Learning about electricity and hydraulics is the best fun

The switch activates the propeller

'Turn out the light!' my parents would yell from the lounge. It was the refrain I dreaded every night. As a kid, I'd be tucked up in bed, buried in my latest book and being swept away by the Famous Five or huddling in a wardrobe waiting to get to Narnia, and then 'clip' - out would go the light. It was usually at a good part too!

My teacher in Year 5 saved me from this torture when he showed me how to make a light from a battery, a bulb and some strategically placed wire. At night the bedlamp would go out, and I'd be buried under the blankets reading by the feeble light of a home made torch. Goodness knows what it did to my eyes, but I will always remember my Year 5 teacher.

There has been a lot of tinkering and 'making' going on in Year 6 lately, and I can't help myself. I keep going in to see what they've made, and more importantly, what they are discovering through their 'making'. Electricity and hydraulics make everything so much fun...and so very rewarding because they make stuff actually work.

One thing I'm waiting for is the application of Riley's cardboard plane - I'd love to see this be able to get off the ground. Imagine that! I've been wanting some aerial shots of our school for a while -  I wonder if he could make a drone...

What a difference a generation or two makes!

I know - I've said it before. I say it often actually... but I'm going to say it again - I love Assembly! Friday mornings are just great. It's the end of the week, the school is buzzing, everyone troops excitedly up to the Indoor Sports Centre, and for that one time a week, we are all together. 

And then there's the class item. This is my favourite part. There are dress ups, music, dancing, humour, and usually a multimedia presentation all cued up. Last week we also had placards and protests!

The messages in the presentations are often familiar as teachers cleverly link the performance and the practice it takes to perfect the choreography to the curriculum. This week's message was about reducing, reusing and recycling.

4M dressed in sixties and seventies flamboyant fluoro gear and staged a mock protest encouraging us all to take a good look at our environmental practices. I was horrified at some of the statistics 4M have unearthed - like 1000 sheets of paper equalling one tree and six billion plastic bags ending up as landfill EVERY YEAR. 

During their performance I reflected on and compared the issue with some of the placard protests of mid-to-late last century. In those days such protests focused on wars, the draft, free speech, and land rights. We still protest on those issues and we've also added a few others about caring for our planet. 

We are unlikely to solve those issues with placards - these days we teach children to be social activists. Protests are most effectively staged with information and communication skills. And it doesn't hurt to add a bit of fluoro and placard waving to get attention to start with. Good job, 4M!

Gwen...you're in the paper

I walked into the staff room at lunch time the other day and one of the teachers leaned back over her chair and said 'Gwen... you're in the paper'. My heart lurched instantaneously until I saw her smiling and realised it was all good. The idea of suddenly 'being in the paper' is enough to give any Principal a start - and not necessarily a good one!

Then that night my phone started pinging off and I received a load of messages along the lines of 'You should see what they are saying about our school on Facebook!' Arghhhh! That was enough to send me off looking for something stronger than my cup of after dinner tea!

I almost didn't want to look. Facebook commentary strikes the 'fear of God' through every Principal and teacher across the land, across the world probably.

Anyway, I sighed and took a deep breath and opened it up - and there it was. 'What's the public school in the springs like?'

And then... affirmation after affirmation about our creative community-minded school and it's brilliant teachers and child-focused supportive processes.

 I waited... because that's the thing with social media - there's always an alternative view, perhaps a controversial one which then gets everyone going. This is especially prevalent on the pages of the media. But no, an hour or so later people were still happy. A day or so later...still happy.

And right at the bottom, a note - 'someone should show Gwen Sands this'.

They did, Libby - thank you.

Changing the narrative about teachers and state education

There's nothing that makes my blood boil faster than hearing teachers being referred to as part time (i.e. 9.00am to 3.00pm) and always on holidays, and their skills being talked about as if just anyone could do the job. To be fair, this happens rarely these days and I have been reflecting on that after hearing a group of parents in our school speak so positively about the work teachers do. Coincidently just this week, I've seen few articles, blogs and posts about teachers themselves changing the stories told about their work - for example,  Education Week, Teaching is... and Edutopia.

In every school there are great teachers making a positive impact on students and their schools. These teachers are going above and beyond their classroom duties, engaging in their own ongoing learning, providing extra curricular activities for children in their lunch times and participating in learning communities either face-to-face or online. At Peregian Springs State School, this is true for EVERY teacher - I'm not sure how many Principals could say this.

One of the new members of our Leadership Team said to me this week 'You know, Gwen, I walk around our school and there's amazing work going on in every classroom - every classroom - not just one or two here and there - it's EVERY classroom.' And he's right. There is jaw dropping education, commitment and dedication in every room in our school. The focus of our teachers (and their teacher aides) is firmly and squarely on children and their learning - even in the Staff Room at lunch time.

Teachers and school leaders can change the narratives about our work - and we would love the help of our community and parents.

If you believe your children's teachers are doing a great job, tell a story about that - post it on your Facebook page, tweet it to the world, tell the checkout operator in the supermarket when he/she asks where your children go to school, counter negativity about the work teachers do with your own positive observations, and most importantly, thank your child's teachers. Too often they are told they didn't do a good enough job in one area or another, and this is usually some small thing that in the bigger scheme of a whole school culture of excellence shouldn't even rate a mention. Believe me, these observations of their 'shortcomings' hurt them terribly.

Less often than I'd like, I see them smiling from a pat on the back, sharing a card or email proudly, and holding their heads high confident in the knowledge of the esteem they are held in.

Let's work together to change the stories told about modern schools, state education and their teachers. At the end of the day this is not just good for teachers and state education - but also good for every child in those classrooms.

A couple of particularly awesome teachers - and there is another 45 more!

here are thousands of good teachers making a positive impact on students and their schools. These teachers are going above and beyond their classroom duties, engaging in ongoing professional development, and actively participating in personal learning communities - See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/opinion-change-teaching-narrative-focus-good-teachers-933798742#sthash.vhnpgwop.dpu

A child's eye view

I love receiving emails and correspondence from children. Their questions and observations about life at school always shed interesting perspectives - they offer a child's eye view, you might say.

In the holidays I received an email from Charlie: -

Firstly I was excited that Charlie was getting so much enjoyment from his learning he wanted to continue it in the holidays! And secondly, I thought the 'LOVE Charlie' bit was a nice touch.

I replied straight away:-

And then a few hours later I received an email from his Mum:-

I think she must have been a little embarrassed at his 'audacity', and in her haste to reply didn't check the spelling of her name! (No, I didn't change it to protect the innocent.) However, I thought hearing from Charlie was great - I love his 'front', his directness and his initiative. And I couldn't stop laughing about the lessons he was about to get in capital letters, full stops and the protocol of sending the Principal emails from his Mum's account using her iPad! I'm still giggling about this actually.

I saw Charlie at school today and he thanked me for the reply. I said 'I hope you didn't get in trouble for writing that. I liked hearing from you.'

'Oh, I didn't write it' he said. 'I got my brother to do it and I just told him what to say.' Hmmmmm, seems like the wrong child got the lessons on capitals and full stops.

I'm really looking forward to hearing from Charlie and his brother about their views on iPads for learning. I'm sure there will be other pearls of wisdom that will have me giggling away at my Inbox.