"the results may have been skewed by an influenza pandemic"
I really didn't think we'd be getting right into Pandemic Planning at kura so early. I thought maybe we'd hit global Zombie Apocalypse first... but no. This is real.
I was in a state of panic yesterday.
I spent a lot of time in bed - worried, concerned. Sleepy.
Today, I got back into action mode. Lots of things were completed at school but there is still this overarching sense of impending doom to calculate and maneuver around.
My current thoughts are a resounding: We got this! But my internal conflict says... Do we? Like actually, do we?
It makes me think about how lucky we are here in New Zealand. We'd heard about it late last year, on into the beginning of this year.
One of my Y12 students even did her speech on this subject. Only slightly ironic that we'd then have a global pandemic on our hands...
Still, all the planning in the world couldn't prepare us for this. At present we have sixty-six confirmed cases of Coronavirus. This man in the video below is so clearly spoken, so relaxed and calm in this growing sense of panic that the rest of us are feeling. People are panic buying toilet paper. TOILET PAPER. Yes.... And not just here, either. All over. Sure, hand sanitiser and bleach sold out quickly too. They've only recently put a limit on how many loaves of bread you're allowed to buy. My friends are having trouble buying bags of flour. It makes me a tiny bit more appreciative of being gluten free.
Underneath all this bravado and my own sense of supposed calm. There is an overwhelming worry and concern for the people I love and care for. My immune-compromised colleagues are allowed to work from home this week according to Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health guidelines.
We're at Pandemic Alert Level 2 here in NZ. Our schools won't close until we are at Level 4. This is in itself quite a stressful time. We are on the frontline: teachers, nurses, doctors.
What are the symptoms again?
Coronavirus has spread fast. From Wuhan, China and then on throughout the rest of the world. We closed our borders relatively quickly. Thankful to have the cousin Jacinda as Prime Minister. She has truly helped keep the virus at bay. People traveling were meant to self-isolate. I'm guessing the 66 cases are people who did the travelling.
We are yet to move to community transfer. When that happens... I guess we'll be rising to the next Alert Level.
Italy has become the new epicentre of the virus. It is awful to think of the beautiful places I travelled to and visited in 2018 having their beautiful people getting sick and dying from this disease. Apparently the canal waters are clear. The sediment has not been disturbed. Fish and swans can be seen in and on the canal waters. Even dolphins have returned.
Some are saying that this is Mother Nature's way of putting us all into a time-out. Perhaps this is true. We were going to end up this way at some point, why not now?
It's hard to say what might happen next.
All I do know is that I have to keep a calm face and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
We're all in this together. Solidarity. Sick?
Whatever it means - we have to keep moving.
It is scary though to think of my students getting sick and coming to school, sick and then that virus transferring to others.
Usually when I start thinking of next possible situations, the worst possible situations, I feel a sense of dread, panic and fear.
At least with this pandemic of Coronavirus... I know the realities. Everyone I know and love could die. This might be a really morbid thing to say - sure. But I've actually never felt more calm. Because this is literally the worst thing that could happen.
And yet, I think the panic lies in what to sort out first. Which priority is more important?
Which task on my to-do list needs to be actioned first?
To Do...
Ensure all classes in my department have Google Classroom set up
Ensure that all students have access to wifi, data or other means to complete their work
Check in with the immune-compromised teachers in my department. Are they okay? Will they be working at home this week?
Talk with immune-compromised students via email. Check that they are ready, and set up for learning at home
Reassure students and teachers that it will be okay...
Find out more information of how dogs can get sick from the virus...
Buy more echinacea tablets ---- don't be overwhelmed if you can't find any...
Try not to panic buy....
Talk to Nan often and see how she's doing
Create Zoom lessons and use Screencastify
Prep resources that can be used online and offline
Talk with students and check they're prepped at home with food and safe places
Carry out duty at school -- enforce 2 metre separation where needed
The last two days I've been talked to/at with what could be termed as disrespectful conversations. In a way they could be deemed as attacks but I'd rather take the high road and discuss the reasons these conversations are inappropriate always - but certainly in an environment such as the teaching profession.
Now - right before my birthday things usually stir up a bit like this which reinforces my morals, my ideals and my thinking about what is appropriate in my life and more so what I try to remove from my life - mainly negativity and any notion of deficit theorizing.
