The first weeks of this term have been interesting in regards to the two major weather events (‘The Auckland Floods’ and Cyclone Gabrielle) affecting attendance of all students and triggering some deja vu of how teaching during Covid impacted on students’ relation to school and teachers needing to be nimble and supportive of our community.
As our students trickled back in I used my Kāhui Ako release to talk with our onsite SENCO, Social Worker and Deputy Principal in further depth about the aims and processes of my inquiry.
There was unanimous opinion that the make-up of the group was crucial and that if not done carefully this project could have converse outcomes. There was also string advice to not to fill this group with disruptive children, but also to add those ‘quieter’ students who may be flying under the radar socially and academically and may benefit from working hands-on in the Makerspace.
An important takeaway from these discussions was the importance of friendship to many of our emotionally self- dysregulated students who are feeling lonely in class. This initiative could be a great opportunity to help kids who are struggling making friends engage positively with their peers, and for their peers to see them in a more positive light.
These conversations helped me rethink and adjust my longlist for candidates. It also gave me the above criteria to send to classroom teachers to ask for further suggestions for candidates.
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