RPI Day 5 Homework

This blog post is a reflection on the homework tasks assigned during the Manaiakalani Reading Practice Intensive. Day 5 focused on planning a reading programme, and challenged us to adjust our timetables, implement engaging lessons, and seek feedback from our mentors. In this blog post, I will share my homework, the changes I made to my timetable and independent activities, the exciting 'Great Beginnings' lesson I observed and carried out, and the valuable feedback I received.

Adjusting My Timetable and Independent Activities:

One of the key tasks was to review our timetables and make necessary adjustments.  I discussed with my mentor ways I could better incorporate : read alouds, vocabulary work, and more purposeful follow up activities.  I now make sure to read aloud in every guided session even if it is just a page or two.  Something that has been working well that we have started doing, is using a smaller whiteboard to write down the key vocabulary that is in the group's text and guided reading doc.  When we come across the vocabulary in the text, the students need to tick the word.  This has helped them to make meaningful connections and I have seen the use of this vocabulary in other work.  In regards to follow up tasks, we were told to focus on high expectation independent activities.   I discussed with my mentor that I felt I had a habit of designing my follow up tasks almost "too specific" to the text, so I was unable to reuse them.   After reflecting on this, I created templates that I am able to use across any curriculum, and for any text.  This has helped the flow of lessons and class learning time.

Implementing a 'Great Beginnings' Lesson:

As part of the homework, I had the opportunity to observe Robyn conduct a 'Great Beginnings' lesson with one of my reading groups. My observation notes of this lesson are linked here. Robyn delivered a captivating lesson centred around exploring mood and atmosphere.  After observing Robyn teach this lesson, I then recorded myself carrying it out.  To scaffold their writing process, I provided a writing frame that guided their exploration of captivating opening lines. The lesson not only stimulated their creativity but also sharpened their awareness of the power of great beginnings in storytelling.  Here is a link to the lesson we worked through.  Here is a link to one of the student's published work (shared with permission.)

Seeking Feedback from my Mentor:

One thing I have learnt this year is that feedback plays a crucial role in our growth. To gain insights and improve my practice, I find conversations with my mentor to be very helpful. We discussed the changes I made to my timetable and independent activities, the 'Great Beginnings' lesson, and the overall impact on student learning. My mentor highlighted areas of strength and offering suggestions for further improvement. This process helps me to better support my students' progress.

Looking Ahead and Embracing Consistency:

As I reflect on my journey during the Manaiakalani RPI so far, I have realised that some changes are best implemented gradually. I reflected on how I feel like I have made many changes almost every second week to my reading programme.  The reason for this can be linked to my first year of teaching where I am trying to find my feet, aswell as being exposed to so many amazing resources that I want to make use of.   In considering the well-being and progress of my students, I have decided to maintain consistency in my teaching approach for the remainder of the term.