To introduce the purpose of an instructional text, Charlotte and Thomas shared their understanding to support their classmates' knowledge.
I think an instructional text means somebody is giving you a clue.
I think it is when a text tells someone what to do and what they need to complete a job.
By sharing experiences of instructions they had recently followed whilst at school and at home, Cooper and Lenny supported their peers who hadn’t heard of an instructional text before.
We followed instructions when we tried to get onto EPIC or when we made LEGO cars. To get onto epic we had to follow instructions on our chromebook, but at home we used pictures for each step to build a LEGO car.
Before the drama could begin, each group had to collaboratively read a model text on how to make a campfire. Nova’s group listened intently as the instructions hooked and captured their imagination. As Nova ‘talked the text’, Hazel and Xanthe excitedly told the group their experiences of making fires with their whānau
Brodie’s group decided to listen closely to Tom and Phineas as they read out the instructions from top to bottom, before they began to plan how they would recreate each part of the instructional text. This meant they had a greater shared understanding and could internalise the text before ‘bringing it to life’
Having used drama previously to act out a camping based narrative called ‘Hemi’s Camping Adventure’, Kyan and Rylen were excited to have the opportunity to act out ‘Making a Campfire’ with a small group of their peers rather than as a whole class.
This time I didn’t have to follow everyone else and we could act it out any way we wanted.
It was a lot of fun and I loved doing it with my friends. We were the first ones to get the stones to make the pit.
Lenny and Hudson decided to split their roles into a narrator and an actor. As Hudson carefully read each part of the instructional text, Lenny enthusiastically acted out each step. Lenny’s use of facial expressions and accurate body movement was fantastic to see.
Whilst Lenny focused on the skill of miming, Wesley and Connor used props to bring their campfire making ‘to life’ as Mason read beautifully as the narrator.
I wanted to use sticks because it was like I was making a real camp fire at school. I made sure I used sticks that wouldn’t be too big or they wouldn’t catch on fire.
Having used their peer noticing skills, other groups became inspired by Mason, Wesley and Connor and began to incorporate props into their performance. Whilst Moana scavenged for kindling in a nearby garden, Braxton and Charlie began to build the foundations of their campfire.
I had to pick the smallest bits of wood as Mr Morehu said I needed the small bits to start the fire.
Whilst Moana was busy collecting sticks to be used as kindling for her group’s campfire instruction performance, Tom, Phineas and Rylen were meticulously placing their circle of stones to contain their campfire blaze.
To ensure their campfire was a success, Kyan listened carefully to the next step of their instructional text and found a loose pile of tinder to place into the centre of their stone circle.
Since becoming a teacher in 2016, I have gained an enormous amount of satisfaction from seeing children grasp the fundamentals behind particular topics, and the subsequent confidence it instilled in future lessons and their wider lives. Throughout my journey as an educator, I have developed a pedagogical approach that is built on connection, collaboration and critical thinking - values which I seek to instill every day. Focusing on a holistic approach, I believe that educating the whole child (socially, emotionally and academically) is key to ensuring positive outcomes for all students.
When I am away from the classroom, I compete in CrossFit competitions and am a first-class referee in rugby union. Outside of sport, I have a passion for travel and would like to visit the Pacific Islands and Japan in the coming years.
On a personal note, I am excited and humbled to be part of the whānaungatanga at Wairakei and look forward to developing close connections between the school, tamariki and whanāu.
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