Enjoying the Learning Process or Arriving at the Destination??
This is a reflection that I wrote to share with my kura after our meeting together last Friday. I thought it would be worth sharing here, as it shares where I am at right now with this WSL role.
I am of the firm belief that we should allow children to enjoy the learning process and discover for themselves along the way. If you really see children as capable and competent learners then they may even discover things that we hadn’t intended (hence questioning the whole purpose of planning??)
I try not to give children the ‘definitive answer to a question’ that they ask, as along the way they may come up with more ideas and wonderings, discover the answer themselves and encounter other people’s points of view. An example that comes to mind is a discussion we had as a group while sitting around a new emerged monarch butterfly.
I asked “I wonder why it is flapping it’s wings like that?” “Oh that is how they get the colour in them - they pump the liquid around.” Says R.
“ How do you know?” I ask
“ My mum told me.’
“Hmmm But I have seen the coloured wings before they hatch - through the black chrysalis” Says F “So you aren’t right. They have colour before they hatch.”
“I think they are testing their wings before they fly,” says N.
I could say, well let’s find out the answer, or I could tell them, but at the moment I am happy for it to sit as a question, with lots of answers, that the children can mull over in their heads and allow the learning to take it’s own journey.
The Kahui Ako WSL is a journey where initially I wanted to know exactly what it was I was meant to do, especially as it comes with extra pay - that creates the expectation that you have to deliver somethings special, and quickly! I wanted clarity!
So far our sessions with Suzi and Rahera, and our more informal chats with Kate, have highlighted that we are all on this journey together, navigating these somewhat unknown waters. We could have someone tell us exactly what to do and what the outcomes ‘should’ be, and that might be a very efficient use of time. However that might totally shut down other wonderful possible learning pathways that we might stumble across and limit the learning of individual teachers and the Kahui Ako as a whole.
I feel very passionate about making the most of this opportunity that I have been given, and to learn and grow as an individual, to support others within the group as a whole and to, with the knowledge I gain along the way, strengthen the team at Waikino School as well.
Kate told me that she reckons the WSL should stand for ‘Within School Links.’ Which is another way to view the role - I am a link between our school and our learning with those in our Kahui Ako. So sorry everyone, no clear answers yet as to now exactly this will look, but lots of collaboration, kōrero and building team vision. I will keep you all informed of what we discover along the way and I know if we remain open to learning - learning will occur!!
Kia ora Sian,
ReplyDeleteI loved your kōrero about learning and discovering as we go, however our strategic plan was developed from extensive kōrero with the community and it was them that determined what they wanted our destination to look like which is to see our Waihi Kāhui Ako making the Treaty of Waitangi a living reality in each of our kura. Although our roles within our schools may be different for each of us and we are still learning about what this may look like, our destination or desired state is already set and based on the needs of our community to which I feel we have an accountability to uphold and so my wero would be for each of our WSL to take a look at what mahi we have been doing within the workstreams to achieve that desired state. And if our mahi within our Work Streams are not designed to meet our desired state than I guess it's at this point we need to take a change of perspective or make a decision on whether the Kāhui Ako desired State is what your kura really wants because it was definitely something the community wanted and I do know first hand because I was one of the people who were part of the consultation and analysis.
To me the WSL role is very clear and that is to support our kura to make the Treaty of Waitangi a Lived reality (our Waihi Kāhui Ako common goal). How we do this is up to our own kura which is great because we can achieve it in a way that suits our individual kura whānau.
I'd be curious to know how many of us knew what the desired outcome of the Strategic Plan is? Just one of my wonderings, which for me puts into perspective why many of us are struggling with what we are suppose to be doing in each of our kura.
I also think that how effective our role is, is also determined by the Principal of our kura and how much space they give to achieve the Kāhui Ako desired state or is it merely lip service to a kaupapa that they aren't fully invested in? Just my wonderings ...
Here are our 3 things that are on top at Waimata School that the Kāhui Ako could help or consider ... I am putting it here because my invitation to contribute to the blog is not working.
Help and support working with our high need tamariki and working alongside their whānau because the current teaching structure does not suit many of them.
Checking to make sure the needs of our community reflect the mahi we do within our Kāhui Ako instead of what the MoE directive is.
I look forward to reading about where the rest of the WSL are at with this journey we are on.
Kia ora Kōrua,
ReplyDeleteWow, I love this space, truly reflective and a platform to gain insight from other colleagues perspectives and ways of being.
