The Following takes place between 1 pm and 7.30pm

1pm The ERO team go ‘off site’ for lunch- In fairness to the staff. I guess but knowing the area I wonder where they went- There is no café, bar or petrol station within 20 minutes drive. But they go and we take a few minutes to assess how the day is going and any changes fir this afternoon.

1.20pm “Major behavior issue” appears just as the team arrive back from lunch. The two youngest students run up… “Mr Evans, Mr Evans?” “Yes” “*%$# just threw a…” (OH NO, I think) “…a flower at us”- Wow, just think if this is major here, I hope we have remembered to include a “No throwing flowers rule” into the behavioural management plan.

1.30pm I walk in after lunch- The class is silent, all on task. I look into their eyes and I sense the fear- well maybe just nerves, but didn’t sound as dramatic. Tension is certainly running high for me.

2.20pm The afternoon is silent, the team are speaking with the principal, I’m not saying I’m any less nervous – I spent quite a bit of time looking over my shoulder and glaring through the window especially at those “I want you packed away and sitting on the mat” moments when for about 25 seconds the class class erupts in to a perceived chaotic state- isn’t it always those moments when the visitors walk in?

But not this time. The whole class is sitting in rapped attention while I read a story for the last 10 minutes of the day- phew.

3pm I say phew, but we’re not done yet- In fact the scariest bit for me is now about to happen and I haven’t had a break since 11am- I’m feeling a little strung out to say the least. I grab a coffee, It’s the best we’ve got for now.

3.10pm “The Meeting” begins and we’re discussing the current situation in light of the ‘Terms of Reference’ – Stink, now I know I’m in trouble – what are the terms of reference? Think, man, think!

3.12pm Penny drops with a helpful reference during conversation to the previous ERO report. Terms of reference from the previous ERO- Learning Intentions, formal assessment of student progress let alone student ownership of the learning- You know, nothing major, NOT.

3.50pm “So, Simon, tell us about the Teacher Appraisal process. How does it impact and enhance student achievement? I think that was the question, or wone very like it, I’m not sure because they had to ask me in several different ways and I needed all the scaffolding possible- how embarrassing!

I ummed and erred my way through it til I hit upon the idea of just reading and sharing with them my current goals and the associated success criteria.

All I had to do was read out the goal and it became so obviously student centred :

Personal Objective

- To become familiar with multi-level teaching and assessment practice, specifically in written language.

Performance Indicators

- Success criteria will demonstrate a range of levels.

- Evidence of students self assessment in books.

- Tracking sheets in children’s books and assessment folders completed.

Wish I’s just done that 5 minutes ago rather than looking like an idiot!

4.30pm They’re gone but I’ve got to stick around for a bit making sure that all the paperwork is in place and ready for them coming in tomorrow.

6pm Driving home- Have to mention just how much I’m enjoying the audio version of “The Fellowship of the Ring”, its 19hours worth of listening, but with an hours round trip each of my Sherenden days I getting a fair way through it.

6.30pm Bedtime routine for my boy… aiming for 7pm lights out but it always goes badly when I’m as late as this.

7.30pm Boy in bed… told you so!

That was one full on day! I was struck with how much it came down to me. Sure the Principal did the lion’s share but I suddenly feel like a proper time out here in the ‘sticks’.

Conferences are great for catching up with old friends and colleagues. I have had many conversations today with many people but there is one that stuck for me. Someone was saying about the focus the staff have this year for professional development:

“For this year is on Inquiry Learning

The focus this year for Literacy is Efeective Literacy Practise.

The focus this year for Maths is consolidating the NUMP programme.

Also we are working on SMS Etap across the school

And those of you with IWB’s have a series of day in the holidays to assist you in embedding this technology into your classroom practise.”

So what is the focus for this year?

Someone should mention to senior management that focus is the singular even though it ends with an ’s’.

How are staff supposed to fully focus on so many areas at once?

Is it just this school or do others have similiar long lists of focus (sic) ?

Some key questions to review for the ERO visit:

How well can staff articulate the assessment/ literacy/ numeracy process in the school?

