Profiling my class in maths

'Promoting a positive mathematic learner identity for all students and communicating the belief that mathematics is for everyone are important components of effective teaching and learning in maths', (Education Hub). 

I have been observing my class with their learning in maths. I have also been making notes on their behaviour during our maths lessons and reflecting on my conversations with students about maths as well as the students' conversations with each other. Other conversations I have been drawing from, happened during our recent Three Way Conferences. 

Assessment data provides information about the level of achievement the students are at but, I also believe that gathering background information about the students and their attitudes towards maths is as important as assessment data. When I was in discussions with my students and their parents, many of my students shared that they find maths challenging because the learning is new or hard for them to understand. 

My reflections on what I have observed about my students' learning in maths? (These reflections are of my whole class. There will be another post profiling my target group in detail).

Profiling my target group

I have chosen seven students for my target group for this year's inquiry. The group are mixed in ability and year levels. The data I have collected to be my baseline data are their PAT raw score, PAT scale score and their Reading level for Term 1 2021. Looking at the data, these students have some similarities in their data and some big differences in their achievement data for reading. 

My next step in profiling my target group will be to collect student voice. The student voice will collect how they see themselves as readers, what they struggle with in reading and also what they enjoy in reading materials and follow up activities.

I have been observing this group in my class and have identified that two of the boys are very reluctant readers, one of the girls is an ESOL learner and struggles with reading, reading materials at her year level. She is very capable of understanding concepts when unpacked with her. Two of the male students are able readers but have challenges in sitting assessments. These are all factors we will work through with this target group this year. 

My hunches so far are: 

1. My target learners will accelerate in progress if they work on self regulated strategies with the Project Based Learning programme we are now implementing in our class

2. My target learners will accelerate their progress in reading if they have a focus on creating DLOs or create activities which will represent their understanding and how they connect with reading materials

 

Starting off my inquiry by doing proper profiling of the students

Today at our CoL PLG, we were asked to look at how we are profiling our learners in our target group. In my previous blog post I had selected what I was going to focus on for this year. However, I was able to learn today from Aaron the importance of looking at what has been happening to students in writing and then inquiring into how we can accelerate the learning of our students.

In my notes I have attached above are some really important questions. For example, looking at literacy practices in different contexts. My focus this year is on writing therefore, I need to look at where do the students like to write? I what curriculum area do they like to write. I feel this is important because their motivation to write in certain curriculum areas will tell me what motivates them to write.

I really value the statement above from Aaron. The student strengths are more important than their gaps. I reflected on this statement and I have realised in doing inquiries, I have often thought of this student has these gaps, that student has these gaps which is a deficit way of thinking. From this important learning, I will now move forward with a more positive outlook and look at where the strengths of the students and using these to address the gaps they have in their learning.

Last year in my inquiry, I wanted to have more whanau involvement as I was able to get. This year I want to work on getting more whanau to be involved in my inquiring into the accelerating of student progress in writing.

Profiling is important because one, it gives us a clear understanding of where to start with our inquiries. Two, it gives us the valuable baseline data we can use to measure our end of year results against.

Where to from here - PROFILING!