COL Interview 2024: Questions 2 - 6

2. What learnings from the 2017 - 2023 CoL teacher inquiries have informed or inspired your thinking.

In no particular order.  

• Karen’s innovations in creating learning for the kids on social media platforms and her watching her create and trial the innovative teacher inquiry game 'Boost' with our staff.
• Christine and Poto from Glen Taylor. We have created a strong bond and have connected in our knowledge of identifying the challenges and support needed for our Pasifika kids. 
• I know that Christines supporting teachers and their pedagogy and being culturally responsive in our practice.  
• Andrea who is currently building a Pasifika teachers network she is building is needed and important in building last.  

3. How would your work support Manaiakalani pedagogy and kaupapa?

• Through ensuring that students and staff know that the Learn, Create, Share model is one of the ways we continue to be connected to each other.
• I will continue to work and support Kerry and the Manaiakalani team through department discussions and secondary connected.
• I will continue to challenge and question systems to ensure the appropriate voices are heard.

4. Which elements of the extensive Manaiakalani research findings inform or challenge you as you think about this?

Here are some of the findings that I have found useful, challenging and enjoyable in guiding my pedagogy and the pedagogy of my department.

• Reading Research tool observations.  These tools are so beneficial and need more 'airtime' to be incorporated across the cluster more purposefully.  I would love to see PLD from the team for our school to work out how to implement the tools better.
• Critical literacy page 4
• Cluster-wide PLD

5. How would you like to be supported in 2024 as you undertake this inquiry?

• I would like to continue to work more closely with other COL teachers within our school but also across the cluster.
• I would like to have a regular check in and talanoa with Fiona.  
• I would like to book in and see Matt more to help with my workspaces.
• I would like to meet Dr Russell Bishop and be led in a PLD by him.

6. How would you plan to support your colleagues in your school with their inquiries and/or teaching in the area you are exploring?

• I would like to support teachers by inviting them to observe my classes.  I would like to allocate my time COL time once a week to have one on one conferencing with staff. 
• I want to continue to present to our staff once a term with our COL team.

Me looking interested in library books

COL Interview 2024 Question 1

Because I talk too much, I've decided to break my interview questions into two parts.  This is part ONE.

1.  What achievement challenge are you considering as an area of focus in 2024 and why? Include in your WHY both evidence and your own passion/expertise.

The achievement challenge the I am focusing on is achievement challenge #1 Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13.

I am a year 10 mentor/tutor this year, its that year between being fresh at year 9 and feeling the pressures at year 11.  As the years progressed, we seeing the struggle to engage with the learning, to stay motivated and focused.  As of this week, the average attendance of our year 10’s was 53% for the year (including hybrid learning)

This term the school wanted to see if we could have them focus on relevant learnings that are worth credits.  So English, Science, Maths and my dept Social Sciences decided to offer at least 3 credits. I found a level 1 standard 4 credits.  I taught level 1 this year and decided I would try and rearrange the timetable so that I will be the one to teach all the year 10’s for 3 of the 4 periods of Social Studies classes each week.

To start the process, I looked at what the challenges and barriers were for learning. One of them was that not every student had a device.  When thinking about a framework as to how to create the environment for learning, I thought about the iceberg theory: the stuff you can see on top is the organisational stuff, below the iceberg is the shift in thinking that leads to a shift in teaching.

 ICEBERG THEORY:  Above the water

1. No devices unless you need it to research
2. Every child provided the tools to learn (black clearfile, worksheets, pens)
3. Learning space - the school library
   

BELOW THE ICEBERG

• Building an environment of learning that is safe and comfortable.  
• Learning through the values lens and using the language to guide the learning.
• Setting high expectations (constant affirmations, you can do it, well done). 
• Provocations that lead to critical thinker.
• Showing passion and conviction ‘this is so important to know and I know you know it’.

Structure of lessons

• Structured way of learning that is repetitive 
• Feedback and feedforward:  Every weekend I’ve taken each box home and marked and put comments on every child who’s been present their folders and provided feedback.

So far the sessions have been going well but my next questions were: 

• How do I keep the momentum going and allow now for the differentiation in learning?
• How do I ensure that learning is deep enough and wide enough?
• How do ensure that my Māori learners are engaged and can achieve success?

I’ve had some ups and downs so far.  Ups: Students seem engaged and I have received has been positive feedback.  Teachers have also accidentally observed me.  Downs:  It takes a lot to organise and I’m exhausted at the end of each day.  But I know the investment is worth it!

When talking with teachers who have observed me, they have shared how they have found the lessons engaging.  This leads me to think about leading learning for teachers.  

During one of COL meetings this year, our Co-ordinator mentioned Dr Russell Bishops work around teaching to the north east.  I was interested in hearing about the research and spent some time researching and looking at his work.  At my next department meeting, I put to my team, what is the biggest impact on Maori achievements in education?  The feedback interesting and Bishops studies found it was the teacher student relationship.  On the other side, the biggest barrier was deficit thinking. 

My next questions are:

• What is my theory of teaching?
• How does it guide my pedagogy?
• How do I unpack my unconscious bias around deficit thinking?
• Can I support other teachers to unpack theirs without being frustrated?

I have so many things to consider and will try and identify a more concise inquiry with more research.