Longworth Education
Play in the Classroom: The Role of the Teacher
Saturday 14 March 2020
St Mary’s Catholic School Rotorua
**WORKSHOP REQUIREMENTS**
Thank you for your registration to attend our workshop ‘The Role of the Teacher’. We will be located in St Mary’s Catholic School, 37 Carnot Street, Glenholme, Rotorua 3010.
The day is jam packed with information and activities. As a result, we will be starting promptly at 9.00am and concluding at 3.00pm. Morning tea will be provided and lunch is at your discretion. Lunch will be approximately 30 minutes. Coffee and tea will be available throughout the course of the workshop as required.
This is intended to be a highly practical and interactive workshop. You will be critically examining your current practice in comparison to that of the literature around effective and successful teaching within a student-directed learning environment.
In order for you to participate effectively in this workshop you will be required to bring the following:
· A video recording of no more than ten minutes of children playing in your classroom/learning environment. This should be a typical learning activity involving children in self-directed play – NOT teacher directed or structured. It may involve you commenting, or be of children playing without teacher interaction – this is your choice.
· This video will be used in small group reflection and practice times. It will not be broadcast, nor will it be used or recorded for any other purpose other than to review and upskill your own practice. Please bring this ready to view on your own device (eg ipad or laptop). This device should be able to be viewed by a small group of teachers at one time. Wi-Fi may not be available.
· The New Zealand Curriculum document
· Photos you may have of your students engaged in play. These will be used as practice for constructing a narrative assessment. Please print these out.
We look forward to working with you all at this workshop.
Stacey Mabey & Ann Langis,
Longworth Education Ltd
The role of the teacher - teaching through play
Anne and Stacey
The philosophy of play
Free to Learn book Peter Grey
Self chosen and self directed play - becomes intrinsic- becomes children are free to choose if they want to join in or not, having a level of independence. They need to have the time to get involved.
Listen out for children sorting their own play, fantasy play.
Role of the teacher, setting the scene
Find an op shop, pots pans cups tablecloths, buttons,
Take the time out to go and play with kids
Looking out for interests
Allowing children to look at the real world - going outside the classroom, having a look at the butcher etc...
Learning through play - misunderstanding
doesn't mean leaving kids completely
What framework will you work in- the teacher holds their framework
Setting kids up with what it looks like ie: respect, sharing, how do we do this?
What are they wondering, what is their question about what they are thinking, don't come in with my questioning as it may not be their intent at all!
Ted talks, The element, Robinson importance of self directing
Chd more agency - skills needed for chd , what do you need in a rapidly changing environment, need to be creative, work with things that arise, cooperative, communicate
Intentional teaching -
5 Year framework
Discovery time
Invitations - provocations - can be turned down. Provocations was childrens learning provoked?
What level are they playing, can it be enhanced. Can you add a bit of co-play or add a resource, to enhance. Coding - mental construction play
Is it self chosen
Can they choose the rules - if chd have a choice of who they play with is powerful for chd. ICT can be a tool, eg photos, or playing which is providing loose tools.
Urges
The Soft skills = Socio-emotional learning- being part of a group - helping people get their need met, getting along with other people
Why the importance
All behaviour is an expression of a need - physical, verbal, body language,
What skills will children need for their social and emotional learning.
How can you support different emotions?
Feelings word wheels
Teaching the key competencies through play
Play - what is a specific social need during play?
Need to identify a skill that needs to be taught- plan for explicit teaching, puppets, children practice the skill
Down in the jungle song
Get away from the fixed stuff, from low level play to high order play
**how can we resource when I don't know what it is they are doing?? Different children coming in .
My thoughts,
Having quite a fair amount of time in beginning of the year to how your class will roll with teaching thru play and learning thru play.
Restrictions - timetable, expectations from management, time to resource and setting up the classroom with space, to many kids coming along, 90 different chd over days, not the same chd that come through or continue with what they were doing,
Stacey talked about giving yourself time to see what may be needed in the play setting. - How would we do this if we two of us are out in another quiet room doing the teacing?
How can this happen when chd are all over the place , not being able to see what they are doing.
Dave commented on me learning to let go and not be so teacher directed - my question is how do I do that in an unsupported learning thru play environment where we are restricted with time and having to monitor different children right across our team. Also having to move out of my class and going into a learning room away from my environment, taking all my resources, not having them there and then.
My proposal emailed to my team leader Nicole + colleagues Monday 16 March 2020
Given that PBL is a 5 year framework and we are required to follow through with it, then I propose the following.
Bearing in mind:
*When beginning PBL there is generally a 5 year framework to get it underway.
*It is important as we all know that establishing those relationships with our students is first and foremost. John Naera mentioned those 8.30am informal chats with parents are crucial.
*We need to notice what skills the children may need for their social and emotional learning.
*need the time to notice and observe our children to see what may be needed eg: resources or social emotional coaching.
*teachers need time and support to do PBL
8.45am Prayer time (fundamental in our Catholic school) roll /fitness
9am - 9.45 or 10am PBL at this stage my proposal is that students stay in their own class for PBL, this will ensure we have a good amount of time to establish relationships, settle those children who are the quiet ones who may be getting lost amongst the more robust and loud students and allows us teachers to learn to how efficiently do PBL ie: teacher coaching, teacher prompting, teacher praising, noticing urges, setting up learning spaces, providing parts ie; resources, reminding children of rules and managing noise, mess (as teachers we have a right to how we want our learning environment to be, we all have different levels of tolerance towards mess etc)
This time can be used to observe (essential part of PBL) and do learning stories.
General tidy up then:
10am - to morning tea. Follow through with Writing from learning experiences/PBL (own class). This allows us to integrate what is happening in our PBL to something we can do for writing. If we have 120 children roaming other classrooms for PBL then it is very hard to integrate their learning experiences to writing (especially when writing is scheduled in another block) and we don't find out what their particular needs may be. Integrating PBL/Writing could be especially helpful for those children that may have needed a little guidance during PBL and this can then help with their ideas for writing.
11.15 - 12pm Reading
12. - 12.05pm Brain break
12.10 - 1.45 begin Maths. May need to have one group after lunch.
After lunch, finish Maths or begin RE and any other things ie: Library, school singing etc..
Phew got all that out of my head.
What do you think - Team leader + colleagues
. Pedro and I are both in 
