Week 5 It's never too late to learn1. Is failure a real and regularly option and experience for kids at your school?
Failure is a real option and experience for kids at WAB. 2. If so, what impact do you believe that is creating? If not, what structures have been put into place to accomplish alternatives? WAB follows IB curriculum, what IB did was project and inquiry based learning. Everything starts with students’ initiation and curiosity. It has the process of ask, investigate, create, discuss and reflect. During this process I have seen students experience the process of failure. E.G., yesterday, they did the challenge of foil boat, to see which group created the boat to be the strongest, can hold the most things. For challenges like this, I’ve seen some students are not happy because they didn’t win, but then we did the reflection and talk about the reason why some boats hold more things, but others cannot. And we also give students opportunities if they want to remake one. 3. What conditions exist that make it to late to learn and reach competency in your school? Can you give an example? WAB has a good mission and school philosophy and is based on the IB curriculum, which supports “never too late to learn” structure. From the administrators to regular teachers, we understand this idea and implement it into the real teaching. E.g., we have put this principle into action with the service cycles. We consistent implement with the high-quality instruction, we recognise the excellence, we also have competencies and other formative assessments set up for our students. 4. What would you do, if anything, to introduce/enhance “never too late to learn” structures in you school if you were the school leader? If I were my school leader, I would enhance “never too late to learn” structure at WAB. I can see WAB already has the foundation of the “never too late to learn” structure. I would enhance it by doing more action research about it and have teachers discuss and share it during the PD time. I would have them talk more with each other by sharing their experience and examples in using the “never too late to learn” structure in their classrooms. It’s also a good idea by inviting guest speakers and have students understand this ideas. The way to implement it is by giving students opportunities to experience and reflect. 5. What can you do in your present position to create “never too late to learn” structures into your current practice and those of your peers? Are those things in your sphere of influence? I would create “never too late to learn” structures to my classroom. Let students realise its never too late to learn anything. I would recognise their achievements by rewarding them with handwritten card or certificate. I would consistently do action research related to it’s never too late to learn and influence my colleagues so that they know it has the research support. I would also share my learning and discuss with you during the PD time so that we could have the same recognition. 6. Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school a increase learning opportunities: I will create a classroom environment of ““never too late to try and learn” in my class. I will do action research related to it’s never too late to learn I will recognise excellence by handing out students a handwritten card or certificate. I will implement consistent high-quality instruction. I will influence my colleagues the idea of “never too late to learn”. Week 41. What role does school play in building students’ agency and identity?
Schools play an important role in building students’ agency and identity. Students’ agency means they know there’s a connection between the action and the result, they will have a consequence and be responsible for the action they choose to do. As a school leader, model and make the school policy, mission and discipline is important to show students what’s the right behaviour and choice they need to make. It will influence students’ agency. Students’ identity means students’ unique personality. As a school leader, it’s important to create a school environment to protect and encourage students’ unique personalities. Everybody is different. We recognise their differences, encourage and make sure students blossom their very unique way and to the best of their potential. Education is a journey of self, not to compete with others. 2. How aware are you and your colleagues of the impact our choice of words have on developing students’ agency and identity? Can you give examples? Choice of words is very important on developing students’ agency and identity. As a school leader and teacher, it’s crucial to model other staff how to choose words carefully and considerately. At WAB, I have witnessed our teachers use appropriate words and think more about their choice of words to develop students' agency and identity. One example is I heard one teacher told her student that "you should be proud of yourself." "You have worked very hard on this project." It gave students information that you work for yourself, not to please others; it also told students that you have earned credit because you have worked hard on it, not because you are smart, or by chance. 3. What would you do, if anything, to make using choice words a more conscious and accountable school wide practice if you were the school leader? If I were a school leader, I would first make sure my choice of words are conscious and accountable. I will make sure to model my choice of words to my staff and teachers. I will also reinforce at PD and teacher’s meeting as well. 4. What could you do, if anything, to make the use of choice words a more conscious and accountable personal practice as well as one embraced by others on your site? Are those things within your sphere of influence? I will make the use of choice words a more accountable and conscious personal practice by first modeling, then PD, as well as guest speakers and reference books. I will make sure they are within my sphere of influence. 5. Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school choose words wisely? 1. I will share research based learning to my colleagues. 2. I will model the choice of words are conscious and accountable. 3. I will assist providing enough support as PDs to my staff. 4. I will encourage people to express their opinions. 5. I will hold strong professional beliefs. I will inspires teachers to accomplish things that might seem beyond their grasp. Week 3Respond to the following prompts when you create your Pillar 2 Blog Post on Do No Harm:
1. When it comes to the concept of Do No Harm, I believe its a proactive strategy that do not require students to follow certain rules, but teach students to self-assess their behaviour. Rules don’t teach behaviour, people do. Do no harm has three dimensions of taking care of self, each others and the environment. It’s a responsible trust between students and staff. We need to think about ways to open up students' learning rather than shut them down. So pure punishment will not be effective, but let students know the reason behind it, analyse why he/she has such consequence is more important. Understand the impact and repair harm. Be care of students, model them as a teacher and a leader, care about them, do high control and high support. 2 Future sphere of influence, as the school leader, how would my beliefs be reflected in discipline policies and practices? My believe of Do No Harm reflected in discipline policies and practices that discipline rules do not teach responsible and ethical behavior, people do. It should be a proactive strategy which means as a school leader, we need to pre-make some behaviour strategies such as behaviour chart, planning, and contract according to different students’ needs ahead of time. Another important thing is to teach students to self regulate and self observation. We observe ourselves and keep track of our behaviour. Also it’s important to create a trust responsible school environment so that students know they could go to teachers or staff for help once they have. Three dimensions of taking care of self, others and the environment is to have them know the basic rules of this society. do not hurt self, others and the environment. 3 Future sphere of influence, as the school leader, how would my beliefs be reflected in program practices and initiatives? As the school leader, I would reflect my belief to the teachers and students. Teachers and students would be the people who initiate and practice programs culture and norms. It’s important that they get the idea of “Do No Harm” and then they can model the idea to students. I would first model the belief to teachers as building a teachers’ common sense, and teachers believe this strategy so they could transfer to students. 4 Future sphere of influence, as the school leader, how would my beliefs be reflected in our professional development as a community of learners? As I said above, it’s important to create a “Do No Harm” learning environment with teachers. As a school leaders to model teachers what this means. Once the community of learners been created, teachers could pass the strategy to students. Also it's important to provide PD accordingly to teachers and staff about "Do No Harm”. 5 Is the concept of teaching students to “first do no harm” integrated into the culture of your school (or workplace)? Yes, this “first do no harm” is exactly what WAB is doing now. The WAB rule is to take care of self, each others and the environment. School leaders used proactive strategies to help students with the behaviour needs such as using behaviour charts, planner and contract to communicate with parents and let students be responsible of their own behaviors. Since WAB has a lot of support to its teachers and students, so hallway TLC, have learning support teacher and vice principal involve to talk to students and have students understand the routine and procedures are important. 6 How does your answer to the previous prompt sit with you? I have some of the believe in me now, but I still need more practice regarding how to implement it. Depend on the school and how as a leader to effectively model teachers and staff your belief of discipline is crucial for building the whole school environment. It’s also important how the school leader utilise the school resources and extra staff to support teachers. 7 Current sphere of influence: Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school a more positive restorative place. First promise: I am wiling to pass the idea of “Do No Harm” to teachers and students: do not hurt youself, each other and the environment. Second promise: I am wiling to consistently modelling students the right behaviour of “Do No Harm” Third promise: I am wiling to telling students the meaning of “Do No Harm”, analyse the cause of the behaviour to students. Fourth promise: I am wiling to build staff and student awareness of restorative practices philosophy and procedures. Fifth promise: I am wiling to assess the school culture by auditing the discipline records. Module 2: Building and Assessing School Culture Week 2Respond to the following prompts when you create your Pillar 1 Blog Post on Welcome
How is the challenge of making stakeholders feel welcome to your school (or place of work) connected to your school mission? At WAB, we already provided a lot of information including online teacher’s blogs, students’ blogs, parents’ workshop etc. to parents, but a lot of parents are very busy and they didn’t have time to look at all the information and then have some gap with school. I helped run some parents’ workshops, but not a lot came. As a school leader, I would think about more ways to deliver information to parents. 2. What did you do to assess which stakeholder group (or subgroup) could be more effectively welcomed? And what did you find? I assess by observation. I observed at my school, parents, students are more effectively welcomed. Sometimes, teachers are too busy and focusing their own stuff, when I pass by the hall way and say hi to them, some may not even noticed. But once they noticed, they would smile and say hi back to me. I assess my own behaviour if I have done enough to effectively welcome all stakeholders, and I found out I paid the most attention to students, then parents, and lastly my colleagues. This module helped me to reflect my own action and I will do some change about it. 3. Future Sphere of Influence: What would you do to improve welcoming this group if you were the school leader? As a school leader, to welcome our staff and teachers, I would first have some PD around this topic to create a comfortable and belonging environment to welcome all. I would also design more activities during the PD to have them talk more with each other or do some projects together. That way, we will get familiar with each other. Because we are a big school, including elementary, middle and high school in different floors and campuses. We didn’t even know other teachers’ names. So these activities are important to build connection with each other. 4. Current Sphere of Influence: What can you do in your present position to enhance welcoming these stakeholders? As a school teacher now, what i can do the most is to have all my students and parents feel welcomed in my class. I am able to create a warm and comfortable environment that students love to go to, I am able to use many ways to connect with parents and have them feel welcomed to my class. I can cooperate with my colleagues and greet all staff, students and parents I meet at school and let them feel welcomed in school. Current Sphere of Influence: Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school a more welcoming place: 1. I am willing to greet each person I see in the school including students, teachers, parents, staff, etc. 2. I am willing to involve all students and parents and have them feel welcome in my class. 3. I am willing to participate and help run some school activities 4. I am willing to cooperate with all teachers and school administrators 5. I am willing to help deliver school and class information to parents. |
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