Individually Unique, Together Amazing!
The Wodonga CRT Support Network is a community for CRTs who teach in schools in the upper Hume region of Victoria, Australia. Part educational, part social, all about making ourselves better. If you don't have something like this in your area we invite you to join in with us through this blog!
Since we started in 2008 we have been constantly shown a wonderful level of support by the Wodonga South Primary School and soon following that it's Parent Club. Before we had our own tea and coffee making facilities, the WSPS Parent Club was generous enough to allow us the use of their urn and other supplies that we needed to properly organize the facilities at PD workshops and Meetings. In return we are now loaning them our capsule coffee machine and milk frothers for use in their Craft Meetings to allow them something a little special for their members and helpers the way it does for us. Thank you WSPS Parent's Club for your support over the years! We hope the inclusion of the Coffee Machine and Frothers helps your members enjoy the tasks before them a little more. You have been a wonderful support for us and are doing wonderful things for the students of WSPS! Thank you so much and keep up the good work! Regards, Mel.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish our members and subscribers a Happy Easter! We hope everyone enjoys this time with their family and friends and reaches the end of it in a healthy condition (even if all that chocolate adds a few pounds)!
If you are travelling, please take it easy on the road and remember to to keep a look out for those Driver Reviver stops! Grab a hot cuppa, stretch your legs and get some fresh air to revitalize yourself! The music download voucher can also be a good thing to keep the kids in the back settled and content!
Rest up and we will see you for what looks like to be a busy Term 2!
Hello everyone! Yesterday we took a trip to secure a venue and caterer for PD workshops to be held in Wangaratta! We
visited a number of venues and businesses and we are reasonably sure
we've obtained everything we need to begin providing PD for CRTs in
Wangaratta. This will not be to the extent we have been providing it in
Wodonga but we remain committed to "sharing the PD love" throughout the
region. We hope to have the first full-day PD run in Wangaratta in mid May and also run 2 evening PD workshops by the end of June. Please note:
We have been given access to the DEECD CRT PLSI funding under the
current system until the end of June. At this time the program will
undergo some changes to address some concerns expressed in the VAGO report on CRT Arrangements.
We have no idea of what those changes will be so we simply can't
guarantee what will be happening after that. In the short term we
suggest that everyone takes full advantage of the opportunities until
then!
PLEASE
remember that although the system is undergoing changes, it is not
stopping! No matter what happens the DEECD remains committed to
supporting CRTs in ease of access to appropriate PD opportunities and
maintaining their registration in order to ensure we are the best
Teachers that we can be! Regards, Mel.
The first additions of free teacher resources created through the CRT Resource Challenge have been uploaded to the Skydrive! Each folder contains;
A folder with the resources in their native format.
A folder with the resources in PDF format.
A Zip file for each native and PDF formats.
As always we recommend OpenOffice.org if you require a powerful yet free editor for Microsoft Office documents (available for both PC and Mac). To view and/or print PDF files we recommend either Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader. Both are available for the iPad and Android Tablet PCs (free) through the relevent app store!
This contains a rubric with 12 activities (6 Proforma-based activities with Proformas included) based on a Woolworths Fresh Food Update out of their catalogue. - Topics include Seasons, the five senses, life drawing, science, comparisons etc.
Last night Sue King took the time out to take a group of 20 members on a tour of Belvoir Special School in Wodonga. What a spectacularly interesting evening! The spotlight was on the use of Visual Resources in a Special Development setting but many questions were asked and answered on many points during the tour.
For many members it was their first encounter with a special development setting in schools and a real eye opener. Classroom setups, the use of visual resources and support structures within the school were often quite different from a mainstream school and prompted questions and discussion about how the special development setting operated in contrast to mainstream.
Even the grounds proved to be an eye opener. The equipment to deal with sensory issues such as vibrating chairs and a spa were also a real surprise to many with the amount of playground equipment being very high compared to a mainstream school. There are "upsized" equipment such as extra large bucket-seat swings and other equipment for the older students requiring them to give them the same sort of sensory input that the equipment normally provides in a safe manner. The extent to which the school is able to cater to the special needs of it's students is astounding compared to Mainstream schools.
