Blogging Task #3

We all need to take care of ourselves! I can’t think of any issue on a personal level more important than our own mental well-being. For too many it’s something that we come to realise mostly when it’s way too late, when our mental health has taken a hit and we are left with the stressful and debilitating consequences. The problem is that we tend to take good mental health for granted, a bit like a well running car; why tinker with it if it’s all fine? However, to keep running smoothly we need to maintain ourselves, especially during the good times, or one day we may just find ourselves in a big mess.

One way of staying mentally healthy is to make sure we give ourselves time for something we enjoy. My stunning little MG F isn’t only my car, it’s my hobby, my interest and a thing that I thoroughly enjoy. I suppose part of it may lie with the fact I used to be a car body repairer, dismantling smashed vehicles and fixing them up like brand new. I’ve still maintained a great interest in cars and I’m always looking to tinker with my MG and improve it (although it does drain my bank account a little). Doing this ensures I make time just for me, to do something I like and that takes my mind off the pressures of everyday life. This new blogging task is to take a photo of your pastime or hobby and post it as a new header with an explanation of what it means to you. How does your hobby make you feel? Does it give you space and time alone? How long have you been doing it? If you don’t have a hobby, how do you find time for yourself to relax?

Deep Breaths

Sometime you’ve just got to “stop and smell the roses”. An old quote, but one we can all benefit from. Year six can be a real slog, we have so much work to get through and sometimes we have to simply push on and “grin and bear it” (another one). So, for a few minutes a couple of weeks ago, we took the old quote at its word and set off, iPads ready, and followed our noses. All creadit to our gardner, Kevin, we had plenty of opportunities to grab some very cool photos, four of which I’ve added below. It may be a saying, one you’re possibly familiar with, but the message is nonetheless a serious one. The demands on our time and the pressures in our lives can sometimes sneak up on us, and when they do it can often be too late. I know just as much as anyone else, that the need to breathe, to stop for a moment and to take care of ourselves is so strong that we shouldn’t ignore it, not in ourselves or in those we love. Check in with yourself, check in with another, see what’s around you and appreciate the side of life we too often ignore.

Hello Term 2

After a very much needed break, term 2 is up and running, and we’re already deep into our new activities and projects. One of the first activities we started was one that we began last term. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a super secret project that will finally be revealed on Sunday – Mothers’ Day in Australia. The secret projects are coming along extremely well, and the students have proven that they have the care and patience to produce a very delicate result. Another project which we’ve started and which is creating a few headaches (mostly for me) is our Maths Area Project. This is something I like to do with my students each year as it gives them a way to use their learnt skills in a real world setting and challenges them to produce a complex and thorough product. In effect, nothing much has changed except the number after the word “term”, the students are still working their little fingers to the bone with their tiny noses pressed hard to the grindstone – just how they like it.

1 Down…

Crikey, we made it! The first term is rapidly drawing to a close, and despite the many bumps in the road that tried to slow us down we’re poised to roll over the finish line. I’d have to say, though, it’s been a real slog and the students need a big pat on the back for the efforts they’ve put in. They’ve been open to learning so many new topics, skills and strategies, and the’ve worked hard to use their learning after each new experience; the narratives the students wrote following a very tricky learning process were a real sight for an old teacher’s sore eyes. However, in footballing terms we’re only at the end of the first quarter. Yes, we’ve developed individually and as members of a team, and we’ve scored plenty of goals in the process, but there’s still a very long way to go. It’s time to have a well deserved break (especially for the coach), grab a metaphorical rub down, then come out for the second quarter even stronger. One down, three still to go, it’s a long game but this group have shown they’re in it to win it and there will be plenty of celebrations to come before the final siren sounds.

Super Bloggers

Considering blogging is one of the most important resources in my classroom, it astonishes me that so few teachers do it. Blogging obviously allows me to keep parents up to date with all that’s happening in our class, but it has such a huge wealth of educational value that I can’t see myself ever stopping. To start with, rather than simply writing something that will only be seen by the student themselves and the teacher, posts are open to the whole world and give the creator a greater audience, incentive and purpose. However, with that exposure comes the added pressure of having to try and ensure each piece of writing is the best it can be, forcing students to (in theory) practice their editing skills. Students can also develop their skills in engaging an audience by using the skills of creative writing they’ve been learning in class. Online safety is another concern and students use their knowledge in a real-world environment, never giving out personal details or information that could leave them vulnerable. Finally, a student’s blog can give me a valuable insight into a student’s writing skills, already this year I’ve had my classroom evaluations enhanced by the posts I’ve read from a number of students who’ve let their creativity flow. Check out these “super bloggers”, Amali, Arielle, Ryley and Mikaela, and remember, they’re just kids with an enthusiasm for their learning.

