With brave wings she flies...

 This weekend I had the opportunity to be part of the NZEI Beginning Teachers Hui in Wellington.  I was very excited as I have not been on a plane in a while and I LOVE the feeling of flying and being amongst the clouds like a free bird...the world certainly looks different from up high.

I was off to a start, I had arrived at the Domestic Airport not knowing that I had to check in 2 hours before, so lol lucky me had to be rushed so that I could board this plane on time.What an entrance right? Onboard I met few of  the teachers from Auckland that I would be on this journey with. What an amazing experience to meet all these teachers and share out experiences and make new friends.

I was lucky enough to experince staying at his wonderful Marae where we all spent a couple of days getting to know each other and have professional development in many different areas.
The feeling of just being at this Marae words can not express. Such a beautiful and unique building.
Below I have included some history of Tapu Te Ranga Marae.

TAPA TE RANGA MARAE

When I heard the Korero behind the Marae it brought tears to my eyes. It was build by young unemployed Maori which some of them were homeless.  They needed to have a place to make a stand. It has been said she is the largest and highest wooden house built of recycled materials on wooden piles anywhere on earth. 
It was designed by Bruce Stewart - all in his head because he cannot draw. Without formal training, he is a product of the kiwi 'do-it yourself' stuff. He had been influenced by architecture without architects - peasants building from local materials or what ever they could lay their hands combined with the principal of the theory of alchemy (making something from nothing) It grew like Topsy.Bruce could see the local material was from the demolition of much of Wellington. He together with the young people grabbed the bits, pulled out the nails and straightened them to use again. Doors, windows and timber, much of it heart native were being pulverised and thrown into the tip. Car cases from Todd Motors were also used once and taken to the tip. They were from trees of the tropical rain forest - hardwoods. Bruce got permission to use them. He believes building, using recycled material is spiritually in tune and uplifting.

The late Stan Hyde, demolition contractor, donated considerable fittings to The Marae as did many of the people of Wellington.

The 'non-traditionalness' of design of Tapu Te Ranga has often been mentioned. Bruce found there were many Whare of non-traditional design, some of them being Rua Kenana's Beehive in The Urawera and Potatau Te Whero Whero's whare at Te Awamutu.

The design shape is that of a cluster of whare grouped together representing The Mother and her children. Because it was built of recycled materials it was slow going - it has taken thirty two years.

Pare Hinetai No Waitaha is 26.5 meters high…she is on ten levels…she is 27,000 square feet. (Derived from Tapa Te Runga Website)

What a fascinating experience to have heard it from the man that actually build the Marae with his bare hands. 

When we arrived we got outselves settled and then we had intriductions. It was a great opportunity to get to know each other more and share out backgrounds.
Once we had settled in, after thr introductions is when we had our workshops. Firsty, we had one on wellbeing. Being new Teachers, having the balance of workload as well as wellbeing can be hard. So I found this workshop really helpful.  I have listed some of the things that the Doctor talked to us about. 

Growing your Wellness mindset-Doctor Mark Cunningham

• Teachers being at high risk in the area for health care.
• Wellness-loving yourself creating health-Up most importantance.
• The Butterfly affect
• Creating health-What would the world be like if everyone were wellness focused?
• Growing your wellness mindset-Most important- and fostering it.
• Your well being is important- 1: work place stress, The butterfly effect.
• Single tools for well being: Give someone a fish or teach someone how?

Tool 1:Your wellness account- Lets gear it up..you're human. Body is amazing!!!!

50 trillion cells, fast generation rather, rebuilding a new you-Its cellular biology!!

Your personal environment: Happy environment= cell grow, generate and thrieve. 

Unhappy environment=more cell death and slower geneation. 

Your wellness account-You tube video.

He talked about making positive choices-Taking baby steps. 

Tool2: Balancing your autonomic nervous system: Understanding the stress responses=elicit the relaxation response. How do we stimulate this? Below are some suggestions:

• Walks, yoga, tai chi, edidation, reading, mindfullness, deep breathing, talking to loved ones, moving mindfully, eating clean, postutal awareness, good hydration, plenty of sleep, contentment, staying present, a positive mindset....and lots more. 

Walking mindfully for teaching- And and importance of acknowledging the feeling of the moment-Positive feelings.

The more relaxed we are the more we can function better. 

Wellness mindset= is linked to your well being. 

A wellness mindset rather than sickness mentality:

1. our bodies speak out minds
2. our minds play tapes of learnt behaviours. 
3. Its all about that self-love. 
4. When we're present, we're cultivating contentment.

Act-Rather than react.

Its all about here and now!!!-

BE MINDFUL NOT MINDLESS!! Present and engaged in the moment.

The Subconscious mind is very powerful.

They say thoughts are things.

You are important in changing the world. You can influence the kids learnt behaviours for the better.

Different brain wave patterns for different ages. 

Catching our thoughts and knowing how to change them. 

Tool3: Mindful moment. 

• Set a timer and do it on a daily basis. Do it with the class. 
• Breathing exercises. 

1. Your wellness account-LETS GROW IT
2. balance your system by relaxing when you can. 
3. cultivate contentment by nurturing a wellness mindset. 

One of the workshops that I chose to do during the Hui experience was "Working with children with special needs and behavioural needs. I have listed my notes as per below.

