Changing my Teaching

My final Mindlab challenge: condense 32 weeks of learning and reflections in under 600 words. 

Have I reached my Mindlab goals? A key motivation for enrolling in the programme was to develop my skills in collaborative and digital teaching. I have certainly achieved this, becoming a more research-based teacher in the process. I have reflected on developing 21st-century skills in my learners, planned and implemented a video-making task, critically reflected on my leadership style and incorporated different leadership tactics in a plan for my depart. I have read and reflected on a range of academic articles for literature review, which was used to develop a TAI cycle.

 Perhaps most beneficially, I have reflected on my learning throughout the course, utilising this blog. These reflections cover most of the PTC, particularly PTC 1 (establishing and maintaining professional relationships) through feedback and interactions with other Mindlab students. This has pushed me outside my comfort zone by interacting more with other professionals and having the courage to express my views to a wider audience.

However, it is my teaching practice that I want to focus on. Mindlab has had a positive impact on my teaching practice in relation to PTC 6 (planning and implementing a learning programme). This has been in a practical sense, and that is the use of a wider variety of tools for teaching and learning. Although I had already been using some ICT in the classroom the use of it now has more meaning and focus. Because the course offered hands-on experience with a range of apps such as Movie Maker, Canva, Piktochart and Scratch, I feel more comfortable giving students the choice of how they complete activities and have incorporated gameplaying (and making) and programming into my junior English courses. This was initially a challenge for me but I now believe that the engagement value of game playing and the future-focused skill of programming have a place within my curriculum. I love using Blendspace for in-class flipped learning, and students are increasingly encouraged to learn at their own pace. The discovery of Trello has been a highlight. This has helped me to prioritise and to manage my organisation more efficiently. 

A second, and more profound, change is in my pedagogical approach to teaching (linked to PTC 8, demonstrate in practice knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn). I've toyed with student agency in terms of text choices and learning activities but my literature review challenged me to consider how to utilise the built-in flexibility of NCEA to incorporate greater student agency into course planning. We have a range of achievement standards that we can use with students and not all will complete the same course. I have also incorporated gamification into my teaching through charts, competition, immediate feedback and rewards. I want to extend this to essay writing as a method of lifting achievement levels. Another change in my pedagogy has been to embrace the concept of cross-curricular teaching and learning and how this can help students transfer their knowledge and apply it to the real world. I have more tools and ideas to empower and engage the learners in my classroom, and am enjoying see this in action.

My big dream for my professional development is to win a Fullbright Teaching Award to go to the United States. This would be an incredible opportunity to gain professional experience in another country and an avenue for me to draw together my learning from Mindlab and apply it in a different context.

More realistically, the next step in my professional development is to complete a middle leadership course through the University of Otago, where I hope to continue developing my skills as a transformative and participative leader.


References

Education Council (n.d.). Practising Teacher Criteria. https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/registered-teacher-criteria 

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