As someone that grew up learning how to be passive-aggressive as a strategy to deal with everyday conversations at home - it's easy to let the person rage and then just take it, rather than calmly suggest ways to the other person how to deal with the situation, or even, confront the issue head on. For all intents and purposes I try not to create issues. Sometimes though - especially in high-stress, high-emotional areas such as the teaching profession, sometimes precision of language does not occur - and as such - your message can be misconstrued.
As a result of the conversation I was brought into yesterday, I feel undermined and undervalued. Yet am expected to continue doing what I was already doing anyway. As a secondary result - I do not feel like continuing with that particular aspect of extra-curricular activity within the school. Personally I do not like being talked to/at like a child. Yes I am mere weeks from my 27th birthday, and no, I have not been teaching for ten, or 20+ years. But that does not in any way, shape or form mean that I do not have my students' best interests at heart. Nor does it mean that I am unaware of the issues our students face daily. Also, I am pretty quick on the uptake so don't need things reinforced four or five times so I get it. When you whakahē someone, you undermine their understanding, you make them feel worthless and moreover, you make them feel belittled and unimportant as if their feelings and ideas do not matter.
This morning's conversation, which wasn't so much a conversation as a loud reprimand in front of 20+ colleagues about something incredibly trivial as a need to bring a pen to briefing, was even more embarrassing as the discussion then continued as if the reason for the reprimand rested solely on my shoulders and not on all of us for the need to do paperwork - two different issues. It is inappropriate to say such things loudly - a pull-aside talk would have sufficed. However, in my defense - the reason I never bring a pen to briefings is because I write everything on my phone because then I'm not wasting paper as the notices are on Kamar and if I seriously need one - we borrow from each other at our table. Which is never a problem. In the room we were in, there were at least 15 pens I could have borrowed. I was merely waiting until someone had finished so that I could make my selections of the four student leaders I thought were going to lead our house to greatness. At the time of the loud and embarrassing reprimand, I was thinking about who I would choose. Seriously.
It frustrates me that I am now spending my non-contact debriefing myself and trying to deal with these conversations, rather than making the most of my time to do everything else I need to do. Like create new resources for a class I haven't ever taught before, plan lessons for the rest of the day and tomorrow and develop a strong plan on how to deal with certain students in some of my classes. Then, after then I can finally get onto the question marks on Kamar for students that were away on sports trips or that I need to follow up, and on the endless paper trail that could easily be done online.
In all conversations I have I try to be respectful. In conversations where I know it will quickly escalate, I tend to revert to a 14 year old kid trying not to get yelled at, so I sound like a kid. Maybe that's why they treat me that way when talking to me. Maybe I need to assert myself like others have said and tell those who do so to back off and be respectful. Apparently it worked for them.
If I want to proceed in a few career directions I really need to nail this now. Because if I continue to allow people to whakahē me then I will only ever be that weak little mousey kid that couldn't stand up to her bullies.
Respectful conversations require good listening skills and an ability to read others. If you can't do that, at least be nice and make sure you are saying what you are saying clearly and with respect to the other person. If there is something you don't like or need clarification around an issue, then ask. But with respect to the other person. For all you know, you may have heard something that was untrue and asking it in a way that is only going to escalate the situation is not what anyone wants.
Also - the importance of whakawhanaungatanga and the importance of restorative justice. If there is a relationship there - fabulous - use it to your benefit. If you don't know how that person will react to your question or phrasing - then say it in a way that will gauge their reaction - hopefully positively - and also try to de-escalate the situation, before it becomes escalated.
You never know what the person is going through and how certain things can trigger other things - causing a mass overhaul on Blogger because they're overly frustrated and annoyed because they can't fix it.
We talk about the takeaways we have when we go to conferences and professional learning - and was just thinking about the kinds of takeaways I hope that my students take away from my class and being one of my students.
