So… you’re the teacher now? Tips and strategies for whānau navigating learning at home

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By Janelle Riki-Waaka

Credit: T. Bell
Credit: T. Bell

Last week my Facebook feed was inundated with whānau who have recently found themselves teaching from home. Lots of questions about what offences constitute giving out detentions, what’s the magic tonic to make my kids listen, and desperate pleas for Suzy Cato’s phone number. It’s given me lots of giggles, however I have sensed the subtle yelps for help in between the banter. A recent post on Facebook from a friend resulted in a flurry of comments from parents who are all asking the same question in many different ways. “How am I supposed to be my kids’ teacher?”

So here’s the answer you are so desperately seeking – it’s all good, you’re not. At least you’re not expected to be a ‘teacher’ in the sense of the profession. You have always been your child’s teacher in life though and that’s the lifelong gig you signed up for. Despite the fact that our tamariki are now engaging in school work from home, your job is unchanged. You’re still their life coach, cheerleader and chief snack engineer. Put simply, you’ve got this learning at home lark in the bag, you’ve been holding this down since ages ago!

So I’m going to bust some myths and answer some FAQs for all the whānau out there navigating these new waters, and I’ll also suggest some tips and strategies that might help. My hope is that your kids’ teachers have stumbled across this blog and decided that it’s worth sharing with their community. If you find some ‘real talk’ in this blog that helps, please feel free to share it with your mates over those virtual coffee dates you’re having to maintain sanity.

Myth: I need to teach my kids from home during lockdown

No you don’t. You need to parent during lockdown. Parenting will include a tonne of different things that will undoubtedly include teaching your kids some stuff about some stuff. But please be clear, you do not have to sit down at night and teach yourself the correct terms for each part of a plant so you can on-teach this to your kids the next day. That’s why we were blessed with YouTube!

Learning happens all day, everyday and as parents you are already well-versed in the art of ‘teaching.’ All children have self-regulated skills, and they vary according to their age and abilities. As a parent your approach to this period of learning from home might be to identify those self-regulated skills and support your tamariki to strengthen them and develop new ones. This is the perfect time to support your kids to tie their own shoes, make a cake, build a bridge from straws, learn how to budget, or change the tyre on your bike.

“As for the position or expectations our school is taking, it is all about empowering our parents and guardians to make the best decision for their children during this time. You can pick and choose from the learning tasks our teachers have prepared. You can decide how much time they spend online or offline and ultimately, the priority for us all should be ensuring the wellbeing of tamariki during these uncertain times. Please don’t feel pressured in any way to do set tasks or set hours – our teachers are here to help if needed but you decide what is possible and what works best for you and your children in your own home.” Tamara Bell – Principal of Southbridge School (source) 

FAQ 1 – Does my child behave like this in class?

child-behaveThe answer to this varies but generally, no. I had my son in my class for a year once, and I can honestly say it was the hardest year of my teaching career. During the very silent car rides home each day I would be constantly asking myself that very question.

In a classroom teachers have the advantage of being able to create opportunities for social influence to engage students in learning. Put simply, if we can get a good number of students engaged in a task, others often get swept up in the momentum. We’ve all seen that video of the lone guy dancing and how slowly but surely others join him until everyone is dancing. That same practice can be an effective teaching strategy but it’s near impossible to employ this at home where your own kids can simply choose not to dance with you!

My (unburdened by research) theory on this stems back to when our kids are babies and one of their first words is often no. As parents we laugh at this mostly because they’re so cute when they shake their little heads and say no to us. Could this be the root cause for our kids non-conforming behaviour? They’re simply trying to be cute! Truth exposed: it’s 100x harder to teach your own kids than it is to teach others, so go easy on yourself.

FAQ 2 – How do I get my child to do their school work when they don’t want to?

If your child’s teacher has set work for them to engage in at home then some kids will be over the moon about it and will work through each task methodically and eagerly. Others will react like you’ve just asked them to chew off their own arm and eat it for breakfast. For those kids, school work belongs at school and home is where I get to engage in the things I love doing – combining the two worlds is simply unthinkable.

Deploying a learning by stealth strategy is going to be necessary here, and I’ll share some ideas for this soon. The most important thing to remember is that nothing is worth risking the wellbeing and happiness in your home, especially at this time. If your kids don’t want to do any school work at all despite your constant best efforts, then just don’t make them do it. Trust me, learning will happen everyday and you can make sure of this while deploying some learning by stealth strategies.

Myth: My kids will fall behind if they don’t do their school work at home

Not engaging in the school work set for your kids will not have an irreversible and hugely detrimental impact on the rest of their lives. Plenty of kids miss school and formal education for long periods of time perhaps to go travelling with their whānau where they learn heaps about life, people culture and relationships.

Each child’s learning song is unique. Each has its own genre, lyrics, beat and rhythm. It takes a lifetime to craft your own song and no songs are the same. If your kids do absolutely no formal learning during lockdown, they’ll be just fine in the big scheme of life. So take a deep breath, kick back and just enjoy the latest rendition of your child’s song and find joy in how they rock out!

