#BlogSyncJune It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it

Part of June #Blogsync, to read more nuggets of great explanations, click here.

This is little more of an anecdote of one of those magic moments that are really rather unique to teaching, that I don't think would occur in any other place than in our classrooms.  In these hard times, it is ridiculously easy to lose sight of why became teachers in the first instance.  I know I didn't join this trying profession for the money (if you did, more fool you), the status (we are ridiculed by the press on an almost weekly basis, what status?) or to manufacture data for league tables and Ofsted. 

Apologies if this video clip makes you feel ancient

 

This little anecdote comes from my Year 7 class. They are, without doubt an interesting bunch.  They are the top set in the year group, however, do not be fooled into thinking it's a doddle being their teacher.  For example, in the last week of the half term, I had at least 5 reports to sign each lesson.  The class contains two of the most diffucult boys in the whole year group. It contained a third but after something like 39 forms of exclusion within two terms, he is now seeking another school that will take him.  This leaves the other 'naughties' [I know, it's rubbish to label pupils, but I hope you know what I mean by this term] much more pliable and less likely to act up.

We are reading, and thoroughly enjoying 'Holes' by Louis Sachar.  I have taught this novel since I was an NQT and I adore it.  The class really take to it and we share the reading of the book by having various narrators, pupils reading out the character parts (honing their reading of speech punctuation and having to read a little ahead to anticipate their dialogue) and most of the class are involved.

The lesson revolved around making connections between Stanley Yelnats and Elya Yelnats, Stanley's ancestor.  After starting the lesson with a 3, 2, 1 activity e.g.

Write down 3 things that Stanley and Elya have in common

Write down 2 questions you would like to ask Elya

Choose 1 of your questions to answer, in role, as Elya

I paused the lesson to use a 'meta main course' swiped from @thelazyteacher (Jim Smith) 'The Lazy Teacher's Handbook' along the lines of, 'What connections have you made so far?'

Most of the class were beavering away, helping each other devise responses to the questions and my gorgeous girls debating what to write down in their responses.  I sauntered over to the back of the classroom and spotted a lad who hadn't really done a fat lot of work.  He has more than a passing resemblance to one of the leads in 'Son of Rambow':

 

His temperament and personality also seem quite similar, quiet, reserved, wide-eyed and innocent and sometimes, just not quite with it. He just wasn't sure what I was looking for.  So, we began a discussion about links and their purpose in a novel.  This will be a paraphrased version of our conversation, as it happened a couple of weeks ago.

 

I began by taking off my necklace and dangling it in front of him:

 

 

A digression: This chain is a Clogau Gold piece, one of the few pieces I have left after the #neighbourgate burglary scandal.  I still have it because I wear it every day for work. If I had not, the so and sos would have nicked it and sold it too.

 

 

Me: So, look at this chain, you have the 'heart' and the 'T-bar'. What else do you notice?

 

Pupil: The links Miss.

 

Me: Good, what if the 'heart' is the start of the novel, and the 'T-bar' is the end. What can you see now?

 

Pupil: It all links together Miss.

 

Me: Well done. (I lay the chain on the desk in a straight line) So, all the links are in a straight line, what kind of book what that be? Would you enjoy readiing it?

 

Pupil: Oh, I see, well no, not much.

 

Me: Why?

 

Pupil: It doesn't look very insteresting. (Meanwhile, a lightbulb begins to glow over his head)

 

(I moved the chain into a meandering snake, like a river, much like this:)

 

 

Me: Look at the chain, now, now what do you notice?

 

 

Pupil: The links don't have to be in a straight line, but they are still all linked to together. The beginning and the end still link up.  This would be a better book. (The lightbulb over his head grows brighter).

 

 

Me: Good. (I then cover up a section of the chain like this:)

 

 

Me: Now, what happens when the writer deliberately covers up or obscures some of the links in the chain?

 

 

Pupil: Ohhhhhhhh! (Light bulb is at full wattage), Ohhhh I get it now!

 

 

 

(Meanwhile I beam at him, his friend listens in, intrigued).

 

Me: Brilliant, what are you getting? Tell me!

 

 

Pupil: The writer makes the reader do more work by covering parts of the story up, it makes it a better book.

 

 

Me: Lovely! Why does this make it a better book or narrative? What about the start and the end of the chain or novel?

 

 

Pupil: Well, the straight chain would just be boring, there is nothing for the reader to do.  No matter what direction the story takes, everything must link together so the start and the end makes sense, that the reader is statisfied.

 

Me: So, now, what kind of links do YOU notice between Stanley and Elya Yelnats? Tell me, WHY you think these links are in the novel? Why DON'T we have all the links in the chain just yet?

