes.

Overall, the changes in student learning are significantly positive, with noticeable improvements in engagement, comprehension, and confidence.

The evidence for this rating includes: increased participation in class discussions, a deeper understanding of complex texts, and accelerated progress in Reading Assessments for my target learners.

A significant takeaway from this inquiry journey is the importance of maintaining engaging, effective, and explicit reading lessons, with a strong emphasis on timed reading exercises.

Remember, friends, every child is a reader, and every reader is a leader. By fostering a love of reading and providing targeted instruction, we can empower our students to reach their full potential.