6 Responses

1. The BOT has heavily invested in providing additional Teacher Aide support the last couple of years. As the school SENCO and DP, it was important to me that the time and money invested will follow quality TA practices to ensure there is a direct impact on student learning outcomes. So last year we spent time looking at what quality practice looks like to both teachers and teacher aides and we implemented one change to support this.

   Each Learning Hub was required to develop and share their TA timetables to make sure the extra support was being well utilised and targeted the areas of need. At the time I would have thought this was a technical change, but now I can see it was more of an adaptive change. Despite it being the simple task of creating a timetable it was a break from the past and required new knowledge and understandings about the role of TAs in our setting. It took some time to put in place and I understand now that this change was being ‘done to’ staff.

   This year part of our strategic plan was to continue to build on our understanding of what quality TA practice looks like by strengthening the communication between TAs and kaiako. Although many of our teachers already communicate well with their TAs, this is often on the run and not particularly effective in providing the TA with the understanding and knowledge of strategies, resources and quality interactions. To improve the communication process between TAs and kaiako we shared an expectation that there would be one formal meeting each term. There would also be a framework to support staff during these meetings to ensure the conversations were student focussed. Part of this change came in response to feedback by TAs that they would like to have more knowledge of their learners and an increase in communication with kaiako.

   In hindsight this is also an example of change being ‘done to’ others. This was the result of being time poor and wanting to implement change too quickly without the necessary buy in. The final action of ensuring our TAs have the most impact will be implemented differently. This will be delivered in a way to ensure there is a communal purpose to believe in.

   The final change will be to provide support for our TAs to engage in quality interactions with learners. The following steps will be taken to ensure there is a purpose to believe in, the skills required to change, reinforcement systems and consistent role models.

   Time will be spent on unpacking what quality, inclusive and meaningful interactions sound like with all staff. There will be tailored professional development and training for TAs. PD sessions will focus on: culturally responsive practices, positive behaviour support, growth mindset, inclusive language, effective questioning and feedback techniques. There will be guides for engaging reluctant learners, scaffolding language and learning and promoting independence.

   Teachers will model quality interactions during in-class demonstrations. There will be opportunities for reciprocal feedback as well as opportunities for teacher aides to reflect on successful strategies or challenges and to share their insights.

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   1. That all sounds excellent Kim. It is quite difficult finding the balance between acknowledging the valuable work that TAs can do if they are trained and empowered and having teachers finding their new responsibility around TAs being ‘more trouble than it’s worth’. I will be interested to see if you get any feedback from those in our group who began their careers at TAs. You have gained a really good understanding of what is required to implement successful change.

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2. Firstly it is the first time I have ever heard of different types of change and the technical vs adaptive definition makes so much sense. There are so many times where something needs to occur, it’s very straight forward and can be dealt with immediately. Then there are those times where some staff feel like the world is ending because something needs to change, but no matter whether it is big or small they can’t see beyond their own ways of doing this.

   I did honestly struggle to think of a situation of change that I am leading as I am not a team leader or in a position to be leading change within the school. I help implement it but I don’t feel I lead it.

   Then I suddenly thought that within my classroom I lead my three support staff and there is one very clear aspect of change that I am trying to lead. This type of change definitely falls under adaptive change and that is around student safety. In particular this year I have students who like to climb. They climb furniture, sides of buildings, playground equipment and even people. They have no understanding that what they are doing is dangerous and there is one young man who has no natural reflexes when he falls so he has a higher risk of visiting A&E if he falls.
   The change that I am leading is consistency around the behavioure management strategies to keep the students safe. Strategies include providing safe places for the students to climb, introducing Swiss Balls, Sensory cushions, using consistent phrases such as “feet on floor,” visuals and ultimately for staff to manage every situation as soon as it happens.

   This change is an adaptive change because it is about being a stuck record really, some days it feels like all I say over and over and over again is “feet on the floor,” and when I am not in the class or playground it seems as if someone always falls. I have spoken to my staff and the constant feedback is around having to manage it over and over again and why are the students not learning it, there have also been a number of comments around being tired of saying the same thing over and over again. All the students in my class live with ASD, some have ADHD as well, all have GDD and developmentally are all between 18months to 4 years of age.

   Things that need to continue are providing areas for students to climb safely as they are seeking the vestibular input as part of their sensory needs, if we reduce their climbing there is a high chance it will be replaced with another behaviour. The furniture in the classroom needs to continue to be there, it is easy to say remove what they aren’t allowed climbing, but in actual fact they are 6 years old, they cannot live a life where things are removed when they do something unsafe or that others don’t like, that is not realistic or sustainable. Instead they need to be taught where they can climb and where they cannot.