1. The Ability to be honest, feel listened to and appreciated
2. The sense of appreciation of self that they can achieve anything if they set their mind to it
3. The appreciation of others having differing perspectives than themselves
4. The awareness that there are more positive alternatives in solving an argument
5. Becoming used to environments changing around you
6. Accepting change in all of it's many faces
7. Ackowledging verbal feedback and feedforward as just as important as written feedback and feedforward
8. The awareness and understanding that a simple grade is not what makes them who they are
9. Having patience - and the resilience to deal with other personalities in the classroom
10. Having the strength to recognise a difficult situation for what it is and contemplating the different ways to go around it in order to gain the best results and outcome
11. Having trust and reliance in others to know they'll stand by you and awhi you when you need it
12. Being secure in the knowledge that you have learnt and being comfortable in getting more guidance to continue being a life-long learner
13. The importance of asking for help when you need it
14. Recognising your own limits and what is acceptable and not acceptable for you to discuss, deal with or be around
15. Recognising that your values change as you grow as a person, and realising that others may not change as fast as you or at all
16. Accepting that others do not change their opinions even when you try explaining to them your point of view
17. Acknowledging our own faults and working around them to continue to strive for our very best
18. Recognising other peoples ignorance and arrogance and knowing how to deal with it in a more relaxed manner
19. Feeling free to laugh however you want without feeling you are being laughed at.. and if you are being laughed at - taking it as them laughing with you because laughter is contagious and it is beautiful and you choose your own attitude
20. Feeling safe to explore all of these opportunities and more.
So today we begun some more writing challenges - with a focus on reading mileage and a beginning session on using Twitter in a live chat.
1) Promoting and developing a Reading Community - one that chooses to read rather than one forced to read...
2) Encouraging more positive behaviours through collaborative group and class work
3) Encouraging oral/aural listening skills through verbal questions and written answers on paper
We started the lesson with students writing down as many books that they could remember reading - for some I added the "since the beginning of time" suggestion. I asked them to choose their favourite ones and write down what each one was about and also why they enjoyed them the most.
It was surprising seeing the reading mileage by a few particular students - they're not particularly 'strong' readers and one student said today that she was "forced" to read that many. Surely though.. even if she did just have a good memory - could this be a simple cry for help? She remembered at least 20 books in under 2 minutes. When in the reading room in our set reading timetabled period - she sits there reading - but doesn't seem to enjoy it. I really want to help her love reading.
To do this - I was talking to Bridget Compton-Moen (@BridgetLCM) about the 40 Book Challenge from Donalyn Miller's 'The Book Whisperer'. I want to start a ridiculously enjoyable experience of reading in my English classes - particularly with my Y9's. Up until now we've had quite a few disruptive terms - with students leaving to go to alternative education and then coming back and then going again - the class dynamic has changed at least 3 or 4 times and we're finally at a good point in the dynamics where the majority of the kids wanting to learn outweigh the kids who don't really care. The reading mileage has been good, but I still want to measure it - with a few dyslexic students, others with other learning issues and behaviour management issues - it's been difficult measuring their reading - other than through verbal conferencing between myself and students individually.
For this lesson though - the focus was getting some quick feedback halfway through the year in how they're doing and what they're enjoying, struggling with and what they would like to do more of in English.
Before we began with the rules of the game - I asked them to group themselves with two others (groups of 3) with one person who reads a lot, someone who reads a bit, and another who doesn't read much at all.
In their groups they needed to then create handles individually which they wrote in their spelling books. Half will now be used for spelling and half for Twitter practice.
The Rules: Like any Good Twitter Chat :)
1) Every tweet they write needs to have the hashtag - #Y9English
2) They can only say up to 10 words (to fit into the 140 character limit)
3) They need to answer the questions - A1. (response) #Y9English, A2 and so on..
The questions we used:
Q1. What's your name and where are you from?
Q2. What have you enjoyed so far about English this year?
Q3. What subjects do you not enjoy/struggle with at school?
Q4. What makes these subjects not as enjoyable?
Q5. What are three things you have learnt so far this year in English?
Q6. What do you get frustrated with in English?
Q7. What does Miss L do to help you in English?
Q8. What would you like to learn more about in English?
Final Q. What do you think Miss L needs to do better/differently in class?
These questions were chosen to assess their learning, my teaching and also what else I need to do to help my students achieve to the best of their abilities.
Issues during the Mock-Twitter Chat
Some students were initially not wanting to get involved for a few reasons:
1) Felt that they weren't allowed to do Twitter at home so did not want to try on paper in class
2) Said that they had been blocked for some reason from Twitter
3) Didn't understand the task
Out of 23 students - I had 6 students who were being rude, disengaged and unfocussed - they were onto it at different points of the chat but I held them back during interval to discuss their behaviour and how disrepectful it had become.
