Sarah

Sarah's reflections on her students. I have started the year as I hope to continue, by engaging with my students early on, setting realisitic expectations and communicating these to each student. If I can encourage each student to get into the habit of working regularly in February, I hope it will be easier for them to maintain this regular study routine during the year. So far, this seems to be working, with the exception of one student.

Diagnostic results, what next profile, POL adjustments and resources sent to develop skills.... Feedback and reflection of successes and barriers Other teacher's comments and reflections on the processes.. By week 3 Term 1 he has sent in a booklet in Science, Maths and Social studies. Feb 24 - I spoke to his grandmother who said this boy and his Dad have an appointment at Tamatea HS today and fingers are crossed that he will be accepted there as a Year 9 student. I will feel quite sad if he leaves Te Kura, as he is one of my most committed students, but it would be for the best for him in terms of making friends, doing sport and having all the other opportunities a f2f secondary school provides. 1 March 2010 - This student has been accepted by Tamatea High School as a Year 9 student. This is the best possible outcome for him. I think his time on Correspondence has settled him and helped him develop self motivation and study skills. Nice email from his mother to me: 'Thanks so much for your help, encouragement, effort and kindness with D...He hs thrived during his time with TCS, and his self esteem has really picked up. He is really enjoying high school. He has already made new friends and it's so nice to see him smiling....Our whole family really appreciates all you have done. Thanks - you changed a child's life". A success story - it makes our job here worthwhile when these breakthroughs happen.
 * Student A** is in Year 9, a Pakeha boy. He came onto the Te Kura roll in August 2009 as a Year 8 student, expelled for behavioural issues. At age 12 he was already a very tall boy - 5'10" and growing. Diagnostics Asttle November 2009: Writing - 4P; Reading - 4P; Maths - 4P. He settled quickly into a regular work routine, supervised by his grandmother. He completed a pleasing amount of work across the curriculum for the rest of 2009, at an age-appropriate level. This year he is taking an INTGR8 programme and MX000, GD500 and INTSC5. He and his parents were very keen for him to go to a f2f school for the start of Year 9, but all their efforts, backed by me and the LT, have so far been rebuffed by the schools they have approached.

Probe reading 12.2.10: reading: (Instructional) - 10.5. TR's work in ENG384 indicated that she is writing at about cl 2-3, and needs to focus on developing basic spelling and punctuation skills. I sent some copied pages from 'My Dictionary' and told her to use them to check any words she is not sure of. Also ordered 'Spell Write'. She has sent in two HPE booklets which she completed well. She said that the maths course (MX320) is too hard so after talking with her Maths teacher, I changed her programme to IMX220 - she was pleased. She is also reluctant to try the Art booklets because "I can't draw'. I encouraged her to just enjoy trying different ways of making art and said that it will be great to see anything she can produce.TR has sent in 4 English books in Feb so I sent a reading assignment on Pet Perspectives to give her some variety. Speaking to her, I made a clear link for her between her goal of being a flight attendant and her stated wish to improve her spelling (link = NCEA literacy requirements). She said she's using the spelling lists. She's now enjoying maths as she can work on the IMX220 booklets independently. 9/3: I marked three booklets (English and HPE) which she had completed to a good standard. Her spelling was more accurate than in ENG384. She needs practice with sentence punctuation. I rang and praised her for the good standard of the work received. She told me she has completed several MX booklets; I told her to post each one as soon as she finishes it, to avoid running out of work. TR has sent in an SST booklet about body decoration which she completed very well, including doing a beautiful Indian mehndi (?) design. I sent her an Art booklet about moko designs to build on this. 17/3 - Breakthrough today! - TR rang to say she is having trouble with a SC activity and to ask for more maths. The first time she has taken the initiative - a good sign. Her SC teacher rang her to talk her through the problem. The LT visited me today and told me TR's home is a 'tinny house' with many strangers coming and going at all times of day and night. 24/3 TR has now started on her Art and really enjoyed the 'eels' booklet. I told her I was very impressed with the amount of work she has sent in this term; she is coming to Wellington in first week of holidays and was disapppointed that her teachers won't be here. I will be in Australia or I would have organised to meet her.TR has now sent in ART401 - her pastel drawing of eels is great and follows all hte criteria; she enjoyed doing it. Term 2 - TR forgot the LT was visiting - a shame as he would have reinforced my positive comments. Need to remind her of his next visit. Sent tR a letter telling a bit about my flights to and within Aussie during the holidays, to encourage her thoughts about becoming a flight attendant. SEnt T a newspaper article about a (real) flight attendant's life and job. T rang me to talk about her programme - she has now enrolled in Spanish.
 * Student B** ('TR') is a Year 10 female Maori student, expelled from College in May 2009 for 'disruptive inability to concentrate'. She has been diagnosed with ADHD and is enrolled with Te Kura as a psychological enrolment because 'her spontaneous and unpredictable behaviour is not able to be managed at school.' She worked with another TAH teacher in Year 9 (Terms 3 and 4); she completed some Year 9 work across the curriculum apart from Science and Art. I rang on the first day of Term 1 2010 and had a positive chat with TR and her mother. I outlined which booklets I wanted her to complete by the end of the following week. She has made a good start early on, sending in booklets in English, Science and HPE within the first week. The HPE book she sent in indicated she may be interested in a flight attendant career so I printed off some info about entry requirements for flight attendants from the Web, and posted them to her with a note to let me know if she wants to study a language. Followed up with a talk to her mother - leave this option at present.