Understanding our students

Knowing Our Students.

This term I have been focusing on understanding more about the students I work with and their current skill level. Our students often present themselves in a certain way - so many these days with complex behaviours or learning needs.  

To truly understand our students and plan appropriate programmes to meet their individual needs we need to dig a little deeper to understand them more , not just rely on what we see.

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to listen to Dr Jannie van Hees

discuss Language Acquisition & Development , this has made me think alot about the cultural aspects of our students.

I found this diagram and found it very thought provoking.

Time to steep back and take a deeper look and get to know my families and students through a different lense. 

Te Reo Hāpai- The Language of Enrichment

Very Interesting find : 

Te Reo Hāpai- The Language of Enrichment launched as part of Matariki and includes over 200 Māori words, terms and whakataukī. 

The glossary took more than two years to create and was formed through consultation with people who have experience of mental health, addiction and disability issues. It's also beneficial to practitioners, clinicians and kaupapa organisations.  

Strategic lead for Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui, Keri Opai, led the development of Te Reo Hāpai. Opai says they are proud to have created new language that will help increase people's knowledge of the mental health, addiction and disability

Keri Opai, strategic lead for Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui, led the development of Te Reo Hāpai and says throughout the development of Te Reo Hāpai, it was evident there was no Māori equivalent for many words, such as autism.

“I have a close friend who has autism. In my experience, people with autism tend to have their own timing, spacing, pacing and life-rhythm. That’s why I interpreted autism in te reo as ‘takiwātanga’ – ‘his or her own time and space’.”

‘Disabled’ has been translated into ‘whaikaha’ which means to have strength, to have ability, otherly abled, enabled. This word was created with the Māori disabled community, and has a deliberate emphasis on gaining strength and ability.

The focus of Te Reo Hāpai was using language that is non-judgmental and based on the strengths and abilities of people. 

He mana tō te kupu – words have the power to explain, express and define how we understand and experience the world. Te Reo Hāpai has been about creating language in te reo that includes a Māori worldview.”

Opai adds, “We also want to support language that is aligned to our people who use mental health, addiction and disability services. The glossary is especially significant for whānau, for whom Māori is a preferred language.

Our hope is that Te Reo is Hāpai only the beginning.”

Renowned mental health expert Sir Mason Durie wrote the foreword for Te Reo Hāpai. He believes it represents an important milestone in mental health development and is a significant advance of te reo Māori in all facets of life in Aotearoa. 

Whanua involvement in the learning journey.

Sommerville school held an EXPO on Saturday 28th October , where we offered our families an opportunity to come along to school for an information day.

We had community organisations  run information sessions on relevant topics for our families included : Medical concerns, behaviour management , special needs funding etc.

We provided supervision and entertainment for their child ,while families/adults attended the information sessions. This was the fabulous idea of our Principal Diane Hankins. Our families are already asking about next year's Expo and offering ideas and suggestions for what they would like more information on.

I ran an hours session on how families can support the learning of their children at home.

My focus was to show families how they can get involved in fun, engaging ways that are enjoyable for everyone - adult and child.

Here is an example of some of the slides I presented.
Our parents are very keen to be involved in their child's learning, we just need to show them some ways of making it appropriate for their child in their home environment.