All the bells and whistles but.....those knots still there!

As I head into the last days of our April break I was reflecting on my mind body and soul and how I wanted to start the new term extra energised and relaxed. So I went for a massage, my neck and been stiff.....

As I lay there back, neck and head massage underway, I reflected on MLE oddly enough.

I had found a place close to home via the internet close to home with an engaging website and good testimonials and I was quickly replied to through an email. Promising I thought, the masseuse did reiki and intuitive massage- just what I needed!

As I walked in to the room, it was peaceful, already with calming music playing, essential oils wafting and a peaceful, tranquil  It had a seat for me to fill in my new customer sheet including where I had been experiencing pain, my masseuse asked me further questions. I felt comfortable and positive about the experience. The added basket for my belongings were nice too.  I was able to choose my oil and decide if I wanted natural light.

Pre-mortgage I had massages fortnightly and loved the holistic wellbeing and release they gave me for my stiff neck and sinus. Post-mortgage massages became far less frequent and were about booking in rather than a fortnight affair. I was no expert but I loved when the masseuse found the knots and untangled them.

 As I lay there today amongst the tranquility I realised that this was all about the bells and whistles and actually lacked the strong  fingers and intuitive knowledge of where the knots were and there was no real substance to the massaging thumb and fingers.  I realised that this massage was all about relaxing the muscle and not about the knots and crannies.

With my head in the rest, eyes closed being rolled, slapped and rubbed it made me reflect on MLE and ILE (or any school). How often are we; teachers, school community and whanau enticed by a website and the initial meeting  where you feel listened to and in an environment that spoke tranquility and peace of mind (the job it had), handed a basket for your belongings  (nice gesture). Half-naked and lathered up with the favourite oil of my choice (coconut oil)  feeling comfortable and being given great advice (golden milk, breathing, positive well-being, hypnosis) but the real problem not being addressed or just rubbed over or better still just about there.

How often in our schools are our learners real needs not being met? How often despite the attractive informative environments, ability groups and PLN are teachers not quite getting there with the learner's knots?  We may look and sound like we are meeting the needs of our learners but are we getting deep to the matter? Can I change for a learner be bigger

As I lay there, finally receiving a rubbing  concentrated on my sore neck (the whole reason I was there and the aspect I had shared both  via email, orally and indicated on the body image on the paper and then had to specifically ask for to be addressed......... I realised how crucial teacher inquiry is to the success of a MLE or an ILE. I believe that a MLE needs to be about strong teaching and I advocate strongly for a collaborative ILE  but also advocate for teachers to choose to employ their own teacher inquiry because they want to or see the need to  not because some one is telling them to.
A MLE allows for groups of children to be taught together outside the realm of a single-cell classroom but does this alone address the learners knots? I know that if  the knots are released there can be  better movement and all-round happiness? I believe that this needs to be done for our learners too.

I ask you now if you read through this- where is your stand on teacher inquiry? Have you done one? What can you do this coming term to address a learner's or a groups of learners knots?

Don't get me wrong I left relaxed, smiling with the added touch of a hottie warming my clothes, nicely moisterised, with the smell of deep heat after my request.... but still with a distant stiffness because my knot hadn't been addressed, although on my way to the supermarket to buy my 'golden milk', ready to fill a jar with muddy water for my maths inquiry (and DH) and with my homework in mind( breathing exercises). Would I be going back? No I need the knots untangled through some  strong finger work!!

Transforming learning-an MLE in a closing school- term one reflection

2016 is a significant year for my school; Aranui Primary in Christchurch is in its  closing year. With the construction of a new community cluster school, our learners will most probably go to Haeata Community College in 2017 .

As a staff, we ended 2015, some with a Post Grad certificate in Transforming Education;  eager to give our learners and our Whanau success at Haeata.  Our final four weeks of the term we moved our library to create a hub  and through student voice and a coffee meeting with Whanau we redesigned our classes to become 3 learning groups; Rito (new entrant), Harakeke (year one to three) and Paharakeke (year four to eight).

As Team leader of Paharakeke  and Assistant Principal, I reflect on 'my' term:

'Evolving' was the most widely used word for our team in our initial stages to describe what we were doing . We had great plans over the holiday break to have a staff retreat and  design our learning groups and timetable but ironically couldn't timetable this time. In retrospect this was actually a blessing in disguise.  Our week before school was about our first week, long term plan, learning groups and learning spaces. Reflecting on it now I was so glad we hadn't overdone the planning and initially looked at it week by week (sometimes day by day)- because in our initial weeks we grew from 109 learners to 120 learners (through loss and gain) , renamed our spaces and dumped our initial idea of timetabling. We sought to know our learners better and place our learners in learning groups that met their needs not just their end-of-year assessment. We wanted this to be about strong teaching. We grew into a strong, honest team who had a laugh, played 'tag' team (with behaviour) supported each other and strengthened our collaboration (rather than just cooperated.)

