Author: kitwillett

A Bed of Leaves

Kit Willett Home About Kit Publications A Bed of Leaves In the city, a notebook opens; a blind hand finds a pen. Her study gets little sun. But beyond the traffic, she thinks she hears pīwakawaka in the train-station tree.  There are rosebuds on her lips—a rare tea, and the sharp aroma of burning oudh; […]

Cross-Curricular Debate and Showcase Events

In Term 4, our final junior projects were similar: both were inquiry projects with a junior-school-wide presentation. Year 9 classes planned, carried out, and showcased a social action (in groups). For many, this was research on social or environmental issues, interviews or practice, and presenting in the form of a website. Year 10 classes were […]

Junior Book Launch

Throughout Terms 3-4, junior students have been integrating their learning to produce class anthologies. Year 9 students have been learning about difference and ‘othering’, in the topic ‘Embracing the Other’. They have learned to produce static images and fiction/creative non-fiction accounts of otherness for purpose and audience. These have been collected by each class and […]

MoE PB4L Presentation

If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we…punish?? Teaching positive behaviour Don’t tell students what not to do, tell them what to do. Clear […]

The Arts and Wellbeing

The following are my notes from ‘A Creative Conversation about the Arts and Wellbeing’, primarily exploring ways that authors manage their anxiety. The main takeaway for me, was a stirring reminder that the arts are still mostly silent and invisible parts of the NZC. Facilitated by Dr. Peter O’Connor from the Creative Thinking Project Naomi […]

Patriarchy in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

The following is an edited video of a lesson I ran with Year 13s, exploring where the patriarchy is visible in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and linking it to today’s context in preparation for their 3.1 exam. The lesson plan: Y13 – The Handmaid’s Tale – An Exploration of Patriarchy https://youtu.be/V1ha9R7CyPw

Process Drama Lesson Plans

Y9 – Cupid and Psyche – Lesson One Y9 – Cupid and Psyche – Lesson Two Y11 – Lord of the Flies – Ralph’s Character Y13 – The Handmaid’s Tale – An Exploration of Patriarchy

Internal Family Systems Seminar

I attended a seminar on Internal Family Systems (IFS). IFS is a psychotherapeutic theory that is used to reframe and rethink about behaviour. Essentially, your Self has a relationship with Parts of you (subpersonalities), and these Parts have relationships with each other. Each Part has its own viewpoints, qualities, and agenda, and can assume Roles […]

Notes from ‘Culture Speaks’

As part of induction and mentoring at Kelston Girls’ College, BTs read and discussed sections from Mere A Berryman and Russell Bishop’s ‘Culture Speaks’. These are some notes from one session. Engaged Māori students… All highlighted cultural understanding as being paramount in schools Prefer to explain their own culture rather than have teachers explain it […]

Margaret Ross Workshop

The following are some of my notes from a Margaret Ross PLD workshop.   Restorative justice is not the same as a restorative learning environment. We should have a restorative environment every day to teach students to be responsible and manage themselves; restorative justice is a response to behaviour. Don’t ask for “sorry” — let […]

Reciprocal Teaching — Tusiata Avia’s ‘Wild Dogs’

In order to engage my Year 9 Samoan-immersion class with poetry, I asked them to help me understand Avia’s ‘Wild Dogs’, pretending not to know what “tufuga” means, or not understanding that the image conjured is a malu. The result was that my students taught me culturally significant information (and I learned a lot!) while […]