 

 

Pupil: Ok, got it now Miss.  (So, off he and his desk buddy went, seeking out links in the text so far, and discussing their purpose for the reader).

 

 

Needless to say, this little conversation, the questions, the use of the necklace as a prop were not in my lesson plan.

 

When I have these conversations with an individual pupil, they are later on discussed with the whole class.  The pupil is given the opportunity to narrate THEIR thinking in the conversation, which then prompts others to contribute.  The class (along with a good few more of my pupils) are now beginning to use analogies to explain their thinking.

 

*Inserts cheesy music to less than subtley illustrate my point*

 

 

We must remember that these light-bulb moments; our ability to improvise and think on our feet; enabling the pupil to 'get it' in a profound way:  this IS why work ourselves into the ground; this IS why so many of us strive to get better and better; this IS why learning - both theirs and ours, IS a real pleasure in life. It is what keeps the teacher heart beating, and our teacher souls breathing. Not, Mr. Govearaurus-rex, performance related pay.

 

*End of William Wallace style rally cry* 

 

Epilogue

 

 

The class have just loved reading this book, which means I've loved teaching it all over again.  As the novel progressed a little further, I repeated the 'chain' explanation with the whole class - quite fiddly to manipulate the chain in hands, talk and make sense all at the same time I have to tell you. (A moment when a visualiser would have been REALLY useful).  However, as the explanation and questionning progrossed jusing my favourite word 'might' within, the light-bulbs lit up across the whole room. Lovely.

 

  As the reading the novel has progressed, I have referred back to 'links in the narrative chain' when questinning, thus providing a regular semantic link to that explanation. Always SUGGESTING a link is present, but no more than that.  This leads onto that lovely, 'Oh, oh, oh I've got one Miss!' gasps of recognition as the eager Year 7 hand bursts up and flaps around with enthusiasm.  Bet I couldn't have done all this with an inspector in the room....

 



 



Under the microscope

This year it seems like I have been observed within an inch of my teaching life.  It has not been an easy process or one full of much joy.  There has been a great deal of tears and much soul searching.  This week I received a 'Good' observation after a succession of 'Requires Improvement', so this blog shall take you on the journey I had to get there. 

Last academic year I received my first ever 'Outstanding' with my wonderful Year 13s teaching Hamlet for the first time. 

I am shattered so there maybe grammatical errors present, so advanced apologies to any readers and especially Year 6 teachers who have had to put their pupils through THAT test this week. 

December 2012: The 'Deatheaters' one:

I was just at the end of my Cognitive Behavioural Therapy session when I looked at my phone to put in our new appointment. A text from a colleague read 'We have had the call'.  I very nearly had a panic attack, which I wish was some kind of dramatic embellishment, but it is not.  I went home, feeling nauseous and planned my lessons for Wednesday. 

Period 1, Year 7, top set. The English Inspector and the deputy rolled in and I did my best to do my best.  The lesson was typical of what we had been doing using the 'Read/Write Inc' materials with a bit of tweaking to try and tick the relevant Ofsted boxes.  The pupils were exceptionally well behaved, including the three naughtiest boys in the year group.  The lesson was well structured and well organised, the pupils were clearly used to the routine of the lesson and got on with peer marking spellings and work as usual.  They stayed a good 20 minutes, so a judgement was inevitable. 

The judgement was a grade 3, 'Requires Improvement'.  I was disappointed but too exhausted for histrionics. I didn't really get any feedback.

Some perspective: Many of us who saw ourselves as good, competent, hard-working teachers came out of this visit with a grade 3. This was across the board from classroom bodies such as I, to Middle Leaders and SLT.

The school was placed in the upper band of Category 4 and what follows is VERY much a product of working in the environment that that process has created. 

February 2013: The first CPD one.

Year 8, Period 2. Introducing Poetry SoW.  Here I was still very much in the grip of The Black Dog combined with anxiety levels that were unnatural and barely controllable.  The lesson was very much based on @JamesTheo's idea for introducing poetry using SOLO and the premise of 'How would you explain poetry to Heston Blumenthal?'  

My Head of Faculty walked in with a member of SLT. I did not know that that SLT member was going to observe me.  The anxiety levels cranked up. 

Once again the class were beautifully co-operative, including those pupils who are normally permanently on report.  But there was too much content.  The 'SOLO Taxonomy Explained Using Lego' video from Youtube took a little longer than I thought, thus affecting the pace of the lesson. 

The judgement was a Grade 3 'Requires Improvement'.  Here I was far more disappointed, not least due to the way in which the feedback was given.  It began with the, 'How do you think it went?' question, and being very much negative in my thinking, and relentlessly self-critical, I picked out the flaws in the lesson. 