Dear Parents,

Don’t stress about schoolwork. In September, I will get your children back on track. I am a teacher and that’s my superpower. What I can’t fix is social-emotional trauma that prevents the brain from learning. So right now, I just need you to share your calm, share your strength, and share your laughter with your children. No kids are ahead. No kids are behind. Your children are exactly where they need to be.

With love,
All the teachers on planet Earth

Written by Maria Karaiskos (source)

Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash
Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash

Teaching and learning in stealth mode

It might surprise you to know this but you already do this, daily. In essence this requires your tamariki to be engaging in the things they would normally engage in at home, and you slipping in some learning by stealth! Sort of like how you hide the veges in their dinner! Here’s how:

  • Give them a challenge that relates to their interests and passions.
  • Ask them to: plan, problem solve, do some learning or research, create, test, reflect, modify.
  • Ask them to share their learning in creative and engaging ways: discussion, presentation for the whānau, powerpoint, video clip, interview.
  • Ask questions to deepen their understanding and help them to reflect on their learning:
    • Why did you decide to… What would happen if…. How did you learn about….
    • How could you modify this to work for someone that was physically impaired?
    • What would you do differently next time? Are there any improvements you’d like to make?
    • Did you encounter any challenges or problems?

Here are some examples of learning activities by stealth. The idea is to create your own based on your child’s strengths and interests as well as what can be done practically in your home.

Activities Some learning by stealth suggestions
Lego
  • Construct something that will send out free Wifi to everyone in our neighbourhood
  • Make a machine that will hang out and fold the washing
  • Create a new machine for Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory
  • Create some new training equipment for the All Black’s who are training from home at the moment.
Cooking
  • Make a video to teach others how to make the recipe. Include a downloadable recipe with step by step photos
  • Design a menu for a whānau date night dinner then plan the dinner and give members of the whānau roles
  • Create a new recipe using only these ingredients
  • Cook something from another country and share with us what you learned about this dish and the local culture
  • Invent a new baby food flavour
Outside play
  • The floor is lava! Get from point A to point B using only what you can find around the house and without touching the ground
  • Create a treasure map that will lead a whānau member to a secret hidden treasure
  • Design a tree fort or an amazing new outdoor home for a whānau pet
Physical Activity
  • Create a tik-tok and challenge friends and whānau to a tik-tok challenge
  • Create a work out routine for the whānau to do each day
  • Reenact your favourite movie scene
  • Write, film and edit your own movie
  • Create a Ninja Warrior course for members of your whānau

“Remember too that you are not expected to replicate the classroom in the home. Your teachers cannot possibly achieve that, and parents and caregivers are not trained teachers. The number one goal of schooling currently is to nurture wellbeing. Just as we know the value of strong relationships for successful learning and teaching, use this opportunity to help families nurture productive and supportive relationships in the home. Try to make learning opportunities creative and based on the experience of being in the home.” Perry Rush – President of the New Zealand Principals Federation (source)

Tips and strategies that might help

Some kids will be struggling with this learning at home routine. They may even be quite disgruntled by the whole thing, and resist any kind of learning. My son found it challenging to engage in learning at school so I know I would’ve had an uphill battle getting him to do schoolwork at home during a lockdown period!

There are some strategies that teachers employ that help to ensure no one gets left out of learning. If you’re finding your learning at home routine is not going as well as you’d hoped, here are some things to try:

  1. timetableChoices: some kids just want to be master and commander of their own lives and so choices might work well here. Perhaps showing them a list of five tasks and asking them which two they’d like to do today. Asking them to write their own daily timetable that must include 1 to 2 tasks from the list but can also include snack time, TV time, device time etc.
  2. Go with what you know they love. If they’re into rugby then rugby theme everything! Whatever their strengths and passions are, create learning opportunities around them.
  3. For the energiser bunnies, the more physical activity you can engage them in on a daily basis, the better their temperament will be so create some physical challenges for them to complete.
  4. Just don’t sweat it. If your tamariki are open and willing to learn then great, if they’re not, that’s fine too. The happiness in your home and your relationship with your child is the most important thing. Nothing is worth fighting with your child over. Negotiate what they’re happy to do and what you’re happy to live with.

These are unprecedented times and the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of our tamariki is more important now than ever before. Many of us will be operating simply on survival mode and just getting through each day. Planning and delivering formal educational programmes for our kids may just not be high on the priority list right now and that’s o.k. Just know that what you do each and every day as parents is more than enough.

You taught them to walk and talk and tie their shoes – you know how to be their teacher. What they need right now is reassurance, love and security. We’ve been blessed with an opportunity to be with our kids 24/7 at the moment. Despite the challenges that come with that, it will be something we will come to cherish in years to come. Do what you can do and most of all prioritise a happy home, time to laugh, time to play and time to be together.

