Staff Blog

By Krista Kerr – Pōhutukawa teacher

When discussing a child’s behaviour at school with a parent I often hear the comment “Why doesn’t my child do that at home?”–‘that’ being anything like: follow instructions, put things away when they are finished with them, or get along well with others.

The two words that I always go back to are expectation and consistency.

Our akomanga are set up to build our class cultures. For a large group of people to be together day after day, learning and getting on, there has to be some boundaries. We keep these to a minimum and they are mostly based on the respect of others. These then become the expectations that we all hold each other to. For example, when an activity is finished with, it is replaced in the correct place just as it was found before moving onto another activity. This is out of respect for others that may want to use that activity and to preserve the order of the class.

However, having expectations is only half of it – you then have to consistently hold each other to these expectations. Simple right?

Of course this is not as easy as it sounds, especially outside the bubble that is school.  At kura we have a whole class full of people to uphold these behaviours; it doesn’t just come down to one or two people (especially in preschool where our four-year-old ‘police officers’ remind everyone of the ‘rules’!). We also have the luxury of time–at home one day you may have the time to follow through on the expectation that your child will tidy up their breakfast mess, but the next morning you forgo that for the sake of getting to school on time. Decide ahead of time what the consequences will be when this happens, which is then consistently applied. Perhaps it is there after school for them to tidy, perhaps they get up earlier the next morning so that they have the time needed.

However, the more you set boundaries around the behaviours that you expect and then consistently stick to these (with yourself as the role model), the quicker these expectations will become habits. Start small with realistic expectations, involving your child in these decisions if age appropriate, help to set up the forming behaviours and then build from there.

Another common question concerning consistency I get from parents is, “What can I do at home to be consistent with what my child is doing at school?”

I’m going to plug our parent education nights and fortnightly blogs here! Interact with your child’s teacher and with the school community. Give feedback on areas that you would like more information on; whether that be literacy, preparing for transitions, behaviour, Montessori philosophy… The information we share via parent evenings, blogs, newsletters is going to be more relevant to you if it is about topics that you are interested in finding out more about!

Me korero ano – let’s talk more!

By Richard Goodyear – Kawakawa teacher

A key part of our curriculum in Kawakawa is called ‘occupations’. I’m sure you’ve heard bits and bobs about this over the years or you may have children in the adolescent programme already so know quite a bit.

Occupations is one of the main pillars of our programme. It is both a collection of traditional subjects (science, technology, design, communication and more) and a mandate for a way of working (going out to meet professionals, seeing projects in society and inviting experts in to help us, and working on hands-on projects that serve the community).

Currently, the students get a lot of choice about what projects they join but once in that group, often the autonomy for the project sits largely with the adult guide. That model is not so different from what many mainstream adolescent programmes are doing around the country.

We are going to change that next year and at the same time expand the purpose of our projects. Projects will exist within themes that are both current and future-focused in Aotearoa.

The first of those is kaitiakitanga, the notion of guardianship. As our society comes to grip with the impact we have had on the land, we know we are going to have to adopt economic activities that see the land, water and life thrive while the people also thrive. Kaitiakitanga projects will be focused on this and other related themes and be based on the high school site of course but branch out into the forests and streams on this side of the Hutt Valley.

Manaakitanga is another occupations overarching theme. This uniquely Māori concept encompasses hospitality, respect, caring for others, hosting and many other ideas. It will look a bit like growing food and serving people lunch, but it will be so much more. We might put a hangi down but before we can do that we will need to investigate the soil chemistry of our site (it used to be a plastics factory after all). We might make a pizza oven and explore the physics of insulation and heat first. Ākonga will have the opportunity to follow ideas of their own and ones worked out by their teachers.

And lastly, we will have a good old-fashioned zone for tinkering and creating. We are calling it ‘Maker Space’. It will evolve into something we can’t imagine yet but no doubt it will be a place to build, create, code, solder, print 3-D models, solve problems and so much more. It will be full of tools and will be a place to try weird and wonderful projects. Some of which will have a purpose, some of which may just be created. Just because. One of my hopes for ‘Maker Space’ one day is to create a plastics recycling factory (designs are online). But we’ll see.

Exciting times in Kawakawa.

