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| (Tagul image created by J.Barrett, 22/5/16) |
Many people comment on the behaviour of our Westbrook School students when they are out in the public forum, whether it be swimming lessons at the local pool, or school sports days and interschool exchanges. Our students have a code of behaviour that is a collective expectation, regardless of which staff member you talk to.
Whanaungatanga - We are family.
Respect - I care about myself, other people and our world.
Responsibility - I am responsible for all that I say and do.
Initiative - I think for myself and take positive actions.
Excellence - I will be the best me I can be.
We call this value system ‘The Westbrook Way’, as I mentioned in my first blog entry, and it comprises the school’s five values which are reinforced from a student’s very first day at school. Dr Kent T. Peterson (1999), states that the type of comments mentioned above from ‘outsiders’ help to make up the ‘persona of the school’, as it is the school’s underlying values and principles that have set this school culture. Our students are very proud of their school and the culture that exists within it. They feel an ownership that relates back to how our values make them feel, and they can tell visitors what each value feels, sounds and looks like. It is very much as Mark Wilson says in the video Building A Culture of Success, that it (the culture) ‘echoes in the hallways’ once it is firmly embedded.
This value system was set in place long before I came here, through staff and management sitting down and agreeing on a shared vision of what they wanted the school to ‘feel’ and look like in the future. My part now is to continue to foster that vision by ensuring the students have these values in the forefront of their daily interactions with others.
This is essentially the organisational culture of our school, and the way in which I contribute to fostering a positive professional environment in my community of practice is by modelling these values when interacting with students, my colleagues, and our school community as a whole.
As for issues in my community of practice in general, currently they are numerous. How teachers cope with workload, National Standards and a lack of resources, to name a few. However, the change in teacher pedagogy required to ensure our students are equipped for the ‘knowledge age’ and future-oriented learning (Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012), is what is ‘on top’ for me.
Our school is at the beginning of the journey that will take us from single cell classrooms and its inherent ‘old style’ teacher pedagogy, to the innovative learning environments and practices that ensure our students can communicate and collaborate effectively for tomorrow’s world. For some teachers this is an exciting time in education, one filled with possibilities and opportunities. For others, all the talk of ILE’s and having to change their pedagogy and therefore mindset, is a massive undertaking and one that is scary indeed.
Upon reflection, I know that my community of practice cannot shift the mindset for all teachers. However, we can facilitate the change by helping teachers to realise that we need to build our education system and the curriculum around the learner, instead of the learner having to fit into the system (Bolstad et al, 2012).
As a classroom teacher, I can do this by sharing my Mindlab journey with my teaching colleagues, whether it be be in an informal setting across a cup of coffee, helping to facilitate a staff meeting or running workshops for teachers on some of the digital innovations we have covered throughout this journey.
As a team leader in the school, I can step forward and take on roles that will help support, encourage and scaffold the way forward for others.
Reference List
Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning & teaching: A New Zealand perspective. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Retrieved from www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306.
Deal, T. E., & Peterson, K. D. (1999). Shaping school culture: The heart of leadership. Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104.
TEdEd(2013, Jun 21). Building a culture of success - Mark Wilson. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_8Bjz-OCD8
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