Blogging Task #2

This time I’m using a blogging activity that I’ve already given to the students. We’ve been so, so busy that it’s sort of slipped from the students’ memories, and I like this topic too much to allow it to simply fade away. This task is all about giving a shoutout to a good cause. Believing in something and taking action or making a stand is a way of being a positive individual and taking an active part in life. It can be life affirming and helps shape our values and build us into the people we are. Amongst the many causes or issues that concern me are: climate change, deforestation, animal extinction, equal rights, plastic pollution, gender equality, whale hunting, renewable energy, puppy farms, child labour, poverty, slave labour, girls’ rights, freedom of speech… I could actually go on and on and on! These are, in my opinion, just a few of the most important issues of our time and are well worth fighting for.

Do you have a cause that you’d like to be part of? Is there something happening in the world that makes you frustrated? Is there something you’d like saved? Is there something you’d like stopped? Use your blog to shout out for a good cause or a big issue.

Don’t Panic!

Well, everything seems to be rolling along just as smoothly as it usually does each year – way too fast with not enough hours in the day! Exactly the same as usual, although we seem to have reached this point unusually early. However, as we’re used to rolling casually along at lightspeed I’m sure we’ll cope just fine. It’s already the end of week six and the students have been busy working their fingers to the bone with their little noses pushed hard to the grindstone. The’ve started to develop their writing skills and have written some imaginative introductions, extending their descritions while limiting their settings and characters. They’ve learnt about square numbers, square roots, the order of operations and have started a data research activity. Amazingly, in the middle of our frenzied first few weeks, we’ve squeezed in a cricket tornament against other schools in our district. All in all, term one is flying, but don’t panic, we’re managing to hang on securely by our finger nails and I’m sure we’ll make it to the end just fine.

Blogging Task #1

“Get yourself sorted out!” Your blog, that is, get your blog sorted out. This week we need to start getting serious with our blogs. What I want to see this week is a new page added, an “About Me” page which explains all the information people may need about you and stays in place permanently. The difference between a page and a post is that a page stays as it is, whereas the posts change each time a new one is added. Next, make sure you’ve deleted any widgets you aren’t going to use and that you’ve added the Class Blogs widget. Finally, I’d like everyone to post a comment on any of my posts from this year and post on the blogs of two other students (not just your besties, though). Keep to our blogging and commenting guidelines, if you don’t the comment will be trashed. Have fun!

3 Down, 37 Left!

I’m not already counting down, honest! Three weeks have gone (still not counting) and it’s been a funny three weeks. We’ve plunged head first into this term and tried to get the foundations in place that will support the rest of what we do throughout the year. We’ve already written a basic first narrative to give us a starting point from which to build; we’ve revisited place value, location and symmetry in maths; we’ve looked at the Stolen Generation, inequality and values; we’ve even created works of art (see pictures below), influenced by Julian Opie, the artist who created the iconic art on the famous Blur album cover. The one thing we have certainly struggled with, though, is our technology! Any teacher will tell you how frustrating it can be when technology turns against them, well planned lessons can crumble and fail and the simple flickering of a wireless access point. At the moment, despite the best efforts of our super-techy Mr Hardingham, our technology is refusing to play with us. However, such setbacks will not dampen our spirits and we will persevere. Still, despite all our setbacks, the students’ blogs are finally up and running! Fingers crossed, the tech fairy will work her magic, otherwise it’s going to be a long 37 weeks (still not counting).

Wheels in Motion

After a few coughs and splutters, we’re finally up and running and pushing up through the gears. The first few weeks of school are always about collecting data and information, and are also a time for myself and the students to get to know each other. Well, the tyre kicking phase is over and we’re well and truly cruising along. The history of Australia through the 20th century is a huge focus for the students, and it will be a very comprehensive, “warts-an’-all” study with a look at the good, the bad and the ugly. This has already begun and you can check out one of our first podcasts here on The Stolen Generation. In our first two weeks we also managed to have a mini excursion – to the car park. What better way to build our understanding of rotational symmetry than checking out the patterns on car wheels? All in all, the first two weeks saw us spinning the wheels as we got to grips with our new year, but now the tyres have warmed up, they’re gripping the road and the wheels are truly in motion.