Grouping children in class.

 Last year I wrote about my experience of my first full year job sharing  http://mrshalford.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/challenges-of-job.html

Here we are a year on.  So, how did it go?

Teaching children for two consecutive years certainly has its advantages. I knew those children very well- knew exactly what they needed to work on to make good progress and make good progress they certainly did.

Whilst analysing the data it soon became clear that the year five children had made excellent progress, but the year four children slightly less so. Interestingly some of the more able children had made less than expected progress. Why should this be?

One reason could be that I focussed a lot of my guided teaching time on my most able children (as laid out in our SDP). Sure, they got good results but this has made me think carefully about how much time I devote with each group. With another large class next year (33 year 4/5 ) it will be a challenge! Ideally I would spend the same amount of time with each group but as any teacher knows that is easier said than done. Yes of course my weekly overview would structure who I would work with and when, but when using AFL and changing plans to best meet the needs of the children the groups themselves are changing .

Could the fact that the younger children in a mixed age class can feel eclipsed by the older ones and does this inhibit their progress? Certainly the majority of year five children  I taught this year made a lot more progress than they had the previous year when I had taught them as year fours.  Was this all down to the fact that I knew their skills so well? That they were so confident in the class set up that they were able to flourish? That being the older ones in the class gave them a heightened sense of responsibility which in turn improved their capacity for learning? 

This September I will again have a y4/5 class  and be carrying on with 14 children from the 12/13 academic year.  It will be a challenging year with a large class, a lot of children on school action and school action plus (just like any other class) along with the fact that my job share partner has moved on and a new appointment will be made.

So, what are my priorities? 

First of all consistency is key so should my temporary job share partner not continue, it will be all about making a new partnership work effectively. Although new to job sharing I feel that it has been a very successful partnership ; I will blog about it over the summer.

Secondly grouping the children in mixed ability groups most of the time. I use working partners (thanks to all the brilliant AFL resources by the wonderful Shirley Clarke  http://shirleyclarke-education.org/) and have groups of children needing interventions as appropriate. I am thinking of having discrete groups of more able in maths/english (still focus on the SDP) but the rest of the groups to be mixed.  I have always used a variety of grouping methods but gone back to traditional ability groups for the majority of maths and english lessons.  Will it work? That’s the challenge.

So I would really like to research a bit more about grouping the children. All my colleagues favour ability grouping. I’ve always played it safe with grouping in abilities for the majority of maths and english lessons.

I make good use of scaffolds, TAs, top tips, success criteria and various other methods to enable children to access their learning. But when the children do work in mixed ability groups (always for science and practical subjects) there is so much more of a buzz going on.

Have you moved away from ability groups? How did you find it? What worked well and what didn’t?

I will blog about how it goes once the term is underway.

Be a sticker not a quitter.

The angle was very acute.

This is the prompt for the 100wc this week. However, I have decided to write something else completely!

Be a sticker not a quitter

I have this written in my classroom above the board and it is something I find myself saying over and over again. As a primary school teacher not a day goes past that a child doesn’t find something difficult until that magical light bulb moment when you and they know that they have grasped the concept. It doesn’t matter whether it is being able to spell a word, make a prediction, work out a calculation, interpret a chart, spot the mistake , tie a lace… each and every step along the path to learning is important.

I feel it is vital to give children the confidence to have a go, even if they are not sure if they will be right or not, so that they can experience the pleasure that comes from success. And to learn to cope when things don’t go their way.  It seems that more and more this “stickability” doesn’t come naturally.

So, have I got a solution? I try to have an ethos in my class where every child feels safe and secure to have a go. We make good use of working partners and I have been totally sold on the use of lolly sticks (or similar) to choose children rather than hands up. Even the least confident children in my class will have a go and take part. Now that , in my opinion, is what teaching is all about. Empowering children to have the confidence to ask questions, want to find out more, not be afraid to have their own opinions.

I have been busy trying to organise a project involving all the local schools and have had to write a lot of letters, make a lot of calls and write a lot of emails . But, it is all starting to come together now.  

So, whatever comes with new curriculum proposals, I will keep true to my class mantra. If only the “powers that be” could remember that it’s all about the children, that it’s our job as educators to enthuse, engage, inspire a love of learning. Give them the tools to be able to find out more.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” Plutarch.

Amen to that. 

If at first you don't succeed...

I am  in the process of organising a joint cluster INSET. Very exciting. Just waiting for funding confirmation from the AZSTT.
Have lots of great people lined up to speak, but am really hoping to book Simon Mayo.
I have written to him six times (and counting) and emailed a similar number of times.
I will keep trying and hope that I will get a reply. I am ever the optimist!

Now let's try this way!

Dear Simon,

I have written to you regarding a request to speak at a forthcoming conference involving the ten primary schools in our area and the secondary school.

I am a member of the AZSTT (Astra Zeneca Science Teacher Trust) and am presently putting together a bid to secure funding for exciting curriculum development plans for the 2014-15 academic year.

To start the year off I am planning an INSET for all involved and would be delighted if you could consider being one of our key speakers.

I am also an ASE member but am unable to make the conference later this month where you are speaking.

I know you are a very busy man, but would be very grateful if you could spare a moment to let me know if you would consider this.