By Carolyn Bohm – Rātā teacher

Summer is here and as the days continue to lengthen and warm up, it’s a great time to think about active outdoor undertakings. Active time outdoors comes with a range of benefits for children (and adults) from increased physical health, to learning about the natural world, to gaining a sense of independence. Movement is critical to a child’s healthy growth and development. Spending time outdoors and moving helps children maintain healthy immune systems and decreases their chances of future problems with obesity and heart ailments. Further, physical activity increases children’s appetite at meal times due to the energy they burned off playing, walking, swimming or biking and helps them sleep better at night, tired from their physical adventures.

Taking children to the playground or a park is a great way to get them active as well as socializing with other children. When allowed to free play at the park, children learn to make new friends outside of a structured environment, how to navigate the dynamics of playing games in a group (which is much different than playing with just one other friend on a playdate), and how to successfully interact with people who have different temperaments, lifestyles and past experiences. Free play also allows children to develop leadership skills and a co-operative spirit that encourages bonding.

Time spent outdoors free playing, exploring, or engaging in science inquiries encourages a sense of independence in children as well. When at the park or playground with their peers, children can experience the opportunity to do things how they want and be in control of what happens. Outdoor play time fills kids with a sense of energy that encourages them to push themselves in exploration and discovery.

Experiences outdoors are perfect for giving children a better understanding of the world around them, whether an understanding of botany, zoology, geology, physics or astronomy. Nature’s constantly changing essence helps children hone observation skills around the cycles of life and terrain that leave the world around them simultaneously in constant flux, but also reassuringly familiar. Positive experiences with and appreciation for nature in childhood helps children develop a stronger sense of environmental awareness. Treks, planting trees, gardening, fruit picking, going to nature exhibitions, or visiting botanical gardens are all great ways of combining physical activity with time spent learning outdoors. If you are looking to do more structured outdoor science exploration there are plenty of books and websites that give outdoor science activities (and explanations for those activities) that use materials you either might have at home already, or could easily pick up from the store. Many of the science explorations I have done in the classroom have come from science books I picked up from the library, some of the my favourites being the “Science Lab for Kids” series.

In the Montessori classroom we strive to make learning a fun, engaging activity that encourages a love of exploration in children. Learning, therefore, is not a chore or something to need a break from, but an exciting endeavour for all times of the year.

By Anna McLean – Preschool Deputy Principal

The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult.     Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

There is a lot of jargon associated with Montessori education and one such phrase is “The Prepared Environment.”  Here are some of the considerations that are given to providing an environment that allows tamariki to engage with it.

Firstly, it is an environment that supports the freedom to move and explore.  Tamariki choose an activity and take it to where they want to use it. It may be inside or outside. Once a child has been given a lesson they are free to explore the activity again and again until it is no longer calling to them or the skill has been mastered.

The mixed age group is a feature of a Montessori classroom. Tamariki are able to learn from their peers at their own pace and through their observation of how things operate within the class.  The older tamariki are the role models and naturally provide support for the younger ones, as they too were supported when they first started.

The classroom is aesthetically beautiful with care and thought going into every item that is placed within the space.  Natural materials are preferred such as wood, metal, glass, cotton as opposed to plastic. Everything has a place and activities are returned to the correct position on a shelf, complete and ready for the next person.

All the furniture is child-sized.  Shelving within the environment is at a height which allows tamariki to independently use items without adult support.

Utensils are fit for purpose i.e. if tamariki cut up fruit they use a knife with a sharp edge.  Plates and glasses break if they are dropped which is an opportunity to learn how to carefully clean up.

There is only one of each material. If tamariki choose to do an activity already in use, they have to wait until it is back on the shelf. This naturally supports the concept of patience.

Materials are complete.  If a piece of equipment is broken or there are pieces missing, then it is removed from the shelf until it is fixed or parts replaced.  Many of the Montessori materials in a preschool class have a “control of error” – the clue to the child that either it has been completed correctly or something isn’t quite right, thus supporting the repetition of the activity until the correct solution is found.

The outdoor environment is also prepared using the same principles.  It is also a place to observe nature and take part in the practical activities associated with a garden.

Individually, you may see aspects of what has been discussed in other preschool environments but it is all of these aspects collectively that make the prepared environment a key part of Montessori philosophy.