This lead to feeback delivery being in the tone of a doctor delivering news of a terminal illness, and was relentlessly critical for what seemed like forever, to the extent I stopped the conversation demanding some positives.  I practically bit the SLT members's head off I was so angry.   I then spent a good hour in a different SLT member's office sobbing, and sobbing, and sobbing. 

I got in touch with our HT about how the feedback was given and that the delivery was not appropriate (to someone with The Black Dog very much in residence), helpful or useful. She was kind enough to find me the next morning in the English office to discuss it with me, told me NOT to do another observation this half term and concentrate on getting better.  (She was aware of my dealings with The Black Dog). I have a great deal of respect for how she deals with her staff, how fair and above board she is. 

March 2013: The Interview One

Later on that term I had applied for an English teacher post at @JohnTomestt and @HuntingEnglish's school in York.  It was more of a case of, 'could I fill out the application form with confidence' and 'How do I write that cover letter' thing again. The lovely @deadshelley, via Twitter and emails, held my hand through the process and did so much proof reading and checking the man deserves a crate of wine.  I did get the call for interview on a Tuesday, the interview was Friday that same week.  Up cranked the anxiety levels. 

I had gone all foolish and brave and planned a lesson around slow writing, which I had read on @LearningSpy's blog.  It was immensely foolish as I had not even taught this to any of my own classes.  It was rigorously planned but ill thought out. I was trying to tick so many bloody boxes it was more of a scatter gun approach to lesson planning. 

Matters were not helped by the fact that I had, via reading both @JohnTomsett and @HuntingEnglish's blogposts, placed them in very high esteem, I was (still am) in awe of them both that that too had put me under immense pressure on interview day, utterly wracked with self-doubt of my worthiness. 

Without putting too fine a point on it, the lesson was a total and utter train wreck.  I knew it was going badly, but panic and anxiety had such a vice like grip on my cognitive abilities I was rendered impotent.  Unable to act or retrieve it.  I wanted to bolt out of that classroom, cry and then vomit into a nearby receptacle. 

Grading? Bloody awful.  All credit to @HuntingEnglish and his second, because their feedback was exactly as Ron Berger would have wished it: Kind, fair and specific. The best part of Alex Quigly's advice was "You have many great ideas, they just don't all belong in one lesson. Simplify, simplify, simplify". 

I told them I would not have put myself through to the afternoon interviews based on what they saw.  I was embarrassed but they were kind.  I left un-traumatised but exhausted and that evening I 'powered down' much like HAL at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was utterly spent. 

The Second CPD one. 16th May 2013

Year 13, AQA Language and Literature class. 5 pupils, 2 of whom have sporadic attendance.  They are great and I could discuss the observation openly with them and spent the prior lessons nailing the structure of the learning, the content and the assessment of 'progress' so that the foundations had been laid for the observation well before the lesson plan was written.  Thanks to @LearningSpy for his Pedagoo London presentation 'Anatomy of an Outstanding Lesson' where I used the old 'Iceberg' principle make sure all I had done before observation day was relevant, purposeful and there was clear progression BEFORE that lesson. 

So, here's the lesson plan:

Teacher	GN	Date	16/05/13	Period	3
Class	Yr 13	No. of students	5	No. of G&T	1
Ability range	A-D	No. with statements	N/A	No. of EAL	N/A
No. with IEP	0	No. of FSM	1	No. of LAC	N/A

NB: This lesson plan is for ALL 3 lessons, not just the observed one.

Learning intention - where are we going?

To be able to compare and contrast the linguistic features

of a transcript and a literary conversation

SO THAT

We can question the exam question

We can plan and organise our ideas, evidence and interpretations of the texts

We can meet the higher mark band criteria for Section B

Success criteria – how will we know when we've got there?

ALL Will have a clear understanding of the demands of the mark scheme; assessed their progress and attainment against SOLO taxonomy and the markscheme; identified and analysed the linguistic features in each text; composed a range of lower and higher order questions; selected apt evidence to support their thinking

