Teacher Only Day

I should be marking (sigh! The lament of teachers everywhere!) but I have been inspired to blog right now.  I have 20 minutes until morning tea, and it's free food, so time restrictions are real.

We started this gift of a day with a session on the Registered Teacher Criteria.  A question was asked 'who knows what the 12 criteria are?'  The girly-swot in me was inwardly cursing - 'damn it!' The poster is in my classroom, too, but with all that marking (sigh!) and teaching (yay!) stopping and meditating on the finer points that make up this document has not been the activity de rigeur.  Never mind!  Here I am now. A SHORT discussion and reflection follows (as my students like to say, and I celebrate because of the ever-evolving nature of language: because - free food!).

My little work corner. Poster top right.

These make sense to me.  Beyond the (necessary? Sigh.) rhetoric, the essence seems sound.
Here is my (15 minute: because - free food!) translation and reflection:

1.  Get on with your colleagues, for the sake of your students.  I know, it can be hard! But you are a professional.  Act professionally.  Find that thing in common (the students!!) and work it.

2.  Show that you care about your students. Humour! Time! Energy! Be open and available (I don't just mean time - we all need down time away from the job etc.  I mean in the class.  Interacting with students.  Be open.  Don't be a barrier to their learning.

3.  Acknowledge that Maori/tangata whenua are equal partners in the make-up of this fine country. SHOW it! Can you include texts from Maori authors? What about visual stuff in your classroom?  Can you visit Matua's class and see what he does?  All it takes is a bit of commitment to this one.

4.  Keep up with the programme, yo! Go to that conference.  Find something about the job, the subject, the profession that you love and believe in (or are curious and interested in).  In my case, if you expect your students to write (for example), write yourself! (That's why I'm committed to posting my book reviews here.  That's why I (HAVE SUCH FUN!) joining in with the writing and reading exercises (I sound like Pollyanna - let me assure you, I'm not.) Your students will be better for it.

5.  Don't just follow - be a leader! Ask provocative questions! Help all minds whir! We all have different perspectives and different things to offer.  Start to have a voice.

6.  Don't just turn up and expect good things to happen - plan. Plan well.  Plan in response to those gorgeous students (and the not-so-gorgeous ones - do they exist? Never!)

7.  Be respectful, motivated and inclusive, and expect the same back. 'Nuff said.

8.  Use that useful stuff from teachers' college and professional learning to help those students learn as best they can.  What works for THIS student in THIS class? (Yes, class sizes.  Yes, time time time and where is it?! Yes, how can anyone do all of this in this job.  But try).

9.  New Zealand is not monocultural - respect and CELEBRATE all cultures in your class. Even better, use it for planning - see #6.

10. Te Reo is beautiful, relevant, necessary.  Use it.  Expect good things from Maori students.

11. Use DATA. Marking (sigh.)  I sigh because of sheer volume, but get the biggest kicks from feedback and forward that makes sense to a student.  That EUREKA moment.  Very satisfying.

12. Read. Talk. Try to understand other points of views.  Look at what you believe in and ask WHY.  Isn't that what we are always asking our students to do, after all? 

So that's a gut response to the document.  For what it's worth.

(Gift of a day = CATCH UP! PLANNING! MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS BEYOND 5 FLEETING MINUTES IN THE STAFFROOM!)