L&P1 3a Principles, concepts, culture, philosophy and politics
Why building relationships matters so much
When positive relationships are established we provide the context for all ākonga to flourish in ways that support their individual learning journey because we come to truly know and care for the child.
Relationships are at the heart of early learning. The ability to nurture and maintain relationships is a core competency for kaiako (McLaughlin, Aspden, & McLachlan, 2015). In the context of warm, secure relationships, children are able to be themselves, confident that they are accepted and loved by the adults who care for them. They can practise their developing social skills, take risks, and test boundaries, knowing that the responses from adults will be consistently calm and caring.
Where positive, reciprocal relationships between you and tamariki are in place, you will know your children well. You will have learnt about their strengths, interests, and areas for development by listening to, observing, and interacting with them. Through caring and deep knowing, you can co-construct a curriculum with whānau and tamariki that is personalised and responsive (Berryman, Lawrence, & Lamont, 2018).
Relationships as the foundation for supporting effective inclusion in early learning services and schools.
Inclusive education is where all children and young people are present, participating, learning and achieving
1. Every child and young person in New Zealand has the right to education. Inclusive education is about giving all children and young people the same opportunity to be present, participate, learn and achieve, regardless of their individual needs or differences.
2. At an inclusive early learning service or school, every child and young person is welcome and able to take part in all aspects of life at their school or early learning service. Their identities, languages, abilities and talents are recognised and affirmed, and their learning needs are addressed.
3. Inclusive education benefits all children and young people. It ensures that early learning services and schools are supportive and engaging places, and that teachers respond flexibly to the diversity of children and young people’s needs.
4. To achieve a fully inclusive education system, we have to support presence, participation, learning and achievement to enable all children and young people to reach their potential in education. This continues to be a work in progress. For example, at times it is challenging for teachers and support workers to respond to children and young people with complex behaviour and learning needs while meeting the needs and ensuring the safety of all learners.
5. Parents and whānau also experience challenges in having their children’s needs recognised and supported. Some parents report that they have been discouraged from enrolling their child at their local school; that their child has not been welcome and/or allowed to attend for full school hours; or that their child has been excluded from education opportunities outside of the classroom.
6. A key to addressing these concerns and strengthening inclusive education is the provision of learning support. Learning support is the additional support provided by early learning services, schools, the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) and a range of other organisations to strengthen teaching and learning for all learners. This includes the provision of targeted and specialist support to enable some children and young people to be included in early learning services and schools.
Adopting a tiered approach to support all learners
You may be familiar with tiered supports from programmes such as Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) (see https://pb4l.tki.org.nz) The following section is drawn from the Ministry of Education briefing notes, and explains how the tiers work.
A ‘tiered’ framework for learning support
Learning support is conceptualised in three tiers that reflect the varying needs of children and young people, and of early learning services and schools in supporting them.
Tier One – Universal learning support
Schools receive a range of universal learning supports designed to develop their inclusive practice capability and ability to provide positive learning environments. For most children and young people, their needs are fully met within their early learning service or classroom through responsive and flexible teaching, and a positive environment.
Tier Two – Targeted learning support (see
https://www.education.govt.nz/quick-links/learning-support/)
For a proportion of children and young people, or groups of children and young people, targeted learning support is needed to enable them to be present, to participate, learn and achieve. For example, the provision of braille reading materials for blind students.
Tier Three – Intensive, individualised learning support
For a small proportion of students, their disability, disadvantage, behaviour or progress needs are complex and require intensive, individualised or specialist interventions and supports.
Exploring our responses to challenging behaviours
He Mapuna te Tamaiti reminds us that:
Children’s behaviour can elicit strong emotional responses from those who care for and teach them. Kaiako, like everyone else, get tired and experience stressful situations in their own lives. Tiredness and stress influence your emotional responses to children’s behaviour. … The important thing is to have strategies to manage such feelings and to carefully examine where unhelpful assumptions and biases are getting in the way of good practice. It is important for all who work with children to appreciate and acknowledge differences without assuming that difference means deficit. It is also important to avoid judging families based on personal views of good parenting.
The ways in which we talk about ākonga behaviour often illustrate unconscious biases, gendered thinking, or cultural assumptions. Sometimes how we describe ākonga behaviour is based on our feelings about the behaviour, rather than an objective view of what is happening.
Knowing Yourself
“It is important that teachers understand their own distinctiveness, identity and culture in deep and meaningful ways in order to genuinely engage and respond to the distinctive identities, languages and cultures of others. The ability to reflect on the beliefs and ideas that are held within ones’ own culture will enable teachers to recognise their inbuilt assumptions. Knowing yourself is not only about identity and self-reflection it is to understand ones’ own biases, prejudices and actions of privileging” (Tāpasa, 2018).
[My note… i wish understanding one’s only culture and identity was a solid part of the teacher training in NZ, it is such an important aspect to being able to relate to others without reacting]
Māori Centred Approaches
Some core components include:
- Philosophical foundations grounded in Te Ao Māori concepts.
- Recognition, rights and obligations of Māori as te tiriti partners.
- Māori approaches occur in a relational space between Māori and Tauiwi (non-Māori).
- Recognition that control still resides within the mainstream system and not with Māori.
Mana Enhancing Practices
Key elements of ‘mana enhancing practices’ include:
- The valuing of te ao Māori and cultural identity.
- A understanding of the historical relationships embedded in Te Tiriti O Waitangi.
- These relationships should be defined by authenticity, respect, integrity and dignity.
- Emphasis is placed on the roles of whakapapa and cultural narrative in the healing processes.
- Reaffirming and supporting whānau self-determination.
Agency
‘In social science, agency is defined as the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.
Structure includes factors of influence (such as social class, religion, gender, ethnicity, ability, customs, etc.) that determine or limit agents and their decisions’.
Reading for Professional Development
Pedagogy of the Oppressed – Paulo Freire
Born out of struggle – David Omotoso Stoval
Te Mana, Te Kawanatanga – Mason Durie
Maori Education? – Wally Penetito
Decolonizing Methodologies –
Culturally sustaining pedagogies – Django Paris & H Sammy Alim
White Bread – Christine Sieeter
Critical Pedagogies – Shirely R Steinberg & Barry Down
Aromatawai – Principles, concepts, culture, philosophy and politics