Is there evidence of teacher reflection?

Students on task- actively engaged- highly motivated- behaviour?

Is planning linked to the curriculum statementsand schoolwide expectations?

Is planning also linked to national achievement objectives?

Are students able to articulate learning intentions?

Is all work marked and well presented?

Are written comments in books linked to the learning intentions?

Do students set their own success criteria and self assess?

Do students support and respect each others learning?

What is the impact of reading interventions at our school?

How are Maori and Pacific student achievement being analysed and collated?

How does this translate into classroom interventions?

Is achievement information for gifted and tallented students being analysed and how is it used to develop future learning programmes?

Yep, just as I thought, a ‘quick meeting’ at 8.50 am in the staffroom. We all got together for the feedback session with the Senior Management meeting last night. We all knew that it had gone pretty well because the Chair of the Board came into school at about 6 am this morning to put up balloons, she even taped little encouraging notes over the staffroom windows. She too did an amazing job. According to report she spoke very elloquently of the school and encouragingly of our school, its staff and the programmes we run.

Some highlights were: Gifted and Talented provision, Maori and Pacific Islander provision, Our development of Discovery time, and our childrens response and openess.

A large part of the week has been focused on ‘formative practise’ specifically in writing books. They found a good system engaged throughout the school, students really did know about their ‘next stap’ learning… they even noted that the approach was beginning to be used in other curriculum areas like maths and reading even though that is our focus for next year.

So overall a very positive report. I will be including a link to the actual report when it appears online, more to be clever than expecting you to download it.

On a personal note, I really appreciated the flexibility of the inspector who visited my room yesterday. My head was not all on ERO having found out that my mum was involoved in a car accident back in England… when I had to talk to the inspectors I had not had a chance to talk fully with my mum and did not know the full story of the accident. But all is well, and I am relieved, 12000 miles away is a very long way away when stuff like that happens.

My brain is fudge. I was pulled out of my class today to be interviewed by one of the inspectors. I had to take all my planning folders for her to look through (though I forgot to take my weekly maths planning folder-doh!)

We talked about formative practise and how the students know where they are going. I mentioned my focused writing groups and she asked after the data side of things. I was very candid and may get pulled up by management for ‘talking my mouth off’, but our Y3 are spread across levels 1(i) to level 2 for those of you in the know. We have quite a number at level 1(iii) and I talked about whether we have decided that 1(iii) was an appropriate level for our kids or whether we were expecting the majority to have attained level 2. We as a school have decided that the target of level 2 is appropriate which means that we have some serious work to do to achieve that over the remainder of the term. Sure some are already there but not nearly enough to say we have reached that particular benchmark.

We discussed the use of the IWB in the classroom and she was particularly interested in its impact on formative practise….erk! Should have thought about it a little more deeply beforehand….hmmm maybe it wouldn’t have helped because I’m sat here this evening racking my brain and still somewhat clueless.

My two kids that got interviewed did an amazing job. They were asked all about the technology use in the classroom and how it helps them learn… both were involved in the Alligator Alley thing I blogged about as well has having experience using Skype TalkandWrite. I hope there is some mention of the infusing of ICT in the curriculum and it not just being an addition, I feel our school is really beginning to move in that direction.

Maths- Nothing to report, were they focused yes, did they learn yes, did I teach yes, were we observed….well…no.

Oh my goodness! Is it rutting season or do they just do this as an ERO treat. We had a bunch of senior boys playing touch on one half of the field, Intermediates on the other, then the Intermedates decide the best place to play s where the Seniors are so the Seniors move and play somewhere else. THEN the Intermediates decide to move again and again, tempers flared and lines draw in the sand…. much hand gesturing (some of which I didn’t know… that sheltered upbringing again!) Fortunately my Principal was not far away… 30 Intermediates and 20 seniors can be somewhat troubling in a confrontational situation.

Senior Management had meeting after school, who knows how it went? I guess we’ll all get some feedback tomorrow- watch this space.

I find it odd that I finish typing this around 10pm, every night this week I think!