Reflective Journal

Taking into consideration the model provided by Jay & Johnson about my reflective practice. I have come to the realization, what I perceive as reflective practice, falls short of what I need to know and how to better enhance my understanding. The descriptive aspect of the model identifies that NCEA for me as a teacher of science and mathematics, has proven difficult with limited support and resources being taught in te reo Māori. I find at times it is overwhelming, but I feel I need to be more resilient, take it on the chin and spend the bulk of the time translating an English resource (which is in abundance) into te reo Maori. I also feel my understanding of the NCEA criteria for my subjects is also limited because I am the only teacher of those subjects. I know about the professional development and courses that support teachers in NCEA, but the point of difference is the amount of professionals teaching these subjects in te reo Māori. This I find troublesome and frustrating. We have started a community of learning that focuses on this issue, but meet once a term and for a whole day. A good starting point but not long enough.

The comparative aspect involves senior management, parents, myself as a teacher and the students. NCEA delivery of science and mathematics has gone through a period of transformation. What use to be the form of delivery (video conferencing) has now changed to a permanent face to face teacher. Thus has also changed the perspectives of the stakeholders stated above, that seems to be beneficial. Perhaps one aspect of teaching face to face is consistency, as opposed to one or two periods a week with video conferencing. Time management is a factor when teaching these subjects and to have the time via video conferencing compared to face to face I find valuable. This system of teaching (video conferencing) is not applicable to the NCEA system in place. This puts light on an issue about improvements to better facilitate a way of teaching and learning for students. Both ways can be used, but more thought, scheduling and foresight must be put into a plan of action to be more effective. In retrospect I find that my experience and skill set for these subjects can be developed more, hence the availability of professional development is needed (in te reo Māori).

The critical aspect involves what these changes look like and whether or not they have definitive effects to the overall subject matter. How I view this part of the reflective model is more result based. I can give hypotheticals about what might happen but seeing it in action is the best way to feedback about the implications. I know starting the conversation about the issue is a big part of the process. This also gives an informed perspective about possibilities and the probabilities that what I have identified will be resolved. I find that this medium of blogging is a unique way to share my experience with reflection and teaching. For those that read this and contribute with their thoughts about the issue in question, I find will be the biggest implication. This will give me a range of other perspectives instead of those that I have already sought. Meaning that a wider network of professionals with differing viewpoints will help me enhance and support my students in learning, thus collaboration is a huge part of engaging in a perspective. NCEA in te reo Māori is ultimately the purpose of my reflective entry. It is a topic that has the most effect in my teaching practice. I hope that what I have discussed in this blog has opened new opportunities for learning.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari ko taku toa nā te tini me te mano.