Managing Change to Achieve Improvement

Managing Change to Achieve Improvement - a two day workshop facilitated by Brian Hinchco

 Purpose: 

To develop an alignment between the work of each school leadership team with that of the Across Kāhui Ako leaders, and the Kāhui Ako vision for Te Hiku.

The Kāhui Ako initiative covered 

• The role of DPs and APs as change managers within their kura including unpacking the barriers that come with this work
• The vision for Te Kāhui Tai Kura o Hiku as well as its strategic implementation plan
•  Change theory and models of change
•   Implementing change in our schools to achieve improvement
• Aligning the current Kāhui Workstreams; Wellbeing, Te Reo ono Tikinga Maori, and Spiral of Inquiry
• Meeting the competing drivers of the Kāhui Ako, The Iwi, The Ministry and our own school needs
• An opportunity to work professionally with others across the rohe with similar responsibilities and challenges as themselves.

The Power Point presented by Brian Hinchco.

Creating High Expectation Classrooms #2

“The curriculum encourages all students to reflect on their own learning processes and to learn how to learn.” 

The New Zealand Curriculum

Pupils’ learning is more productive if it is reflective, intentional, and collaborative, practices which may not come naturally but can be taught and can lead to pupils taking responsibility for their own learning. 

Black et al., 2006, page 126

It is important that teachers acknowledge, and set High Expectations for, abilities and talents of all students. These should reflect New Zealand's bi-cultural heritage and the it's increasing cultural diversity.

Today's workshop had me reflecting on how I personally set and maintain a culture of high expectations in my classroom.
Do I:

1. plan for goal setting and mixed ability groupings across the curriculum?
2. establish a positive culture of care?
3. promote student autonomy/agency?

To ensure a culture of high expectations I must:

• avoid bias when setting goals for/with students
• know my students really well through accurate monitoring and relationship
• set high expectations for all students regardless of race
• display/embed culturally responsive pedagogy i.e. acknowledge the Maori world view (te ao Maori) if there is a high percentage of Maori students

How do I see this working in the New Entrant classroom?

In my New Entrant classroom I want to ensure a positive learning culture therefore the classroom environment must firstly feel a safe place for all students. I want all the children who start off school life under my guidance to see themselves as great learners. Growth Mindset will be embedded into teaching/learning. Developing student autonomy or student agency starts with the knowledge of "I am a learner" and "I love learning." It also means developing the language about learning so there is a focus on oral language development which includes vocabulary development, talking about our learning, listening, noticing and understanding [comprehension]. Making learning models visible in the classroom has helped to develop student understanding about goal setting for e.g.   'What does good writing look like?' There are examples of student writing and visuals of what we need to do when writing. We visit the writing wall and students are learning to identify what they can currently do independently and what they need to do to improve [next steps]. We are at the beginning stage of learning to set goals.

My most valued take-home reminders from today's workshop: 

• The need to display unconditional warmth
• The need to build self-esteem for some students
• Teachers are role models. Teachers are central figures to some students.
• Students reflect teacher behaviour [ being calm, polite, sensitive, responsibile for own behaviour]
• Teachers need to know the family background of students
• The language teachers use is very important
• To seriously think about which students are most vulnerable and what actions I can take to help them develop a healthy self-esteem and become positive class members.
• I need to focus on the positive for each student
• I need to be aware of my non-verbal communications and what I am indicating by facial expressions and body language
• Is my behaviour management with some students preventive or reactive? 

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 9

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Ubiquitous Learning can occur any time, any place, anywhere, from anyone. Learning can happen outside school hours because content is accessible through the class website. Students who are away from school for whatever reason are able to review content and supporting resources [Rewindable Learning].

How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED me professionally with my teaching practice?

Through the Digital Fluency Intensive I have learned to navigate my way through a variety of Google apps and apply these to organising, planning and collaborating with colleagues. I am able to design a site with linked sub-pages and make it accessible to my students, embed slides, videos, images, google docs and drawings into a site to support student learning. I have blogged for the first time in my life and feel more comfortable about sharing thoughts and ideas publicly. I have made connections with other teachers in the Te Hiku cluster who are also on the Manaiakalani journey and will continue sharing and collaborating with them through Google Groups, email and other professional networks. I am also more equipped to explain the Manaiakalani pedagogy to whanau and the wider school community. I have really appreciated that teachers who have experience working in Manaiakalani schools have shared with us their knowledge, skills and resources.

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?

Because I am more confident using Google apps I will be able to implement these when designing learning projects for the students, making learning visible, rewindable, appealing and accessible on their iPads. I will also be able to teach students how to share and organise their learning on the iPad as a record of their learning journeys.

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 4

Due to the NZEI nation wide strike on the 15th August I did not attend this weeks DFI session. I found the whole strike-action experience positive in the Kaitaia area. The support from the community was wonderful. Parents and families joined us on our hikoi from Kaitaia Intermediate School,  car horns honked, people waved, students yelled out "we love teachers,"  business owners stood at their entrance ways with cheers and friendly affirmation and there was an overwhelming sense of unity among the teachers as they gathered together from different schools. The seriousness of the matter was not lost as we waved the placards and stood firm together declaring, "Kua te wa! It's time!"

And it is time for a change as teachers and principals struggle with a never ending succession of demands to meet student needs and M.o.E. requirements with inadequate resourcing.
We are currently stretched to our physical and mental limits. It is just too much!.

I for one love working with my students and work hard to provide the very best for them . . . and, every teacher I know has exactly the same attitude. What teachers want is for the profession to be respected, which includes an increase in salary that reflects the qualification and the workload/hours that are involved. Good teachers are leaving! Less teachers are training! If nothing happens soon, students will be in overcrowded classrooms with an increasing number of children who have a range of severe learning and behavioural issues for whom there is little or no support.



Before the Paparore School team joined forces with the other teachers at KIS, they picketed at Awanui. We had the same support as mentioned above. I must also mention that the local Bakerman Cafe served us delicious date scones, free of charge. The lovely gesture was accompanied with a, "thank you . . . we support you!"

Some of the Team joining forces with the teachers across New Zealand -  Thanks Donna Brydon [also part of the team] for the fantastic photo.  The rest of the team, Principal John Windleborn, Angela Windleborn and Venessa Davan, were supporting the cause on the opposite corner. Please note the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow 😉.

Although I was absent from this session I did work with Google sheets. If you would like an editable copy of the following Google Sheet email me.
Whole School Progress and Achievement Data