SEPTEMBER PHOTO DUMP

Instructional Coaching Professional Development

 

 

Blended Learning with Seesaw

 I just became a Seesaw Pioneer! The first course in a series to ROCK the Blended Learning teaching expectations!

How We Express Ourselves: Understanding and appreciating different cultures promotes international mindedness.

Our unit about exploring cultures and international mindedness came to a close with students creating a poster to share some elements of their culture and we created a definition as a class for what we understand international mindedness or global mindedness to be.

The ESL Program at Suzhou's International School

WIDA WORKSHOP

This November my school was generous to fly a WIDA Consultant out to work with our ESL team and other Elementary Homeroom teachers on a 2 day workshop about Differentiation for English Language Learners.

After the workshop, myself (being the ESL coordinator,) along with the Principal met to discuss the big question: NOW WHAT? For our programming.  I checked in with my team, and here is what we decided together:

We decided that we would change our leveling system to better reflect the WIDA levels (we have phase 1, phase 2 and phase 3 at the moment). Next year we will change to Level 1, 2, 3, 4. This simple change, will likely result in a big project for me, but I think it is a valuable change!

Instructional Coaching Certificate

I am looking forward to applying the strategies and learned I have come away with from taking this course!

Key ideas I learned about:

• Defining the Instructional Coach's Role

• The Characteristics of Effective Coaches

• Different ways to support teachers

• Teacher's are at different stages on the 'Continuum of Self Reflection' which effects what kind of coaching and coaching strategies to employ.

• Goal Setting

Leadership in EAL

The 2016-2017 school year brought with it a new and exciting opportunity for me to grow as an educator. I have the opportunity to develop my leadership skills as the EAL coordinator at Suzhou Singapore International School.  My job has involved leading and supporting the EAL department, leading staff meetings, parent sessions and PD for staff. Assessing new students and working with teachers in a support role to ensure that students are progressing and are in the correct EAL phase.


2016 was a good year for Leadership workshop opportunities at SSIS.

The first weekend workshop was the ACAMIS Leadership Training. Leading Collaborative Teams with Micheal Iannini. We learned a lot of  useful, hands on leadership strategies and ideas including new Ice breakers, creating Norms,  using protocols, and having difficult conversations.

The second workshop was a 2 day IB workshop. Pedagological Leadership (PYP Category 2) workshop. We learned even more about the changing role of leadership and were able to apply much of the learning to our school context.

Making the PYP Happen Workshop

I also took part in a 2nd 'Making the PYP happen' workshop in October 2015.  This one was run by Yoon-Ah Lee and Jay Brownrigg. I don't know where I have put the certificate though.

Learning about Materials and Their Properties in the Makerspace

This year the Grade 1 team has the luxury of an empty room in their corridor. We created a "Makerspace" in this room!

During the G1 unit How the word works:

Central Idea: Materials are chosen for different purposes based on their properties and people’s needs

Students worked in the makerspace to create their own informational text at the end of the unit. They chose and attached different materials to their book and wrote all they could about the properties of that material.  The students were really engaged and their learning was very evident. If I were to do this activity again, I would create book pages that had a line for the title at the top of the page (where they would write the material) then an empty box for them to attach the material. Underneath I would have distinct 2 sections. 1 that said 'properties' and one that said 'uses.'

How we Express Ourselves

Admittedly I have not been good about keeping up to date with my blog/portfolio. It has been tough with poor internet connections and lots of internet censorship.  The goal is to stay on top of this blog!

Unit of Inquiry: Cultures Express Themselves in Different Ways

Korean Moms came to school to share their culture with our class. Amazing effort on their part, putting all this wonderful learning together. We learned about dress, songs, games, and even some history!

We read so many great books that explored culture:

We went on a field trip to explore Chinese culture by touring 2 famous gardens in Suzhou.

At the end of the unit, students took action by displaying their favourite work  and sharing their learning with parents and teachers in a 'culture expo.'

Who We Are

August 2014,

Our first PYP Unit of the year was Who We Are.

Our Lines of Inquiry:
-Roles and responsibilities that people have in a group
-Ways to provide and receive feedback
-Characteristics that make groups effective
-Skills individuals bring to a group

In this unit we did a lot of group work activities that helped us to uncover ways that people can effectively work together. Students learned through action and reflection what characteristics make groups work effectively and learned about their own skills that help a group to be successful. They were able to use this learning as they moved forward throughout the year, working in groups.

We are learned what effective communication is and why we need to use it. The goal was to communicate in order to pass the ball all the way back using only our feet and words.

We are learning what different kinds of roles people take on in groups such as a leader, organizer, etc. Our challenge was to build a robot out of these materials.

Moving to Suzhou China

July, 2014

This year I have moved to Suzhou Singapore International School, in Suzhou, China.

Suzhou is about 30 minutes by high speed train to Shanghai. My new role will be an ESL/EAL support teacher in Grade 2. This school is a PYP/MYP/IB World School. I am looking forward to the opportunity to teach and learn in a PYP school and teaching EAL!

But first I have to fix up my classroom! YIKES, it was an old storage room for unwanted old furniture and books. Here are the before and after shots. Now I am ready to welcome the students! :)

 

Here are a few shots of some pretty places near my new home...

It will be a new and exciting adventure getting to know China over the next few years!

A Great Thank You Video!

SSIS Dance Team

My dance team performing at a Dance Showcase at BIS.

International Week 2013

This week at S.S.I.S. we celebrated International Week. Our theme was games from around the world. A great time full of fun learning was had by all. A huge THANK YOU to the parents who came to lead games from their country and taught us how to make a special food!