-
Home
-
Mathematics & Numeracy
-
Mathematics K-6
-
How did it happen?
-
Sharing day reflections
Sharing day reflections
On 6 September 2002 the teachers, mentors and community members came together to share reflections of the journey. The day allowed each school community group using a PMI (Plus-Minus-Interest) strategy to discuss the positives, challenges and interesting aspects of the project. These were shared with the whole group. A summary appears below.
Positives
- Teacher development
- Professional honesty with each other
- Process has been viewed as positive and has been seen as a success
- Professionally and personally rewarding
- Increased knowledge of syllabus
- Met great people
- Felt we were a team – where everyone's ideas were valued and we looked after each other
- Mentors – were supportive guides
- ASSPA meetings – teachers attending, worked both ways
- Changed attitudes, different ways of operating, using outcomes teaching
- Students experienced success
- Better insight into Aboriginal culture
- Mathematics was seen as hard; now find a more positive attitude (community)
- More confident in Mathematics
- Increase parent involvement in Mathematics and the school
- Whole school interaction
- Another program on nutrition has been developed from this
- Everyone valued – teachers asking parents translated into children being involved/interested
- Process of reflection very positive
- Development of different teaching perspectives
Challenges
- Multigrade class
- Teaching principal role meant constant interruptions (positive and negative aspects)
- Organisation of activities involving wider community
- Small school, isolated community
- Distance (mentors from the school)
- Structure of school, eg number groups
- Mentor days – relay sharing of time
- Casual replacements were not always great
- Lack of recognition and support from colleagues and executive at school
- Time (project) – high expectations
- Attitudes of non-Aboriginal parents
- Living within the community – relationships
- Clarification of roles – mentors
- Conflict – research vs process (getting in and teaching)
- Feeling comfortable about putting extra load onto staff and school
- Not able to observe learning outcomes (mentors)
- Parents' history of school experiences
Interesting points
- Parents and children learning together
- Comparing our journeys – Walhallow PS and Crawford PS – each one is different
- RESPECT for teachers, parents, children and teachers
- Opportunity to observe different approaches and interactions
- Parents beginning to get involved in Mathematics and the school
- Another chapter will begin
- Direction – what could happen?
- What differences we can make?
- How well community rallied when asked (Noula's snake painting)
- Tutors have been so involved they are interested in seeking careers in teaching
- Growth of program – enthusiasm of teachers, spread to community and shops!
The later sessions focused on discussion of three challenges:
- What encourages or impedes the development of innovative curriculum development in schools?
- How do we sustain long-term parental involvement?
- How do you address situations where existing structures create barriers to curriculum development and teacher learning?