Miss Art of Teaching

Change is inevitable and as teachers we need to be flexible and positive about new ideas and approaches to teaching. Teaching is a challenging job where we need to know our content and find ways to make learning fun. Lately, I have been asking students about how they feel about the subject and what we can do as a faculty to make learning more accessible to them. This has led me back to my blog and I am now sitting here thinking of new ways to deliver content: 1. Make learning more relevant. This year we have been looking at Environmental Issues and Street Art with Stage 5 (Year 9/10). However, compared to previous year, this particular cohort seem to find the projects less engaging. My faculty plans to create four shorter projects for 2020. We need to provide them with topics/issues that are more RELEVANT to them. Make them interested and CURIOUS. Give opportunities for students to generate their own research questions and search for explanations. 2. Make learning clear. Student...

Spot me... the lady in pink! Being a teacher involves taking on roles beyond the classroom walls. For the last few years, I have been an active member of the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Team. A few weeks ago I took over as the chairperson. This role includes: Chairperson Miss Kwan Develop agenda with input from team; send to team members. Facilitate meeting. Follow up on assigned tasks; seek input from team members/staff. Before the meeting, I was a bit nervous but as the meeting progressed this feeling disappeared. I used to have stage fright but as a teacher/presenter, it requires me to conquer this fear.  In prep for today's meeting, I prepared the agenda and covered a few main points: Recap of roles In the last few weeks, I have found three new members to join the PBL team. New members bring in a different perspective that existing members might not be able to offer.  Training and network I will be going ...

What I am doing?.... A few weeks ago we had a guest speaker coming in to the school to talk about our teacher well being. He recommended that we name our to-do list as the ta-da list. This means crossing off the completed job, waving your arms around and do a little happy dance. I have been working my way through my list. Not much of a dancer so you will not see me wiggling around after every task. I have logically categorised my workload: marking, work samples, reports, program submissions, Year 8 camp organisation, Positive Behaviour for Learning team planning.... This year I have all my theory work uploaded onto Google Classroom for grades 7-12. It makes life so much easier for the student and for the teacher. This virtual classroom allows students to ask questions, submit tasks and for teachers to mark and send back the feedback. I no longer have to take piles of papers home to mark and drain the ink from my pen. My Year 7 students are making print making, drawing and paint...

A while back, I posted about my high school's partnership with Western Sydney University. T he project involves professional development using an action research model. Action research is a process involving enquiry into an important question relating to classroom and school practice.  In my group of four teachers, we wanted to focus on creating a safe classroom. To know more about the project, please click on the following link: Safe Classroom We found that students are more likely to take risks if they feel safe in the classroom. To encourage these risk taking behaviour we reconsidered our teaching pedagogy. Some looked at providing longer waiting time, others looked at scaffolding information.  I was interested in providing words of encouragement. I also looked at recapping jargons used in class. If students feel they are valued for contributing and are familiar with the content, they are more likely to contribute to class discussions. Today, I asked my Year...

Recently an ex student asked me to be his referee. I'm glad to see that I am still a teacher that he can approach to ask for assistance. Sometimes students find it awkward to talk to their ex teacher once they leave the classroom. Others love stopping to have a chat. This ex student worked really hard throughout his time in my Year 8 Visual Arts class. He struggled with critical writing and always showed me his work a few weeks before it was due. I was able to give him feedback and he was able to make the changes before the submission date. I asked my executives if it was fine to share my personal details with him as he needs to put down my contact details for his job applications. Once I was given the green flag, I also proof read his resume. While reading his resume, I noticed that he did not explain what he could offer and why he is the best candidate for the job. The task of helping my ex student reminded me that my resume needs improvements. I also need people who I can t...

For today's blog entry, I decided to share a newsletter article that I compiled with teacher and students' feedback on Vivo (virtual points reward system) prizes. The school's 'Vivo' reward system works by having accounts set up for both the teacher and student. The cost of running the 'Vivo Miles' program depends on the number of students at your school. Teachers can reward students based on how well they are meeting the school's values of being a respectful, engaged and an active learner. Students can look up their virtual points and the messages that go along with it on their computer/mobile app and trade their points in for prizes of their own choice i.e. tangible prize or a teacher service prize.  To get a bit of a background about Vivo, please read the following post on: Ways to get donations/prizes Love my classes Newsletter article: A BIG thank you to all the teachers and staff who have donated their time providing these amazing Vivo T...

I am a huge believer on rewarding students and I try my best to get donations rolling into our school system. Over the past two years, I have been speaking to local businesses in person, sending out emails, letters and even asking for donations from the school community (via school Facebook and email). Sometimes we get monetary donations, other times we get tangible prizes. I try to be creative as well and ask if teachers are willing to provide services such as baking a cake, wearing a onesie, being a note taker.... If you want to know more about the different prizes, please remember to check out my links at the bottom of this blog post. This is the letter that I have been sending out to local companies: Dear I’d like to introduce myself, and outline the purpose of this letter. My name is Miss Kwan, and I am a High School Teacher at X High School. We are seeking funds to keep our school online rewards system running. Alternatively, you can provide merchandise to be placed i...

Tonight, I have been quite active on the school Facebook page. I am one of the five admins who monitors the page and puts up daily posts. I have made a post regarding when school resumes since there might be slight confusions with Anzac Day sitting on a Tuesday. After speaking to a parent via the private Facebook message option, I have made a post about her daughter who made it into the NSW Country Youth Women's Baseball team. We love to celebrate student's achievements inside and outside of school. I also included a link to our April electronic school newsletter (the below picture is a snippet taken from the newsletter).  Being an Art teacher, the Year 7 Adviser and a passionate advocator for Positive Behaviour Learning (PBL) means I LOVE taking photos to promote my school, my faculty and my Year 7 cohort. We are always proud of our students' achievements. They are all capable of amazing things. Above: Every month, I try to include something positive in our s...