“Will my child get lost in an innovative learning environment?”
I was asked this question at a parent hui recently, and the conversation that followed touched on a number of very important points that all educators might find useful to explore. When asked to explain further, the parent said they were worried that their child would go into a big open space with lots of other students running around and that without someone to ‘look after’ their son or daughter, the child may get lost. As the conversation progressed, an educator in the group reminded us all that based on current achievement evidence plenty of learners are getting lost in our existing system, and that we should all focus on ensuring every child’s needs are met, regardless of the physical environment. The conversation then turned towards how schools can foster a sense of belonging to ensure that all learners felt included, safe, and that there were high expectations of them and their learning.