Skip to main content
August 1
I have noticed recently a slight shift in the lens with which I use to look at education. And to be honest, upon reflection, there has been a quite a big shift in the last four to five years. And it’s a good thing because it shows that I don’t have a fixed mindset when it comes to how I view education and student learning. It means that I am constantly reviewing, reflecting and inquiring into my own practice and my own skill set. I think I have been able to adjust the way I deliver learning opportunities to meet the specific needs of my students. I don’t believe or pretend that I am successful for every student, but I do believe that the effort has been made to at least try.
Where once my lens was all about digital devices and 1-1, I have now moved beyond this. I now see that education is about so much more than digital devices. For the students that walk into our classroom everyday, education is first and foremost about student well being. It’s about creating a space where our students feel safe. It’s about creating a space where I students feel comfortable being themselves. It’s about having a space which the student’s feel is theirs and it's about having a space where the students know their voice is heard and where their voice directly impacts on their wellbeing.
We have been successful in achieving this so far this year. We have focused on Key Competencies, which has been the umbrella or framework with which we have delivered the curriculum. Our AO’s have been kept simple and consist of having a positive attitude, putting in your best effort, and one Key Competency each term. Student self reflection has has been set against those three criteria. This has allowed a common language to develop and has allowed our students to taste success, which for many, has been a relatively new experience.
Keeping things simple has also provided an environment for students  confidence and motivation to improve, which has in turn encouraged students to be far more engaged. This has led to improved pride in the work being produced, which again, has led to students experiencing more success in their learning tasks. Our students are far more engaged in their work. They are taking more risks in the ideas and projects they design and they are developing  better critical thinking skills.
Of course each day brings it’s own challenges and struggles and not every student has a great day everyday. However, in 12 years of teaching, I have never experienced such an invigorating learning environment, nor have I witnessed such a large group of students so constantly engaged with their learning. We are doing something unique and something special which will only improve over time.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How is your school addressing the needs and aspirations of its community?

How is your school addressing the needs and aspirations of its community? In the last few years I have been fortunate enough to have been the recipient of several research grants. As part of this I have read many education and social research articles both international and national. This has allowed me to be aware of, and follow many international and national trends in education. It has also meant that I have been exposed to many different perspectives of what education could look like as we attempt to navigate the uncertainty that surrounds the future needs of our ākonga.  There are many organisations that have discussed and provided evidence to help us recognise the need for change and the tools to implement them. Organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provide The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, which governments use to help them measure the effectiveness of their education systems for preparing student
Post a Comment
Read more

Learning is messy

I find myself somewhat frustrated with the environment that we are expected to work in. Being a data driven industry I feel torn between being an innovative, future focused educator that focuses on individualised learning experiences for my students and on the other hand having the pressure of National Standards reporting hovering over my shoulder. Last year I achieved some wonderful results with my students. I managed to provide opportunities for students to taste success; students who had spent most of their school years feeling inadequate and incapable of achieving well in standardised tests. Many of my students still failed to score well in standardised tests. However, they managed to succeed in areas that are hard to measure. I saw many students self-esteem improve because they managed to complete a project for the first time on a topic of their choice and one which they were engaged with. They began to see themselves as experts in a niche area. They began to recognise themselv
2 comments
Read more

What can we learn about community from our students?

This was my first real experience of asking a deep question and using research to explore it. It was a fantastic opportunity and one that has created a burning desire to question our why and to provide students with a platform to have their voice heard
Post a Comment
Read more