Welcome to Teaching with a Feather
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'The object of teaching a child is to enable them to get along without their teacher.'
Adapted from a quote by Elbert Hubbard 1856 - 1915
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Hello and welcome to issue No. 9 of the Teaching with a Feather (TWAF) newsletter.
I hope your holiday break provided you with time to rest, reflect and be ready to begin the final term of the school year with enthusiasm and excitement. Reflecting and reviewing your classroom program and implementing new ideas is always important for growth as a teacher.
Introducing the Teaching with a Feather program (TWAF) for teachers this year has provided me with opportunities for reflection, development of new ideas and changing and adapting strategies.
I've developed new content for the website including a visual overview of the Teaching with a Feather program, the Learning and Life Tips have 'new tips' and TWAF Signs are also available for classroom use.
I'm very pleased and excited to announce a new team will be starting a TWAF mentoring journey with me in Term 4. You can meet the new team in the next newsletter and read details about their journeys.
Receiving positive feedback and reviews from the teachers and students who have participated in the Term 3 intensive mentoring program has provided momentum for me to forge ahead with the Teaching with Feather program and all it has to offer. If you know teachers who are on the lookout for new teaching and management ideas please feel free to forward on the newsletter.
All the best for Term 4.
Kind Regards
Robyn Cotter
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Robyn, Anne, Kirsty, Ashlea, Evan and Ineke spent last term working together on a Teaching with a Feather mentoring journey.
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At the end of the program each teacher provided a detailed written review including the following feedback:
Anne, what TWAF strategies have you introduced?
I have been using the Please Explain strategy and I love it – it is the one that I now use the most in my teaching. It really makes the students focus on what they are doing and how it impacts on the class.
I also had a major revamp of the room using the TWAF strategy Brand New Day, which was guided by Robyn Cotter, and love the new arrangement. The students all loved the room and commented on it as soon as changes were made. It has been a huge change.
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Ashlea, what changes have you noticed with your students?
My students have become more accountable, independent, daring and there seems to be a positive feel in the classroom as I believe the learning environment has become more suitable for all students and continues to grow as students gain more confidence and awareness.
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Evan, what changes have you noticed with your students?
- Students reflecting on their work and behaviour choices.
- Students taking more responsibility for their thinking (I am…).
- Students prepared for more learning after a Five Minute Break.
- Students reflecting and verbalising what went well using Out the Door Endorphins.
- Students generally being more calm, settled, independent and responsible.
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Ineke, what do you think?
Doing this PD has made being back in the classroom even more satisfying and exciting for me. TWAF is an exciting and invigorating approach to help teachers to teach with maximum effectiveness. The TWAF classroom promotes student learning, thinking, self-confidence. The natural open style of teaching shows kids that the teacher respects and values them as a learner. It promotes a positive “I can have a go, I can succeed, I will try something new” atmosphere that is stimulating, challenging, supportive, respectful and thoroughly enjoyable for everyone - even though we are all working very hard.
Doing this PD has been lots of fun and hard work but so satisfying that the hard work was soon forgotten for me and my grade. The kids and I learned to take a fresh look at the process of teaching and learning. I am the teacher in charge of the classroom but we are all teachers and learners in room 5 because we can see and share new ways of doing things.
Students are working well together and accepting more responsibility for their behaviour and learning. They are willingly contributing to discussions and offering more ideas.
I have noticed a big improvement in the presentation of all work. They are more confident, daring, creative, willing to have a go, more co-operative and quite capable of planning displays and putting them up without teacher intervention.
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Kirsty, what changes have you noticed with your students?
Students:
- Are a lot calmer in the classroom.
- Have a greater sense of ownership in the classroom.
- Being kinder to each other.
- Are making decisions and thinking for themselves more often.
- Helping each other more frequently.
- More ready to learn after the 5 Minute Break.
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Teaching with a Feather - What's New?
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Teaching with a Feather Overview
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TWAF strategies are designed to enhance, take advantage of, and contribute to the Physical Environment and the Communication Environment you and your students create together in the classroom.
The Physical Environment
TWAF techniques make use of clever furniture arrangements, displays and spaces in your classroom to create an environment that provides opportunities for students to make decisions and grow as independent thinkers.
The Communication Environment:
TWAF provides innovative ideas to change what you 'say and do' to enhance your teaching and management skills resulting in positive changes in the ways your students think and respond.
Introducing and integrating Teaching with Feather strategies into your day-to-day teaching and management program gives both you and your students a feeling of positive control.
Try these 3 TWAF strategies with your students during your next lesson and observe your students responses and note how you feel and respond.
Explain to your students the reasons for introducing new ideas. Get them on board with you. Each of the strategies on the website provides detailed explanations, outcomes and extra ideas. Read through each idea and then give it a go!
