RPI Day 5 Reflection

Today’s PLD made me think more carefully about how I plan my reading programme and independent tasks for students. One thing that really stood out to me was that follow-up tasks should not just be activities to keep students busy while I work with a reading group. The tasks should actually have a purpose and connect to the learning intention and success criteria. I also reflected on how important it is to make learning easy for students to access. We talked about class sites and making sure students can find what they need quickly without getting confused. It made me think about how clear my own class routines and online tasks are. Another thing I thought about was whether students really know what to do when they are not working with me. This reminded me that strong routines are important so students can work independently and stay focused while I am conferencing with groups. I also liked the discussion around linking learning across different subjects. It makes sense that if students are learning poems in reading, they can also explore poems in writing. This helps make learning feel more connected and meaningful for students. Lastly, we talked about using digital apps in a meaningful way. Technology should help students think, learn, and engage with the task instead of just giving them something to do. I have been using epic but its mostly for student to use it as enjoyment and reader mileage however I now know there are more features to this reading tool that I can use explicitly to link the stories they read on EPIC to the topic of inquiry or the texts they are reading during guided reading sessions with me. Action Points Make sure independent tasks clearly connect to the learning intention. Check that my class site is simple and easy for students to use. Strengthen classroom routines so students know what to do independently. Continue linking reading with writing and other learning areas. Use digital tools and apps more purposefully during learning tasks.

Small Group Reading Adjustment Reflection

Over the past few weeks, I started using some of the small group reading ideas during our ANZAC unit, which my mentor Josh helped our team to create. Before reading the text Lest We Forget, I showed the students a video about ANZAC Day and got them to take notes while watching. I noticed this helped a lot because students already had some understanding of the topic before we even started reading. During guided reading, I tried to slow down more and pay attention to how students were thinking and responding to the text instead of just focusing on finishing it. I noticed students were more engaged because they were already interested in the topic and had some background knowledge. I also made sure the follow-up tasks connected properly to the reading. After reading the text, students did inquiry work around the “who, what, where, and why” of ANZAC Day. They also made posters about some of the fallen soldiers mentioned in the text and learned more about their lives. Later, they wrote poems and letters from the perspective of a soldier. I found that these activities helped students connect more deeply to the topic and really think about what soldiers may have gone through. Something else I noticed was that students were sharing more ideas during discussions and using information from the text to support their thinking. Because all the learning connected together, the unit felt more meaningful for them. Overall, this unit reminded me how important it is to build background knowledge first and make sure reading tasks actually connect to the text and learning. I could see that students were more engaged and got more out of the learning because of it.

RPI DAY 4 Reflection

Today’s PLD made me think more about what guided reading should actually look like in a small group setting. One thing that really stood out to me was that guided reading is not just listening to students read out loud. It’s about teaching them the strategies they need to understand harder texts and become more confident readers over time. I also reflected on how important background knowledge is before students even start reading. Some students already know a lot about a topic, while others need more support first through pictures, videos, discussion, or just talking things through. It reminded me that I need to spend more time preparing students for the text instead of jumping straight into reading. Another thing I took away was the importance of observing students closely while they read. Sometimes I get caught up in making sure everyone gets through the text, but today reminded me to slow down and really watch for reading behaviours, patterns, and strategies students are using. Those little observations can tell us a lot about what support they need next. I also thought more about follow-up tasks. They should actually connect to the text and help students build on their understanding, not just be an activity to complete afterwards. That’s something I want to be more intentional about in my planning. Lastly, I liked the focus on getting students to explain their thinking using evidence from the text. I want to work on getting my students to give deeper answers and back up their ideas instead of just giving quick responses. Overall, today’s session reminded me to be more purposeful during guided reading and to really use that small group time well.

Text Selection Reflection

Over the past week, I have been more intentional with my text coverage and how I plan my reading programme. Instead of choosing random texts, I started thinking more about how my texts connect to each other and to my learning intention. I focused on building a small text set rather than using one-off texts. For example, I included texts that connected to culture and identity. I brought in a text linked to Tongan culture, which supported students like Pauline and Toni in seeing themselves in the learning. I also included other texts that showed different cultures and perspectives, so students were both relating to and learning about others. I noticed that when texts were connected, students were more engaged and able to make links between what they were reading. Discussions were stronger because they had more to say and could build on ideas from previous texts. In my planning, I also made sure the texts matched the learning intention. This helped keep lessons more focused and made the tasks on my task board more meaningful. I am starting to see that text selection is not just about interest, but also about purpose. One thing I am still working on is making sure the level of challenge is right for all groups, especially when using the same theme across different abilities. I also want to continue building stronger text sets that flow more clearly from one lesson to the next. Overall, being more intentional with my text coverage has made a positive difference. Students are more engaged, discussions are richer, and the learning feels more connected.