#Nurture1314

#Nurture1314

OK, it's been a while since I've put anything on here (I hadn't noticed, I hear you say) but I'll explain more in my Education based #nurture1314 list below:

If you are reading this and don't know,  Nurture 13/14 is a trend on Twitter to write 13 things you are proud of or did well in 2013 followed by 14 aims/hopes or ambitions for the year ahead.  The idea came from @chocotzar in December 2012 with Nurture1213.

1. January.  I relocated to Cheshire due to our first baby been born, and our need for us to move from London to Cheshire to be closer to my father in law, who has MS.  I started a new job as a science teacher and teaching and learning leader.

2.  Managed to move classrooms with only a small amount of controversy!  I moved myself out of an old-school style laboratory with just three rows of awkward long benches, which I would previously have adored with its fume cupboard, full water, electricity and gas connections, and into a 'science studio' which previously I would have hated!  I had quickly arrived at the conclusion that in comparison to the students at my last school, these kids need to learn to love learning and not as previously, to be taught chemistry.  The science studio actually does have one working gas tap and one working water tap, in other words a demonstration bench at the front but the benefits weigh-in as follows: free standing tables meaning I can arrange them how I want, currently with students sitting in groups of fours (why have I only just done this!?!?!?); more display space; balcony doors onto the roof terrace (nature's own fume cupboard); break-out computer area, printer, toilets and team-room all just outside the door.  I know, I'm jealous of myself, surely the dream has to come crashing down any moment #toogoodtobetrue.  The downside, of course is that you aren't forced to get around the building!

3.  Became a teaching and learning coach.  I co-launched a coaching programme across the school which aims to help teachers to move from good to outstanding lesson observations.  We had a very good uptake: 21 members of staff joined our confidential list and we have started working with nearly all of them.   However, pursuing this project has given lots to think about; about what outstanding really is, what we need to do to be holistically outstanding, being more open and what it is that Ofsted are looking for in 2013/2014, but I'm plan to write more about that in another post soon.

4.  Began to use Twitter.  In August, just before going back to school, my fairly dormant Twitter account which I had held since 2010 notified me that my school's Vice Principal had tweeted that he was going to be himself on Twitter and await the response, I had never considered using Twitter in this way but it's got me gripped.  I believe only around 5% of teachers use Twitter as a personal learning network but I think, like many others, it is going to become the norm and that it will become essential for all innovative teachers wishing to develop their own practice.

5.  Got inspired.  These are the people on Twitter who have inspired me the most in the four months since 'getting on it'.  @teachertoolkit @leadinglearner @ICTMagic @A_Weatheral  @ASTsupportAAli and finally, I was inspired to jump on the #nurture1314 band wagon by @rlj1981 and her own #nurture1314 post.

6.  Started blogging.  It didn't take too long before Twitter, yes Twitter again, encouraged me to  start blogging!  To be more precise, I was reading the blog of @davidfawcett27, who should also be mentioned in number 5, when I found the inspiration to start blogging.  From a personal view it is a great way to reflect on the past (the good bits) and look forward to the future (with hope).  It really focusses you when you think someone else could be reading your scribble.

7.  Joined a triad.  I am chuffed that my school takes seriously teachers learning from teachers as this is one of the most valuable and easiest ways to improve each other.  We are asked to arrange our own observation triads and are given time to meet with each other and observe each other's lessons.  Even better for me, I'm with an Assistant Vice Principal and Teach First colleague, both of whom I rate highly because they have been very proactive in arranging meetings/observations and talking in depth about the focus of our observations.

8.  Explored SOLO taxonomy.  I saw a presentation on SOLO taxonomy in science at #TMBrumatxmas, the one and only TeachMeet I have ever been to(Dec. 2013) but I was encouraged to find out more about SOLO and this is when I came across @leadinglearner and his excellent blog posts on SOLO. Also see number 7 below.

9.  Had the idea for a TeachMeet Stoke-on-Trent.  More in this post.

10.  Went to my first TeachMeet: This was in Brimingham;  I didn't get as far as volunteering to speak at one but that's on the list for 2014, see number 8.  #TMBrumAtXmas was organised by @danielharvey9  and included festive fayre, a free raffle and fantastic speakers and workshops with plenty of networking opportunities.

11.  Started a pedagogy library which I talk about in this post.

12.  Tried and failed to get onto the Teaching Leaders Fellows.  I got through to the interview day and was then unsuccessful  :(  This was like nothing I've ever done before and so  I have taken a huge amount of experience from the entire process and on reflection, I feel like a completely new learner.  It was a very full day: A presentation, one hour on to one interview, team data exercise and role play with professional actors.  This elearning module on difficult conversations has helped me to understand that there were things I just didn't know which I wish I had known when I had the dreaded role-play part of the day.  The whole experience made me step back, clarify my own achievements, previous roles and impacts in my own head and RELAX!  Overall, I'm glad I failed; it made me stronger and I look forward to much more failure next year  ;)

13.  Saw my son take his first steps.

14 Good intentions.

1.  Blog more.  See number 6 above.  I've already got one blog idea: The one month update of Nurture1314 but I'll be working on the title for a little bit longer before publishing that one. Maybe I think too much about it. . . .JUST START. . .  When I first started a blog, my target was to keep it going until the end of September and I achieved that by producing approximately three posts, hardly impressive but now my target is to post at least once per week!  You can't eat an elephant all at once:  This time next year I'll be a prolific blogger.

2.  Relocate again!  Fingers crossed baby number two will be born happy and healthy at the end of January and we will move to a new house in February or March, our dream 'forever home' sort of thing and also five miles closer to school so I can cycle more often.

3.  Organise TeachMeet Stoke-on-Trent.  This will be amazing, and hopefully provide some great FREE continuing professional development.  I need to get enough people signed up to deliver some amazing sessions and enough people wanting to sit back/join in and be enthused, amused and inspired to love teaching and share more.

4.  Encourage more teachers to use. . . .last time. . . . . . .Twitter.

5.  Coaching.  To see if we can encourage the coachees of the good to outstanding lessons coaching and put on a 'show and tell-cum-TeachMeet' style presentation to share our journeys, experiences and ideas.

6.   My own CPD.  Making more learners love learning.

7.  SOLO Taxonomy.  I am going to get my students to learn to recognise when their understanding is at a unistructural, multistructural, relational or extended abstract level.  There will be a post on this soon.

poster: @totallywired77

8.  My first TeachMeet presentation.  I'm going to make my first presentation at a  TeachMeet!!

9.  Look out for new opportunities.  Find five things in January to complete this list.

10.  Just seen this:  Great blog post by @TeacherTweaks.  I will read around 500 more blogs than I did in 2013 which was probably only 6 or 7; this is still very new to me!  I have never been a writer; I left school without a grade in English GCSE  (if you have read this far, you you have probably guessed that already) but I know reading improves writing and this blog post by teachertweaks is just another example of beautifully written thought provoking writing available for free.

11.  JUST START.  I saw this recently........

12.  Encourage more collaboration.  See my post on Student collaboration.

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