Key change in my professional practice

"Ki te kore te iwi, e kore koe i kīa – he tangata.Without the people, you are diminished, you are nobody." (TKI, 2018)

PLD has come a long way from old, stuffy men (mostly) coming in to 'chalk and talk' to teachers to it morphing into an internal activity where we look at ourselves and reflect on our experiences as a teacher to learn more about ourselves and change ourselves and our pedagogy for the better. Osterman and Kottkamp (1993)say that the traditional approach results in knowledge acquisition whereas reflective practice can lead to change in behaviors via self-awareness.

Source: Kyle Spitzley (2018)

For my final reflection, I will once again use tried and trusty Rolfe's Model of Reflection. 

Step 1: What?

I choose: Professional learning (Akoranga ngaiotanga)which is part of Our Code, Our Standards. This can also be related to nearly all the key concepts identified through 'Hack Education' as these were identified by teachers who were learners mostly and are all focused on professional learning... in my opinion (I could be wrong).

So I have changed and with it, so has my professional practice in the way that I look at and engage with professional learning after these hectic 33 weeks (and counting) now. I am someone who did the professional learning when forced to, with sighs and the feelings of being martyred (I did not like being 'forced' to participate in PLDs). But with a new teaching environment that lets teachers choose their own inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and professional learning partnered with the Mindlab experience, I look forward to actually ENGAGING in this process and not be satisfied to just skim and scan anymore. 

Step 2: So what?

This programme has developed me and my mindset about PLD and how to change my practice for the better. I have started using more digital and collaborative platforms in my English classroom which has affected my students' literacy levels with ALL students raising their literacy levels (seen through e-asTTle testing, in-class/ formative assessments and end of year exams)at least 2 levels from pre-digital/collaborative platform time.

The Professional learning (Akoranga ngaiotanga)from Our Code, Our Standards has developed in me the most through my experiene with Mindlab. So cheers for that Mindlab!!! 🙌🍻🙌

Source: Ministry of Education (2017)

In the past 33 weeks, I have inquired into and reflected on the effectiveness of my practice, used evidence from various sources, critically examined my assumptions and beliefs, engaged in this awesome professional learning and applied it in my own teaching-learning process, while engaging in a collaborative feedback/ feedforward process with learners, colleagues, whānau and the Mindlab Google Community. 

As a teacher, I have developed my own understanding of ako. TKI (2018) describes the concept of ako as "the teaching and learning relationship where the teacher is also learning from the student and where teachers’ practices are informed by the latest research and are both deliberate and reflective. Ako is grounded in the principle of reciprocity and also recognises that the learner and whānau cannot be separated". I am a life-long learner, someone who knows that our learners (teina) can also be our teachers (tuakana) and that we need to constantly look up research and learn from these practices. This programme has also developed my knowledge and creation of collaborative opportunities through digital platforms which has helped me achieve my goal of engaging boys into writing and reading across the whānau.

Step 3: Now what?

To reflect on this section, I decided to look at it in the eyes of change management using Lewin's change management model. When one talks about this model, they use ice as an extended metaphor. The easiest way to get this is by looking into your freezer and finding a cube of ice but realising you need a cone of ice instead. So what do you do? You unfreeze the cube then freeze it into a cone form.

Source: Slide Ocean, 2018

At the beginning of my Mindlab journey, I was that cube... all hardened up, and adamant PLD was for suckers 🤷🏽‍♀️. But now that I know better, I am that more like that water; unfrozen, liquid, shapeless, ready to be formed into whatever shape that is needed by my learners and the demands of my changing pedagogy. With this Mindlab assisted journey, I do not know whether that will be a cone or a sphere or even another cube... It all depends on research and learning and resetting myself as per the demands of my chosen profession and other. Let's see what the future brings. 

To all Mindlab personnel: Tēnā koutou: I appreciate all your assistance;

To all Mindlabbers: Vinaka vakalevu! I couldn't have done this without you 😀

References:

Ministry of Education. (2017). Our code, our standards. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/our-code-our-standards

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators. California. Corwin Press, Inc. Retrieved from hhttp://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf

Slide Ocean. (2018). Lewin’s Change Management Model. Retrieved from https://www.slideocean.com/downloads/lewins-change-management-model/

Spitzley, K. (2018). Reflection: The Only Way to Turn Life Experience into Life Lesson. Retrieved from http://kylespitzley.com/wp/blog/reflect-to-learn/

TKI. (2018). Ako. Retrieved from https://seniorsecondary.tki.org.nz/The-arts/Pedagogy/Culturally-responsive-learning-environments/Ako