“You are that painter. You make the judgement about how the brush strokes land as you sweep them across the paper; you decide the colours; and you build your creation in a unique way because it is your work.” Perry Rush – President of the New Zealand Principals Federation (source)

 

My beautiful nieces and nephew on day 1 of ‘home-school’. Ages 11, 9 and 6
9am  table1  table2  table3
Later that same day…  table4  table5  table6

 

child-song

 

“Each child’s learning song is unique. Each has its own genre, lyrics, beat and rhythm. It takes a lifetime to craft your own song and no song is the same. Kick back and just enjoy the latest rendition of your child’s song and find joy in how they rock out!” – Janelle Riki-Waaka

 

 

 

 

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Te Whāriki at home: strategies for supporting young children’s learning

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By Kathryn O’Connell-Sutherland

He whāriki hei whakamana i te mokopuna, hei kawe i ngā wawata
A whāriki that empowers the child and carries our aspirations

When Aotearoa went into lockdown I began thinking about our tamariki mokopuna and how we can support their learning in the home. I wondered what might already be available for teachers/kaiako and parents/whānau. This led me straight to Te Whāriki – the early years curriculum. I re-read the document and explored the many resources available for teachers at Te Whāriki Online. This blog shares some of my thoughts and insights in the following areas:

Three big ideas
The environment and resources
PLAY matters!
Learning in everyday moments
The role of the adult
Strategies for guiding behaviour

In each section you’ll find some reflective questions to explore.

Three big ideas to make sense of Te Whāriki at home

Te Whāriki has a vision that all children are competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.

What might this look like at home?

Here are some things to think about first:

  1. Mana and rights
  2. An integrated curriculum
  3. Holistic development

Mana and rights – what does it look like, feel like and sound like?

The concept of mana is overarching and central to understanding – making sense of – all components of Te Whāriki. The idea of mana invites us to embrace a te Ao Māori worldview. Having conversations with tangata whenua and local iwi alongside sharing personal thinking and reflections is an appropriate approach to learning more about mana. Tame Iti shares his own personal story Mana: The power in knowing who you are that highlights the importance of identity, language and culture as central to our sense of mana. Dr Rose Pere (1997) describes mana as respect, acquired knowledge, control, intrinsic value, dignity and influence and Hirini Moko Mead (2003) states that all children are born with it and notes that it can never be taken away as it is part of a person’s whakapapa.

Left: Tāwhirikura’s first taste at the table with Koro. Right: Harry is introduced to his Samoan culture at a young age.
Left: Tāwhirikura’s first taste at the table with Koro. Right: Harry is immersed in his Samoan culture.

Building on this idea of mana is the concept of rights (agency) where children are able to create and act on their own ideas. In a previous CORE blog Dr Sarah Te One discusses the importance of genuinely listening and then acting on children’s voices. Grasping these ideas is fundamental to the vision of Te Whāriki. For some this may be a shift in how you see children in the home. Are they littlies in the background to be occupied, or communicators and decision makers with valid views and opinions?

What might be some of the ways that you see, understand and uphold mana?

An integrated approach to learning/curriculum

Te Whāriki describes the curriculum as “all the experiences, activities and events, both direct and indirect …”. This means seeing the learning opportunities in everyday moments and routines. It’s important to provide a balance for young children in the home by having some structure and also embracing natural and spontaneous events as they evolve. Adults can enhance the learning in daily routines and help make connections. Consider the science teaching and learning in explaining ‘droplets’ to naturally curious children, and the early maths concepts as you establish ‘2-metre distancing’ when out walking in the neighbourhood. These are two great examples of understanding with meaning and purpose in an integrated way.

How do you integrate different learning areas into your daily interactions?

Holistic development

In line with an integrated approach the overall view of learning and development in Te Whāriki is about the unity and connectedness of the whole child. Te Ao Māori perspectives on development have shaped this view. Te Whare Tapa Whā is a health model that takes into account cognitive (hinengaro), physical (tinana), emotional (whatumanawa), spiritual (wairua) dimensions or pou. They are equally important to supporting the wellbeing of the child especially at this time. Tapping in to children’s feelings, senses and memories is one way to create this balance. Some further examples are combining work and learning with yoga, mindfulness, drawing, colouring, fresh air, laughter and the importance of connection with others. For me, running ticks all of these boxes!

Reflecting on Te Whare Tapa Whā, where is this visible in the flow of your days? What pou are you most focused on? Are there any gaps?

The environment and resources

The home is a familiar and predictable space making it an ideal playground full of rich, authentic resources and cultural tools. Invest in some redesign and co-design with children. Time spent now with a focus on the environment is like adding another adult to your home! In fact, it’s often referred to as the third teacher. You could set up quiet spaces, areas for construction and art. Complementary to the physical space is the rich array of existing resources already at hand. Often referred to as ‘loose parts’, ‘treasure baskets’ and ‘heuristic play’, everyday objects are ideal (like things found in the garden, the garage, the kitchen and beyond). Natural open-ended resources invite curiosity and inquiry. Making resources readily accessible supports children’s creativity. Recycling is a perfect example of resources already in the home. You may like to explore Art ideas from the Tiny Studio by Dr Lisa Terreni – videos one, two and three.

Photos with permission from Lorraine Pau’uvale-Paea (left), Glenda Albon (middle) and Ruta McKenzie (right)
Left: Holakitu’akolo Paea. Middle: Charlotte and Madeline Turner. Right: Lily Tasi Lee.