Sian, I too really enjoyed reading your reflection. It resonated with me on so many levels, because in your reflection I can connect to the agency for tamariki and the space that you held for them to ponder, wonder, theorise and seek further information they might want to find out. The butterfly scenario is a beautiful example of using a compass not a map, and engaging and inviting Tamariki to see things from different perspectives whilst at the same time testing their own working theories. Emergent Curriculum is a powerful place and as ECE teachers we have much to share about "planning for learning" from this lens.
I see this transferring to our roopu as WSL. Engaging in robust dialogue, holding space for each other to share our understandings, ways of knowing, being and doing, and staying open to the possibilities and opportunities to learn from others in the group. We are definitely all navigating our way through this mahi and although this role comes with a description, we bring our own strengths and commitment, our own ways of translating what this means in our spaces with the kaiako, Tamariki and whānau we are working with.
I say to all WSL...bring you, bring who you are and share your talents, wisdom, expertise, wonderings and ponderings, we all have so much to learn and teach from one another...Ako in Action.
I'm so happy that you got my intention around WSL as links, because any work done is a collaborative approach in your space, and then as a WSL you share that mahi which in turn strengthens the essence of the Kāhui Ako as a collaborative collective.
Thank you Sian for your honesty, your willingness to be vulnerable, to be in the fog and uncertain of outcomes, whilst strong in your own identity as a conduit of teaching and learning.
"What we know matters, but who we are matters more. Being rather than knowing requires showing up and letting ourselves be seen.
I requires us to Dare greatly, to be vulnerable" Brenē Brown
I saw you daring greatly as you challenged the idea of the Role being contained in 6 words. This empowers , others to know that within this roopu, to enact change, we have to all "get in the arena", and be prepared to sweat it out, to engage in the challenge, the conflict and the conversation, wholeheartedly.
ngā mihi nui, Kate
Kookie, I also read your reflection and this too resonated for me on so many levels. I see your commitment to bring Te Tiriti o Waitangi to the table time and time again, across many platforms.
ReplyDeleteMy wonderings are how is Te Tiriti o Waitangi reflected, embedded and protected within each of our spaces? It might be a starting point to unpack our understandings of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the principles of Partnership, Protection and Participation. Would this be something you would like see happening in our future hui?
Your wisdom, knowledge and skills would be greatly appreciated to guide and mentor WSL's as they engage their colleagues in the conversation too.
I see the work streams as vehicles, giving us a starting point and a framework to work within. However the interpretation of what for instance "deliberately building Whānaungatanga" looks, sounds and feels like could be quite different across the Kāhui Ako.
Feeling safe to ask, to not know, to come from a place where asking for support is not seen as "taking" but a genuine intention to "know better so we can do better"
The historical effects of colonisation and the struggle for Tino Rangatiratanga cannot be under estimated. I am currently reading Dr Ranginui Waker's book Ka Whaiwhai Tonu Matou, Struggle without end", and it provokes so many thoughts and emotions. In these pages I can see the struggle of all indigenous peoples, who have been robbed of their identity through the loss of Language and Cultural domination. My own parents experienced the same cultural domination, and loss, and so I totally acknowledge and understand your desire to see this kaupapa become a lived reality. There are many kaiako within this Kāhui Ako who are committed to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Perhaps a hui to bring these like minded people together could also be an action for progress?
Thank you Kookie for keeping this Kaupapa at the centre and I look forward to the mahi and kōrero we will have in future hui
ngā mihi nui, Kate
"Kei te tu pakari i toku ao" I stand strong and confident on my world
ngā mihi nui, Kate
I would like to see the ToW unpacked because this is our desired outcome of the strategic plan not something that I just plucked out of the air because I thought it was a good idea. The struggle for me is that our strategic direction came from community consultation and yet I hear very little about how we are working toward the desired outcome when it’s the very thing we should be working on as per the strategic plan so why haven’t we? I have been to 2 WSL hui and our desired outcome has not been on the agenda and I’m really wondering why??? Is this not what the Principals agreed ultimately agreed to?? This is not about teachers wanting to uphold the Principles of the ToW.. this is about the Kahui Ako and why the ToW is not at the forefront of everything we do because this is our desired outcome. Why have that as our desired outcome if it’s not even talked about at our hui. Our next WSL hui is about Local Curriculum.. I’m not sure why when we haven’t even got passed understanding our desired state and how we are going to get there .. local curriculum will not get us to our desired state if we are not explicit around how and why we are using local curriculum. Please Kate.. I would like to know if making the ToW a lived reality is the desired outcome or is it just words on paper?? This is not just a question for Kate.. perhaps someone else in our WSL Roopu might be able to explain why our desired outcome is not our guide for Kahui Ako mahi??
ReplyDelete