A Community of Practice update: Exploring collaborative approaches to teaching and learning with Stonefields School
By Carolyn Marino •
I orea te tuatara, ka puta ki waho. When poked at with a stick, the tuatara will emerge.
For our eight schools currently involved in our 2022 community of practice (COP) focused on developing collaborative approaches and leading change, the dilemmas and problems they face can be quite complex. Through this networking, leaders can revisit their dilemmas of practice, with a continual focus on deepening their understanding of the myriad of elements that can support people to work together in ways that are truly impactful on outcomes for ākonga.
One of the advantages of meeting in schools who have journeyed this way before us is that we can be provoked by their learnings. Chris Bradbeer and a team of articulate ākonga challenged our thinking on how a compelling vision can inform practice and the impact this can have on a school’s effectiveness. We considered whether our schools’ visions for learning were alive and evident in daily practices, and whether the vision provides support and a scaffold for our work in the development of the collaborative mahi we are seeking.
This continual probing and prompting helps our COP educators to peel away the layers and to gain more clarity and understanding of possible emerging solutions.
Rapua te mea ngaro Continue to seek that which has not been discovered.
If you are a school involved in a rebuild or new development and you would like to participate in a community of practice in 2023, contact us at Tārai Kura (contacttaraikura@gmail.com) for further information.