By Amy Johnson – Kōwhai Head Teacher – Preschool

I was thinking the other day about how many of us wear multiple hats in this community. Many of us are parents/teachers /PTA members/administrators/Board members/class parents and/or relief staff here at Wā Ora. It is interesting to see this community and this system of education from lots of different points of view.

Before I became a parent, I was a directress in a Montessori environment for eight years. I was leading parent education evenings, on the board of directors and was head of school for seven of those years. I gave a lot of guidance and advice about children’s needs and phases of development, long before I had children of my own. I am sometimes asked if having my own children has changed the advice I give parents? I have found that actually, my explanations and advice have changed very little. My understanding of how challenging these lofty goals are in the real world however, has changed a lot!

In harmony with the Montessori philosophy, we strive to give our children time and opportunity to pursue their interests and passions, to try and fail, and try again without judgement. We provide clear, consistent, developmentally-appropriate boundaries that allow them to explore and we do our best to be in the moment with them as they stretch themselves and discover wonders. All these opportunities are incredible gifts to both our children and ourselves. Before I had children, I was practising these things while I spent hours in an environment that was specifically (and scientifically) designed with these purposes in mind. Let me say that again – our classrooms are specifically (and scientifically) designed with these purposes in mind! These special environments have been modified and honed over the last 110 years to serve exactly the developmental stage your child is at right now. Incredible, right?

But the rest of the world? Outside the Montessori environment? Yeah, not so much.

Ever wonder why it sometimes feels so difficult to parent at the grocery store or in the car or the mall? None of those places were designed with children in mind. I have learned as a parent to continue to strive for all of these ‘ideals’, but also to keep in mind that this is not ALWAYS possible. And that is OK.

Another corner stone of Montessori philosophy is something called “friendliness with error” and it is exactly that; a feeling of warmth and friendliness when things don’t quite work out as we would like. A forgiveness that allows us to learn from the not-ideal times or attempts at something and lets us learn from the experience and try again. And again!

So to make a long answer short, I often reflect that my advice didn’t really change after I became a parent, but my understanding of the monumental and yet enjoyable task that these ideas present, became much, much deeper.

By Thomas McGrath – Deputy Principal High School

Perhaps one of the most sought after badges of independence for any adolescent is that of the New Zealand Driver’s Licence. Why is this?

On the surface, there is the prestige and personal fulfilment in being able to own (or borrow) a car. A car is a status symbol for many, and the status that any vehicle represents to the adolescent is that of the independent person. When one can make one’s own way around, it means that a vital stage of independence and trust has been reached (not to mention an opportunity for parents to finally relinquish their part-time ‘taxi-driver’ roles.) Vehicular mobility allows for a new and unprecedented level of ‘going out’. When we examine this further however, it provides us some valuable insights into what adolescents need, because it models many aspects of the well prepared environment.

Firstly, consider the paradox of the road system; an intricate network of tarmac and paint, signs and symbols that allows you to travel wherever and whenever you please (within reason). The rigid form of the road and its rules actually create a structure in which to allow safe freedom of movement. It can be common for some observers in Montessori classes to say, “That is so strictly controlled – where is the freedom”. While others can say, “That is so free – the children can do what they want.” In reality both of these statements are true. Through a process of lessons, children are able to engage in the careful structure of the environment with increasing levels of independence and with natural consequences for error and misdemeanour.

The privilege of road access is withheld until the ripe old age of sixteen to ensure that the task is undertaken by a conscious and mature young adult in a series of stages. The first stage being the learner – the ability to engage in the world with limited capacity with an experienced driver. Secondly, the restricted driver – the ability to engage alone, but with conditions in the environment. And finally the fully licensed driver that may use the prepared environment of the road as required within the agreed road rules and may even begin to teach learner drivers.

Curiously the ‘road code’is a sought after study text for adolescents. These beings whom we often associate with being blasé or dismissive of rules actually take quite a fascination with the road code. But it is for the simple reason that a fine understanding of the road rules gives a fast road to freedom. Many might consider driving to be a dangerous pastime, but this by its very nature is what makes it so effective as a system; there are very real and immediate consequences for mistakes and errors. So, to the adolescent, it is an attractive model of freedom and independence and what they require.

Is your adolescent driving you crazy? Don’t worry, one day they will drive themselves.