Click the link below for ideas on how to introduce TWAF strategies and examples of TWAF Strategy Packages to try.
teaching feather.com/i-want-to-start-using-the-twaf-strategies-where-do-i-begin/
The link below provides a chart showing traditional techniques still in use in classrooms with suggestions for TWAF options to use instead.
teachingfeather.com/resources/articles/traditional-techniques-versus-twaf-thinking/
Join the growing number of teachers using Teaching with a Feather techniques and experience the positive outcomes for yourself and students.
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Teaching with a Feather - New Strategies
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The following strategies provide new ways of thinking and dealing with the day-to-day teaching and management in your classroom. These strategies are designed to achieve positive outcomes for you and your students.
Please note: The two new TWAF strategies below are available on the website for registered subscribers only.
1. Don't Let a Problem Beat You
Any student can be faced with a problem during the school day. Small problems such as lost books, pencils, not sure what to do or more serious problems such as relationship issues. Some students show great resilience and ability to get the problem sorted and move on.
What about the students who can’t seem to move on from the problem - the problem is winning? Try this different approach!
teachingfeather.com/dont-let-a-problem-beat-you/
2. The Morning Meeting
How do you start your school day? Do you have a meeting? What opportunities do your students have to talk, share, ask questions and thank others? Here's a meeting format to try in your classroom that is more than 'show and tell'.
teachingfeather.com/morning-meeting/
Visit www.teachingfeather.com/strategies for more strategies to use in your classroom.
To become a subscriber and have access to all TWAF strategies visit:
www.teachingfeather.com/registration
Note: There are a selection of Free Content TWAF strategies available on the website for all teachers to access anytime.
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The Morning Meeting Card
Make a small hand held card for students to use as a reference when they are conducting the Morning Meeting. Being the chairperson provides great opportunities for developing leadership skills.
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Teaching with a Feather Professional Development Opportunites for 2016
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Teaching with a Feather Journeys
Please Note: Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in a Teaching with a Feather Intensive Mentoring Journey have closed for Term 4, 2015.
The new team has been finalised and will begin their Teaching with a Feather Journey with Robyn in the first week back in Term 4.
Expressions of Interest for the next intake of teachers will be open in the new year, 2016.
Due to the high demand for places in our flagship Teaching with a Feather Intensive Mentoring Program we suggest you register your interest in 2016 as early as possible.
To register for participation please complete an Expression of Interest form available on our website. Once you have registered an EOI you will receive a questionnaire via email. This contains 6 questions for you to reflect on your current practises and to select a TWAF Journey of your choice from the 3 on offer.
Please Note: Robyn works in consultation with school leadership to assist with teacher selection and number of hours undertaken for the intensive mentoring program.
All teachers who submit an EOI will be considered for the program. Due to the strictly limited numbers there will be options available for placement in future programs.
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Articles:
Here is a thought provoking article by Dr Helen Street relating to reward systems and behaviour management. Are rewards helping or hindering your students?
Visit www.teachingfeather.com/resources/articles to locate the article.
Resources:
Checkout the new TWAF resources - a set of 26 TWAF Strategy Signs are now available to download.
teachingfeather.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TWAF-Signs.pdf
TIP: Use the signs to create a display in your room to reminders you and your students which strategies you are implementing into your day-to-day teaching and management practises.
IDEA: Allow students to have the responsibility for creating the display. Great opportunity for independent thinking, team work and decision making.
www.teachingfeather.com/resources/posters
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Anne, Ashlea and Ineke celebrate the completion of their Teaching with a Feather Journey with afternoon tea. Our other TWAF team members, Evan and Kirsty were not able to join us so I caught up with them at school to present their certificates.
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The students from Point Cook College willingly accepted the challenges of using Teaching with a Feather strategies and were both adaptable and accepting of new ways of thinking and doing. Working with the students was a fantastic and rewarding experience.
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Teaching with a Feather has both a Facebook and Twitter account. I make regular Facebook posts providing ideas, photos, quotes and information relating to the TWAF programs happening in 2015.
www.facebook.com/teachingfeather
A special thank you to everyone who checks in to see what's happening on the TWAF Facebook. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Please share your stories and experiences using the TWAF strategies via email at info@teachingfeather.com - it would be great to hear from you.
If you would like to send in photos or articles for the newsletter please let me know. Your contributions are very welcome.
Please Note: All previous TWAF newsletters are available on the website for you to access and read here:
us8.campaign-archive2.com/home/?u=aabbbbd3684e350febc27eab6&id=81f5721ba6
Each newsletter provides 'food for thought' via articles that generate new thinking. All links to TWAF strategies and resources can be accessed through the newsletter or directly from the Teaching with a Feather website.
www.teachingfeather.com
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'The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner'.
― Elbert Hubbard
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