The inclusion of a trampoline in one of the play areas also drew some inquisitive remarks, being unusual in mainstream schools due to safety issues. It truly brought home the high amount of supervision available in a Special Development School due to the quite small class sizes and high number of Teacher's Aides. It allows so many experiences just not on offer to mainstream students outside of specialist classes such as Phys Ed where supervision on trampolines can be guaranteed.
Last night I recieved an email from one of the participants which I'd like to share:
Just wanted to say
thanks for organising today's session with Sue. I found it extremely
interesting and enjoyable. I have very limited experience working with
students with disabilities, and have never worked in a school like
Belvoir, but would really like to give it a try. I felt inspired by
Sue's obvious passion for what she does, and the obvious dedication of
the staff as a whole.
Anna.
One of the biggest surprises on offer was the totally different approach to CRTs. So often in schools we find ourselves saying we had a good day even when it was a struggle. We do this out of fear that saying anything else will lead to the school believing we are not up to the task and simply not offering us much work in the future. Special Development education thrives on good CRTs much more than Mainstream and these schools understand that.
They are much more attune to the fact that a CRT in a room can be a little disastrous in itself. While many Mainstream students see the opportunity to play up with no recriminations, many students in Special Development simply do not cope well with change. This makes the job of a CRT a tough one and that is recognised and allowed for by school heirarchy. They have a much more vested interest in helping to build you into a skilled and knowledgable CRT.
Of course I've worked in Special Development as a CRT for over 5 years now. I've seen CRTs come and CRTs go because, in the interests of being truthful, it's not a job for everyone. Some are a little timid for this type of work and have issues with behaviour. Others are unable to develop a modicum of professional detachment and it can be heartbreaking to truly understand the situation some of these students are in.
If you have what it takes though? It is one of the most innovative, supportive, enjoyable and rewarding settings a CRT can work in!
We would like to thank Sue King for taking the time out to give us such a wonderful tour of Belvoir Special School and see so many school resources in their native environment! As always your efforts on our behalf, and the support you show for CRTs, is greatly appreciated.
If any of you would like to thank Sue personally we suggest joining the Victorian CRT Network Members group on Facebook and leaving a comment below Sue's message! Alternatively comment here and we'll let her know to keep an eye on the post ;).
Hi there! I am currently doing some PD's that are registered by the NSW Institute of Teaching and through that you Victorians might be interested in them too - they are online and free. http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/us/en/education/k12/teach-elements.html Project-Based Approaches - 15 hours Assessment in 21st Century Classrooms - 15 hours Collaboration in the Digital Classroom - 12 hours The content is interesting and very easy to follow.
Last weeks meeting was a furious brainstorming session and a lot of good things have come out of the Resource challenge! Resource sets will begin appearing on the Skydrive soon. This makes the first part, of course, that it gets us CRT specific resources to put up on the Skydrive for everyone to share and add to.
In the meeting, the second thing I wanted to achieve came to the front. I wanted each and every participant in the challenge and those throwing ideas across the table to realise exactly how skilled they are and exactly how much can come out of a room full of CRTs all throwing their hat in the ring. The ideas that came from the meeting are astonishing in volume and quality! My favourite quote came during the final discussion after brainstorming for one of the challenge submissions that someone brought with them:
"I could get an entire week's lessons out of this!".
THAT is what we can achieve. We aren't "second class teachers", we aren't the Teachers who weren't good enough to get a full time position, we aren't the teachers who don't have the time to devote to being good enough to have a full-time position. We are dedicated educators with all of the knowledge, skill and experience of any other group of teachers. We are specialists in a field that we get better at every day we are in it.
The third intention was to supply you with a spread of things that you have created as a source of reflection to see how far you've come as a Teacher.
All of us want a happy life, that's just a fundamental part of being human. With so much of our lives taken up by our careers that's never really going to happen for us if we aren't happy at work. It really is that simple.
So, take that stuff you made and see what it says about you as a teacher.
