Poutama Pounamu Online - Module 8 Teacher Observations for Responsive Learning

As part of our appraisal process we have observations/noticings that take place
during the school year. In the past we have also completed ‘noticings’ where we
ask to notice someone for a specific purpose or be noticed ourselves. These
may have also been tagged in our Teacher Spiral of Inquiry. Part of the work
before the observation was a shared conversation around the purpose of the visit,
having a shared understanding of what was to be the specific focus - not for
making criticisms, but to support and mentor.

After completing this module there are aspects around teacher observation for
responsive learning that I think are need to be included in our observation process
in order to make it more robust and purposeful. Observations are part of a three
step process:

• The work before the observations
• The observations themselves
• Feedback and support to improve ongoing theory and practice.

I particularly liked the idea of collecting evidence from three areas:

• Student survey
• Teacher survey
• Walk through observation

This gives a really good picture of what is happening - if all three align, it gives a
strong picture of what is happening not only in one learning space but across the
school and enables identification of next steps/goals collectively as a school
(possibly as part of the strategic plan).

The power of teacher observation for responsive learning is important for our
ongoing professional development. Observations are valuable as a way of
collecting evidence but they must have a specific purpose. The evidence
gathering process from “Leaders use of classroom evidence to understand,
evaluate and reform schooling for Indigenous students” (Berryman) helped
point out the weaknesses in our present observation cycle and can provide
us with a framework we can develop for our observation process.

I would like to discuss our current observation process with the Learning Leadership
team and a possible way forward using “Leaders use of classroom evidence to
understand, evaluate and reform schooling for Indigenous students” (Berryman).
Using this framework could be part of our ongoing Culturally Responsive Practice PLD.

Poutama Pounamu Online - Module 7 Evidence to Accelerate

As a team, we were able to have quite a frank and robust discussion around what
acceleration looks like and feels like in our context. Discussion around whether we
view acceleration as a deficit perspective - our previous encounters with professionals
in education have been negative and we have come away disillusioned. I feel strongly
that we critique our programmes, decisions made are research-based and the effects
of our actions are monitored. However, I am aware that we are not 'all' the teachers in
the profession and our thoughts are based on our experiences in our context. We must
also remember that we are a bubble within the school, and what may be happening
outside our bubble could look and feel very different. Having a safe and inclusive learning
environment is important for students learning and feel that relationships are primary and
then comes acceleration.

We have to have a starting point when working with staff about their practice. Approaching
this as a collective with support, will aide the transparency of data/information. We need be
able to understand the evidence being presented, ask critical questions co-construct a plan
of action with time set aside to discuss, refine and take further action. Building professional
relationships across the school where peer observations focused around culturally
responsive pedagogies, and developing ako- critical contexts for change is the next step.
All staff need to share responsibility - “our students”. What can be added to my kete to
move the student forward?

What are two key ideas you are taking from this activity?

My first key idea is to clearly identify across the curriculum achievement for our Māori
students - gaining some understanding of what and why something may be
happening for our Māori students. If we start with our students before moving onto
whole school achievement for our Māori students, we will have a better understanding
of how to ask specific critical questions to focus discussions with the staff.

My second key idea is to collect feedback from our Te Ao Māori programme (teachers
and students) to help me look critically at what we have done this year against the Te
Aho Arataki Marau mō te Ako i Te Reo Māori - Kura Auraki document and co-construct
our next steps with staff.

What actions do I and others intend to undertake as a result?

We have put together a Goals, Actions, Outcomes google doc for our Whenua Team
where we have begun to identify specific goals, action to be taken, who is responsible,
the date added and results. This is in its infancy but it is a start and we will add to this
once we have critiqued our data and information gathered and the responses to our
survey.

Poutama Pounamu Online - Module 6 Critical Leadership

I found this module frustrating as it felt like we were going over what we had in the previous
five modules. I feel that I now have a good understanding of what needs to change and how
to begin to make these changes. I have had undertaken a lot of reading and have been
involved in discussions with my team with a focus on what we are presently doing, what we
need to do and where to next. The critical questions in this module were useful - drawing out
whether it was an assumption- what do you mean?  Integral to moving forward is building a
partnership, developing a relationship of trust. As part of my role as a leader, I need to
acknowledge and be transparent about the part I have played in keeping the status quo in
the past and now move into asking critical questions - I need to do more of that, listening and
identifying what is really meant when having conversations with others.

