The powhiri was lovely - it was just the staff and felt really intimate. I didn't realise I'd be greeting every single one of them, and by the end everyone was just laughing. That was followed by everyone of the staff introducing themselves with one slide and 30 seconds of talking. The impression it creates: people matter, relationships matter.
When I first trained as a teacher, this Maori proverb was in the front of one of the curriculum books:
He aha te mea nui o te ao
What is the most important thing in the world?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
It is the people, it is the people, it is the people
This still resonates deeply within me, and expresses how I felt in response to today's experiences.
PD was in the library. Bean bags were on the floor. Couches were behind. Chairs behind them. I wish I took a photo. Curled up, on the floor, in a beanbag, with a bunch of other people just like me, writing notes on my hybrid - it really was a nice way to learn. After all, curling up on the couch with my hybrid is how I work at home too.
Maurie spoke on respect - always keeping respect at the forefont of our minds because in an innovative environment respect is essential. People need to be able to fail and to get things wrong so they can risk having a go at being creative. Without respect that all falls over.
Claire spoke on the Code of Professional Responsibility - the new code that has been gazetted and is now part of our governing law as educators. I remember being told once about a Code of Ethics and a poster that I should read, and that was about as far as my knowledge of the legislation went. Spending some time looking at it and remembering why we do (and don't do) what we do (and don't do) was another good stake in the ground. It was good think about things that we can, perhaps, get too familiar with (as in, too blase about) and let our boundaries slacken on. Timely reminders help to keep us all safe.
Familiarity breeds contempt
Our Guidance Counsellors reminded us all about the simple and obvious actions - and sometimes the not-as-obvious actions - that we should be taking as teachers to keep everyone safe. What I really liked about how everyone was speaking was how it was from a really positive point of view. Let's keep our kids safe. Let's think about our at-risk young people who don't have the skills to keep themselves safe so we have to do that for them. Let's not let anybody fall, but let's keep each other accountable in a respectful, professional, kind way and remind each other of potentially blurred situations if we happen to see or hear them arise.
Lunch was exquisite and a karakia was given before the meal. I wish I had a photo of the kai too. Second day in a row lunch was provided. Summer fruits, beautiful chicken buns, a selection of finger foods - sushi, lamb meatballs, brownies with raspberry couli, chocolate-chip meringues... I may have to go shopping again!
The afternoon ended with a session on Safer Schools by the PPTA, and then time looking at the schedule for the following week. The whole week is set aside for Individual Education Meetings - what others would know as Parent-Teacher meetings. I have 14 students to look after in my hub, and I get 20 minutes with each of them at a day and time that suits them. The importance again is being placed on people and relationship first.
Sit down, on Kamar, feeling proficient.
Sit down, on Kamar, feeling proficient.
Docs sent, weekend reading identified, I know what I'm looking at.
I'm looking forward to next week, to meeting the ako and their whanau. To sinking my teeth in and getting going. It's going to be awesome.
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