I hardly ever yell. With one particular student he says I'm "too soft" - that phrase again. I understand why he says that from his point of view and he may very well be correct in saying that I'm not hard enough with him as a result.
Issues in Using Twitter in Class
I have not asked parents yet about using Twitter in class - mostly because we're not actually using it as Twitter yet - but we are using twitter terms like hashtags, questioning and answering structures and handles.
Visibility in Going Forward
I want to make everything I'm doing incredibly visible - transparent even - so that everyone knows what I'm doing in my class - and so that the students can be proud of the work they have done.
In order to do that properly I need to do a few different things:
1) Talk to Principal
2) Talk to BOT and Deputy Principal in charge of IT
3) Double check policies on Cybersafety that students have already signed with their enrolment forms
4) Create a class policy on Digital Citizenship
5) Talk to parents and whanau and ask them about their concerns and issues with students doing this
6) Talk with students about using Twitter appropriately - even if we only begin with a Class Twitter account for starters
7) Set up a Class Twitter account '@EvolvingatHeightsand' maybe and a Class Blog - 'Evolving at Heights' to further showcase student's learning :)
8) Talk with those running @kidsedchatnz and @NZWaikato about blogging and twitter
9) Use this evidence as a base to make sure everything is on board.
I would like to do another Twitter chat in class - perhaps this time on small sheets of paper with the students' handles on it and put them up on the whiteboard or windows to share students' thinking.
If I get the students' permission about sharing their tweets - I will take some pics and put them up here :)
For those of you who are aware of the Tapu series blog posts I've done - you will know that I am quite seriously serious about Maori achievement. Like Hekia Parata said at the Maori Teachers' Conference - "Success Breeds Success" - and while I agree with the sentiment, there is a lot of data that is out in the public arena that proves to whanau, students and teachers that Maori and Pacific Island students don't do as well as non-Maori students.
I have talked at length about my issues with maths - and while I appreciate statistics and the reasons for using them in this way to collect data on our students to be aware of the huge gap - it in essence continues to remind our Maori and Pacific Island students that they are consistently playing a game of catch-up.
The use of data in this way - successfully creates a negative mindset in our students' minds and puts a mental wall in the students' psyche. It also creates a negative mindset for our teachers of our students as well - because our Maori and Pacific Island students are our priority learners. They should be - but not because they're falling behind the national standard. As a result - depending on the person and the amount of deficit theorising that goes on... the teacher chooses whether to believe in that student or not. And as teachers since we are driven by collecting data to inform our teaching - often it makes the point that yes, Maori and Pacific Island students do not do as well as non-Maori - and for me - that in itself is heartbreaking.
Of course all of this blog post is from my own personal opinion - and more importantly - from my experiences with my students. Because - that's the best data out there. Real data. Real success. Real learning and teaching.
And while we can use the data to inform our teaching - in reality - it doesn't do more than that. The building of relationships is so important that it often gets overlooked when put alongside something as statistically important as data - and it is these relationships that are created that are the drivers in making change and success happen.
The Point: Pride and Confidence
The point of this presentation at CLESOL was to talk about how I teach my bi-lingual students. For me - it comes down to creating confidence in our students first, so that they can feel comfortable for who they are, feel pride in who they are - which then leads to all other aspects of their cultural, academic, sporting and personal success.
I still don't have a good title. Perhaps the one above will work. 'Maori as achievers'.
I talked to one of my new mentors while at the Maori Teachers conference (#huarahi14) and asked her how to go about discussing this topic without causing offence or making others feel uncomfortable. She said that my passion would shine through and that as a result - I would say the right things so that it didn't become misconstrued and so that people would understand what I was getting at.
The biggest issue I've had with getting this presentation ready is that I was doing it via webcam and so as a result couldn't gauge my audience's reactions to what I was saying. As someone that has a very flexible teaching style - I tend to work off of my student's prior learning and go from there. With this conference presentation - it's a quick three minute snapshot of something I'm doing well.
What do I do well?
Create relationships. Use relationships to help manage and improve student behaviours and success. Maintain relationships by keeping in touch with whanau and the students' community. Empathise with my students and am aware of the very diverse nature of differing perspectives and life experiences.
As a new teacher, I am increasingly aware of the diverse range of teachers out there - and the diverse range of students as well.
