Hope

Our College is just completing our final Accord day for 2022. These are Professional Development days for teachers to re-construct aspects of their teaching and teaching design to respond to the changes in the NZ Curriculum (NZC) for the implementation in 2023, 2024 and beyond.
What I have seen of the work that teachers are doing, have prepared and, in some cases, have put into practice with some classes inspires me.
Our education system has to have as key outcomes are confident, connected and able students who have the knowledge, know how to access knowledge, can create new knowledge, and know how to share this knowledge and skills with others.
As teachers and Kaiako, we are continuing to improve our skills to ensure lessons are more engaging, more relevant and allow students to grow and share their voice and culture in the progress of a topic and the content to make it more relevant.
The fear, among some, is that the generations moving forward will have less content, knowledge and skills.
All I have seen is Hope.
Hope in the 'How' of what we are doing in this College to blend that challenge of relevant student engagement with the knowledge and content that will ensure this, and the next generations of rangatahi will be better than before.
I am thankful that our teachers are up for this challenge and know that as students walk into classrooms any fear that may exist in parent and whānau minds about knowledge, skills and engagement is being replaced with hope in the how of what we are doing with our students.

Ngā mihi

Mark P Shanahan