My role as leader became problem-solver. The BIG picture became more evident as it felt like running a syndicate event everyday rather than a single cell and my catch phrase that became our  catchphrase was  'what do we with the others?  No longer could a class have free-time or a practical activity because of the scale of the number that this involved.  The word exhausting began to fluctuate for me personally- I finished most days 'exhausted' and slept soundly . As a teacher  and learner there was no down-time as such. We spent afternoons doing passion projects and instead of scaffolding all our learners we conferenced our learners with their project ensuring on task and completion. Again this seemed at a bigger scale.

It was important for me as a leader and a strong advocate for MLE and modern learning pedagogies to also listen to my team; whether to  push or pull back, my problem-solving became its strongest. To compromise for team democracy yet problem-solve to keep the idea of "taking away the box" and transform the status-quo teacher practice to become more modern.

'Student-voice' was the focus I aligned for term one; I wanted our learners to use their voice and us to listen. We blogged a lot, used questionnaires (google form) and community time to literally voice our learning. I wanted learners voice  to drive the makeup of  Paharakeke as much as  staff voice.

 Early on in the term, a Friday afternoon - the big picture being a group had gone to touch- what were the other learners to do? Student-led workshops grew out of a conversation around a year 8's independent artwork. The next week two year 8s led a group of learners in a space around recreating that artwork without any teacher intervention. Another example of the evolving nature of our term. Following weeks more learners responded and initiated their own workshops. This nurtured our tuakana-teina approach and allowed us to work with smaller groups during these times. The big picture was about voice and collaboration.

As we evolved my team saw the place and need for personalised learning and student-owned pathways and the workshops evolved into our learning areas (maths initially). I was extremely proud of a team member who stepped out of her comfort zone and 'took away the box' by responding to my comment  "to let the learners do it......don't tell them let them tell you" and that the learners design their learning pathway following their asttle maths test.

Learning pathway is our focus for term two now as we look to redesign our learning conferences to become truly student-led and grow an idea into all our learning areas.

I finish PROUD- of my learners, my whanau and my team;  their response to change, their optimism  and perseverence. I'm really proud of  me too!

Celebrating our term:

Leading Change

Yesterday was our Teacher only day. Empowering staff was my focus- sharing the whanau points, SENCO referral for and types of learners. 

I 'enabled'/ guided staff's thought process towards changing mindset and the influence of the teacher in developing self-driven learners. I queried whether juniors should only reach a certain level or can be self-driven.... Taking out the assumptions & 'hopefully' making teachers realise that stepping back, shutting up & observing 'empowers' learners. 

Here is a copy of our thinking... 

Changing Mindset

Reflection following the DVM Wananga:

Wow as always I was  in awe of the people I was in the room with and this year with the inclusion of many CORE staff as developing mentors ; Karen Melhuish-Spencer, Rebbecca Sweeney, (my top 2) I was  excited to be with the people that I hold in such high regard!! And ....,be learning alongside them.  

Even upon arrival at the CORE office and the spotting of Marc Osborne I felt like I wanted his autograph!!!

CORE top trends have had great influence on me and my learning, helping me make sense of the transformation of future focussed learning. 

Suzy Gould & Kathe Tawhiwhirangi during nightcap in garden back at the hotel after dinner with Cyndi Kruiger - Cyndi & I shared our awe of the people. Their response was that 'all at CORE stop & listen to us at the chalk face.' 

My reflection therefore was that it's me

Changing my mindset!!!!!!!! These people today & yesterday were my peers. 

Be proud of who you are- we all have a story to tell. Mentoring is about learning with, collaborating not the dictator of advice. 

'A star team will always beat a team of stars' Kathe Tawhiwhirangi . 

(Although disappointed that Sam Neill never responded to my tweet- just as well it was a yummy Pinot) 

An early morning flight is an awesome time to reflect.... As I look to my new school year with it's many unknowns and sit back and feel proud of my past school year with it's many achievements. 

My greatest accolade for 2015 was the change I led at Aranui and the people that grew in their thinking and in their capabilities. 2015 began with the addressing of the digital divide. Techy brekkies were well attended and change was evident. A holiday techy brekkie a great highlight with a colleague showing another 'how to.'

Learner orientation and growth mindset were my focusses through action research and showed change in learner's attitude and orientation to learning (room 7-term 2).

2015 ended with a gratifying feel of trust and respect. My ability to allow my colleagues to feel confident to take the next step and embark on a collaborative journey with year 4 to 8 despite some uneasiness. 

I begin 2016 excited about teaching!! Excited to be teaching years 4 to 8, refreshed from an awesome holiday , confident that our team are on the same page (with 2 great meetings) not over-worked and confident that my personal drive ME will occur. Putting myself first!! I look forward to the Wananga I am heading to Auckland to attend as I embark on my year of Mentor and change agent. 

2015 I grappled with the words entrepreneurial and innovative. I look to 2016 with the entrepreneurial of driving change and seek to share and own my innovation. Enable was my word for 2015 & empower extends this for 2016. 

Wary that my team could be feeling apprehensive or overwhelmed, I am remaining calm & Relaxed and voicing that we need to go day by day so we allow our model to evolve through collaboration not one or 2 heads! Let's not waste time over-thinking and let student voice guide us. 

(My first post typed as a note aboard my flight to a DVM wananga. January 21 2016)