Snakes Alive!

I know it's a cliched heading but we are coming up to snake season and being in a country where 9/10 of the most venomous snakes live, it is a relevant topic. I will be mindful of the faint-hearted and/or those who have ophidiophobia and not include a picture of a snake on this post. Personally, I am not a fan of snakes and earlier this year when I was out riding my bike along the river trail, I did let out a little 'yelp' and swerve to miss a snake crossing the path. I then checked my back tyre to make sure it hadn't got caught up in the spokes. Not long ago, a couple of the students at the school I am teaching at, spotted a snake on the back oval heading towards the railway line.

My first experience of a snake with students was when we were out walking in the bush on a school excursion. It was only a baby brown snake but we took precautions and gave it a wide berth with one adult keeping an eye on it and directing the students to go around it and the other adult ensuring the students did not go close to it to check out its markings and/or to try and play with it. Some of those kids were bush kids and would have liked to have got up close and personal. I still have the photo of that snake.

We have had guest appearances from reptile keepers who come to schools and allow kids (and staff) to handle the less-venomous ones and see the reptiles up close and personal. I remember one teacher who had a very strong phobia of snakes, allowing a snake to be put on her shoulders. She was very brave! These sessions are usually done well and students enjoy their visits. They are given lots of information about the reptiles and also told what to do if you encounter one in the bush and/or if one encounters you or a person you are with. First aid is very important. 

When we went to the zoo recently as part of our camp, the students enjoyed going into the reptile section. It was a dark place (literally) with minimal lighting to guide people's footsteps around from window to window. The students would ask me to "come and look at this one!" or "Look at that one under the branch!" and I 'oohed' and 'aahed' at appropriate times maintaining my resolve not to show fear.

At one school I was at, I was outside of the classroom dealing with a boy who was having a melt-down when suddenly he pointed at a snake that was slithering off into the rocky, garden area. I ushered him inside and called the office to let them know what we had seen. The boy's melt down was forgotten and the diamond python snake (or was it a tiger snake) he had seen got longer and longer each time the story was recounted to the other students. The students ran to the window when the snake catcher came and watched it being caught and bagged up. It was a very exciting event.

So, as we slide towards summer and spot snakes slithering their slender bodies, be still and stealthily slip away from the vicinity in which they are sighted.

Attend a Professional Day Face-to-Face

 The other day I attended a PD (Professional Day) in the city. It has been a few years since I've been able to attend one and I was pretty excited about going. I was not disappointed. 

I arrived the night before, and felt like a country bumpkin as people in black, holding on to briefcase/laptop bags jostled around me. I manoeuvred my overnight case around them, my backpack secure behind me and took in my surroundings. Sirens sounded, trams rang their bells and cars beeped each other.

The following morning I got up early and went for a walk, joining the coffee crew at the bagel place where the regulars were known by their names. When I found the place where the PD was being held, I entered the lift that another person had entered and when the doors closed, I looked for the button to press to find my floor. I finally got the attention of the man and he deigned to remove his ear buds and explained to me that one needed to press the button when they were in the plaza. As the doors opened on his floor, he pointed out the touch screen, sent me back down to the plaza and I followed his instructions.

I joined another teacher at the table and we immediately clicked. Along came Julie and the three of us chatted like we'd been friends for a long time and we discovered we had mutual friends. There were about 50 teachers at the conference and we were there to learn about professional standards for teachers and particularly how to mentor and encourage provisional teachers aiming for full registration. It was a good day that was interactive and productive. 

We three teachers of different locations worked well as a team, we laughed, we shared and we listened. We encouraged each other and by the time we left, I felt valued for my experience and knowledge and I am sure the other two did too. We swapped email addresses and I also included Alison who was sitting to my right, as she had engaged us in conversation and had also reflected mutual values and understandings.

PDs are really important to be involved in and not just because we have to do a certain amount of hours of PD a year. When Covid lockdowns were in place, we got used to zooming for conferences and working on our own. We got so used to it that we forgot how refreshing it is to work with people face to face. Bouncing ideas, experience, knowledge etc around the table is so much better without glitches and screens freezing. Julie shared that she had almost decided not to attend as there was so much work to be done at school. She was so thankful that she had come after all and got to meet us.

I encourage you to take the opportunity to attend PDs face-to-face.  Yes there is a cost to it, but it is worth it.

Teaching In Weather Extremes

In my first years of teaching, I was in a rural town where, although it got cold, it didn't snow... until it did. It was a cold morning and I peered outside the window and saw the covering of white down the driveway and up the mountain. It was so pretty! I grabbed my coat, gloves, boots, beanie, scarf etc and drove to work. The teachers met in the staffroom for the morning debrief and as we headed to our classrooms, we ducked snowballs and resisted the temptations to throw snow back. 

As the students lined up to go in class, I hastily made up a few rules:

"No snow in the classroom"

"Don't throw snow at someone younger than you" etc

One child asked, "So what about the big kids? Are we allowed to throw snow at them?" I looked at the child and mischievously smiled, "Sure. But if you do, they'll throw one back at you." I might have added, "Don't come crying to me when they throw one back at you" but that was so long ago and sounds quite insensitive now. Perhaps.