I feel as a new teacher that I have a lot to share - but often worry that what I do have to share is not good enough - so tend to share more often on here and Twitter than at school - because I get scared that it might not be good 'enough'. A lot of this insecurity stems from the fact that while I grew up I didn't have a lot of support from my family as Maori - nor did I receive this support from my school (though this tends to have a bit to do with the hallway incident at High School and the being "too white" event and that I got shy of being Maori from then on and focussed on being French) - despite showing my pride as Maori through Kapa Haka, sports and educational success.
One of my student teachers - who I have written about in the #WhoIamWhatIdo post - taught me to be proud of who I am despite the multiple others telling me that I wasn't good enough and the impact that this one teacher has had on me as an individual and as Maori has been huge. I use her advice with my students whenever I have need of it and it tends to go down well. Nga mihi nui ki a koe e hoa ma.
I try as hard as I can to help my students feel proud of who they are despite whatever backgrounds they may have come from and whatever they are dealing with at that point in time.
As a result of my own personal experiences, I want to have a truly positive impact on my students.
My Personal Skills
I am a compassionate and considerate teacher and I care about what my students feel about themselves. It's increasingly important to me to make sure my students feel safe, secure, comfortable and listened to. I want them to feel that they can discuss anything and also give their opinions in a welcome space without fear of being intimidated or mocked by others.
I encourage them to succeed. I praise them on their effort, rather than their intelligence or ability in that subject.
Fixed vs Growth Mindsets
This year I have used Carol Dweck's Fixed vs Growth Mindset theories to challenge my students’ mindsets to develop from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. This has seriously begun to make some progress in developing my students positive thinking about the skills that they have in other classes and why they do well in some classes rather than others - and more importantly - how to transfer that feeling of success from a subject that they do well in/enjoy to one that they may not necessarily do well in or may dislike.
Importance of Pride in Success
We don’t often have the opportunity to be proud as Maori.Why? Historical background is full of examples - acts created by government in the past to force assimilation - for example the Native Schools Act ( ). Check this postout where I explain this idea in more depth.
Background Info
The project that I will be discussing at the CLESOL conference is created from my own personal experience and of course through the fabulous programme of Te Kotahitanga. The initiative focuses on building relationships as the key to success. It truly has been the key to my own success with my students.
My bi-lingual students had just come back from an
assembly where they were told that historically Maori achieve considerably less
than non-Maori. This assessment data and the way we use data to try to
encourage our students to work harder negatively affects our Maori students’
mindsets. It makes them feel that already they cannot achieve because there is
data continuously facing them that proves it. They are given a huge
responsibility to change this data and improve it - but they are sent away with
knowledge but without advice on how to go about doing it.
I told my bi-lingual students that they were more
than the data that they had been given. They had skills and abilities and
aspects of their personalities that were way more important.
These two questions continue to guide my own
teaching:
How do we as Maori stop ourselves from achieving?
How do I as an individual achieve to the best of my ability?
These two questions were instrumental in making sure my focus as a teacher was on enabling my students to feel confident and successful in everything that they do.
Student Voice data collection
My students knew why they didn't achieve well, and also what effects it had on them as individuals and as Maori.
This student voice data - shows that my students knew why they didn’t achieve - the fact that they believed what others said about them and that they chose not to listen to teachers who they didn’t like.
My students said that "they don’t listen to teachers who they don't connect
with" - which is true for a lot of students - I know that for a fact in my own schooling.
With this data having been collected - we discussed the alternatives to feeling like this - and understanding the need to be more aware of other peoples' perspectives and how as Maori we are an inclusive people and tend to give more of ourselves than there is to give.
I am still hoping to catch up with that class in a couple more years - maybe even this year to see their development as students, as people, as young rangatahi and certainly as young rangatira.
Project Impact
The project
itself has had a huge impact on my students since then. I may not do this empowerment task with my students at the moment - but that initial empowerment task has helped me immensely in re-challenging my own thinking about seeing data as the be all. My students are learning that they can
achieve as Maori, that they can achieve as individuals regardless of where
they’re from or how they’ve been brought up and that they can succeed despite
the data that they are consistently being told.
Without a strong relationship between teacher and student - it is
difficult to get anywhere in the classroom. Data will continue to be data
unless we make a point in attempting to help our students be all that they can
be.