Workshop 1: Working with children with special needs and behavioural needs

PASSION: every child in NZ having the right to high quality education from ECE and beyond.

Knowlede, understanding, strategies.

Classrooms- Are complex places where children need to understand-hidden expectations for young children. 

Inclusive education: full participation and achievement of ALL learners. Participation in learning in an environment where they have a sense of belonging. 

What does this type if environment look like:

• Welcoming/supportive and safe-physically and emotionally.
• Fostering their identity and culture.
• Working at an app. level for all students. 
• partnership with whanau and other agencies to support learners

Are children just naughty or needing support?

How we frame children with special education needs is very important.

Do we see them as children with disabilities?

Are these children naughty or do they need extra support being shown in a different way?

Knowing the child and knowing the child's needs and finding ways to meet them.

Making meaningful connections-Whanaungatanga

• Children learn through responsive, respectful and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things 
• Connections with students everyday-ask how they are and really listen to them.
• Chat with them regularly and get to find out about their lives.-likes/dislikes? what is important to them.
• Call on students eqiutiably to contribute to class discussions.
• Engaging leanring programmes: Te Marautanga O Aotearoa. 

Reflective question 

Would you want to be in your classroom as a student?

Structure and predictability 

Important to ease children with anxiety or who are uncertain about the environment and people around them.

-Visual timetables.

-Follow same routines. 

-Knowing ahead of time when things have changed.

Most of these behaviours have a patterns-Transition times, after lunch time. 

Teaching expected behaviours: If we want stduents to learn in a particular way then we need to teach them.

1. Model
2. Explain
3. support
4. rehurse
5. repeat.

Feedback: Throughout this entire teaching process you are monitoring and giving ongoing feedback-Make it specific to the children. 

Does your education setting explicitly teach children about expected behaviours?

Positive reinforcements and rewards systems:

-Behaviours do not change if there is no incentive to do so. When students are taught new behaviours they need to be continually encouraged to become habitual. 

-Free and frequent- Smiles, high fives, etc)

-Moderate/intermitted- sticker charts etc)

Natural conseuences.....no punishment

Behaviours have natural consequences. eg: If I smile you smile. This sort follows newtons law that "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction"

Always refer to the consequences a=b and do not deviate because you are tired and fed up.

Ecological Model-Brofren brenna.

1. The Micro System

The micro system's setting is the direct environment we have in our lives. Your family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and other people who have a direct contact with you are included in your micro system. The micro system is the setting in which we have direct social interactions with these social agents. The theory states that we are not mere recipients of the experiences we have when socializing with these people in the micro system environment, but we are contributing to the construction of such environment.

2.The Mesosystem

The mesosytem involves the relationships between the microsystems in one's life. This means that your family experience may be related to your school experience. For example, if a child is neglected by his parents, he may have a low chance of developing positive attitude towards his teachers. Also, this child may feel awkward in the presence of peers and may resort to withdrawal from a group of classmates.

3.The Exosystem

The exosystem is the setting in which there is a link between the context where in the person does not have any active role, and the context where in is actively participating. Suppose a child is more attached to his father than his mother. If the father goes abroad to work for several months, there may be a conflict between the mother and the child's social relationship, or on the other hand, this event may result to a tighter bond between the mother and the child.

4.The Macrosystem

The macrosystem setting is the actual culture of an individual. The cultural contexts involve the socioeconomic status of the person and/or his family, his ethnicity or race and living in a still developing or a third world country. For example, being born to a poor family makes a person work harder every day.

5.The Chronosystem

The chronosystem includes the transitions and shifts in one's lifespan. This may also involve the socio-historical contexts that may influence a person. One classic example of this is how divorce, as a major life transition, may affect not only the couple's relationship but also their children's behavior. According to a majority of research, children are negatively affected on the first year after the divorce. The next years after it would reveal that the interaction within the family becomes more stable and agreeable.

These things are very important:

• Collaboration-working together. 
• Student voice.
• Working with whanu/families.
• Inter-agencyapproch.
• Continual communication.

Functional behavioural Analysis-What is the function of the behaviour.

collecting data-Situational analysis

1. Having raw data to back up your presumptions about  certain behaviour.
2. 1 or two top behaviours of concern-How many times is it happening a day
3. What time of the day is it happening?

IEP- Setting SMART goals.
Whats more imp. a child listening to you and following instructions or a child being  able to self regulate themselves.

POSITIVE relationships with children
 TEACH the positive behaviours you want to see.
CHANGE be willing top change your practise.
REFLECT think about the child. whats happen, how often and why it is happening.

"Nurture the young as they are the future"
Atawhaitia nga kohungahunga ko ratou hoki uri whaka tipu

I really did enjoy this great experience at the Hui and I made some great friends on this journey,  I look forward to going back again next year.  I leant a great deal from balancing work and health to behaviour as well as catering for Maori and pasifica children and accelerating their learning as well as having collegial discussions in groups about arising issues that beginning teachers face. 

Most of all, I really enjoyed being part of a new family- new Whanau at the Marae, The lady of he Marae was Indian so I definatly connected with her. It was amazing to see how both cultures became one. Seeing her children and how they could speak both Hindi as well as Te Reo was amazing.  We shared great stories and I look forward to seeing my Whanau again. They were very welcoming. 
The teachers enjoyed a great feast of beautiful Authentic Indian food which was amazing.