The snow had mostly melted by recess time and all that was left was slush. Later that night, my brother, his wife and their young son came to visit so they could play in the snow. When they stood under the clothesline, I could not resist the urge to shake the clothesline and watch snow fall on them. My nephew was not sure what to make of snow. 

Twenty or so years later, I was teaching in the US and during winter, snow was not such a novelty. I had to drive carefully to work, avoid black ice and if a driver slid off the road, they could be fined for reckless driving. If the snow was particularly bad, it was a 'snow day' and school was closed but otherwise, we put our coats and gloves on to do duty where students played in the yard.

Towards the end of winter, when Spring had allegedly begun according to the date, one of my colleagues wore flip-flops to school. We were standing out in the yard, in the snow and I asked why she was wearing them. She giggled and said she was being hopeful. "It's Spring so it's time for the warmer weather. I'm being optimistic!" she declared.

At the opposite end of the cold, was when I lived in North Queensland. The air conditioner was on almost every day of the year, hats were compulsory all year round and the students kept their lunches in the classroom fridges so that it wouldn't go off. They brought frozen drinks to school in the morning which melted by lunchtime.

I feel very privileged to have taught in different places, with different climates and different lifestyles. Sometimes I had to improvise and put in place unexpected rules/codes of behaviour and sometimes it was fun to spontaneously enjoy an activity that made the most of the unusual weather. As a teacher you get to make choices that may enhance your students' learning and provide them with unique learning experiences. Embrace those moments!

When Teaching Breaks Your Heart

** Before I begin this post, I want to assure you that if I mention any child's attributes or 'situations' in any of my posts, the names, places and details that would identify them, have been deliberately changed. 

Over the years, I have come across students who are broken. Broken in many different ways for a variety of different hurts that have been thrown at them, that they have no control over. For young children do not have control over what life circumstances and adults thrust upon them.

When I was completing my Masters of Education, the subject I found most intense and challenging was Child Abuse and Neglect. True cases were presented and we analysed, evaluated and discussed what we would do if that child presented in our classroom. Each case broke my heart and I wondered what I would do. I also compared their stories to the stories that I knew had entered into my classrooms and evaluated, with the benefit of hindsight, whether or not I had handled it well. 

When I was first teaching, I was young, idealistic and naive, passionate and ready to take on any class. The plethora of information that we have now, thanks to technology and research, was not as readily available those many years ago. Looking back, I made mistakes but I also did some things right and of course there are things I would change if I could go back in time and do it over again now that I know what I know now.

There are children who will grow up and we will never know what became of them or even what happened between the years we taught them and the adult they've become. One bright and intelligent child I taught got in touch with me through Facebook and the words that spewed out of his keyboard shocked me even though they were not directed at me. His perception of life and reality made me wonder what had happened in the intervening years.

So, when you should be sleeping at night but instead you're planning tomorrow's lessons and making adjustments for the students who need it and tossing around theories and solutions for the child in the middle of the classroom who has not been herself lately, keep in mind that you do make a difference. It might be something you said, it might be that you listened or even that you helped her understand fractions "finally". It might be that you gave him a safe place to learn and encouraged him to do his best. 

Don't lose heart. When your heart breaks for the child who is broken and who you can't seem to reach, don't give up. 

When your heart breaks because a word from a friend or a parent, has broken their heart and you can't put their heart back together again, keep on loving them.

You only have this day, this student, this class for this moment. Give them the safe, engaging, learning environment that only you can provide and do your best. For the child who worries you, research and get support so he/she can be looked after. At the end of the day, when they leave your classroom, you will need to let them go.

Teaching breaks your heart but as another cliché says, it also fills your heart. It is a privilege being a teacher but it is also hard work. Don't be hard on yourself when you feel you've messed up or when you haven't been able to help a student as much as you wanted to, despite giving it your best. If you are questioning your teaching ability, seek out someone you trust in leadership and ask them for an objective opinion. Surround yourself with colleagues who will challenge, encourage and keep you accountable and who will speak the truth with love and grace with you.

Teaching is a work of heart. 

The 5 Senses

I am teaching poetry to my Year 5/6 class and it is a unit I love teaching. This term my focus is going to be not only on composing but also on evaluating and critiquing poetry. What makes a poem good? What structure and vocabulary does the writer use to convey emotions and to paint pictures in the reader's mind? Often the first type of poem I like to use is the "Sensory Poem" which the author has to say what he/she sees, hears, tastes, can touch and can smell. I have seen children who have never written poetry before begin with a sensory poem and then start producing high quality poems.

I love words and being descriptive when I write. I want to engage my reader and make them feel that they are there too. When I write these blog posts, I want the reader feel like they are sitting in the same room with me, perhaps having a cuppa (I'll stick to my diet coke, thanks) and that there is a companionable atmosphere. We get so caught up in rushing from here to the next place, being constantly on the move, that we often forget to stop, to be, to ponder and reflect and to breathe in the fresh air. 

Recently I heard a pastor say, "God made human beings, not human do-ings." 