Your home – a community of practice – is a resource made up of special cultural rituals, daily routines and values. The neighbourhood is also part of this. Your home and neighbourhood combined are the local curriculum. It’s about focusing on the things that take place at home – the interactions, practices and contributions of others. While out walking in the neighbourhood you can take an interest and explore those around you, their homes and special places in your local community. Perhaps a project noticing what has changed, and inviting children to draw and map their experiences with a who’s who of the neighbourhood! The stories of the people, the history and the land in the local area can be explored when out walking and talking.

  • What are some of the rituals and special practices in your family?
  • Who are the people in your neighbourhood?
  • What are the significant landmarks, place names and cultural stories?
  • What do children know about and notice around their neighbourhood?

PLAY matters!

In play a child behaves beyond his [sic] average age, above his [sic] daily behaviour and as though he [sic] were a head taller than himself [sic] (Vygotsky, 1978, p 102).

Play is where they process, express and make sense of their world. Watching older siblings ‘schooling’ and parents/caregivers ‘as workers’ in the home with the establishment of workstations and tools for online meetings is great learning! Rather than worrying and focusing on keeping younger children quiet or busy/occupied, perhaps give them a workstation, and encourage them to make their own ‘home office’ (with sheets, blankets and recycled boxes) or laptops with lego! Children’s ways of coping with change can be worked through by re-enacting what they see, hear and interpret. They might even call a meeting with their Sylvanian people to ‘flatten the curve’ or save jobs! They pick up new words and use them in their own play contexts.  For us adults this gives clues as to what they might be thinking, feeling and learning. In play, adults can observe, initiate or follow along – taking on different roles and play characters helps to connect and relate. It can also add complexity and stimulate children’s imagination and cognitive development. Try not to ask questions – it can stifle their flow and creativity. Giving children opportunities to revisit and build on their ideas over time means resisting the challenge to pack away and tidy up their play structures!

What play are you noticing at home?

Photo with permission from Emma and Rita O’Connell
Rita O’Connell’s Sylvanian people at work!

 

Learning in everyday moments

Here are some examples of learning from the curriculum that can also develop and be supported at home through routines, interactions and everyday living.

Over time and with guidance and encouragement, children become increasingly capable of:

  • Managing themselves and expressing their feelings and needs.
  • Understanding how things work here and adapting to change.
  • Showing respect for kaupapa, rules and the rights of others.
  • Recognising and appreciating their own ability to learn.
  • Expressing their feelings and ideas using a wide range of materials and modes.
  • Playing, imagining, inventing and experimenting.

(Ministry of Education, 2017)

In what ways can you support these learning outcomes at your place?
What examples do you have of learning in everyday moments?
What is some of the learning that is valued in your home?

The adults’ role – noticing, recognising and responding to the learning

The term ‘kaiako’ refers to all of us who have responsibility for the care and education of young children. It’s about the reciprocal nature of teaching and learning (ako). We’ve covered some key areas in the curriculum and shared some tips for parents/caregivers – such as being mindful of not asking too many questions, leaving children’s play structures set up and giving children opportunities to make decisions. There are some other things you can do to enhance their learning. Playcentre are whānau-led early learning services (see link below) that embrace the role of kaiako and use a range of strategies to notice, recognise and respond to their children’s learning and play. Some parents and whānau record their observations/wonderings and develop plans and maps to help support them. This is an example of kaiako having an active role in responding to the learning they see happening.

Photos with permission from Glenda Albon (left) and Emma O’Connell (right)
Left: Oakley Albon and Right: Edith O’Connell

What role might the adult have in each of these examples?

Pausing to observe and record can widen the possibilities of how you might support children’s play ideas such as joining in, adding props, making resources available and commenting on what you see. Home-based early learning services maximise opportunities for learning from everyday living in the home. Professor Carmen Dalli (see video link below) suggests creating mind maps using three key areas – relationships, daily tasks and community – to support home-based learning. You could use mapping to draw up a weekly plan like this:

Examples of mapping ideas from Playcentre and Home-based Spotlights on Te Whāriki Online (see links below).
Examples of mapping ideas from Playcentre and Home-based Spotlights on Te Whāriki Online (see links below).

What could you record to support your child in the areas of relationships, daily tasks and community?

Behaviour: navigating your way through challenging times

All behaviour in young children can be viewed as:

  • a learning opportunity
  • communication
  • an expression of feelings

Your response matters! Managing your own emotional state is the goal.

Strategies for guiding behaviour.

Te Whāriki emphasises our role as adults in supporting children’s social and emotional competence. When your buttons are pushed the challenge is to step back and reflect on what is happening. Ask yourself what you know about your child’s characteristics, temperament, the wider context and circumstances including your own stress and then, choose your response. Moments of frustration for adults are learning opportunities for children and they need lots of reassurance and time to practice as they learn ā tonā wā (in their own time).