What are two key ideas you are taking from this activity?

My first idea is…

I found the GPILSEO a good framework to use to help staff be specific about what they
want to look at and why.

From Poutama Pounamu

As a team, we are used to using frameworks to guide transformation. This could form the
basis of next year’s teacher inquiries as research-based inquiry is important to make change
for the right reasons, and not as a tick response. This is important to get buy-in from the
wider team of teachers.

My second idea is…

Using videos of teachers/leaders sharing their journey - real people! They speak about their
experiences and how things were working and seeing what was working successfully, the
challenges they faced and how they moved forward. Seeing the application of leading change
in a real situation rather than abstract theorizing will be invaluable.

What actions do I and others intend to undertake as a result?

I realise that as a leader I have influence by leading by example. I will need to compromise
in terms of how to gain success but there is no compromise about the fact that there will be
success as we move forward as a school. By keeping our culturally responsive practice at
the forefront by listening and identifying what is really meant, asking the critical questions
"Is that an assumption?" "What are you actually saying?" "What do we actually mean?"
There needs to be critical awareness of what people are saying and not saying!

Poutama Pounamu Online - Module 5 Critical Contexts for Change

The key message from this module was the action that needs to take place through

culturally responsive and relational practices, deliberate professional acts applied with

adaptive expertise and powerful home-school collaboration. All of these cannot be in

isolation but happen simultaneously for the greatest change to occur. We have to use

the resources available such as provided by Poutama Pounamu to support our ongoing

pedagogical awareness and change.

The following is my reflection from Module 5:

Why did I give this answer:

Engaging as a group provides us with the time and opportunity to focus on how

important it is to communicate, collaborate and think critically about cultural

responsive and relational practices and the impact of these in our learning

environments. Having the opportunity to discuss, probe and come up with a common

understanding is important as we are a teaching team.

What are two key ideas you are taking from this activity?

My first idea is…

That there are three key messages:

Culturally responsive and relational practices - the idea that we lead and model

but do not come across as the expert! The importance of working together

collectively is powerful when it is actioned with the right mindset.

Deliberate professional acts applied with adaptive expertise  - we choose

and use strategies in order to improve outcomes but are also aware that 

what might work for one whānau might not necessarily work for another.  

Flexibility and being able to adapt to meet those differing needs.

Powerful home-school collaboration, grabbing those opportunities to

work on building relationships (with students and with whānau) so that

we can connect. We have to balance our professional self with our personal

self, connecting at a personal level, committing fully with no boundaries and

understanding the power of the collective partnership.

My second idea is…

Use the available resources to support changes in pedagogy, especially when

there are areas we struggle with where to start and how to sustain the changes

being made. There is no magic wand! Deep transformational change takes

time and can be very uncomfortable. By experiencing this discomfort we might

be getting a bit of a sense of what it is like for our Māori learners.

What actions do I and others intend to undertake as a result?

I need to keep ‘knocking’ until I get in! By this I mean to keep conversations

about culturally responsive and relational practices happening, provoke

thinking and self-reflection. When our strategic planning meeting comes

up I will be strongly recommending that this is our whole school focus/inquiry.

This will need to be unpacked by the Leadership team.

My Inquiry - Culturally Responsive Practice...so far

Table below

References

Berryman, M., Lawrence, D. & Lamont, D. (2018). Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy:

A bicultural mana ōrite perspective. Set: Research Information for Teachers, (1). 3-10.  

Doi: 10.18296/set.0096

Harris, M. (2018). Racism and white defensiveness in Aotearoa: A pākehā perspective.

Retrieved from

https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/racism-and-white-defensiveness-in-aotearoa-a-pakeha-perspective/

Poutama Pounamu Online - Module 4

Educationally Powerful Connections - Reflection

The key message from this module is to LISTEN and be PRESENT to build effective
relationships where goals and aspirations of the school align with those of whānau.
To do this we need to create spaces where Māori can engage on their own terms, we
host without an agenda and we listen to what they want of us as educators. From here,
together we have a shared understanding, co-construct goals and celebrate success
(in whatever form this may take). This can be uncomfortable as in order to do this we
have to balance our professional self with our personal self, connecting at a personal
level, committing fully with no boundaries and understanding the power of the collective
partnership. By experiencing this discomfort we become aware of what it is like for our
Māori learners.