Generally I try to ignore the data as much as possible - because as a teacher and as a prior student I know that there is a certain amount of deficit theorising that goes on in schools. I refuse to deficit theorise towards any of my students - Maori or non-Maori. I do not want to make the mistake of even THINKING that because of XYZ... this student will not do as well as this student. Because data continues to be focussed on - it's hard to get away from using it to inform our teaching - so instead I use it to individualise my teaching and learning and try to make my students create their own goals - whether they be academic, social, sports related or even cultural. I want my students to feel that they can achieve - despite the data that they know also says that Maori achieve consistently lower than Maori. I want my students to feel that they have the confidence to ignore the data and focus on what they can do themselves individually - and also as Maori. I think it is important to acknowledge the projects that have informed my teaching practice and style - namely Te Kotahitanga -of which there wouldn't be my own personal project in the first place, Ka Hikitia and He Kakano. Our school is currently working with the Building on Success team to see how our Te Kotahitanga practices have continued to support our students. And I am still pretty stoked from my initial baseline for TK back when I was at my first school - and after my BOS observation - I just need to continue what I'm doing and remember to use visual learning intentions more often. For me it's more that I need to have a visual reminder - like a scaffold with my SOLO labels - which I use sometimes but not always... so that's something I want to work on because by having visual learning intentions our students can see what level they have been working at and for some - they will be working consistently at three or four levels depending on the different mahi we do in class. At present I am doing an inquiry on two students - one in Year 10 and another in Year 11. The boy in Year 10 - we shall call C and the boy in Year 11 we shall call B.
Based on the Asttle data from the start of the year - when C and I sat down together to look at his reading age and also his areas of improvement needed - it is clear that he just does not read enough. Now I could deficit theorise and say this is because C lives out in the wops or that it's because he is into pig hunting or that his whanau may not put much stock on reading because of XYZ. This is not fair to him, his whanau and relating it to myself - to me and my whanau. I grew up in a small town, went pig hunting with my Grandad (and all other styles of hunting...), however from a very young age my Nan created a love for reading with me. This could be the same for C - I just haven't had that conversation yet.
C has decided that he wants to improve his reading level from 3-4 to 4-5. Now you may have been deficit theorising already just from that small amount of background already - and maybe thought that he would have been at 2-3 instead. He isn't a terrible reader. In fact he's pretty good. He wants to improve his vocabulary as well. But he hasn't caught my bug yet. He has trouble finding a book he actually enjoys - and it is this issue we are currently working on because I seriously believe in the power of a good book to transform a kids' life. I still have a term and a half to go with him - and there's still time to help him help himself.
For me - the bug has always been the curiosity of finding something out - the passion to learn is something that is inherently embedded in me - and so it frustrates me when my students don't seem to care because if I had had a teacher as amazing as me (humble I know!) I would be sitting front and centre, elbows bent on the table, fists clenched and relaxed under my chin and big dopey and sparkley eyes looking up at my teacher to learn the next thing.
I do have students like this - but unfortunately I'm still working on making C and a few others like this. And like Joe Bennett said in his Keynote at the English conference the other day - I may not be the teacher that these particular students do this with - for some kids it could be a teacher that isn't like me at all that sparks them to learn and gets that inner fire started to drive their passion further. And that's fabulous. We all have our strengths.
C has made some success - but I'm waiting for the bug to hit. He was AMAZING when it came to teaching the class about SOLO and him and K were absolutely ecstatic and buzzing that they knew the stuff and could be the tuakana for once in class. I now continue to bank on that positivity for those boys because they need to feel that they too can achieve. In fact, I made these two boys a cake to share with the class so that they could further be proud of their achievements.
B on the other hand - has struggled with the analysis side of English in Year 11. He can verbalise his thoughts with me and if he wasn't so shy (even though at times he's hilariously cocky) he would rock the speech assessment. He might not get Excellence because he, like C needs to read to develop his vocabulary, but he would definitely make us believe in what he's saying - and for me - that's commanding attention - or at the very least being convincing.
Quite recently we have been doing our static images. He has blossomed. Completely. For a boy that has a similar background to C, he has found a tiny bit of success and he has been enjoying the fact that he knows how to create an image that is truly effective. He finished well before others - and it should easily gain a Merit - if not more. Unfortunately - it is the written aspect where he will be knocked down because he doesn't have that confidence to portray his feelings and ideas without worrying that they're wrong.