So many verses in the Bible encourage us to take time out, to be still, to rest. As teachers we work at school, then we often bring our work home. We might not get the computer out, we might not look like we are physically working but our minds are ticking over. I could write a thousand possibilities of what you might be thinking right now and I'm pretty sure you'd relate to them, if not now, then maybe at other times; such as when you're trying to sleep, when you're spending time with the family, watching TV, doing shopping...

This afternoon I went to my friend's place where I keep my horse. I grabbed the halter, opened the gate and Shorty came towards me. I reached up to pat him and put his halter on and he walked alongside me to the post where I tied him to give him a good brush. He was so dirty! Shorty likes to roll around after every ride, every groom and just for fun, when he's not eating. As I brushed him, I spoke with him about my day, told him he was a good boy and combed out his mane. I saddled him up and went to the round yard and rode him around, turning him to the left, the right, going straight ahead, in circles, and did a figure of eight a couple times. He listened and responded to my touch, going in the direction that I asked. I found it relaxing.

When we (teachers) have had a full day, week, &/or month etc, we need to take moments to engage our senses, refresh our minds and souls and just "be". We need to find time away from the classroom and the thoughts that take us back into the classroom out of hours. 

Grab a piece of paper and write these words into boxes: See, Hear, Smell, Taste, Touch. 

Fill the boxes in - either for what you are sensing now, or choose a vivid memory. I choose this afternoon, although I also like to do this when I'm at the beach.

See - horses grazing in the paddock, 2 green parrots in the tree and 3 cockatoos flying overhead. 

Hear - Dogs barking, a pony neighing and the padding of horses' hooves on the ground.

Smell - fresh air, horses

Taste - diet coke

Touch - the mane, tail and hair of Shorty and I feel his breath as he comes in close

And now I am content, my classroom is a day away and I'm ready to sleep.

On a Short Break

 It's mid October already and I haven't posted since the end of September. I'm just taking a break while getting back into the swing of the last term and all that it holds. I aim to be posting again from the 20th of this month. Thanks for your understanding.

Spontaneous Learning Outside

 Well, it's almost the end of Term 3 holidays and on Sunday, daylight savings begins in Victoria, which means an hour less of sleep, not just for the teachers but also for the students. It's a common complaint that some need a holiday to get over their holidays and we all know that Term 4 is going to be busy with report writing, end of year functions and wrapping up a year of work and hoping our students are ready for next year. I love daylight savings; the longer days when you can come home after a long day of work and go for a ride or a walk while it's still light.

These holidays, apart from trying to get fitter again, I've also spent time preparing for the new term, looking at the curriculum I need to implement, sorting out resources and working out how I am going to teach in an engaging way. Having been a teacher for many years, I've learnt a few different strategies to inform, instruct and teach my students and having an interest in technology has also helped. The way we teach has changed, grown, evolved, and adapted. The content/curriculum has also travelled along a similar pathway. 

If I was an artist (and my students will tell you I am not - although there are a few loyal ones who claim that my stick drawings are accurate) I would get a whole lot of different coloured pencils and draw lines and circles, some squiggles and a few arrows to show the progression of pedagogy and curriculum. It would be connected, there would be direction but there would also be diversions into a seemingly different path, while still coming back to the path then off on another tangent.

What I miss most about teaching these days is the spontaneous and somewhat incidental learning that we didn't plan for, yet was so effective when we taught years ago. It built positive teacher-student relationships, it encouraged creativity, learning happened outside of the classroom, and it gave students the opportunity to problem solve in real-life situations.

One sunny day in my 2nd or 3rd year of teaching, I took my class outside to sit under the tree while I read to them. Midway through the chapter, a jumping jack ant stung me which put an end to me sitting on the ground. The students were full of stories of when they'd been stung and how to deal with it.

Another day, another class, we had been reading "The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek" and decided to go looking for a bunyip. We were in a rural area so plenty of trees and acres to follow. At one stage a child claimed to see a bunyip. "Look!" he exclaimed, "There's the tail and the body near the log." I looked in the direction he pointed but I could not even imagine what he was seeing.

When a new portable was delivered to our growing school, we took the students out of the class to watch it happen. That was pretty exciting!

Those spontaneous days of learning aren't as easy to initiate these days. As I was looking at the curriculum this week, I wondered how I was going to fit it all in to the timetable. A few years ago I took my class outside to measure the oval, the fence and other distances and when we got back to the classroom, admin took me aside and said that she had needed to find me and I should have been in my classroom as the timetable had said. She also reminded me that I needed to take my mobile phone with me so I could be contacted. (I had, but it was on silent.)

During the first year of Covid, we were encouraged to take classes outside and do our learning out there. It saddened me that in music lessons, students were not allowed to blow their instruments and we weren't allowed to sing without wearing a mask.

There are drawbacks to trying to run classes outside - distractions from students running around, birds singing, insects crawling about.... Young boys taking the wings of a fly and calling it a 'run', students looking up at the sky and turning the shapes of clouds into animals. But, when you weigh up the pros and cons of spontaneous learning against formal learning, do the students really lose that much? In fact, I believe students would discover things that aren't covered in textbooks and they might also develop a love for learning that would grow with them.

Learning doesn't only happen in the classroom.