I can provide you with any further information that you need and remain hopeful to hear back from you. I am about to post another letter to you also so I hope that somehow a message makes its way past the people who deal with your mail /emails and so on. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear back from you.

With kind regards

Mrs Halford

100 words week 92

This week’s prompt from Julia is, “Yellow”  http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week92/

Now, I haven’t done one of these for a while so it’s time I did something about that. So, yellow…

 Well, I like custard (a lot) and that’s yellow. I could write a poem about custard. Perhaps not.

Mustard, that’s yellow. Or brown, or speckled. I bought a red one in France once (rather delicious; must have been the wine in it...) Where was I? Yellow.

Custard, mustard. Could be a poem in that…

 The sun, that’s yellow; had almost forgotten what it looked like until the weather bucked up. Loving it. Although it won’t be long before someone starts moaning about it being too hot/dry. Ha!

Cheese, that’s yellow. Sometimes, although I can think of more that aren’t.

Back to the drawing board.

100 words week 86

It has been a LONG  time since I blogged last- since Grandad died actually.

I still feel sad that he died just as we finished his memoirs and have had a bit of a writing block since.

So, I am going to have  a try with this week’s 100wcgu and see if I can get back into the swing of it.

I have been reading through my nanowrimo and am finding it incredibly hard to edit as some parts just annoy me as they don’t say things the way I want them to. I suppose I just need to persevere.

If I feel brave enough I might post a few extracts on here but not til I have done some more editing.

In the mean time here is my effort with the prompt, …the queue was so long…

Read all about it at Julia’s place http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week86/

Aaarrgghhh!

“Come on!” Jess hissed under her breath, checking her watch for the umpteenth time and going nowhere fast. She was running late, as usual, and nobody was moving.

Who were they trying to kid with those ridiculous queue barriers?

Such a waste of time.

 It was far more fun in the old days when you used to try to second guess which queue would move first.

 

What fun was there in this system? The queue was so long that it actually went out onto the street.

 

When the alarms went off Jess just knew that it was going to be one of those days...

 

Read the rest over at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=193739&type=basic&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Thanks for taking the time to read. I will endeavour to resume blogging on a more regular basis!!

100 words week 74

This week’s prompt was... “the extreme weather meant” Read the details here at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week74/

I tried to include it in a travel bulletin but that didn’t work so I have used it as the prompt rather than included in the text. ( That’s allowed isn’t it?!)

As I sit here this afternoon the snow has started again and it makes a very pretty sight. Snowflakes really are exquisite. I took some photos in the snow at the weekend but wished I had remembered my tripod to capture the true beauty of the snow. I don’t think any jewel can compete with a snowflake. I’ve never seen one to do so. Their beauty is partly in their transient nature I feel. 

I have recently changed my car to a little sporty number and as the snow is now falling rather more heavily am feeling a little anxious about driiving to collect my lad from after school sports. I think it will be a rather slow journey (and definitely no roof down!)

Anyway, here is this week's effort.

I am so so pleased to have finished my Grandad's memoirs with him. I have been reading them and listening to his recordings . How lucky to always have those memories .

I'll have a read of the others later; find them at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=181279&type=basic

Here's mine

..the extreme weather meant...

Shifting into gear Mike cursed loudly as he caught sight of the time. An hour of his life wasted in a meeting that hadn’t gone anywhere and, to top it all off, the relentless rain had turned to a swirling blizzard.

The BMW’s rear wheels span uselessly and he switched off the engine. He pressed his forehead against the wheel and tried to clear his mind. He knew exactly what Veronica would say, how she would look at him.

And how guilty he would feel.

Again.

The phone buzzed angrily and Veronica’s face lit up the screen ,her cold eyes staring. He gently traced the curve of her face before pressing, “END.”

Grandad

I'm writing this as the sad  news of my Grandfather's passing hasn't yet fully sunk in.

I'm sad of course, but like to think that he is with his beloved wife again and it gladdens my heart to imagine them together.

The project we began to write his memoirs was completed shortly before Christmas and for that I can take some comfort. We will always have the record of his life to remember him by. He did so many things that he had not really spoken of.

Here are a few extracts:



"I don’t know anyone on active service who wasn’t scared stiff when they had to go into battle or face the foe, no matter what anyone said.  We are not all heroes, no one is really. You do what you have to do and that is that."   
 This was written about his service in WW2. To imagine what it must have been like for those young men.. To me, they were all heroes to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude and without whom I probably wouldn't be writing this! 

"We had physical training by a warrant officer called Matt Busby. All PT instructors were given the rank of warrant officer and most of them were former footballers. Matt Busby became manager of Manchester United and was eventually knighted. He was a delight to know and a good PT instructor."

Grandad was an incredibly modest man. He never bragged about things he had done, places he had been or people he had met over the years. This is just one example of what a fascinating life he led.

"People meet up in all sorts of circumstances and it was quite fortuitous really; we had both been invited to the same function and perchance we met. When we met I found she was a very intelligent girl, up for a bit of fun... I knew then that I had met somebody special"

This was about his beloved wife, my Gran. 

"She has been much missed by all the family and she was well loved by them and loved them all. There is not a day goes by that I do not think of her as I was so fortunate to have such a loving wife and mother of my children."

RIP dearest Grandad.

Much loved and will never be forgotten

xxx