Many activities, one resource:
Do you feel you had to "stretch" the relevance of the resource to cover certain curriculum areas? If you did, do you think that's perfectly OK?
Did you find yourself wishing you'd picked a different resource at any point along the way and why?
Did you carefully choose your resource having considered many, or did you just see a resource and have your head filled with basic ideas to run with?
Did you find it restrictive being able to only use a single base resource?
Do you think the classes you teach will find it restrictive working from one resource or will they react positively to a common theme running through the multiple activities?
Have a think on these things. Do you think you are happier working from a solid plan, a flexible plan or would you be happier working "on the fly"? Do you think a structured approach is the most comfortable or would you prefer to have the "wiggle room" that extra activities would offer, giving you a bank of quick alternatives to choose from if your plan isn't working for a given class?
Note: This isn't about what should or shouldn't happen in a classroom, it's about your personal likes. We all know that you shouldn't walk into a room without a plan and do things "on the fly" even if it's a good idea to cultivate the skills to be able to do so for CRTs "just in case".
If you created a large collection of resources:
Sort them into 3 different piles. The first pile is what you could have created at the start of your career. The second pile is what you could have created in the middle of your career. The last pile is for the stuff you could have only recently created through a relatively new piece of learning.
Which pile is the biggest? What does this say about your professional learning along the way? Where did you learn most of the skills that you use in the classroom? Are you happy with this progression?
Then pick one from each pile at random. Have a think about how you would have used them in the classroom in your first day out, then in the middle of your career and then now. What does this say about the progression of your knowledge about the way students learn and classroom management? Is this pretty much in line with what you learnt in university OR have you picked up new strategies along the way to help make your classroom more conducive to learning?
Put those 3 back and then pick up the first pile. What principles are shown in that pile that you still find useful today? To what extent do they feature in the other two piles? Are you using those tried and true methods regularly OR have they mostly given way to something new but just as effective? Do you still use them "as is"? Have you incorporated them as an effective base to expand upon for other activities you have created?
Put them all back together. Now make another 3 piles. This time sort them into what you find most desirable to use in the classroom. What sort of things feature in the "least desirable" pile? Why do you think you have put them there? Have they been superseded by new methods you learnt along the way? Are they just "tired old methods" that students might not find engaging even though they are highly educational?
Now take the "I like these best" pile and build a lesson out of it. At lease two and a half hours but an entire day if you want to. You can pinch one or two activities out of the middle pile if you need to but no more than two. Were you able to build a complete lesson covering multiple curriculum areas? Jump in your "Way Back" machine and go to the time when you were in a class appropriate for those activities and think about the lesson from that perspective. Would the student you appreciate the teacher you have become?
Now do the same with the other two piles.
Now put the sheets away and just look at the ideas you have had during this reflection activity. You have a map of your career from varying perspectives. The "new teacher" that could only look at the two later piles and hope to be there one day. The "middle teacher" who can see back to what they used to be and forward to what they are going to be. The "end teacher" who can see the journey spread out behind them. The student you who used to have to go to school every day whether they enjoyed it or not.
How would each of the "yous" feel about that progress and who you are as a teacher? Are they being realistic or unrealistic in the way that they weigh up the information? What expectations did each of the "yous" have that you think are fully achievable but at some point along the way you got jaded or institutionalized and never followed up on? What aspect of your career is stopping you from doing it? Have you become jaded and need a new source of inspiration and enthusiasm? Do you just lack suitable tools to achieve what you want to achieve?
If you created a single lesson:
Pull your lesson down into it's component activities, themes and curriculum areas.
At which point in your career do you think you could have created each activity?
At which point in your career do you think you were capable of effectively using the different activities and had the behaviour management skills to make them effective and non-disruptive?
How have you structured the lesson? Are the "fun" activities last as a "carrot on a stick" approach to provide student motivation? Are they up front to engage students first? Are they interspersed so "a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down"? Or perhaps you have other reasons entirely for the structure. At which point in your career do you think you could have created a similarly effective structure? Did you used to use a different structure that evolved into this one? What were the elements that forced this evolution?
