Inquiry Question

2A - The Inquiry Question

How can I effectively differentiate my teaching of numeracy to allow for success for a wide variety of learning needs?

My inquiry question directly relates to improved learning for all of my students within my classroom by effectively differentiating the numeracy program to best meet the needs of all of my students, allowing them to access point of need learning and progress at a pace that best suits their individual learning needs.

2B - Professional Learning.

Date of Observation: 08/09./2021

Observing Teacher: Kirsten Moran

Teaching being Observed: Ashleigh Gardener (PLT Leader)

Pre-Observation Conversation:

The focus for the lesson if Maths – measurement.

Students are focussing on comparing length using a ten in the bed cut and paste activity where students would order the bears from biggest to smallest.

Two students will have fewer bears to order (differentiation)

Ashleigh will sit between a small group of students to provide additional support.
The Education Support Staff will support one student particularly focussing on engagement.

When students finish their activity they can utilise the courtyard or beanbags to have a break.

Informed Ashleigh that I will be looking for differentiation and have shown her the simple table I will be using during the observation.

Observation:

Students sat together at the front of the classroom and watched a short YouTube clip, singing along to the 'ten in the bed' song.

The cut and paste activity was introduced to all students and Ashleigh modelled how to complete the activity.

Students then moved to their tables to complete the activity with Education Support and Ashleigh placing themselves with the students requiring support.

I could hear both Ashleigh and Ruth providing constant feedback and encouragement to the students they were each working with.

The students were completing the activity when one student made it necessary to evacuate the classroom due to aggressive behaviour. Ashleigh instructed the students to leave their work on the table and exit the classroom via the courtyard. students then played in the playground with the support of Ashleigh and myself while Ruth worked with the student inside to regulate his emotions and return the classroom to its original state.

Table of observation:

Content

Some students were encouraged to sing along to the song and others were asked to listen.
All students watched as Ashleigh completed the modelled portion of the lesson then some students engaged in the activity with assistance, while others completed it independently. "I do, we do, you do."

Process

One student was able to use Ashleigh's Pre cut bears from her modelled example to complete the activity. Removing the need to cut out each teddy.
Two students sat with Ashleigh as she prompted them to complete each step.
One student sat and worked together with Ruth.

Product

Two of her students had fewer bears to cur and order.

Post-Observation Conversation:

Ashleigh is planning on revisiting this activity and thinks she might try allowing the student who's engine became 'too high' to complete the activity at a table in the courtyard. This would not only allow that student to be free from the distraction of their peers, but also allow the remainder of the class to remain focussed on their activity.

I noticed that even while evacuating the classroom Ashleigh was differentiating her instruction to fit the students needs and I let her know that this was something I was impressed with and would like to incorporate into my teaching, not only if we need to evacuate the classroom, but during transitions. (short sharp instructions to those that need it and an explanation of why the plans had changes for others).

I also noticed how well she communicated with Ruth. Ruth knew who she was working with and what the ideal outcome would be when working with the student.

How this helps my enquiry:

It helped me realise that differentiation is constant and doesn't always mean planning different activities for different students, it can also mean providing different levels of prompting, allowing students different time frames to complete a task, providing partial assistance or just working with a student to encourage engagement.

Date of professional conversation: 05/08/2021

Who I talked with: Carlea Earnst (Speech Therapist)

What we discussed:

First We downloaded NuVioce onto my laptop. As this was happening Carlea explained a little bit more about the LAMP Words for life program that Student A uses to supplement his communication.

Once NuVoice was downloaded Carlea demonstrated how to create a smart chart.

A smart chart is a list of vocabulary that you can tailor specifically to the lesson that you are teaching. I asked if we could make a smart chart for relaxation together as at the time Student A was needing support to regulate his emotions. together we came up with a short list of words that Student A might need to ask for help to relax his body including different tools that we could offer or use coactively to promote a calmer body.

Carlea also sent me a PowerPoint presentation outlining how to use NuVoice to create these smart charts with step by step instructions and annotated screenshots (Appendix 21) .

What I learnt:

How to create and use a smart chart to provide vocabulary particularly for Student A.

How this helps my inquiry:

This helps my inquiry as it allows me to differentiate my teaching specifically for one of my students to regulate his body and allow him to access the content of each lesson.

I can also generalise this new knowledge to create and incorporate smart charts into other areas of learning once Student A has become familiar with their use.