I really wish I had had him last year - although his friend A who I had in my Y10 class last year was a tutu bum and barely did any work and so if A and B were both in the same class it may have been chaotic haha - although highly entertaining and enjoyable I'm sure - this year however A has completely astounded me - and broken every single thought I ever had of him being a tutu bum. Why? Because over the summer holidays he matured, he now shows focus and a willingness to learn. He tells B off a lot and tells B to listen to me and that "Nah G, she's all good." Particularly the day when I explained to B that his vocab is true to him - and that when I go home I speak like that too. It's hard to break from tradition and what comes naturally sometimes.
In essence, I'm proud of both of these boys.
For this reason - I tend not to give assessment data early in my classes - mainly because it breeds negativity and it makes my students instantly place themselves on a NAME scale and forces those who happen to get an N or for some an A to feel like they're never going to get any better.
What I'm getting at overall though is that not every student has mind-blowing data-altering success. And they shouldn't have to. Some students go far and beyond their initial data proving abilities... and yet the majority of my students tend to do well - because every student has their own success - no matter how 'big' or 'small' it may be. It's still successful. It still makes them feel that little bit taller, and it helps them realise that they can achieve, that they can obtain success.
Breaking: I need to make a better reading log up....
Reflective questions:
How do we see ourselves with our Maori students?
How do we enable our students to feel proud of themselves as who they are -
regardless of the data that they are told?
What would our Maori students say about our cultural responsiveness in class?
What would our Maori students say about the way in which we use data in our classes?
What would our Maori students say in regards to how we make them feel proud of their successes, rather than focussing on their failures?
Important Thoughts and Suggestions for further reflection:
We need to assist our students in enabling them to
feel more confident in who they are as individuals and as Maori students.
We keep telling them that they need to achieve better because of the data - but how can they if we don’t show them how?
We need to enable our students to feel proud of themselves by being proud of our students ourselves.
We need to be the leaders. We need to make them feel that they can do this. Consistently encourage them. By not allowing their fixed mindsets to stop them from achieving to the best of their abilities.
We need to make them feel proud of who they are - but not to the detriment to them holistically. We shouldn’t merely encourage them for one set of skills - for example sporting abilities to be all that they are.
Believe in Maori achievement in life, not just in school.
Help them feel proud - Culturally, holistically, spiritually, mentally, physically - every which way so that they believe that they can achieve.
We need to consistently challenge our own mindsets and make sure we are not deficit theorising towards any of our students.
Strategies to Implement and Improve Maori
achievement:
We are in 2014 and STILL fighting the equality battle. It's time we looked at how we are using this data and how it impacts on our students, our teachers, our schools and our communities - because if we consistently force-feed data then we will get used to seeing data as more important than actual real student achievement - whatever that achievement may be for a particular student.
Just had the most intense conversation with one of my Y11 students. He should be in politics. He needs to speak his mind more often at those hui because it's eating him up. I suggested he write a blog.
I originally thought he should be a teacher. And perhaps he should. But think he has so much potential he could do anything.
I need time to process all of that.
Wow.
So it's now at least five hours since that conversation and it's still processing at the back and perhaps now forefront of my mind.
When you talk to someone that passionate about what's troubling them.. it's hard not to become overwhelmed. When you understand their point of view and completely see where they are coming from and even agree with them it's even harder. What's even more so harder is the realisation that you don't have the right answers to fix the problem. That no amount of counselling or sage advice or personal experiences can stop that kind of pain.
What's troubling is that there are a huge majority of people in our country, even in this city who still don't get it.
I truly wish I had recorded that conversation. Powerful. Eloquent. Everything you'd expect of a year 13 speech. This kid is Y11. And he's an amazing orator. Strongly spoken and passionate. He will be a great leader for his people once they realise they should be listening to him as well.
We had originally been discussing the flag on my car from the door knocking I had done earlier in the weekend. We were outside the class at this point, before the class even started. A few others asked similar questions, particularly my stance on the Eastern Arterial Route. My response came from a merely political viewpoint.. that the govt will throw money to the regional councils in order to get a vote and that even if the other party do get in... there will still be a huge chance of the route/bypass happening anyway.
That was it. All that I had said.
So the lesson began. Most kids were doing their work. Eventually I noticed that one of my star pupils ... who normally has such an indepth viewpoint of the world and the themes and history which deepens his entire analyses in essays and discussions.. seemed close to tears. I asked him if he was ok. He said he was fine. I asked if he needed to talk he said there was nothing to talk about. Asked him if he was sure once more and he looked at me blankly. Asked him to come outside and talk. He didn't want to but he did.