MOST As above, with hypothetical thinking in evidence

SOME As above, with hypothetical and theorising in evidence in their work

Identified intervention students	B_____ and C_____have poor attendance. Work missed is emailed to them at home, paper resources provided via 6th form office. Literacy mat to be used in lesson. A______ will be absent due to an exam – lesson to be emailed.
Hook (engagement)	Familiarise students with the Section B mark-scheme via a card sort. Align with SOLO taxonomy Use it to assess previous pupil’s work and provide advice for improvement.	Differentiation strategies/Use of other adults in the room SOLO Taxonomy Direct teacher intervention
Setting the scene	Pupils provided with Word clouds based on our source texts for the lesson 12 mins spent looking for semantic fields and relevant language features in the word cloud Can they work out who has word cloud based on a transcript? Who as one based on a literary conversation? What MIGHT be the thematic connection between the two texts? (Medical) Justify decisions to peers – must refer to evidence in Wordle to do so. Check progress using SOLO taxonomy and referring back to mark scheme, where next?	Literacy mat or connectives and linguistic terms to be provided in lesson. Direct teacher intervention in lesson
Activate (main learning activities) Needs to be pacey as in exam this needs to be done at speed.	Pupils are then provided with the sources texts: Creature Comforts ‘Pets at the Vets’ transcript An extract from Burrough’s ‘The Naked Lunch’ Can listen to each text, pupils ‘SOLO’ the text using SOLO taxonomy guidance sheet. One pair focus on the first half of each text, the other pair the second half. Allocated time to deconstruct text, then feedback and peer teach. Check progression using SOLO taxonomy – link back to mark scheme. How do we move to the next stage? Now they have the basis of textual knowledge to respond to an exam Q. Exam 1 will be on A5 which they glue to A3. Keeping in same allocated pairs and roles, pupils use the question grid to compose questions that will a) deconstruct the exam Q b) construct a range of questions, leading to higher order questions ergo higher order responses (Extended abstract) Annotate adding examples from text and transcript to A3 sheet, using ‘SOLOing the text guidance’ to assess own progress SOLO progress check	Paired work, (or a 3 and a 2) for pupil peer support.
Consolidate	Their questions are evaluated using SOLO taxonomy and re-drafted or edited accordingly Check progress using SOLO taxonomy, refer to mark scheme Q: Will their plan enable them to meet the higher mark bands? How might it be improved still? Use Mark scheme cards from start of lesson.	Connectives and linguistic terms placemat Spoken Language glossary provided
Learn to learn opportunities	SOLO taxonomy used explicitly in lesson so pupils can evaluate progress and understand WHY they are where they are, then ‘feed forward’ to improve
Home Learning	Revise work on Grice and Lakoff add Qs and annotations to essay plan Ready for use as a mock exam next week
Literacy/Numeracy Cross Curricular opportunities	Literacy mats provided in the lesson Glossary of spoken language terms also provided ‘Unstuck’ table
Health & Safety Assessment	HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW

 If you are interested in the lessson resources, please feel free to DM me your email address and you can have them and plunder at will.  An idea just occurred to me for the English Shared Dropbox: a folder for 'Successful Lesson Observation Plans and resources'  - useful CPD, surely?

 The Feedback:

I walked into the observer's office feeling a bit nauseous.  I sat down, palms sweating. Straight away she told me it was a 2. I flopped back in the chair, almost breathless with relief. 

Positives: Good planning and structure, well resourced, excellent subject knowledge; my unique teaching style (well, I took that as a positive); the content of the lessons was very high level as was the work the pupils had produced; with good questionning. They could see they were making at least good progress and that their results would be good.  They looked through the pupils work and could see regular use of the SOLO taxonomy so this was not atypical, but typical of how these lovely girls had been taught. The best comment for me was about the great relationship I have with the pupils.

Criticisms:  I talk too much - to the pupils, to the observers, to myself (that was purely down to nerves), I should not really have been slurping coffee while discussing the learning with the pupils, (a fair point re. professionalism.  Think my thermos mug of coffee was some kind of security thing); that even if I'm thinking it, I really shouldn't say, 'Bloody hell, look at the time.' when the lesson is getting near its end.  (I've never, ever said that before in an observed or un-observed lesson, nerves aided and abetted that numpty moment there). All of which can easily be dealt with. I say that but nerves are a BIG problem for me, always have been! 

Now, what's even better is what my girls emailed me before and after the lesson observation. One was in an art exam so would be absent but she emailed:

"Good luck and don't worry too much, you're a great teacher.

love from

A____"

After the observation I emailed the girls with my Grade and the feedback I received. Here's what a couple responded with:

"That's a bit silly, we're all 18 it's not as if we've never heard the word bloody before! Well done though :D x"

And

"Well done miss :) and if it's any consolation I think your lessons are great :)
(not brown nosing there either)"

That is why I love being their teacher.  They are my judge and jury more so than an inspector or an internal observer. Note how THEY choose to use the word, 'great'. To them,  'outstanding' seems to be a meaningless adjective to describe a teacher or the teaching.

The aftermath of no longer being 'mediocre': a zombie like state of only barely there lucidity. 

It has been a hard won victory.  The process? Vampiric in its demands on your mind, body and soul.  

There are many folk on twitter who, either indirectly, or directly have carried me through this scrutiny.  Thank you for your blogs, tweets, time and patience.  I salute you all.