Activity 1 - Create a reflective journal

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to my first ever blog. My name is Sarah Daly and I am a teacher at Waikowhai Primary School in Hillsborough, Auckland. While teaching is a busy enough job, I am also a single parent to two beautiful daughters aged 18 and 14. 

2016 is shaping up to be one of my busiest years since I began teaching three years ago, I have not only continued to study a Graduate Diploma in Digital and Collaborative Learning at Mind Lab, but have also accepted the position of Syndicate Leader for the Middle School.

This blog has been created for the purpose to reflective on my teaching practice, specifically to answer set questions from my paper.

My Teaching Background

I was born and raised on Great Barrier Island where I attended Kaitoke School in Claris. This school consisted of two classrooms with one classroom ranging from New Entrant to Standard Three (Year 0-3) and the other from Standard Four to Form Two (Y4-Y8). Only now as a teacher can I truly appreciate how hard that must have been to plan and teach!

I started on my teaching journey when I moved to Auckland in 2007 and took a job as a Teacher Aide. During these three years I was inspired, and grew to love the environment and the students. I became very attached to my students and strived for those 'lightbulb' moments when they achieved a new skill or strategy and their little faces lit up. I decided to study full time at Auckland University to complete my Bachelor of Education.

I began teaching back where it all began as a BT at Waikowhai Primary. My first class was a Year 4/5 class, my second a Year 3/4, where I have remained. I have taught in a different classroom each year (even in the hall for 6  months) and now am facing the exciting change to a ILE by the end on this year. While I am an advocate for change and adapting to your surroundings, it will be nice to remain in one space in the future.

My Teaching Approach:

Every teacher brings different life experiences into their classroom. I have a background in Diving, Roadworks, Fishing, Painting and Make-up Artistry.  My experiences and skills are always useful in the classroom, be it face painting, or the knowledge of fish species and how to tie knots. We are all such interesting people with different cultures, beliefs and goals. I think it is important that we all recognise that as learners we are all different and we all bring different strengths to the class environment.  As a teacher it is important to build relationships with my students and help them to identify their strengths and provide opportunities to reach their goals. I aim to provide my students the skills to self manage, problem solve and relate well to each other. Through Mindlab I am learning new skills, reflecting on my pedagogy and showing my students that we are all life long learners with ever changing goals in life.