Reflect
on the last 32 Weeks
I was hesitant about undertaking this course because I was
expecting my first born child at the end of March. I worried about the workload
and my ability to produce ‘postgraduate’ quality work. As it turns out late
nights were normal for people on this course, even if they didn’t have new born
babies in their households.
The first day I felt blown away and out of my depth. It
took a few sessions to settle into the course and after my first assignment to
really flourish. I never got good grades (although they were good compared to
Massey days. Varsity!), but I did gain a good understanding of where we could
be heading. A lot of people have stated that they feel empowered and more confident
now. I would say that this is true for me as well. I have also looked past
National Standards and recognised what is important holistically. The ITL 21st
Century Rubric has been one of the best resources I have had shared with me in
some time.
PTC
changes
Criterion 5 : Show leadership that contributes to effective
teaching and learning
Developing
leadership: This is an area that I have put a significant
emphasis on in the last 12 months. Before I joined the mindlab course I took
part in a leadership mentorship programme. I set goals and then put things in
place that would help me achieve these things. The mindlab course has been a
significant contributor towards reaching these goals. My appraisal document is packed
with leadership evidence. Since I have started the mindlab course I have become
a syndicate leader, conducted research, shared findings with staff, run PD, and
provided feedback to other teachers. I would say that networking with other
teachers would be an added bonus of being on the course, although this was not
a primary objective in the first 16 weeks.
Criterion 9 : Respond
effectively to the diverse and cultural experiences and the varied strengths,
interests, and needs of individuals and groups of Äkonga.
Planning for everyone: This is an area where I have put
an emphasis on in the last 32 weeks. I think that one of the reasons why I have
persevered in this criterion is because I keep seeing new things, then get excited
about trying them. Admittedly it will take some time for me to balance out what
my programmes so it is not overloaded. It would be fair to say that I have more
tools and knowledge about catering for target groups.
Where
to from here
I have taken, what some would say, backward steps in
leadership. I started off teaching in a 500 student college. I then moved to a
1200 student college. For the past 5 years I have been in a 470 student
Intermediate school. Currently I am a syndicate leader of 4 classes and
approximately 120 students. It is my goal to be a teaching principal of a 2-3
teacher school. This reverse order bamboozles older generation teachers, like
my grandfather. In his day “You did rural
service, became sole charge, then you were trusted in a big school.”
I never want to leave the ‘chalk face’ because I fear that
I will become too disconnected from the clientele of your students. I feel like
I have gained more skills, experiences, and a more open mindset that sees me
sneak closer to my goal. My next step is to spend some more time with younger
year groups (years 3-5).
The old saying “You never stop learning” is definitely true
in this situation. I feel like in the last 32 weeks my learning intake has been
like filling a normal balloon with water in a water fight, while my mates are
using water bombs. It’s been good. I can’t
complain too much. I look forward to the party.
21st Century Learning Design. 21CLD Learning
Activity Rubrics. ITL Research. SRI International
Practicing teacher criteria and e-learning. Cited from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/Practising-Teacher-Criteria-and-e-learning