Photo with permission from Glenda Albon
Arlen Albon

The major difference between the brain of a young child and that of an adult is that the child’s brain is far more impressionable. This difference, known as plasticity, has both a positive and a negative side: the brain of a young child is more receptive to learning and to enriching influences, but it is also more vulnerable. (Ministry of Education, 2017, p 64)

Children are precious (taonga) and have rights; the right to be, the right to become, the right to enjoy and the right to choose. Links below include strategies and resources on self management and regulation and social and oral language. Tips from speech language therapist, Dr Jane Carroll, reinforce the importance of modelling specific vocabulary, asking fewer questions and making more comments. Other ideas include supporting children to learn by naming, describing and explaining emotions. For example; “you are feeling frustrated” or “when I feel frustrated, my body feels tight”.

Giving children feedback and lots of opportunities to succeed is really important and enhances their mana.

Final messages

We each have an immense responsibility to look after our young children. Our strength and ability as parents/caregivers, whānau, teachers and leaders to reflect on and think critically about ourselves and our emotions, talents and frustrations helps us navigate and prepare well to support young children’s learning especially in unfamiliar circumstances. Seeing the learning in everyday moments and approaching challenges together ‘as learners’ can take the pressure off.

In acknowledgement of the tamariki mokopuna of our wider Early Years whānau who are included in this blog; Hineuru Tāwhirikura Te One Robinson, Harry Otineru Lee, Rita and Edith O’Connell, Holakitu’akolo Paea, Charlotte and Madeline Turner, Lily Tasi Lee, Arlen and Oakley Albon.

And the words of Dame Whina Cooper (1975):

Take care of our children. Take care of what they hear. Take care of what they see. Take care of what they feel. For how the children grow. So will be the shape of Aotearoa.

References

Mead, Hirini Moko (2003). Tikanga Māori – Living by Māori values. Huia Publishers, Wellington, New Zealand.
Ministry of Education Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga (2017). Te Whāriki He whāriki mātauranga mō nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, NZ
Pere, Dr Rangimarie Turuki (1997). Te Wheke – A celebration of infinite wisdom. Ao Ako Global Learning NZ Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind and Society. USA: Harvard University Press.

For more information
Mana: The power in knowing who you are
The concept of mana mokopuna Office of the Children’s Commissioner (www.occ.org)

Art ideas from the Tiny Studio using recycled materials by Dr Lisa Terreni:

Links to strategies and resources for teachers and parents from Te Whāriki Online:

Te Whāriki – Support for Whānau
Te Whāriki – Support for Kaiako
Self management and regulation
Spotlights:

  • Playcentre – Whānau-led early childhood education service
  • Home-based early childhood education (Professor Carmen Dalli )
  • Social language and oral language (speech language therapist, Dr Jane Carroll)
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Thinking differently: distance learning in senior primary

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distance-learning-senior-primary

A joint blog by Greg Carroll and Mark Maddren.

This blog post offers some key considerations for setting up programmes in ways that will cater for senior primary rangatahi as they learn from home. We hope that applying them will help you to ensure that your ‘Learning at Home’ programme is successful.

1. Preserving and adapting

First up, what do you already do well? Start by thinking about the many current strengths of your kura or school and classroom-based programmes. Which of these remain essential, and what adjustments might you need to make to ensure these continue to work effectively in an online environment? A Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach is useful here. For example, in your face to face teaching, you will probably offer specific supports or approaches to some students such as text-to-speech, or breaking tasks into smaller parts, or supporting instructions with visuals. Now you are working online, take a universal approach and offer these supports to everyone, build them into the design of the activity from the outset.

2. Supporting your people

Whakawhanaungatanga (connecting through building relationships) is important in the move to online spaces and blended ways of working. These spaces can be socially isolating unless you build in times and opportunities for people to connect naturally, in human ways, with each other. Just chatting and catching up is an excellent way to begin online sessions. You could start with a fun activity and go “around the room” if the gathering is kaiako, rangatahi or whānau.

core-staff
Image from a CORE Zoom meeting

How might you support those ākonga who find it difficult to access online opportunities like webinars because they have childcare responsibilities, or are working on shared devices? What if whānau home circumstances mean connectivity is low or non-existent? Can you record webinars and share the recordings? Could you send school devices home? Could you make school data available to your community?

3. Involving whānau

You know your communities, and you want to guide families to support rangatahi in this new context. Helping everyone in the whānau to understand what you are doing and why is especially important for those who might assume the role of key learning support for their children. Ask them what they think they might need to get more involved. Give them a chance to ask you questions.

Could you run face to face or virtual training opportunities to get your community up to speed? What opportunities are there to connect virtually with them through a Google Hangout Meet (which can cater for up to 250 people) or Zoom meeting to help inform and upskill them? You could record this and publish it to the kura or school website, or Facebook page, or class Seesaw page.

Recently Gareth Taylor, the principal of Grants Braes School in Dunedin, ran drop-in book reading sessions for his school community. The engagement from everyone was huge, with up to 85 connections to a single session. He was able to use this time as families were moving into making sense of the lockdown situation to make strong connections into each home and to maintain the quality relationships with ākonga and whānau.

grant-braes
Used with permission from Primary Teachers Facebook Page post

4. Keeping learning healthy

As you design a virtual home programme consider whether there is an appropriate balance of screen and non-screen time. On a typical ‘distance learning’ day we would not expect screen time to be anywhere near the same time as the length of a kura/school day. How long do you expect ākonga to focus on school tasks, and how long on simply being a member of their family, enjoying the time to play and join in with whānau activities?

