NZEI Te Riu Roa National Executive

It is twelve months since my first executive meeting, and most of all I have learnt much and grown lots (in my thinking that is although my waist-line is certainly no slimmer!) Our union is engaged in a process of change and review which has been both challenging and exciting. I am looking forward to the next twelve months as we develop the roles of governance and how it will look. What will it mean when we come together around the table? I firmly believe that we will need to maintain participation in various levels of the institute and that this involvement does not mean stifling the leadership of the union but enhancing and enabling that to happen.

The debates around inclusive education

There continues to be ongoing debates around inclusiveness in education. The link http://www.parrotpublishing.com will take you to a great on-line text book that covers the philosophies and ideologies around the differing points of views within the debates.

We do, I believe, have to be wary in our own musings that we do not disenfranchise, or belittle the professional status of, any particular group working within the area of special education. This can be done quite innocently and unintentionally. Here is a hypothetical but entirely possible situation:

A Specialist Educational Centre employs both unit class teachers and itinerating teachers. The school holds the belief and is seen to overtly state that:

"Students who are in the unit classes make better progress in the curriculum than those who are in the mainstream." As employers of teachers in both situations this could be seen by implication to suggest that the role of the itinerating staff therefore are of less importance. If indeed this was the view then one would need to question the validity of that centre employing the itinerating staff. By virtue of the stated pedagogical view point it could be extrapolated that the centre would view resources as better directed towards unit classes. What I am getting at is that there exists in this scenario an implied conflict of interests. To be truly effective and inclusive the Centre should hold more of a philosophy that students will do well in which ever placement and the centre is critical to making that happen within a continuum of service and placement options and that decisions around these placements will be made with the collaboration of the parents and specialists.

What if there was no such thing as special needs? Think about it........ all students have special needs don't they? All students have a right to education. Lets forget about looking at the barriers and begin to search for the potential. Here's another thing, If we have a student who requires assistance to access curriculum, we need to begin to take ownership of that student as a school. It's not just up to each single pod class teacher to teach that child, it's the responsibility of us all. How about we do away with the term SENCO? They could become Advocates for the Rights of Students' Education........ Or maybe not! That would make them ARSE!!! But you get my drift. It really is time for a re-think of the models we work under.

It makes you wonder?

Turangi has had it's coldest winter in 2 years!! Makes me wonder about all the families in town who live on he bread-line. They would not have enough resources to have stock piled dry wood, they may not even be able to buy a decent load. I see them every day, kids who are cold, who have not enough warm clothing, kids who have no breakfast in their tummies. It's not rare here, it's quite common. How can they participate in a curriculum that continues to narrow to suit the priveleged few? How can they concentrate on basic learning when even a warm cuddle is a rare thing for some of them? Geoffery Palmer had no idea what Courtney Place was like! Hello! He lives in another world and so do many of hte priveleged among us they also have no idea!

NZEI National Exec

There are dark forces at work! Be wary of an administration that places millions of dollars into private education whilst families and schools around NZ continue to struggle. It is a curious thing that the prisons are full of illiterate, hearing impaired educational dropouts, yet to cure the problem we give millions to the already privileged! Go figure. Then there's national standards, let's keep Anne Tolley honest on this one. Honest and clear reporting to parents is a great thing comparing schools on the basis of achievement levels on National standards is not and is most certainly not backed buy research. Then there is the suggestion that we suggest how the government can trim $95 million dollars off staffing! Get real! We don't have enough now, plus we have support staff paid less than our cleaners!

A sad day for Deaf Education in NZ

What a day of mixed emotions for me. Saying farewell to one of my most respected colleagues whilst at the same time catching up with some of my first students within Deaf Ed. Wow some of them are 42!!! Very emotionally draining day. Tomorrow I head to Wellington for NZEI National Exec Meeting. I look forward to these immensely but they are intensive hard work!

