Beginning teacher mentor

Reflection on My First Year as a Mentor

This year marked my first experience as a mentor, and guiding Ngapipi through her journey as a beginning teacher has been both challenging and rewarding. As a mentor, I had to provide support in planning lessons, understanding the curriculum, and navigating classroom management while also fostering her confidence and independence as an educator.

Being new to this role, I initially struggled with knowing how much guidance to give versus when to step back and let Ngapipi take the lead. Finding this balance was a learning curve for me. To overcome this, I focused on maintaining open communication, ensuring regular check-ins where she could share her thoughts, challenges, and successes. These discussions helped me tailor my support to her specific needs, whether providing resources, modelling lessons, or simply offering encouragement.

One area I found particularly challenging was managing my time effectively. Balancing my teaching responsibilities with the demands of mentoring required careful planning. I created a structured schedule for mentoring sessions and ensured that these were productive and focused. This approach not only helped me manage my workload but also made sure Ngapipi received consistent and meaningful support.

Looking back, I realize there are ways I could better support her in the future. For example, I could introduce more opportunities for her to observe other teachers, gain feedback from multiple perspectives, and reflect on different teaching approaches. I also want to encourage her to set clear professional goals and work with her to create a roadmap for achieving them.

Mentoring for the first time has been a significant learning experience for me. It has deepened my understanding of leadership, communication, and the importance of patience and empathy. Watching Ngapipi grow in her role has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to her journey as an educator.

Reflection Term 1

Reflective Question:  What do I do to actively engage in respectful working relationships with Māori learners, parents and whānau, hapu, iwi, and the Māori community?

I have made a conscious effort to learn some basic Māori vocabulary so that I can begin to incorporate it effortlessly into my daily dialogue with all of my class, which includes Māori, Pasifika, and Pākehā, amongst others. Our topic this term(Term 1) is Papatuanuku in connection to our overall theme this yea,r kaitiakitanga. Students are learning about kaitiakitanga. Students looked closely at the school villages and tribes. From this, they looked further into New Zealand's history and colonisation and its impact on our environment. We researched how the economy was. I looked further into this myself to create interactive and fun activities for my whole class to enjoy.

Reflection Term 3

Challenges

This term has been quite busy, making diving deeply into Tāne Mahuta challenging. With several language and special-themed weeks taking up significant class time, we struggled to allocate enough time to explore this term inquiry topic. Although students were engaged in various cultural activities, the limited time for our Tāne Mahuta project meant that many students couldn’t grasp the concepts as well as I’d hoped. Moving forward, I aim to balance the curriculum during busy terms better, ensuring that core learning topics like this receive attention.

Opportunities (What went well)

I’ve noticed an improvement in students’ handwriting and spelling this term. Many students write more neatly and consistently with regular practice and targeted feedback. Their spelling has also improved, mainly as we focus on common word patterns and rules. Although there’s still room for growth, the progress so far shows that their skills will keep improving with continued practice and support. 

Future Growth(Goals, PD, Mentoring)

I plan to regularly reflect on my teaching practices to find areas for improvement and better understand effective strategies. I also want to connect with other educators to share best practices and gather ideas for using projects and digital tools in my lessons. By focusing on these areas, I believe I will grow significantly as an educator next term.

Tongan Language Week 2024

Tongan Language Week was a vibrant celebration of culture and learning in our classroom. Students explored the significance of ngatu (traditional tapa cloth), discovering its cultural importance and the intricate processes involved in its creation. Through reading tasks, they deepened their understanding of Tongan traditions, history, and values, enriching their cultural knowledge.

A creative highlight of the week was composing poems inspired by Tongan themes, where students expressed their appreciation for the beauty and depth of Tongan culture. They also enthusiastically participated in learning Tongan dance and music, developing a greater appreciation for its role in storytelling and celebration.

The week concluded with a special assembly where students proudly showcased their learning. Their performances, including the poems, dances, and music, captured the essence of Tongan culture and demonstrated their hard work. Additionally, several students stepped up as assembly hosts, confidently leading the event and embodying the spirit of leadership and faka'apa'apa (respect).

This week was a meaningful journey that not only celebrated the richness of Tongan culture but also fostered students' creativity, collaboration, and respect for diversity. Their dedication and enthusiasm were truly inspiring.

Cook Island Language Week

Cook Islands Language Week was a wonderful opportunity for our class to immerse ourselves in the vibrant culture and traditions of the Cook Islands. Together, we created a class tivaevae (traditional quilt), learning about its cultural significance and the patience and artistry involved in its design. This hands-on project was a highlight, bringing the class together in a shared creative effort.

Students also enjoyed learning Cook Islands dances and music, discovering how these art forms tell stories and express cultural identity. Through reading tasks and poems, they explored the beauty of the Cook Islands, capturing their inspiration in their writing with vivid imagery and thoughtful reflections.

We practiced greetings and phrases in the Cook Islands Māori language, building confidence in using them during class activities and discussions. The week culminated in a special assembly, where two of our class leaders took on the role of hosts, showcasing their leadership skills and representing our learning with pride.

To celebrate and reflect on our week, the students created a video that captures the highlights of their journey. It was a joy to see their enthusiasm, creativity, and respect for the Cook Islands culture shine through in all they did. This experience has been a valuable reminder of the importance of celebrating our cultural diversity.

 

Math strategy reflection

This term, I have focused on enhancing my guided lessons by integrating a variety of materials and visual aids tailored to each of my student maths groups. By incorporating images and hands-on tools, I’ve noticed students engaging more deeply with the concepts, as these strategies cater to different learning styles and make abstract ideas more accessible.

To reinforce prior learning and strengthen retention, I’ve introduced a section in our maths tumble called ‘Maintenance.’ This space is dedicated to revisiting previously covered concepts through targeted activities, ensuring students build a solid foundation and retain essential skills as they progress. These tasks are designed to be interactive and varied, encouraging students to independently recall and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways.

Additionally, I’ve been integrating various mathematical strategies into our lessons, encouraging students to explore multiple problem-solving approaches. This builds their confidence and develops their flexibility in thinking and problem-solving. For example, we’ve worked on using number lines, grouping strategies, and visual representations to deepen their understanding of addition and subtraction.

Seeing students embrace these strategies and make connections across different areas of mathematics has been incredibly rewarding. Moving forward, I plan to continue refining these approaches, incorporating student feedback to ensure the lessons are engaging, effective, and responsive to their needs.

Samoa Language Week 2024

Throughout Samoan Language Week, our class immersed itself in Samoa's rich culture, traditions, and language. The students enthusiastically embraced learning key phrases in Samoan, such as greetings, numbers, and common expressions, showcasing their growing confidence in language use.

We explored Samoan art and crafts, creating traditional siapo patterns that told stories of the culture's deep connection to nature and family. In addition, students delved into the significance of Samoan dance and music, performing the siva and learning about the symbolic gestures that bring these art forms to life.

Our discussions about Samoan values, including fa’aaloalo (respect) and aiga (family), helped us reflect on the importance of community and care for one another. Students were particularly fascinated by the history of Samoa and its strong ties to the Pacific region, as well as the stories of prominent Samoan figures who inspire us today.

Creating this video was a collaborative effort that allowed everyone to share what resonated most during this week. Seeing their genuine curiosity, creativity, and pride in celebrating Samoan culture has been inspiring.