   Change that really must happen now is the support staff understanding that the students are not able to learn things overnight and that repetition is the key. In order for us to be able to teach our students and keep them safe we all need to be on the same page.

   I going to get my support staff to believe in the importance of this change by leading by example. I am going model the hell out of good practice and show them that although the repetition is tedious it is important. I am going to ask the Occupational Therapist who works in my class to help me explain to my staff why we need to be doing this and if at any point I see one of my staff not doing the plans in place and allowing a student to climb in an unsafe way/place, I am going to address it right then and there. There is a saying that the lead therapist said to me when we worked together in a PMLD class and that is “if you see something that is not right or doesn’t sit well with you….say something. By not saying something you are accepting that it is ok for that to happen.”

   Looking at the other resources for this module, the one thing that did jump out at me as such is moral purpose. The students within my school setting are there to be educated and have their needs meet. The education that takes place in my school appears in many ways, many not so traditional because quite frankly our learners aren’t the typical traditional students that many articles relating to education talk about. BUT as adults teaching the students we have the moral purpose to make the adequate changes necessary to ensure all students needs are met in a safe.

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   1. I think the example you have chosen is a good one Jade. You know the change you are trying to institute is a good one. There are no downsides. I sense your frustration with trying to get ‘buy in’ from your TA’s. I suppose it is natural that you as the person in charge have more skin in the game as you understand all too well the consequences of something going wrong. I am curious to know whether the teacher who comes in when you are not there is so consistent about reinforcing the message.

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3. What a great example you have used Damian. It sounds as if your hoamahi have had excellent PD particularly
   around your part of the motu. As you detail trying to get to that next stage is the hard bit. As you rightly say, the differing life experiences of your kaiako will have a huge impact on their skill and receptiveness not to mention confidence.You are all on an amazing journey which will last to the end of your days.

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4. Kia ora koutou,

   I’ll answer this question in two parts. Part one, in an area I am personally interested and invested in. Part two, in an area that challenges me.
   I am currently leading change to our kura around all kaiako teaching level 1 te reo Māori (using TKI units). This is a technical change for me personally, and other members of staff, because it merely means timetabling regular teaching sessions. Several of our staff can run lessons of simple sentence construction with little effort. However, I myself find it hard to imagine not having the capacity to teach level 1 reo Māori and therefore fail to understand the adaptive change required for some of my hoamahi. This has the potential to create confusion, barriers and inequity in staff.

   Things that can continue: I have aimed to create an environment where we are working collaboratively; teaching the same units, sharing resources, planning in teams.

   Change that really must happen: honest communication of how people are finding teaching reo Māori. There should be support within the school for those who aren’t sure or are struggling. Some people did not grow up around taha Māori. That’s not their fault, and the best thing we can do for them is provide support.

   Our moral purpose has been ignited through our kura involvement in Kurahaupō PLD a couple of years ago. Kurahaupō is one of the waka of 3 of the iwi of Te Tauihu. Our PLD consisted of things like unpacking kura and kaiako expectations around Te Tiriti; unpacking the differences between Te Tiriti and the Treaty; learning local pūrākau and hītori; visiting Rotoiti and learning about the importance to local iwi of this area; having experts visit us and teach us about history in our area, such as how our local area was likely used by the old people. This PLD ignited interest amongst kaimahi, so “imposing” level 1 te Reo Māori was a natural progression. I should also mention Te Ahu o te Reo Māori. Over half of our kaiako attended Te Ahu courses over the years and were able to bring teachings from there straight into the classroom.

   The current challenge is around fidelity of collaboration. I can see how beneficial it is to teach the same units and share resources. In writing this, I can see that my next step is to lock in some staff meeting time to provide time and space for discussion, starting with ‘what is challenging’. There’s no point in pretending we’re all ok and things are fine if they’re not. If the challenges are vocalised, support and solutions can be provided by the collective.

   I was going to talk about my personal challenge of leading enthusiasm for the new maths curriculum, and the Maths No Problem resource, but I think I’ve said enough here. Short version: this is adaptive change for me, and I need to work hard to understand it better so I can “walk the talk”.

   E kī ana te whakataukī: He manako te kōura i kore ai.
   (Wishing for the crayfish won’t bring it).

   Nā,
   Damian

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