Children Observation

Te Atatu Intermediate
School Type Intermediate (Year 7 & 8)

Location Te Atatu Peninsula

Decile 6

School Size 427 (15 classes)

Teaching Mode Traditional: 11 classes;

Interactive Learning Environment: 4 classes

Gender Composition Female: 54%, Male: 46%

Ethnic Composition International Student
Other
0%
5%
Asian
11%

Pacific
11% Pākehā
48%

Māori
25%

Pākehā Māori Pacific Asian Other International Student

 Associate Teacher Mr. Andrews
Year 7&8
Room Age 11-12
16 Class Size 32
Male-Female Ratio 1:1
Room Indian, 3.10% Other Pacific Isl
Ethnic Composition
Koeran, 3.10% Group, 3.10%
16 South East Asian, 3.10%

Tongan, 6.25%
Pākehā, 34.40%
Fijian, 6.25%

African , 3.10%

Māori, 37.50%

Pākehā Māori African Fijian Tongan South East Asian Koeran Indian Other Pacific Isl Group
 Target Student 1
Age & Year 12 year-old; Year 8
Ethnic Group NZ-born Korean
Family Size 3
Interest, Hobby & Food, Math, Anime
Talent
Favorite Subject Math, “because it’s challenging.”
(A’s parents pay much attention to math education, and
have been proving her extra-curriculum math lessons

A
Preferred Learning Working with buddies, “at least you have someone to talk
Mode to”
Preferred Support A likes being encouraged with Growth mind-set
from Teacher
 A bit
unconfident unconfident in
her self-identity
Sometimes
dependent
Good at following
instructions and
imitating

Great Need to improve

performance when creativity and
working in pairs critical thinking
or in group
Subject Current Level Expected Level

Math 4A 4-5

Writing 4B 4-5
17/4st
Reading 5+
Scaled Score 55
• Compared with other subjects, she is

much more confident in math;

• Good academic performance, her level MATH

might be higher than the result of PAT;

• Willing to take challenge in Math, such as

accepting extra math works and activities;

• Would like to share and discuss math

problems, and help other students in

math
 AT’s Intervention My Intervention

• Provide students to work in pairs • Always prepare for extra math

or groups; worksheet for fast students;

• Provide A opportunities to explain • Encourage and challenge;

math problems to other students, • Ask her to help slow students with

boosting her confidence; math;

• Device time for extra math work • Instant rewards

 • Deeply dependent to her
friends, even it’s questions like
“what’s your hobby?”
• Having difficulty coming up
with her original idea
A’s writing
• Lacking of critical thinking
ability
• Can be well inspired by
examples and clues provided
by teacher or other students

WRITING A’s best friend’s writing

 AT’s Intervention My Intervention

• Provide a wide range of examples

• Provide strategies such as mind-
before assigning writing tasks
map and brain storm, think from
• Challenge by choice: allow
multiple perspectives;
students to write what they are
• Encourage: there is no wrong
interested in
answer in writing, it’s about what
• Clear expectation and instructions
YOU think
READING
• Well-organized notes and work;
• A series of reading activities were provided
• Does not show great interest in
by school and teachers, including library
reading, A can be distracted in

reading lessons; time, reading badge, reading aloud;

• Prefer working with buddy; works • Provides opportunities for students to work

slower when working in pairs and independently for different

independently; tasks
• Enjoy reading anime and picture
• School-life-related reading materials are
books rather than texts
chosen by teachers to appeal students.
What Next?
 Age & Year 12 year-old; Year 8
Ethnic Group NZ Māori & European
Family Size 8; 2 sisters, 3 brothers and mom and dad
Interest, Hobby & Flute and Piano
Talent
Favorite Subject Math, “Because its easy to do/ easy to learn as teachers
explains very well.”
(highest math level in class)

Preferred Learning Working alone in quiet environment;

Mode
T Preferred Support Flexible and adaptive
from Teacher “Just writing on the board is a good enough resource for
me to learn, honestly it doesn’t matter as I depend on the
teachers method of teaching. “

Target Student 2
 Easily be affected
Talkative and by environment
distractible Lose interest and
attention if the task is
not challenging
enough
Learn effectively with
flexible and adaptive
approaches
Surprisingly wide
range of extra-
Willing take curriculum
challenges in knowledge
multiple subjects
Subject Current Level Expected Level

Math 5P 4-5

Writing 4P 4-5
31/7 st
Reading 5+
Scaled Score 73.4
• Fast learner

• Exploring and willing to take

challenges

• Attention span is often shortened by

the environment

• Not very self-organized

MATH
AT and student teacher’s Intervention

• Allow T to work in the corner of classroom to

minimize the influence of noise;

• Device time for extra math work

• Always prepare for extra math worksheet for fast students;

• An extra PAT test will be given to the group of fast students, further math

tutoring and learning resources will be provided accordingly

READING
• Fast reader; • Students are encouraged to read and issue
• Good comprehension; books from the school library;
• Logic thinking;
• Teacher’s reading aloud in reading lessons and
• T has the highest reading scaled
in homeroom
score in class;
• Fast readers are allowed to research extra
• Prefer reading alone in silence
reading materials with devices provided by
• T is not challenged very much by
school
the current reading lessons he has

been given
WRITING
• Is able to use a series of writing
tools and skills, such as mind-
mapping, key words, topic
AT’s Intervention
sentence; • Providing students multiples choices in writing,
• Organize writing logically with good
allowing them to related the writing with their
arguments and examples;
interests and daily life;
• Good connection;
• Wide range of lexical resource; • Examples and other related materials are

• Spelling problem provided;

• Messy handwriting
• Spelling test: 100 word dictation per week to
• Confused with first person and
improve students’ spelling
second person
What Next?
Lyn McDonald
ASSIGNMENT 1. Child study seminar presentation Self -assessment

Presenter: Camellia Guo

Lecturer: Lyn McDonald Mark: 5/5

PEER SEMINAR
Presented to 3 of your peers.
A 15 minute oral and visual presentation focussed on your child study findings.
These should include:

Consider:
An introduction which gives:
The background data for each child
The classroom and school context in which you collected your data
Your findings:
What have you found out about children’s learning?
Are there some questions you have about what you noticed?
The implications of your practice
What specifically does this mean for your future learning and practice as a teacher?

Criteria to consider:

• Specific teaching interventions and why and how they maximised your children’s learning are
analysed
• Observations and other sources of information are used to support interpretations
• Interpretations are supported by relevant literature and findings are summarised
• Conclusions drawn are evaluated for their implications for future practice
• The presentation is communicated clearly and engagingly using both oral and visual forms

Your comments in relation to criteria (after professional discussion) –

positive and constructive

Sufficient data collected and analysed;