PLD 2023

 As usual Panmure Bridge School always encourages us to do as much PLD as we can.  This year I have participated in PLD in person and online.

Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey: Online                                                                Supporting Students to become Competent and Confident Spellers

This was a 3 hour online PLD that was held of 2 days.  It was looking at how to use simple high-frequency words to build onto to give the students confidence to use those words spell new words.

I used aspects of this PLD in my Teacher Inquiry this year.  Connections to the sounds, words, using the spelling rules as a tool. The use of their spelling tools will be part of my literacy program going forward.

Maori Achieving Success as Maori: Webinar

This was PLD on how, in our schools and the education sector as a whole we can think how we look at ways Maori is Achieving Success and how we can work together to ensure this happens. 

What is it like when you engage in Maori - it's like the pieces fit together!

School should reflect both worlds - that has to be the place we start - where we get to see their worlds. 

This webinar really made me think about how I think and teach and how even with the best intentions that maybe I am doing a disservice to my students. One of the main points I got from this webinar was you have to really understand where the student is coming from and that they need to know that you respect that place and you are trying to ensure that they feel relevant and heard.

T-Shaped Literacy: Online

This has been ongoing PLD with the University of Auckland. This year we looked at 6 units as follows:

• Mood and Atmosphere
• Characterisation
• POV/perspective
• Great Beginnings
• Genre
• Features
• Symbolism

This has been a big learning curve in my thought process and teaching practice. Breaking down a text and looking at an individual unit over a number of texts, exploring it deeper and deeper has been a revelation to not only myself but my students. I am fortunate to have the expertise of my teaching partner Robyn Anderson (PLD on a daily basis) to discuss ideas with, especially when I have trouble understanding the unit or struggling to find a text set to work with. Sometimes the most unlikely texts make the best examples for teaching. Through doing T-Shaped this year the biggest take away for me is to ASK FOR HELP if you need it.

Giving Effect to Te Tiriti of Waitangi: Online

New Zealand School Trustees Association - Board Matters

As the staff rep member for the BOT of Panmure Bridge, I took on this PLD as a matter of being prepared for and understand Te Tiriti of Waitangi when it came up in board matters. Having previously done a webinar Maori achieving success as Maori, they both spoke the same message. Listening to Maori, understanding where they have come from and where they want to go and how they are going to get there. It comes down to equality and equity and how we present that to our community, parents and students.