Session 5 Rostrata Primary School Year 6 Kristy Nita Brown and Maryia Konig

Warm Up: During a 15-minute warm up activity with the Year 6 students, I ran two interactive games focused on non-verbal communication and group decision-making. The rules were simple: no talking, no touching or moving others, and communication was limited to eye contact and hand gestures. In the first game, students had to line up in order based on specific categories such as height, eye colour, and hair colour using only gestures to organise themselves. It was great to watch how they communicated, with some students naturally stepping into leadership roles while others followed instructions without hesitation. The second game involved moving to one side of a line to indicate "yes" or "no" answers to fun hypothetical questions like "Would you rather have a dragon as a pet than a puppy?" or "Would you give up video games forever to save the planet?" While most students engaged well, a few were distracted and not fully listening, which was difficult to manage as I had lost my voice from being unwell. Despite that, the students’ morale was high, and many seemed to enjoy both activities. Although I would have liked more physical movement, the majority responded positively, and they’re becoming familiar with starting sessions through warm up games. It’s been encouraging to see them look forward to my arrival, waving and greeting me with enthusiasm.

Main Activity: The main activity ran for an hour and was highly engaging for the Year 6 students. I began with a PowerPoint presentation that featured an email I had written to a toy manufacturer, along with their reply, which explained how they repurpose recycled bottle top lids to make toys. The students were excited to read the response and were particularly drawn to the accompanying video and photos showing the toy-making process. This sparked interest and curiosity. I then showcased over 20 examples of student-made toys built from cardboard and wood, which prompted rich discussion around materials, construction methods and design ideas. To further inspire and inform planning, I presented images of materials available from REmida, helping students visualise what resources they could potentially access.

Following this, students completed a brainstorming activity where they drew two toy ideas, based on data they had gathered from their buddies the previous week. They also identified materials and outlined the steps they would take to build their toys. iPads were available for students to research mechanical features like pulleys, catapults, springs, propellers and weights. Midway through the session, Maryia stepped in to model how to identify and list every material needed for construction, which was a valuable addition. I really appreciated this shared, tandem approach. Maryia and I work well together, and her involvement helped reinforce key planning steps for the students.

Then the class remained quiet and focused for at least 20 minutes, deeply engaged in the task. I circulated the room, offering support, answering questions and listening to students’ ideas. They seemed comfortable sharing and asking for help, which contributed to the positive atmosphere. The session met the students’ needs and laid a strong foundation for the toy construction project. Maryia also commented on how well the activity went, reinforcing our shared sense of a successful and productive session.

Reflection: For the reflection, I guided the students through the Five Habits of Learning, pausing at each one to ask them to express their engagement through a facial expression or action. This interactive strategy helped reinforce what each Habit looks and feels like in practice, allowing students to reflect meaningfully on their own behaviour and mindset. I then asked students to identify the Habit they felt they had used most during the session. While all five Habits were demonstrated to some extent, persistence and determination stood out–particularly during the planning stage of the toy construction project. Students acknowledged that collaboration was less evident during the main activity, as the competitive nature of the task (with a voucher prize for the best toy, voted by their buddies) led many to keep their ideas to themselves. However, they recognised that collaboration had been strongly demonstrated during the earlier warm up games. To conclude, students selected the Habit they had most embodied and resumed making origami lucky stars in the colour representing that Habit. It was encouraging to see that at least five students successfully completed a star this week, an improvement from the last session. The class continues to show persistence with this task, and my goal remains for all students to learn how to make a lucky star by the end of the program.

Planning With The Teacher: After the session, Maryia and I met to reflect on how it went, and we both agreed it was extremely successful and a lot of fun. We discussed the remaining weeks of the program and what still needs to be completed. Looking ahead, I plan to bring in a variety of materials next week that students have identified as necessary for their toy constructions. This is a strategic move–even though some students aren't quite ready to build yet, seeing the materials and watching their peers begin testing may provide a helpful nudge to those who are still developing their plans. Maryia will also follow up with students who haven’t collected enough data from their buddies yet, encouraging them to return to their classroom peers and ask more targeted questions to better align their designs with their buddy’s interests. Overall, both Maryia and I felt that today’s session was a strong step forward, and we’re looking forward to watching the students refine and progress their toy designs in the coming weeks.

Working With The Students: As mentioned above, today’s session was highly engaging for the students. Their passion for the project is clearly growing now that it has a meaningful purpose, constructing toys for their buddies, and an added incentive, with a voucher prize for the best toy as voted by the buddies. This real-world context is helping to drive motivation and creativity. I also feel that the collaboration between Maryia and me is working extremely well. She is open to all of my ideas, offers thoughtful suggestions, and brings genuine passion to her teaching. It’s clear she cares deeply about her students and is supportive of the time and work I’m putting into the classroom. Her involvement has made the sessions feel more collaborative and purposeful, and I’m enjoying the strong professional rapport we’ve developed.

Ideas Moving Forward: Maryia and I are currently revisiting the four sessions we have left before the holidays to plan the remainder of the toy construction project. We are mapping out what still needs to be completed and considering whether to extend this project by reducing the number of weeks allocated to the next one. This would allow students more time to finalise their toy designs and complete construction, while also making room for a culminating event–a Shark Tank-style presentation. During this showcase, students will pitch their toys to their buddies, who will then vote for their favourite. The winning toy will be announced, adding an exciting and rewarding finish to the project. This potential shift reflects our shared goal of giving students enough time to create meaningful, well-constructed toys and to present their ideas confidently and creatively.

This week, Maryia will take the students who have additional questions about their buddy’s preferences to visit them, allowing those students to gather the information they need to continue refining their toy plans. She will also scan each student’s materials list and share it with me so that I can visit REmida next Thursday to collect the necessary supplies. This coordinated approach ensures that all students have the resources and information they need to move forward confidently with their toy construction.