And when he was outside he didn't stop.
There's something about the way I allow my students to express themselves that makes them feel comfortable to get their issues off of their chests. Sometimes its as simple as asking them if they're okay because they look like they've been or are about to cry. Sometimes they just need a talk outside. Sometimes they need a bit of prodding to get them started... and nearly every time I am able to make them feel comfortable with then going to the school counsellor to further talk it through. I never used to be okay with referring it on... particularly as a new teacher in my first year when I thought I could save the world... or at least my own students in my classroom... single - handedly.
Today I didn't have any answers.
I had budget advice. And I have yet to find the truth in this topic for myself. Because I know exactly what he was talking about.
And he's right. It goes back to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Souls crying. As he said.
50 years on and 'they' still haven't listened. As he said.
At the end of the day the raruraru continues. The land confiscation through now 'appropriate' law continues. The continual ripping and prodding of Papatuanuku continues. When will it end?
When will enough be enough? As he said.
When will 'they' stop taking? We give and give and what will there be left for our people? Nothing. And it still won't be enough. As he said.
The moment when he referenced the beautiful waiata from the haka roopu in the school wharenui made my skin go cold. Because he's right. When is enough.. enough? Til there isn't anything left?
He talked about cultural appropriation.. not that he knows that term yet. But he knows it at its very core.
He mentioned the urupa and the pou he dug into the land to help keep that whenua protected.
He said that he will never give up fighting. And so he should. Because it's worth fighting for.
It made me think about how easily I gave up in many things when at home. How proud I was that our land was turned into a massive shopping mall which I suppose is better than being blown up constantly. And was proud that as a tribe we were making money. I was proud of our beautiful tribal building where I went to drop off my grant applications and scholarships.
I fight. But have hidden that passion. I don't let it come out anymore because I'm scared it will be hit down again and again by those who continue to take advantage of what I stand for and for what I believe in.
I accept stuff I shouldn't have to accept and what's more I allow confrontations to happen with my meek little voice accepting whatever that person says.
Why? Because I'm scared.
That the world will once again be ripped out from under my feet. That maybe my values aren't solid or strong enough. That maybe people will mock me for them or that I'll not be on the popular side of history... or the winning side. Whichever way you choose to see it.
I told my student to blog. To get it out of his system so that he can understand his views and so that he can share them with others. So that he doesn't have to risk going against tikanga by standing at a hui to portray his views and perspective. So that his tuakana can see a youth perspective. If he spoke the same way to rc then maybe this wouldn't happen.
Perhaps he is just one person. But as he said... his tupuna will be standing there beside him and his whanau.
Even if its him still standing there with his tokotoko, walking up that hill as an old man, he said, he will still not give up.
Absolutely astounded. Like hearing MLK and Whina Cooper and Te Puea all in one. So impressed.
He best maintain his anger by using his words rather than his fists. He needs to express this stuff more often because its eating him up. The pain is crushing him. And he needs to discuss it.
I'm thankful he talked with me. We could have talked for hours and still not gotten anywhere because that's the reality of this kaupapa. When you have no control and you have only truth and fight... then you discuss and make your point stronger still until it is infallible. Until there are no more loopholes to mend.
I really hope he becomes a lawyer or a teacher or a politician. So much potential. I hope he realises it.
And I hope he took my advice to start writing his thoughts down. So that he can share without risking breaking trust of whanau and hierarchical systems.
Ka mau te wehi e tama ma.
Nga mihi nui ki a koe mo to whakaaro, me wairua, me korero.. Ka haere koe ki te maunga teitei.. ki nga whetu. Aim high kiddo. And don't let the thought that what you have to say isn't valuable or isn't enough. Kia kaha. Kia manawanui.
I was in a state of panic yesterday.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/difference-between-epidemic-and-pandemic-2615168-01-c829c2e4591f47f9a3e5cd39687be4a7.png)
Italy has become the new epicentre of the virus. It is awful to think of the beautiful places I travelled to and visited in 2018 having their beautiful people getting sick and dying from this disease. Apparently the canal waters are clear. The sediment has not been disturbed. Fish and swans can be seen in and on the canal waters. Even dolphins have returned.
