On 17th June I was fortunate to attend a workshop to learn about "How to significantly improve outcomes for Maori, Pasifika and minoritised students in our school community. This workshop was led by two motivating and thought-provoking facilitators: Laurayne Tafa and Clayton Wikaira. The aim of this workshop was to support your thinking around the issues, challenge and confront current practices and explanations, while providing researched responses.
We looked at a key question: "How can we improve student engagement in driving their own learning and improving academic outcomes?" In school community groups we worked together on a puzzle of practice to gain clarity on our school's current engagement priorities and practices. How do we as school's get student and community engagement in learning and academic achievement? What works and why it works.Together with teaching professionals from other local schools we sorted our ideas about community/ whanau/ student engagement into a needs/strengths/challenges/opportunities format. It was interesting to see that many of the needs and challenges were similar across schools.
Key Ideas to come from this activity were: Do the activities/strategies we put into place as a school to get whanau and community engagement really achieve that goal. We need to get parent's voice/ feedback i.e. after parent interviews have designated staff to ask parents questions such as 'What were you hoping to get out of the interview? How did you find it? Schools need to do some critical reflection about what community activities they organise- what is the learning /purpose behind it, will it achieve what we want it to or are we doing this activity because its what the school has always done? From 'Ka Hikitea'- voices are critical and catalysts for change- ask students and parents the right questions. Give parents the clear and specific information so they can understand what they need to do to support their child with their next steps in learning.
From the latest research and findings by Russell Bishop (Te Kotahitanga and Culture Counts): What makes the biggest difference- Relationship and high pedagogical knowledge! The teacher-pupil relationship and teacher- parent relationship is key. The teacher who cares and nutures, has high expectations, manages the classroom and behaviour, creates spaces for learning to happen and allows for purposeful learning talk.An authentic curriculum for students to relate to and catapault off from.
Have a shared vision of excellence in the classroom and across the school.
Use impact coaches and classroom observation checklist (Te Kotahitanga), co-construction meetings with staff, build teacher's ability to hold professional learning conversations with parents and students, support teaches to upskill with regular focussed PD - use data to inform areas of greatest need, watch video- 'Anjali's story' at staff meeting to discuss how one teacher's shift in teaching philosophy had a big impact on her student's learning and relationships with her students.
