Professional Learning Award 2011

Annika Fry

Annika began teaching in January 2010. Her application outlines the professional learning she has embarked on since then in a quest to grow as a teacher. She has kept a blog as a way of reflecting on her learning and to communicate with her mentors. Some professional learning courses she describes included practical art courses, story planning, blogging and the importance of Te Reo Maori. She describes using video as a way of recording the children's learning with regard to Waiata. CORE staff were impressed with her sincere desire to learn and develop as a teacher and the way she had worked with mentors.

Jody Hayes

Jody's application focuses on her Student Voice and Choice project which was about looking at ways to find what children want to learn about and how a teacher can then apply that to the curriculum. She says that, 'My teacher inquiry and then 2011 National Aspiring Principal Programme (NAPP) leadership inquiry has changed the culture in my classroom, how my students view themselves, their own self worth and confidence and how the students and I view each other as part of the learning community. Her work was profiled in the Manawatu Standard in November last year.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/features/5934347/Knowing-kids-m...

Jacqueline Russell

Jacqueline described her work to become an accredited practitioner in the Integral Learning Model and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument with a view to 'dramatically change' her teaching practice. This lead her to design her own programmes that promote more effective and explicit teaching. She says the professional learning has meant that she is 'more inclined to collect and use student voice to inform my teaching practice. Relationships amongst students’, and äkonga with me have changed significantly and we all want to be there'. Students have said, 'She lets us choose our own topics now and we construct learning together' and 'she doesn’t like teaching in a linear way, but she knows I need it, so she does'.

Kiwikidz

Kiwikidz submitted an outline of their work over 2011 on a whole team approach to examining the effectiveness of their teaching practice, policies and procedures in relation to transitions to school. They looked at the whole centre from children to whanau to staff and included everyone in their work. The application included children's learning stories. It was clear from their application that they had been very thorough in their evaluation and careful to implement the necessary changes.They did not try any quick fixes or superficial changes. It was obvious that they had not been afraid to look at every aspect of their practice, to make changes and to challenge themselves.