Plan a range of offline activities where learners simply access instructions online. For example, an online instruction might ask them to read and respond to a shared text or book with classmates, while the actual task requires no online component. Physical activity or creative art tasks need no technology. Ākonga could show their understanding of ideas within, across, and beyond texts by reading and making a simple recipe and then making the food. Family can rate the task! Then ākonga could share the menu and the ratings with the kaiako each week as an ‘assessment’. An example of one school’s task list of these kinds of activities is here.

As a kaiako or leader, ensure that you are also thinking about your own and your colleagues’ wellbeing. Have clear and shared expectations about when you are available to learners and their whānau, what time you will spend on content creation and learning programmes, and when you are off-duty.

5. Knowing it will be different

You will do things in different ways. You won’t have your students ‘present’ with you for the full school day. You will take your literacy or numeracy groups in Zoom or Google Meet instead of in person. Rangatahi will work independently of teachers (or adults at home) for much of the time. Setting up tasks and projects that learners can delve into and out of, as their circumstances allow, will be essential. Homes will often be busy places now, and many senior primary children will have other tasks and responsibilities. How can you include these into what you are asking of your learners? Could they be doing things like cooking meals, cleaning, gardening and other ‘real-life’ chores?

Doing less “school work” does not mean ākonga are not learning, or that what they are doing is not valuable.

In this new world, consider how rangatahi will:

  • ask for help
  • indicate they don’t understand
  • ask clarifying questions
  • work with a buddy
  • share their successes
  • get some downtime, engage and ensure their particular learning needs or interests are met.

Teacher roles will be different. The familiar rhythm we are used to in a school day will change. Kaiako may well spend more time providing feedback on shared or collaborative documents, and online platforms. They will connect with individuals or groups less frequently. Assessment, and even simple things like checking on completion of tasks, will be different too.

Image from https://hail.to/belfast-school/publication/FYMghVk/article/jS64z79
Image from https://hail.to/belfast-school/publication/FYMghVk/article/jS64z79

Belfast School in Christchurch understands things will be different. Even though they do not have all the answers, they have forged ahead with a plan to support their teams through Learning from Home.

For the last week of the term syndicates all posted a variety of home learning challenges, and even in the holiday break.

The principal, Sue Elley, invited parents to email in photos and brief explanations of the home learning tasks completed by each student. Initially intended just to connect home and school it quickly morphed into a more organised system. The school expects this sharing of learning experiences on the school Facebook page and the school Learning from Home website will encourage families to continue to engage with the online learning options.

Their intention was to support all teachers. This focus was crucial to the decisions leadership were making. Utilising the skills of staff and promoting collaboration, and ensuring equity and consistency in the Learning from Home resources for students, were both important. This emphasis also supported staff wellbeing while constructing and learning to use the different school sites.

Each syndicate had at least one staff member with a level of digital fluency who took responsibility for supporting their team to construct and manage their team Learning from Home site. They also oversaw uploading and managing the content in the site.

The wider team shared responsibility for being:

  1. Researchers who find sites, activities and content to upload.
  2. Quality checkers/scrutineers – checking that the content/activities are realistic for the level and ability of the students. In one case an activity was considered unsuitable because it involved building the highest tower using jubes and straws. Most homes now don’t have straws (ecological reasons), and in the current situation, families couldn’t pop down to the shop for a packet of jubes. Some whānau might also have objections for using food products in this way. Therefore the activity was deemed unsuitable for uploading.

The team leaders took an overview of their teams’ site and reflected on what is working and what might need changing. They drew on and analysed the examples of work the students were completing by looking at the Home Learning feature articles shared on Facebook and collated on the school website. These learnings about what was working was fed into their weekly online team meetings to support the decisions on what to add to the site in the future.

Using this blog post

We invite you to consider each section in this post with your team, or in your personal context. Where are the opportunities for you to adapt and change what you do to engage more fully with your community, and to make the distance learning programme as effective as it can be?

To recap, you could consider:

  1. What remains essential from your regular programme, and ways to adapt it.
  2. How you will support people
  3. How you will involve families and whānau
  4. What ‘healthy’ learning is
  5. Accepting that things will be different (for now)

Lastly, know that there is no one template for how learning at home will look.

Please do let us know any areas you would like support from the CORE Education Tātai Aho Rau facilitation team by contacting us at learning@core-ed.ac.nz

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Teens learning from home: What to consider

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A joint blog by Karl Summerfield and Madeline Campbell

Noho tawhiti, Tū kotahi
Sit at a distance, stand as one.

The wellbeing of secondary ākonga, kaiako and wider school whānau is an important focus of this post. We explore wellbeing from the perspectives of the secondary learner and kaiako. We also consider learning itself, and pose some reflective questions to support secondary schools and kaiako with planning. Planning collaboratively, and with compassion, will help us to embark on new ways of working in our secondary schools.