Date of professional conversation: 05/08/2021

Who I talked with: Emily Corrigan (Occupational Therapist)

What we discussed:

The use of the engine program. Specifically planning and implementation.

In Term 1 Emily would come to the classroom and facilitate the engine program on a Tuesday afternoon, I would then attempt to replicate the sessions that she had run with my students on a Thursday afternoon. This worked well for me as it gave me a sense of comfort knowing that the sessions were run correctly. Now Emily has stopped coming to facilitate these sessions as she has become busier. the school has now adopted a referral system where the therapists are no longer scheduled into the classrooms but visit those who are in most need through a triage process.

The engine program works through different stages:

1. Students recognise the language of the engine program, 'high', 'low' and 'just right', they are introduced to the speedometer and what each term means. Then students learn to recognise what the different engine speeds look like on other people/characters.

2. Students then begin to recognise what each engine speed feels like to them, they begin to explore different activities that may bring their engine speed up or down.

3. Students begin to recognise and use a range of activities to intentionally change the speed of their own engines.

The intended outcome of the program is for each student to eventually curate an individual list of strategies and activities they can use to bring their engines back to 'just right' when they are feeling too high or too low.

I discussed with Emily that I think the students in my class are working in the second stage of the program as they are very good at using the language of the engine program and can recognise the engine speeds of others quite accurately. I have now started engine program sessions by having class and individual discussions about their own engine speeds and how their body feels at each speed, before structuring time for students to engage in a range of self or coactive regulation activities.

Emily basically confirmed that I was on the right path and suggested some additional activities she thought might be useful for the students in the class.

Emily also left me with a generalised engine program planner, but advised me not to to change what I was doing as it is working for my class and they are meeting the checkpoints of the program with the activities I am providing.

What I learnt:

The theory and intended purpose behind the engine program.

Confidence in my teaching of the program.

General progression and how to support students to access the engine program to regulate their emotions.

How this helps my inquiry:

This helps me to address a need for my particular class of students.

It assists them to regulate their bodies and emotions to better access the content of each lesson across the curriculum as they can be ready to learn and understand what they can do when they don't feel ready to learn.

2C - Maintaining Child Safety and Wellbeing

Attendance:

Students are marked on the roll twice per day on a normal day where students are asked to attend onsite. If a student is marked absent the office sends out an automated text message to the parents asking them to inform the school as to the reason for absence. If a student is absent for two consecutive days without a reason given, it is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to call the family and check on the welfare of both the student and the family. If the child is absent for three consecutive days and is unable to be contacted, the classroom teacher should then inform the department leader who will attempt to make contact with the family. During remote learning this was modified to suit the mode of learning students were undertaking. The roll was marked by the office staff based on an email sent only if a student had not been present online or made any form of contact for the entire day, this meant that rolls needed to be marked only once per day. It was necessary for me to follow this procedure on multiple occasions particularly in the later stages of lockdown and during the short lockdown periods where family stress caused students to disengage from online learning.

COVID-19 precautions:

As the pandemic progresses it is the Responsibility of the classroom teacher to ensure they are up to date and following all COVID-19 regulations, this has included; Ensuring all staff are complying with mask wearing mandates that stipulate masks must be worn when not directly teaching the children, Sanitising of hands and surfaces upon entering the school and regularly throughout the day, Checking in with the QR codes provided to ensure locations are tracked and the appropriate staff/students can be contacted in the occasion of a confirmed case, mandatory reporting of a confirmed COVID-19 case, not attending onsite if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, being vigilant to ensure students are not attending school if they are unwell, providing adequate ventilation within the classroom and working outside where possible. These are all standards of practice I have had to maintain over the course of the year.

Behaviour reporting:

When a major incident occurs there are a series of steps that must be followed after the incident has been resolved to report and document the behaviours and actions of those involved. This is done to ensure the safety of all students and staff, and to track behaviour trends, notice any patterns and plan for the future prevention of similar incidents.

If a Staff member has been injured, an Edusafe report must be made and the principal must be notified.
If a student has received an injury to the head the student must receive first aid including a first aid report and the family must be notified immediately.
If a student receives an injury to any area of the body other than the head, the student will receive first aid and a first aid report made. A copy of this note will be sent to the family that afternoon.
A major incident report will be made as soon as possible after the incident if it includes any of the behaviours listed in the menu of the google form.
If a student has 3 major incident reports within a 2 week period or has a restraint and seclusion form made, then a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) must be developed for them.
If the incident happens outside a playground incident form must be completed by the staff member who witnessed it and a copy must be made and delivered to the teachers of all students involved within the session immediately after the incident.

