Question Teaching, Practice Learning
( A daunted but determined teacher irons out the creases of her brain)
Playing with Shadows: Afrikaburn 2019
After a 4 year hiatus from Afrikaburn, I was excited to participate in the 2019 festival with a group of very special people. The theme this year was 'Ephermeroplis' and we decided to register an artwork to put on the Playa. The idea germinated on a trip to Manguzi last year, and over a few months one artwork morphed into two: Friends of ours had already built a beautiful geodesic dome known in Tankwa as 'The Living Room', which we planned to borrow and assemble. And then, since we were talking about ephemerality... the play of light and dark... a shadow puppet theatre appeared in my mind. Out on the playa, sitting in the round, cozy Living Room, the theatre was quickly nicknamed 'The Living Room TV'.
Fostering Socio-Emotional Development at the 2019 Educanda Summit
In April I attended a summit about 'Fostering Social and Emotional wellbeing in young children'. Hosted by the training organisation Educanda (more on them later!) in collaboration with Heart Matters Academy the summit balanced neuro-developmental theory with practical examples for teachers to use in their classroom. Read about the summit here.
Small Worlds, big idea: A visit to Small Worlds playgroup
First Published 24 November 2018
From when I first learnt about the Reggio Emilia approach during my teacher training, I have been intrigued by what a ‘Reggio-inspired’ school in South Africa might look like. A few weeks ago, on a visit to Johannesburg, I was lucky enough to visit the very special ‘Small World Play Group’, a Reggio-inspired preschool for children from ages 2 – 6 (or Grade R). Read about my visit here.
From when I first learnt about the Reggio Emilia approach during my teacher training, I have been intrigued by what a ‘Reggio-inspired’ school in South Africa might look like. A few weeks ago, on a visit to Johannesburg, I was lucky enough to visit the very special ‘Small World Play Group’, a Reggio-inspired preschool for children from ages 2 – 6 (or Grade R). Read about my visit here.
Outdoor Classroom Day
First Published 11 November 2018
Outdoor Classroom Day cropped up in my Facebook feed last year and I excitedly asked our school principal to sign our school up to participate. The premise sounded awesome - spend a whole school day outside, then document and share your experience to promote the importance of outdoor play and outdoor encounters for children. Here are the ins and outs as we experienced them...
Outdoor Classroom Day cropped up in my Facebook feed last year and I excitedly asked our school principal to sign our school up to participate. The premise sounded awesome - spend a whole school day outside, then document and share your experience to promote the importance of outdoor play and outdoor encounters for children. Here are the ins and outs as we experienced them...
A Teacher Who Doesn't Trust Schools
First Published 1 November 2018
Earlier in October I attended a conference about self-directed learning and unschooling, hosted by an unschooling community organisation called ‘Growing Minds’. I didn’t know that such a community existed in South Africa until about 6 months ago, when I first saw the conference announcement on Facebook. I had read somewhere that Elon Musk was unschooling his children and hadn’t given the idea much further thought except to label it ‘probably elitist’. Read More.
Earlier in October I attended a conference about self-directed learning and unschooling, hosted by an unschooling community organisation called ‘Growing Minds’. I didn’t know that such a community existed in South Africa until about 6 months ago, when I first saw the conference announcement on Facebook. I had read somewhere that Elon Musk was unschooling his children and hadn’t given the idea much further thought except to label it ‘probably elitist’. Read More.
Author Snapshot: Vivan Gussin Paley
16 October 2018
Ever since I decided to to write a few posts on ‘teacher’s who write’ I have been thinking about Vivian Gussin Paley. Since the 1970s she’s written numerous books reflecting on her teaching experience and her views on learning. Written in a story-telling style, her books don’t read like an advice or strategy book, like so many teaching books do. They are personal meditations, making no assumptions as to how her experience might compare – or be superior – to others. She says, ‘I saw this, I noticed this’ And maybe next time you observe your own class, you’ll see it too and find that she was right. Read more about Vivian Gussin Paley's work.
Ever since I decided to to write a few posts on ‘teacher’s who write’ I have been thinking about Vivian Gussin Paley. Since the 1970s she’s written numerous books reflecting on her teaching experience and her views on learning. Written in a story-telling style, her books don’t read like an advice or strategy book, like so many teaching books do. They are personal meditations, making no assumptions as to how her experience might compare – or be superior – to others. She says, ‘I saw this, I noticed this’ And maybe next time you observe your own class, you’ll see it too and find that she was right. Read more about Vivian Gussin Paley's work.
Drawing Confidence from Drawing
First Published 14 October 2018
I learnt this approach to observational line-and-form drawing from our PGCE art teacher. My inner art-snob initially bristled at the idea of just 'copying' other drawings instead of drawing 'from life' but I'm now a firm convert. Drawing has a central role in the Foundation Phase with the biggest emphasis placed on imaginative drawing. Children are expected to draw themselves, their friends, families, homes and holidays, animals and adventures - all predominantly from their heads. Read more.