By Jason Johnson – Kawakawa Teacher – High School

In July this year, I had the distinct privilege of attending the Orientation to Adolescent Studies at Hershey Montessori School, in Ohio, USA. One of the discussions that came up in several different contexts, and which feels particularly relevant at the moment, was the role the Internet plays in the adolescent Montessori learning environment. Should we regard the internet as a tool, much like any other that we are helping adolescents learn to use?

Since I categorise the internet as a tool, I am drawn to make comparisons with the tools we use for woodworking. In the hard technology workshop, we identify tools that are appropriate for students to learn to use, such as the belt sander and others that have inherent risks so great, that we can’t justify making them available to students yet, like the table saw.  It may be appropriate for students to assist a teacher working with the table saw, to observe how it is used, but not to have access to it themselves.

Also, generally the tools that we use in the workshop have a built-in “control of error”, that is to say, in their very function, they focus our attention to the job at hand and let us know if we have used them correctly or not. A student can see pretty quickly if they have sanded a piece of wood properly, or if they have gone too far.  The internet doesn’t really function in this way. When students pull up search results on Google, for example, it can be much harder to know if they have really found what they need.

In her book From Childhood to Adolescence, Maria Montessori identifies, ‘two needs of the adolescent: protection during the time of the difficult physical transition, and an understanding of the society which they are about to enter to play their part as an adult.’

As educators and as parents, it is our responsibility to balance these needs. Through the internet, students have access to a much wider spectrum of humanity than they have ever had before. They can communicate with people all over the world, and learn from experts practising in every field of human endeavour. However, much (perhaps even the majority) of the content adolescents have access to on the internet, reflects a distorted view of society, dominated by advertising and inappropriate adult content.

So as we prepare an educational environment for our students, we have to consider how tools like the internet should be used and whether or not they can even be considered appropriate for our environment.

Either way, it falls to us to help ākonga learn how to evaluate the information that they find. Undoubtedly, the internet is one of the most powerful tools we have ever had access to, but as the old adage goes – with great power comes great responsibility.

By Tania Gaffney  – Deputy Principal Primary

From about 6 or 7 years ākonga (students) are developing their reasoning minds and continuing to build on their independence that began in preschool.  As teachers, we guide them towards becoming independent and an integral part of society.  It is during this time that ākonga begin stepping out further into the world to figure out how it works and where they fit in, by physically interacting with it.

‘The Going Out Programme’ was developed to help with this and involves a small group of ākonga, who arrange to go somewhere, usually for one of three main reasons – to get supplies for class or school, to look further into an interest or to do some sort of community service.

The point of ‘going out’ is not the end product, i.e. of getting the ingredients; rather it is the journey along the way.  When adults run errands, much of the planning is instinctual, based on years of experience and done on the fly.  An equivalent comparison for us might be going to visit a new country, where we don’t speak the language.

There is scaffolding from adults around the planning side of these ākonga trips – all planning is looked over by teachers before ākonga leave school – resulting in them being abler to arrange things for themselves as they get older.

When planning for a ‘going out’ there are many things to think about before ākonga even step out the door – where to go, how to get there, what to take, arranging an adult, sorting money and a timeframe, practicing and then making phone calls, writing up what could go wrong, how to prevent it happening and what to do if it still does! Finally, everything needs to be signed off. And only after all that comes the outing.J

To get on their way ākonga now need to make sure they have everything – money,
first aid kit, maps, lunch, correct clothes and shoes and their adult. They must sign out of the office in good time to perhaps catch a bus, get their tasks done and return to school in the time that they said.

Accompanying ākonga on these trips is part of the teacher assistant’s job in the 6-9 programme, but in the 9-12 classes we are reliant on the good will of our parents to help us out.  The adult’s role as a safety net is an important one.  They are a shadow, walking a number of paces behind and not interacting, but allowing the ākonga to operate independently of them.  I have been on a few of these and have had to train myself to step back, don’t help, don’t ask or answer questions.  It can be a bit of a challenge sometimes, but oh so rewarding to watch and be a part of.

So I am calling for whānau in any part of the school, who have some time during the school day and are happy to add their name to a list of potential accompaniers.  There will be a training hour at 8.50am-ish on Monday 20^th August or Tuesday 21^st August at 7pm in the new staff room.

Even if you’re not sure, come and hear more and see if it might be something you could do.  By the way you don’t need to say yes when asked to join a ‘going out’, as it is part of the journey for ākonga to find someone who is available.