Over the course of the year I have had to make a number of major incident reports and have reviewed the BSP for one of my students (Appendix 10). I have also had to fill out one Edusafe report for myself and assisted another staff member to fill out an Edusafe report for an injury they received while working in my classroom.

Date of Professional conversation on child safety and wellbeing: 24/08/2021.

Who I talked with: Susan Daniels (social worker)

What we discussed:

I felt it necessary to involve Susan after I was having some difficulty contacting one of the students in my class during remote learning. Initially I spoke to the department leader who then directed me to Susan.

I relayed a conversation I had recently had with the mother of one of my students, to Susan, where she confided in me that her child had spent the last week at their grandparents house as things were pretty difficult at home. She discussed how both parents and the student needed a break as stresses were high. The reason I was unable to contact them for so long was that her husband was out of work due to the pandemic and they could not afford to keep their internet connection. I offered for the student to attend onsite but the family didn't accept because they were worried that there are other people that are in worse situations that could use the spot. After assuring her that sending her child to school does not take the position away from another student I asked whether se would be comfortable with me discussing it with Susan to see if there is any other way we can support both the student and the family, to which she agreed.

Susan and I discussed some supports that could be offered to provide financial relief and emotional support for the family, and discussed the best way to offer these to the family.

The family could access a food package service to provide some financial relief, although i thought the likelihood of the family accepting this service was low we decided to offer it anyway and Susan let me know that she often frames it as a service the family can do to help out as the service often has excess.

We also discussed how and why we thought it would be beneficial for the student and the family if they attended onsite rather than remotely.

What I leant:

Through this experience I was able to gain a greater insight into one of my students and their home life. I created a stronger and more supportive relationship with the family and I became aware of some of the services available to the members of our school community.

2D - Other Professional Learning

Title: CUST (Cultural Understanding and Safety Training) training.

Date/s: 17/06/2021 and 24/06/2021

Focus:

To gain an understanding of the best practices to when teaching students with an aboriginal or torres straight islander background.

What I Learnt:

Gained an understanding of generational trauma.
Discussion about how to incorporate different Koori learning styles in my teaching.
New knowledge about the local area and the aboriginal groups that traditionally lived on the land.
Generalized trends and data relating to the aboriginal education rates and outcomes.

Title: Seesaw Set up and Use Workshop.

Date/s: 24/03/2021

Focus:

To provide support for teachers to set up and use the remote learning platform, Seesaw.

What I Learnt:

Creating student QR access codes.
Inviting families.
Activity standards and expectations.
How to find, make and assign activities.
How to adjust the application settings to ensure safe and private use.
How to invite other teachers to your class (leaders, specialists and ES Staff)

Title: TOP TEN Professional development workshop.

Date/s: 22/04/2021

Focus:

To deepen understanding of how to implement the TOP TEN program and adapt the included activities for the students in your class.

What I Learnt:

Visual understanding of a number of activities included in the program.
The theory underpinning the creation and organisation of the program.
The scope and sequence of the program.
Exploration of the resources required to teach the program.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers addressed in this section:

Standard 1.1

Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students.

Standard 1.2

Understand how students learn.

Standard 1.5

Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.

Standard 1.6

Strategies to support full participation of students with disability.

Standard 4.1

Support participation of learners.

Standard 3.2

Plan, structure and sequence learning programs.

Standard 3.5

Use effective communication (with learners).

Standard 3.7

Engage parents / carers in the educative process.

Standard 4.3

Manage challenging behaviour.

Standard 4.4

Maintain safety of learners.

Standard 6.1

Identify and plan professional learning needs.

Standard 6.2

Engage in professional learning and improve practice.

Standard 6.3

Engage with colleagues and improve practice.

Standard 7.1

Meet professional ethics and responsibilities.

Standard 7.2

Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements.

Standard 7.3

Engage with parents / carers.

Standard 2.2

Content Selection and organisation.

Standard 7.4

Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities.

Standard 2.4

Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Standard 2.5

Literacy and numeracy strategies.

Standard 4.5

Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically.

Standard 1.4

Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.