Just some thoughts of mine

Who would have thought ten years ago that I would become an avid Coro Street fan? Certainly not me. Then again who would have thought that I would become part of the establishment, or hold conservative views? It's a great and funny and sad thing all at once the process of aging. It doesn't frighten me and I love getting older even though there's still a 20 year old living inside this middle aged body. I am struggling, however with watching my Mum lose her independence, after close on 80 years of very active living and I can't help but wonder how healthy she would be if it wasn't for tobacco! Suddenly she is reliant, dependent even, on Janeve and I. For me that's not a problem apart from the fact that it affects any thoughts of travel and/or work abroad, but for her it's a real problem. She's always said how she doesn't want to burden anyone and she's not but I sense how much she hates having to rely on others. Then there's the cognition. That seems to be deteriorating as rapidly as the physical health and I can't help but wonder how much one relies on the other. She was once a church goer and I wonder too if she ever thinks about the teachings she learnt in those years. She does't share much of her inner thoughts.

"Enough!"
"How?" I hear you say
"Does this relate to education?"

It's just that education is about people, especially children, and relationships between people and I wonder if we are turning out better citizens with all the pressure that is now brought to bear on the classroom teacher, and the continuing narrowing of the curriculum. I think not! Bring back fun, music, and frivolity and lessen the pressure of E-learning, inquiry, and the total focus on numeracy and literacy with the inherant unmanageable pressures of incessant assessment all with the aim of appeasing the buracracy! We all want literate and numerate students of course, and I love computers as much as the kids, but for goodness sake, when I meet some of my ex students now, they don't say "Hi Mr Green, thanks for teaching me to read." They do say "thanks for making school such fun, do you still play the guitar. I remember that song we used to sing all the time" Actually, most of my new entrants taught themselves to read, I provided the enthusiasm, and reasons to read whilst allowing me to concentrate on those who struggled to make the connections.

Bloody viruses

My lap top has a virus! My son who is in IT says it's a nasty one in fact one of the worst!! Don't ask me how I come to have it because I don't know. The first thing that happened was that I could suddenly no longer open pdf files using adobe reader, then I was having to boot up 3 or 4 times before the thing would operate. So now it is on its way to Auckland and I am about to resume the foetal position on the floor! There has been lots of rain in this pat of the world today.

I had a great educational experience today utilsing the old adage about two heads being better. I work with two relatively new students at Whakamaru School. I approached the Ministry for advice and assistance from the SLT. Heather was great as she assessed both students and together we formulated some language goals. This was a great example of collaborative working as these students are not on her case-load, however I am now able to take the programme to the Teacher aide and to the homes for back up. We will make more of a difference together!

I have a cold! Hope it's not the piggy kind of flu!

Well this is the first day I've had of this year due to illness. It's just a cold but it's a doozy! Worst aspect was no sleep last night. To add to the misery its a COLD day in Turangi. There is not enough snow for the season to open yet but hopefully by the end of the month. I am looking forward now to the end of term when Janeve and I fly to Sydney so that I can attand the ANZCED conference. I am looking forward to supporting the many colleagues of mine who will be making presentations.

I have been taking zinc and start the day with lemon juice, both supposed to increase my resisitance to the likes of cold viruses.....HUH!

My first ever Blog (I hope some one reads them)

What a great day at KDEC on Friday. It is always great to spend time with all the RTD. I hope that you all got good ideas from my session on the Web 2.0 technologies? I thought that Barry raised an interesting point when he said that he hadn't seen Wayne in the time he had been there. I know that I had met Wayne a couple of times and knew who he was as with Margaret but not really well, but assumed that those who work out of KDEC would have been in regular contact! Interesting indeed. I did wonder though how many RTD wander up to and in and around the base apart from the offices where they are based. What is obvious is the need for more RTD vs Core School Staff contact.

The Waibop team had a great social time on the Thursday evening and this sort of time is essential to the smooth functinoning of the facility