Has this evolution made your workload higher or lower? If it's made your workload higher, how much easier is it to accomplish now with the extra classroom experience than it would have been your first day on the job? If it's lower, at what point in your career did the different situations or learning happen that made you realize there was an easier way?
If you picked a different resource, how many of the activities could be quickly changed to suit the new one? How many are general and how many are specific? How often do you think you could re-use the same basic plan with a new resource in the same class before it got "old hat"?
How many of the activities could be reused with a new resource and maintain their educational value and student engagement over an extended period of time?
How universal do you think your lesson plan is? How many different classrooms could you use it in to good effect? What grade levels could it be simplified for or bumped up a few notches for?
Again, it's time for the wayback machine. How do you think the young you would have found the lesson and would they appreciate the teacher it shows you to be?
Again you have a list of multiple perspectives. How would the different yous at each stage of your life and career view the teacher you have become? How do you think the different yous would be happy with the "now you"? Think about the triumphs they would have seen you as having. Do you think they would find this expected or impressive? What areas would they be disappointed with? What goals did they have that you have not achieved? Do you think this was because the younger yous were a little naive or have you just forgotten about those goals or not had the chance to achieve them yet?
If you are just new.
These will come in the future after some of the activity packs have been uploaded!
Think about it all.
What do you think this all says about you as a teacher? Did you realize you were fully capable of what you achieved or are you a little surprised with how well you did? Are you happy with where you are on your Professional Learning curve? Have you had "those thoughts" since you finished? You know the ones, the "Oh no! I could have put this in too!" thoughts.
Does this give you a solid way to sort the wheat from the chaff to see where you are now and where you need to go to become the teacher you want to be at the end of your career?
I hope so. I don't just want you all to be the best teachers you can be, I also want you all to be the happiest teachers you can be. Being happy within yourself will add to your presence in the classroom and your effectiveness as a teacher. It will help you to reduce stress and avoid becoming burnt out which will help keep you as a sustainable member of the profession.
Most of all? It will get you one step closer to that happy life that everyone wants for themselves.
The new National Professional Standards for Teachers place a fairly hefty importance on professional networking. This means there's a choice to be made. A big one. Do you want to be a cog in the machine or do you want to be the motor that drives it? Sometimes, because I'm the coordinator of the Wodonga CRT Support Network, people lose sight of the fact that I'm also a Teacher. Teaching and learning are my passions which make me such a good candidate for being a Network coordinator. I also now present a Professional Development workshop for CRTs which can further cloud the issue, I'm going to have to buy some colourful hats to put on so people can tell which role I'm filling at the time I think! I do all of the organizational stuff for PD workshops and run meetings and so forth but I'm also 100% interested in sharing what I know and listening to others to fill in the blanks on what I don't. The thing is... I never thought I was capable of it all until I tried! I've built the Network up to well over 100 members with a lot more keeping tabs on what we do. I've built up this blog to thousands of views a month. I've helped many teachers see alternate gateways that allow them to have more fun teaching while providing more fun for their students with my PD Workshop. Me. "Just a CRT". I certainly have holes in my teaching like most of us do. Some things I'm great at. Most things I'm good at. A couple of things I struggle with. I guarantee you that you've got a couple things you are great at too! And you'd be surprised how many people want to hear from you about the things that you're great at. Not just the other teachers around you but the millions of teachers who access the Internet each and every day. This blog is about a local CRT network and the things that we come up with in meetings. Topics raised, the conclusions we come to and further thoughts after the fact. A lot of the stuff here is mostly of local interest but here's our distribution of where views of this blog have come from in the last month:
People from all over the place are coming to get hints and tips from our happy little community and are interested in what we are saying!
We ALL have ideas worth sharing and there's people out there who realize it, searching out teacher blogs or YouTube channels and the like, keen to get as many insights into the profession as they can get their hands on. So will you be content just to build your Professional Network and get
access to the ideas of others or do you want to take a turn in the
driver's seat too? We've done it, SO CAN YOU!
In return we are now loaning them our capsule coffee machine and milk frothers for use in their Craft Meetings to allow them something a little special for their members and helpers the way it does for us.
