Week 27: Contemporary Issue or Trend in NZ or Internationally

This weeks blog post is a very topical one for me as it is something our staff strive towards daily.   In our last ERO report, this issue came up as a strength for us and was mentioned in our conclusion:

The principal, with the active support of other leaders, provide strong student-centred, improvement focused, professional leadership.

With moving into our new collaborative teaching spaces and the ever changing technological environment, student centred learning can be a challenge and there is always room for improvement. I find in my classroom that it is something that I feel like I get right and then the dynamics or the variables change, thus making it an issue I am constantly addressing.

I believe most teachers and schools are always striving to meet the diverse learning needs and interests of their students and try their best to cater for the vast range of learning styles that we come across.  ERO (p 8 & 9, 2012) say that "If we wish to foster students as "confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners", then we must do better".  It is our role and responsibility to examine the research, to reflect on our practice and to make changes that will improve our student learning environment and outcomes. The National Intelligence Council (piii, 2012) say that they "see the potential for greater individual initiative as key to solving the mounting global challenges over the next 15-20 years".  This means that in our classrooms we need to be developing self-managing learners who can recognise their next learning steps and begin to act on them with our support.  They need to be able to recognise a problem and be able to come up with ways to solve it.

ERO (2012) talks about how it is Leaders who usually drive quality teacher practice and curriculum in a school which can lead to a culture focused on the success of their students within their school.  However, they also highlight that the research in the Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) says they need to "support teachers to share "collective responsibility and accountability for students" achievement and wellbeing" (ERO, p10, 2012).

It is our role, as classroom teachers, to really get to know our students well as we have a significant influence on them.  We need to ensure that they are emotionally and socially happy.  For this to happen, positive relationships are vital.  In our school, we have Goal Setting Interviews at the beginning of each year.  We send out information gathering sheets to gather parent voice about their children first,  then we meet with the students and parents to have a conversation around their learning goals and well being.  This gives us a great window into our students and helps us to get to know them as people, not just learners. 

We need to be constantly thinking about innovative and engaging ways to present the curriculum to develop these 21st century skills.  Quality teaching practice and listening to student voice are both key to help keep students at the centre of the learning process.

References

Education Review Office. (2012). Evaluation at a Glance: Priority Learners in New Zealand Schools. Retrieved 18 May 2016, from http://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Evaluation-at-a-Glance-Priority-Learners-in-New-Zealand-Schools-August-2012.pdf

National Intelligence Council. (2012). Global trends: Alternative Worlds. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://globaltrends2030.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/global-trends-2030-november2012.pdf

Robinson, V., Hohepa, M., & Lloyd, C. (2009) School Leadership and Student Outcomes; Identifying What Works and Why Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES). Wellington; Ministry of Education.