I previously published a guest blog post by Sarah Tohill that examined the mentoring relationship of mentors and beginning teachers. Now, my fantastic group of beginning teachers will share their experiences of working with a mentor teacher. Some PCT (beginning teacher)/Mentor relationships are really positive, some could be called “interesting”, and unfortunately, some just don’t…
As part of our beginning teachers’ series, I wanted to look at using the beginning teacher release time. The way that beginning teacher release is used and allocated in primary schools around New Zealand is varied. I would go as far as to say that some schools do a poor job of allocating this to…
It has been great to see the response to our Beginning Teachers series. In this blogpost, the fantastic beginning teachers share their teacher tips. Grab a pen and paper and take some notes – there is a lot of gold here! Teacher Tips from a First-Year Teacher Make a to-do list that encompasses task, resources,…
Welcome to a new series of blog posts looking at the experiences of a group of first and second-year teachers. In this blog post, these fantastic teachers explore the expectations versus the reality of beginning teaching. I hope you are able to gain some useful insights into the reality of a teacher’s life from this…
With a large number of NEW teachers completing their studies, I thought a great new addition to our Beginning Teachers Series would be a blog post on how to write a teacher CV. In this guest blog post, Gill from ep.education sets out the dos and don’ts of teacher CV writing. I know you will…
I love teaching figurative language! It can be a really fun way to encourage students to make their writing come alive. It also makes the writing process more interesting for them, and the end product more interesting for others to read! This blog post looks at activities for teaching figurative language, including videos, mentor texts,…
Mālō e lelei! Mālō e lelei! Tongan Language Week – Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga is an exciting time of the year. If you are looking for the dates when Tongan Language Week is, in 2023 it is from Sunday 3 September to Saturday 9 September 2023. This blog post highlights some exciting resources…
Enjoy this blog post sharing some New Zealand Election Activities for use in your classroom. Civics education is so underplayed in the New Zealand primary and intermediate school system. This is a pity as I think it can be a very interesting topic! Politics and the workings of parliament is also something that directly impacts…
What is Kiwiana? New Zealand has a unique Kiwiana culture that is not found anywhere else in the world. From L&P to Pavlova, Number 8 Wire to Hokey Pokey, the colourful and humorous ‘kiwi’ culture is well worth a look. This blog post provides many ways of Exploring Kiwiana in the Classroom. What is Kiwiana?…
If you are going to Teach Parts of Speech in your classroom, it can either be a snooze fest or an engaging time where students retain the information. It is important to understand the different parts of speech to know how words can and should be used together to make sentences. Also, understanding the parts of…
Have you tried using Collaborative Posters in the Classroom? Collaborative posters are a fantastic way to build a culture of teamwork and unity in your classroom. They can also be used to promote kindness and gratefulness, as a formative assessment activity, and to get to know your students. Get To Know Your Students Using Collaborative…
I am beyond excited to share with you our latest resource – a great way to explore New Zealand History in the Classroom. Imagine your students have been taken in a time machine back in time. To get back to the present day they need to complete tasks and collect mosaic tiles. Once their mosaic…
What are Boom Cards and Why Should I Care? Are you a busy teacher trying to get the best outcomes for your students in these dizzying times? Perhaps a little overwhelmed by all the options available? Just when you thought you understood things like Google Classroom or Seesaw, BOOM! Along comes another player in the…
Now that many teachers are heading back to the classroom after lockdown, I thought it would be great to look at how you can utilise digital tools within the classroom. After the great response to her recent guest blog post, I’ve invited Lauren Pugh to share her thoughts on What Now for Digital Tools in…
With Level Two fast approaching and many more students about to transition back to school, I wanted to provide you with clear and practical advice for Transitioning Students Back to School After Lockdown. In this guest blog post, Educational Psychologist Robyn Stead gives some great tips to prepare for students heading back to school. Make sure…
In this guest blogpost, Lauren Pugh highlights her 10 Tips for Using Google Classroom. I hope you find these practical tips useful as you navigate Google Classroom with your students. Google Classroom is a fantastic tool created for GSuite users to create online courses with ease. It can be a one-stop-shop for creating meaningful learning…
With many of us thrown into an unexpected period of distance learning, I wanted to highlight how my digital reading comprehension activities can help your students maintain and improve their reading skills. I’ve put together a free activity so you can trial Digital Reading Comprehension for Distance Learning. Let me unpack this free resource for…
To help with any teachers dealing with school closures or the possibility of home and distance learning, I’ve put together these Home Learning Choice Boards. If your school doesn’t close, these would still make great activity sheets in the school holidays. Thank you to the many teachers who collaborated by sharing their incredible ideas. It…
To teachers about to start term two, The word unprecedented has emerged as a fairly common descriptor for the events we all find ourselves in. Teachers, used to a physical classroom, are now teaching remotely. Parents, with a radically different homelife than before, are supporting their children through an ever-changing global crisis. And on Wednesday, term…
For a myriad of reasons, it is possible that your school may need to close from time to time. It’s great to be able to use digital resources during school closures to provide options for at-home learning. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the reality of school closures is less possibility and more reality for many. But…
The goal of improving student vocabulary should be front and centre for all teachers – it really is that important. Vocabulary development is enormously vital for all students, especially for their development of reading comprehension and writing skills. In fact, research has shown that children with larger vocabularies achieve better results at school, including higher…
International Women’s Day, held every March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. What a great opportunity to celebrate women leaders in your classroom. We have two great resources that celebrate awesome women who passionately fought for women to have the right to vote. Kate Sheppard –…
It is important that we give students choices in the classroom and the “Must Do, Choose Two” format is a great way to do this. Benefits of giving student choices Giving students choices: Ensures they do the activities you definitely want them to do while giving them choice on the other activities they complete. Gives…
Setting Up A Spelling Programme How do you set up a spelling programme? Now that’s a topic that could get you 50 different, passionate responses! Interestingly, it is also a topic that is not practically covered in many teacher training courses. This blog post explains some practical ideas for setting up a spelling programme because…
I have a wonderful new Te Reo Praise Phrase free resource for you and I’ve put together a quick blog post to explain its importance! This beautiful Te Reo Praise Phrase poster is a handy display tool in your classroom. I use the word tool because this poster is a great way to prompt and…
In this guest blogpost, Sarah Tohill explores the mentoring relationship that all beginning teachers will experience during their first two years in the classroom. There are great tips and advice for both beginning teachers and their mentors. Read on! When you qualify as a teacher in New Zealand and you’ve finished all those assignments, readings,…
Mother’s Day Activities for Your Classroom As teachers, we are reminded that our students are somebody’s whole world. While we may occasionally feel frustrated or overwhelmed by their behaviour, each of them is a special child with many gifts. It can be easy at times for teachers to forget about the family that has built…
I’ve put this blog post together to highlight some great Treaty of Waitangi Books for Kids. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, Treaty of Waitangi Treaty Ideas, I am actually surprised by the lack of books for children around such an important issue in New Zealand’s past, present and future. However, with a bit…
Shared Reading is for Upper Primary, too. Often when people think of shared reading, they think of a teacher in the junior school sharing a big book with a class of 5-7-year-olds. However, I am here to tell you today that Shared Reading is for Upper Primary, too. I’ll give you a quick rundown of what…
Utilising The Positive Note Home is a simple and effective way to encourage positive communication between school and home. Why The Positive Note Home? Communication is key! One way to promote positive communication between school and home is by sending home simple and brief positive notes. Consider this: some parents have only had negative experiences…
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