Planning for ākonga wellbeing

akonga-wellbeing
Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash

Timely, relevant support

In a recent newsletter, Perry Rush, President of the New Zealand Principals Federation said;

What is needed at this time is leadership that has emotional resonance. This is not a time for you to be a transactional leader singularly focused on how learning may continue. It is a time for you to metaphorically wrap your arms around the young people in your care and embrace their families too.

During periods of change we each have questions about what will be different and what will stay the same. Learners will have many questions about the implications of learning from home. Without answers, these questions may create unnecessary anxiety.

 

For example, here are the questions of five Year 12 students:

  • “At our school there hasn’t been a coordinated announcement for students as to how the school will proceed after the holidays. Some students have started planning for themselves”.
  • “I’m in the middle of some NCEA assessments, what happens when the teacher can’t supervise them?”
  • “Will I have to re-do Year 12? Year 12 is so crucial for University Entrance—it feels more significant than Year 13.”
  • “Before the lockdown only one of my teachers had talked to me about what happens when the school closes. Some subjects will work better than others. English class worries me – because it’s hard to see how my teacher’s style will work online”.
  • “Lots of kids don’t have support at home. We worry about isolation and how we will pass assessments without support”.

 

Creating spaces where learners can regularly express concerns and questions will enable kaiako to provide useful and timely support. Working out how to do this remotely will take collaboration. Discussing with ākonga and as a staff what approaches to raising and solving issues will be useful and sustainable.

Another aspect of planning for wellbeing is ensuring that every learner has someone looking out for them. Secondary ākonga will probably be in contact with many different kaiako. When face to face, there are multiple opportunities to have incidental conversations with learners. We notice how they are doing. Teaching online, we can easily miss those cues.

One recommendation is for schools to plan for kaiako—perhaps a form teacher— to take pastoral responsibility for a group of learners and look out for their overall welfare and progress. Again, ask ākonga for their ideas and feedback.

Minimising overload

In this period of change and upheaval, every effort needs to be made to ensure ākonga receive a coordinated, coherent learning experience.

Firstly, out of respect for your learners, settle on a core group of online tools. While new tools might seem cool and exciting, if every kaiako picks a couple of different new tools, ākonga may have to grapple with signing onto, learning, managing and submitting work across many new digital platforms.

Secondly, closely coordinate and monitor learner workload to ensure assignments are staggered and well-supported. This will require coordination and collaboration across departments / faculties and also regular feedback from them.

How do we make sure that no one gets missed? There will be ākonga in every school who are already being supported with their learning or behaviour by specialist staff. Has contact been made with them? We have a collective responsibility to make sure that “learning is inclusive” (New Zealand Curriculum, 2007, p. 9), and available to all. Can we work with those ākonga to see what they need and what barriers they face?

Here are some other questions for consideration:

  • What anxieties and stresses are ākonga managing? E.g missing loved ones, feeling unsafe or vulnerable, losing an after school job?
  • Is your school confident that all learning tasks can be accessed, and completed, with the tools available?
  • How are ākonga structuring their days, and planning to meet deadlines?
  • Do ākonga have the skills to solve/work around any technical barriers related to their learning?
  • Are ākonga able to devote “school time” to their studies, or do whānau circumstances mean they now have other responsibilities such as minding tēina?
  • Are senior ākonga being reassured and supported, as they face unpredictable changes to their high-stakes learning?

Designing learning for new environments

designing-learning-new-environments

Some aspects of learning remotely actually work better than equivalent face to face options. Tony Cairns from Wellington High School points out that we’ve known there are benefits to online learning:

“We’ve been trying to do this [remote learning] for years. Now we have to!”

Use the benefits of the remote environment to your advantage. Some activities that seemed impossible to do online are being successfully adapted by creative kaiako. Here are some examples of what might work well, and what might be challenging as you move online.

Photo by Dan Dimmock on Unsplash

Works well—maybe even better—online Harder to do online
Collaborative learning Hands on experiences, like in science or technology
Personalised and differentiated learning Education outside the classroom, including class trips
Metacognition – thinking about the thinking Teachable moments
Making learning available anywhere and anytime Group discussions (they are possible, but have different etiquette online)
Multimodal learning Meeting as a whole community (assemblies etc…)
Ongoing, timely feedback Co-curricular activities

 

Like ākonga, kaiako will also be embracing new ways of working. This creates a unique opportunity for kaiako and ākonga together to embrace “Learning to learn”, one of the principles of the New Zealand Curriculum (p. 9).

It is also an opportunity to explore new ways of developing the classroom learning culture. But remember, we are in extraordinary circumstances right now. Remind ākonga that it’s OK to start slowly, make mistakes and have off-days—they’re learning how to learn in a whole new space while navigating learning in their own homes surrounded by extended whānau.

Be proactive and open to partnering with learners to find suitable resources, and teaching and learning approaches. Creating opportunities for them to invest in the development of their online learning will generate greater engagement and connection. This also promotes socially constructed learning, an element that can get overlooked in online learning.