By Rose Langridge  – Senior Social Studies, History and English Teacher;- High School

Imagine that it is a hot day. The heat is rising up off the pavement, your clothes are stuck to you and all you want is ice cream. Luckily, there is a dairy ahead. You walk in and go to order but there is only one flavour on offer; the one that you don’t really like at all (for me that is rum and raisin) but you have to have ice cream so you take it. Your choice has been taken away and I am certain that you would not be happy about it.

As adults we are constantly making choices but most importantly we have the option to make these choices. We even can complain about all these decisions.

I would like you to spare a thought for those who cannot make these choices. Think of students engaging with school content. I remember being told as a class we were all learning the same thing and we were all being assessed on the same thing in the same way.

I am so very glad that our classes look nothing like the ones I had at school. The focus is on agency. In senior humanities the class makes choices about the topics that they look at and where there is the room, they have varying ways of showcasing their learning.

There is movement as the year continues, if a topic of interest comes up then we can learn about this.

The level two class has deadpan discussions about the earth being flat and how no one has landed on the moon. What this has ended up looking like is that I have ordered at tee-shirt that says “stand up for science” and the focus next term will be conspiracy theories.

Every single day at Wā Ora, ākonga make choices about their learning, be it what materials to work with in preschool, what big stories to listen to and lessons to attend in primary through to what topics to engage with at a deeper level in the high school.

Because our students are taking responsibility for their learning, they are evolving the skills to learn independently. This means that they are developing true agency and taking ownership of their learning journey.

In Montessori high schools the staff are referred to as guides, which I think is very telling. It is no surprise whatsoever that all the current research shows that agency and achievement go hand and hand.

I would like to quote Philip Bell, one of the school alumni, from his leaver’s speech last year. “At Wā Ora they do not teach us; they show us how to learn”. It is something that has stuck with me and something I try to take into the classroom every day. I love learning with and about my class and am so very happy to guide them on their journey towards being lifelong learners.

By Stuart Mason – Chemistry Teacher, High School

I have already mentioned in this space how easy it is to become trapped in one’s own high school silo and not realise the great things going on not far away. Through recent conversations with my colleagues in the primary school, I have been prompted to think more about the experiences of our students in the sciences in the primary school and high school at Wā Ora.

Working as we do under Maria Montessori’s guidance, one might expect that learning in science had been very deeply considered and that is indeed the case. In other primary schools the quality of the science learning experience for young people can be determined by whether there is a teacher present in the school, who feels confident about teaching science. There is nothing haphazard about the strategy for a Montessori student’s science learning from 6-12 years. They are offered the entire universe as their domain of exploration, then provided with materials that deal with everything from atomic structure, properties of materials and hands-on chemical experiments to key developmental concepts in biology, geology, astronomy and more.

But then, about that bomb-proof age of 12, bodies and minds start to change radically. Suddenly things aren’t so certain. The learning domain is no longer the universe, but the world of social discovery. A key Montessori concept now is the ‘hands in the soil’ experience of the history of human cooperation. Other schools have tended to call this social learning the ‘hidden curriculum’ and in the worst examples, it is side-lined or suppressed. But actually it is the day job of the adolescent. So, what science learning is appropriate? In the Kawakawa class, ‘occupations’ is the name of an activity in which students work on projects with a community orientation and learn the scientific knowledge they need to complete the project ‘knowledgeably’. This is just-in-time learning, not just-in-case learning. Richard has worked with the occupations teachers in the past year to add some science experiences that cover aspects of the curriculum that don’t arise quite so automatically in occupations. In Kawakawa the net effect is students with real, practical experience of science-related community activities.

At 15 years, the focus shifts again in preparation for ‘social life’, the adult world. This will include formal academic learning and assessments that might open doors into that world. And so the much-anticipated NCEA appears over the horizon. Are our students well-prepared by their past science experiences? Consensus amongst the Tāwari science teachers has been ‘yes’. All the absorbed experiences of the young mind, that well thought-out plan from the Second Plane, the practical experiences of Kawakawa upon which formal learning can be based and what I am convinced is the encouragement of natural curiosity that happens right from the start in families that choose Montessori education for their children, all work together. The result is, our NCEA students are succeeding in the sciences and our graduates are too.