Upon reflection of our own practice, drilling down into what is really happening in our
learning environment we acknowledged that we do not really engage with our local
iwi. We made some incredible connections last year when we went to our local marae,
experienced a powhiri and took part in a variety of activities. What we have failed to do
is to nurture this connection and build on it. We as a team need to reconnect so that
we are able to develop formal cultural connections.

The following is my reflection from Module 4:

Why did I give that answer?

We had a frank and honest discussion around how we have failed to build on connections
made with our local hapū and what our next steps are going to be to reconnect. We
think we are doing well as a team but the wider picture is not as positive. We would
like to connect with our Māori whānau by getting out of our comfort zone - contacting
our whānau on a personal level, meeting with them in a space they choose, where we
can talk together about what is happening and what they would like to see happen for
their children.

What are two key ideas you are taking from this activity?

My first idea is…

I need to keep moving forward, standing with my team to make a difference for our
whānau in our teaching team Whenua even when it means feeling very uncomfortable.

My second idea is…

You must LISTEN and be PRESENT! We have to respect the differences in how issues
are approached and discussed by ensuring that the dominant culture is not leading the
way.  Coming across as a 'know it all' and that we know better about their children's
education, alienates the very people we want to build effective relationships with.

What actions do I and others intend to undertake as a result?

We as a team acknowledged that we do not really engage with our local iwi. We made
some incredible connections last year when we went to our local marae, experienced a
powhiri and took part in a variety of activities. What we have failed to do is to nurture
this connection and build on it. We as a team need to reconnect so that we are able to
develop formal cultural connections. As part of our team moving forward, I would like to
connect with our Māori whānau by getting out of my comfort zone - contacting our
whānau on a personal level, meeting with them in a space they choose, where we can
talk together about what is happening and what they would like to see happen for their
children.

We need to look at the positives we have in our programme and how we connect with
our Māori whānau, and not beat ourselves up about what we haven’t done - this will
achieve nothing. We are going to stand strong and action what we feel is necessary to
build relational trust and develop cultural connections with our Māori whānau.

Poutama Pounamu Online - Module 3

Cultural Relationships for Responsive Pedagogy - Reflection

This module has reinforced everything I have been exploring in other areas of my practice.

Everything is coming together across the different professional learning I am currently

undertaking - Te Wānanga o Aotearoa He Papa Tikanga, having the opportunity to listen
to powerful speakers such as Hoana Pearson, read confrontational material such as
“Colouring in the White Spaces” by Anne Milne and participation in the CORE Education Empower programme Te Whakamānawa Culturally Responsive Practice in School Communities from Term 3.

The message that comes through is a strong need for a deeper understanding of what has come before (colonisation of Aotearoa), being responsive to our learner's prior knowledge and experiences so we can build whanaungatanga. The roles of ako are fluid, and it is important to add value not dilute as we move forward in learning - adding to the kete, not taking out. Underpinning this is the responsibility that we never assume that just because a learner is Māori, that they know what to do or have the knowledge of all things Māori.

The following is my reflection from Module 3:

Why did I give that answer?

We have different experiences that can be shared in an environment that is 

non-judgmental and supportive. It does get uncomfortable at times, but we respect what the other has to say. Our Kaiwhakaako will challenge our ideas and thinking but does not belittle or make us feel inadequate. I enjoy the discussions we have immensely as they make me reflect and think beyond what I know.

What are two key ideas you are taking from this activity?

My first idea is…

To continue to ask for help and support to improve my own understanding and practice of

developing cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy.

My second idea is…

To challenge and question other within our staff to look deeper into our own school’s

(and their own) understanding and practice about developing cultural relationships for

responsive pedagogy. As a staff, we started this journey last year but I feel it has fallen

away. Hopefully undertaking the CORE Education Empower programme Te Whakamānawa Culturally Responsive Practice in School Communities from Term 3 will provoke further critical reflection, discussion and exploration as a staff and school.

What actions do I and others intend to undertake as a result?

As a collaborative team, we critically reflect on our classroom practice and programme 

on where to next in term 3 and beyond.

Take a more active role in supporting staff on their continuing journey, beginning with 

the CORE Education Empower programme Te Whakamānawa Culturally Responsive Practice in School Communities. Asking the questions that need to be asked - it will be uncomfortable at times but this needs to happen so others begin to look more closely 

at the ‘white spaces’ playing a part in their practice.

I don’t have all the answers (if any!) but I can help facilitate the peeling back the layers of doubt, show honesty in my own practice and a willingness to learn more.