I learnt this approach to observational line-and-form drawing from our PGCE art teacher. My inner art-snob initially bristled at the idea of just 'copying' other drawings instead of drawing 'from life' but I'm now a firm convert. Drawing has a central role in the Foundation Phase with the biggest emphasis placed on imaginative drawing. Children are expected to draw themselves, their friends, families, homes and holidays, animals and adventures - all predominantly from their heads. Read more.
First Day Back
First Published 9 October 2018
It goes without saying that BEING WITH my class is the main part of my teaching life but being APART from them is a big part too. Not only do I spend time after school every day doing student-focused work, like planning and evaluation, but I also think about my students and about teaching further into every evening. Read more about getting into the back to school groove!
It goes without saying that BEING WITH my class is the main part of my teaching life but being APART from them is a big part too. Not only do I spend time after school every day doing student-focused work, like planning and evaluation, but I also think about my students and about teaching further into every evening. Read more about getting into the back to school groove!
Author Snapshot: Cult of Pedagogy (an awesome blog!)
First Published 8 October 2018
I am starting this little foray into ‘teacher writers’ with a teaching blog called ‘Cult of Pedagogy’. The awesome blog was started by a teacher and teacher trainer called Jennifer Gonzalez. She wanted to ‘talk inspired teaching’ with an engaged community – something that had been lacking in her school staffroom – and blogging became her vehicle and platform to do this. Read my author snapshot here!
I am starting this little foray into ‘teacher writers’ with a teaching blog called ‘Cult of Pedagogy’. The awesome blog was started by a teacher and teacher trainer called Jennifer Gonzalez. She wanted to ‘talk inspired teaching’ with an engaged community – something that had been lacking in her school staffroom – and blogging became her vehicle and platform to do this. Read my author snapshot here!
On Teacher Self-esteem and Embodied Learning
First Published 4 October 2018
One of my aims for this website is to reflect on my teaching practice in relation to ideas and approaches I read about. Through this reflection I hope to discover insights into my own practice, and how to adapt and improve it. What excites me is that since I have been writing on Encounteract, I can already feel a difference in how I approach my everyday teaching. Read more about reflective teaching practice here.
One of my aims for this website is to reflect on my teaching practice in relation to ideas and approaches I read about. Through this reflection I hope to discover insights into my own practice, and how to adapt and improve it. What excites me is that since I have been writing on Encounteract, I can already feel a difference in how I approach my everyday teaching. Read more about reflective teaching practice here.
Seven Small Stories: Making Holiday Zines!
First Published 29 September 2018
So this week was the last week of term and now we're on a 10 day break before diving into the 4th and final term. I wanted to think of a fun way to keep my students writing in the holidays. I can't rely on them having access to writing material at home and I also believe strongly that when children have been involved in the process of making their own resources, they simply LOVE and engage with them more actively. Enter ZINES! Read more about making our holiday zines here.
So this week was the last week of term and now we're on a 10 day break before diving into the 4th and final term. I wanted to think of a fun way to keep my students writing in the holidays. I can't rely on them having access to writing material at home and I also believe strongly that when children have been involved in the process of making their own resources, they simply LOVE and engage with them more actively. Enter ZINES! Read more about making our holiday zines here.
Exploring Line and Form in 3D
First Published 29 September 2018
This activity rocks for so many reasons. I especially love it because it shows the versatility of paper and its potential for making 3-dimensional creations. I love how practically and expressively it allows children to explore line and form, the flat but pliable paper strips bent and twisted into extra-ordinary shapes and arranged in energetic compositions. It is accessible, inexpensive and most of all really, really fun.
Read more about our 3D paper exploration here.
This activity rocks for so many reasons. I especially love it because it shows the versatility of paper and its potential for making 3-dimensional creations. I love how practically and expressively it allows children to explore line and form, the flat but pliable paper strips bent and twisted into extra-ordinary shapes and arranged in energetic compositions. It is accessible, inexpensive and most of all really, really fun.
Read more about our 3D paper exploration here.
Hamster Wheel Talk
First Published 28 September 2018
One of the classroom management mysteries that I'm still grappling with like a ghost behind a tangled sheet is *what to do about general chatter* in class. My thought process on this topic always runs on a kind of loop: Read about breaking a bad talk cycle here.
One of the classroom management mysteries that I'm still grappling with like a ghost behind a tangled sheet is *what to do about general chatter* in class. My thought process on this topic always runs on a kind of loop: Read about breaking a bad talk cycle here.
Talking Two Languages: Bilingual Learning Approaches
First Published 28 September 2018
Recently one of my students initiated telling her news in isiZulu first and then translating it to English. This variation was very well received and bilingual news has become something of a trend. Not everyone is doing it, but more and more children are trying it out.
In our classroom ‘Telling News’ or ‘Show and Tell’ is a daily staple, an essential opportunity for children to practice spoken language skills and share their stories. Read about our bilingual news strategy here.
Recently one of my students initiated telling her news in isiZulu first and then translating it to English. This variation was very well received and bilingual news has become something of a trend. Not everyone is doing it, but more and more children are trying it out.
