My Learning Space #EdBlogNZ #cenz16

This year I am not in a classroom.  I have made the big decision to go back to University and do my Masters in Education, specifically studying global education policy.  Because I want all my certificates from University to match, I'm heading back to the University of Waikato... but my post grad from Wintec will be the odd certificate out.

So this is a photo of my work area, complete with printer, CDs of music and piles of paper, room for a water bottle, easy access for my sunnies for when I go hang out the washing and my car keys for escape.  That's a photo of my granddad and his brother and sister as young children in behind.

There is also another table that has extendables on either end for when I really need to spread out and I have a chair with wheels!!

But when I am tired of the spot up above to do my studying in, I'll be heading to this much more scenic spot below to study for complete serenity and no one nagging me to do stuff!

 

Believe it or not, I can actually achieve a lot of stuff at this place.  It is my happy place.

 

But if you would like to see what kind of teacher I am when it comes to wall displays and set out, I do have a couple of blog posts I prepared earlier....

 

Nearly two years ago I did two blog posts about my classroom environment.  The first post, The Classroom Environment - what makes a class attractive? was prompted by a blog post by Bruce Hammond, and I was inspired to walk around my room and photograph it as it was on a Friday in Week 7 of Term 1.  The second post, Changing what is on the walls was prompted by an article I came across on Twitter about minimalizing what is displayed to avoid distraction and the need to show how a class display can evolve as the learning progresses.

 

Below are photos from various classes and year levels I have taught over the years.

 

These photos are from a Year 4/5 class.

 

 

This photo is from when I had a Year 7/8 class.  These kids are all turning 20 and 21 now.... does that make me old?

 

 

These photos are from a Year 4 class:

 

 

This photo us from a Year 4 class

 

 

This photo is from a class with Year 5-8 students:

 

 

And these photos are from a class with Year 4-8 students (the class from the linked blog posts above):

 

 

 

 

 







#OneWord2016: SATISFACTION

A challenge has been set for the connected teachers of Aotearoa by #EdBlogNZ:

I accept that challenge.  Click here to be part of the challenge too.

My #OneWord2016 is SATISFACTION!

The last couple of years I feel like "I ain't got no - satisfaction" - to quote a famous song.

The first part to getting some satisfaction is to start and finish the year in the same place.  It's to know what is going to happen next week, next month, next term and, hopefully, next year.  Not in a concrete way, but in a settled way. 

Here is the definition of satisfaction:



How I am going to do this and what I am going to do to achieve this sounds very vague, but at the moment it has to be, because things are still up in the air a bit.  But I'm working on bringing things back down to earth - in a good way.  I like to get there on the most windy, steepest, precarious goat track... it's how I've always done it and how I always will, and I just have to go with the flow.  Try and keep up with me during 2016.

And cheers to the other teacher bloggers who have completed this challenge before me.  Your blogs were an inspiration.  So check them out:

• Marnel van der Spuy with the word fierce.
• Kerri Thompson with the word punk.
• Philippa Nicoll Antipas with the word relish.