Encourage learners to reflect on how their learning is going. Finding solutions to any issues they identify is also really valuable, but make time to celebrate the things that go well too.

Some ākonga will thrive in the remote learning environment, maybe ones who weren’t engaged in a traditional classroom setting. Can you work with them to find out what has made learning ‘click’? Maybe they can help us to adapt our practice for those who are finding remote learning harder.

Ordinarily we know our ākonga differ in many ways that are fundamental to learning. Variability in prior knowledge, experiences, motivations, interests and beliefs will influence how each individual learns (Dumont et al., 2016, p.7). The Covid-19 situation has created an additional set of circumstances that must also be taken into account. As we approach designing for remote learning, how will we ensure every learner has access to learning in a way that works for them and their whānau?

Some prompting questions for consideration:

  • What processes do we have in place to ensure every learner has what they need to access and participate in learning in a way that works for them?
  • How will we support ākonga who were previously disengaged in learning?
  • What are our plans for ākonga that may require learning support assistance or utilise assistive technologies?
  • How can we set up a buddy system, or a tuākana tēina arrangements, to support and stretch learners?
  • How will we recognise and celebrate remarkable efforts in a meaningful way?
  • How could you use digital tools for multimodal presentation of subject content?
  • How can you leverage digital options for ākonga to act on, create, and express their understanding of new content?

 

kaiako-wellbeingPlanning to keep kaiako healthy and safe

Moving to online teaching will be an extraordinary learning curve for kaiako, even if they are familiar and confident using digital tools and virtual spaces. Two key areas to provide support are related to managing workload and safe practice online.

Photo by Alexandru G. STAVRICĂ on Unsplash

Managing workload

To avoid burnout and overload, it is important that kaiako look after themselves too. Robin Sutton, Principal at Hornby High School, points out:

“Teachers are rescuers, and the temptation to just keep going because your students need you is very strong.”

Working in collaborative teams will create a structure for staying connected, negotiating and managing the workload, and to manaaki each other. Tony Cairns describes manaakitanga as practised by Wellington High School:

“It’s caring about the wairua, ora, health and bubbles of our staff and students – it is more than emails, phone calls, texts and hangouts – it is real genuine care for others on our teams and in our school.”

Establish shared expectations, and set some constraints, around when to be available. This can also help maintain some boundaries and define the end of the work day.

Here are some other approaches currently being adopted by schools:

  • Kaiako available at the times they are normally timetabled for classes. Ākonga know they can contact kaiako at those times and they’ll be ready to engage with them. Also ensure ākonga are given clear timeframes indicating when staff are not available.
  • Regular connection times for colleagues so they can work together to co-construct resources, and have discussions around issues they face or successes they enjoy.
  • Less content over longer time frames. Avoid preparing and teaching 20 individual online classes per week as it is unsustainable. Reduce direct teaching and facilitate collaborative, and student-led activities.
  • Ākonga who are working collaboratively using a class set of notes supported by multiple media, and asking and answering questions in class forums or discussion spaces.

Safety online

Be alert to the cyber-safety aspects of working remotely. For many kaiako this will be a new way of teaching, and boundaries may quickly become blurred.

Netsafe NZ has released 14 tips to guide educators implementing remote learning, which could form the basis of an online discussion with staff.

Some reflective questions to consider:

  • Is it OK for ākonga to know kaiako cell phone numbers so they can text or call?
  • Is it OK for kaiako to be interacting with ākonga on social media?
  • What should kaiako do if they see something they shouldn’t have when video-conferencing with ākonga?
  • Is there a process for making sure resources are safe and appropriate for ākonga to access?
  • Who do kaiako contact for support with a student who is not respecting established boundaries for appropriate contact for learning support?

In conclusion

Learning is the dynamic interplay of emotion, motivation and cognition.  With thoughtful, people-centred planning, this period of learning from home can be a productive and positive experience for both ākonga and kaiako. As facilitators walking alongside schools, we recognise the magnitude of what schools are required to embrace. Do reach out for help. CORE is here to provide support.

Useful resources:

OECD The Nature of Learning, Using Research to Inspire Practice. Practitioners Guide. 2016. Editors Dumont, H., Istance, D., Benavides, F. “A summary of the Nature of Learning, created to highlight the core messages from the full report.”

NZ Principals Federation Newsletter: Issue 10, 2 April 2020 President’s Message – Reminding kaiako of the importance of compassion, well-being and good pedagogy.

Colouring in your Virtual White Spaces. Anne Milne. Blog post 4th April, 2020. “…how will schools develop critical, culturally sustaining content online, and how will this reach the children who need it most?”

Enabling e-Learning – Flipped learning: Make lessons available for ākonga to access from home or school. How to flip your classroom and personalise learning.

Enabling e-Learning – Communication technologies: Tips for kaiako working with a virtual class, and lots of practical resources for setting up and getting started.

Inclusive Education – Reduce barriers for year 9–13 ākonga: Consider how learning feels and works for your ākonga. Ask them for ideas and feedback.

References

Dumont, H., Istance, D., & Benavides, F. (2016). The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice – Practicioners Guide. OECD.

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum (p. 9). Ministry of Education.

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