In our classroom ‘Telling News’ or ‘Show and Tell’ is a daily staple, an essential opportunity for children to practice spoken language skills and share their stories. Read about our bilingual news strategy here.
Sharing Classroom Talk - How to do Justice to Children's Voices
First Published 16 September 2018
"All right boys and girls I need someone to come up and help us solve this problem. I'm going to choose someone who's sitting very nicely..."
(This is a time-honoured teacher ruse, met with bolt upright backs and gleaming hopeful eyes.)
Ah, shoot. They all took the bait. Read more about taking turns at talking here.
"All right boys and girls I need someone to come up and help us solve this problem. I'm going to choose someone who's sitting very nicely..."
(This is a time-honoured teacher ruse, met with bolt upright backs and gleaming hopeful eyes.)
Ah, shoot. They all took the bait. Read more about taking turns at talking here.
Gaping Fish: When I don't know what to say to my class.
First Published 15 September 2018
Earlier this week my wonderful teaching assistant left school by 9:30 to take her sick baby to the clinic. In spite of being the actual teacher, my heart sank at the idea of managing the kids by myself.
The day went from bad to worse. I stood in front of the buzzing room of little bodies gaping like a fish, trying to work out how to address the children without simply screaming my head off. Every utterance was swallowed by the din. More than once I seriously wished that I could walk out the room and hide somewhere. Read more.
Earlier this week my wonderful teaching assistant left school by 9:30 to take her sick baby to the clinic. In spite of being the actual teacher, my heart sank at the idea of managing the kids by myself.
The day went from bad to worse. I stood in front of the buzzing room of little bodies gaping like a fish, trying to work out how to address the children without simply screaming my head off. Every utterance was swallowed by the din. More than once I seriously wished that I could walk out the room and hide somewhere. Read more.
What Teaching and Cake Fails have in common.
First published 14 September 2019
I was chatting to a colleague the other day who started teaching around the same time as me. Relative newbies. We spoke about the predictable end-of-termitis which infects learning institutions wholesale in the final weeks of term. We reminisced like veterans about our earliest days of teaching. Faking confidence. Failing. Crying in the storeroom. Crying in front of the children. In the first term. THE FIRST TERM! Read more about trying and failing in the classroom.
I was chatting to a colleague the other day who started teaching around the same time as me. Relative newbies. We spoke about the predictable end-of-termitis which infects learning institutions wholesale in the final weeks of term. We reminisced like veterans about our earliest days of teaching. Faking confidence. Failing. Crying in the storeroom. Crying in front of the children. In the first term. THE FIRST TERM! Read more about trying and failing in the classroom.
Shifting the balance of Teacher and Learner Talk in the Classroom
First Published 12 September 2018
Welcome to ‘The SQ’ where I talk about the state of education from multiple angles. Here I compare mainstream, reform and radical approaches in education and also consider contextual socio-political factors that impact learning environments, both locally and globally. This week I’m talking TALK IN THE CLASSROOM! Read more about increasing student talk in the classroom.
Welcome to ‘The SQ’ where I talk about the state of education from multiple angles. Here I compare mainstream, reform and radical approaches in education and also consider contextual socio-political factors that impact learning environments, both locally and globally. This week I’m talking TALK IN THE CLASSROOM! Read more about increasing student talk in the classroom.
The Teacher Inside: Internal Dialogue and How to Deal with it!
First Published 10 September 2018
You know a topic is picking up heat in academia when it is given an acronym. Nobody got time to say the whole damn moniker each and every time it comes up! TTT and STT stand for Teacher Talk Time and Student Talk Time respectively. Research into how they each occupy the classroom is a big topic in educational research. Read about teacher talk time and student talk time here.
You know a topic is picking up heat in academia when it is given an acronym. Nobody got time to say the whole damn moniker each and every time it comes up! TTT and STT stand for Teacher Talk Time and Student Talk Time respectively. Research into how they each occupy the classroom is a big topic in educational research. Read about teacher talk time and student talk time here.
Talk in the Classroom - What is TTT and STT?
First Published 11 September 2018
The internal dialogue that goes on in my head during my standard teaching day runs a few parallel conversations at once. The first is like a radio sports commentator. It rattles off the happenings, the plans, the moment to moment. It tries to keep track, it’s trying to be everywhere at once. It’s all going so fast, I’m definitely behind. No I’m just in front in the wrong direction. Aaaaarh! Read more about managing critical inner dialogue here.
The internal dialogue that goes on in my head during my standard teaching day runs a few parallel conversations at once. The first is like a radio sports commentator. It rattles off the happenings, the plans, the moment to moment. It tries to keep track, it’s trying to be everywhere at once. It’s all going so fast, I’m definitely behind. No I’m just in front in the wrong direction. Aaaaarh! Read more about managing critical inner dialogue here.
Turning the Talk
First Published 9 September 2018
This week I'm talking TALK. From the fraught to the outrageous I will dissect the talking points that make my classroom the kind of space it is. Read more about talk in my classroom. |
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