We are currently experiencing massive changes in education here in Aotearoa. As someone who has embraced evidence-based practice, I should be fairly content with the intent of these changes. However, I am not. Why? Simply put, our current government is trying to impose 'accelerated' changes on a system where most of us are just struggling to keep our heads above water.
While there is no denying that we desperately need to address certain aspects of literacy and math teaching, achieving this is nearly impossible right now without first implementing some long-overdue changes.
Teachers are overwhelmed; they are dealing with behaviours not seen even five years ago, facing massive levels of need with little to no support. The stories I hear about the number of schools needing to teach children basic skills like using the toilet are overwhelming. Many children come to school with a developmental age of two or three, unable to speak in full sentences. Many teachers and leaders are experiencing parent behaviours that can only be described as bullying, and they are full of anxiety as they enter each teaching day in a system that essentially expects them to tolerate it.
Teachers are desperately trying not to apply deficit thinking. They work with the children who come to school each day, try to form solid relationships, and manage the rest of the class when a child in a dysregulated state, who does not qualify for a Teacher Aide (TA), is having an emotional meltdown, intent on tearing up the classroom, or worse. Moreover, some children come to school hungry, tired, or in no emotional state to engage with learning.
Schools are financially strained, simply trying to provide enough support for the children who desperately need it so that classes can maintain some semblance of calm. Leaders, like myself, can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but right now, it is not sunshine and rainbows peeking through—it's a train hurtling at lightning speed toward us.
Do we need changes in literacy and math? Undeniably, yes. I have spent the last seven years learning all about it, but there are shifts we must make first to ensure that teachers are in a position to embrace these changes.
We don't expect our children to engage with learning when they are stressed or overwhelmed. We change the environment and expectations until they are ready and able to do more. Why are teachers not afforded the same level of empathy right now? Instead of expecting teachers and leaders to embrace changes that require more cognitive energy than they have, significant shifts need to be made now.
Firstly, children do well if they can, so all schools need time to learn about trauma-aware, developmentally informed, and neurodiverse-affirming practices.
Additionally, all schools need to have a TA funded for each class, no questions asked. If we want teachers to meet specific needs through evidence-based practice, they need support in the classroom.
Learning support funding also needs to be addressed. Many schools have given up applying because there are too many hoops to jump through, and children who desperately need support are missing out because they are not "bad enough." This is a crucial step, in my opinion, if we want schools to be in a position to embrace change, because right now, the system is a joke.
Schools also need funding for at least one to two teachers above their Full-Time Teacher Equivalent (FTTE) entitlement. This would allow more teachers to be free to support in classrooms and deliver effective Tier 3 support. Having these extra staff to cover when teachers are sick would also reduce significant stress and mean classes wouldn't have to be shared out or asked to stay home due to a lack of relievers.
All schools need a skilled Learning Support Coordinator.
Right now, everything seems upside down. Teachers are incredibly hard workers with huge hearts who want the best for their children. I know they will do their best to embrace change, but sadly, right now, much of that change will be surface-level unless we get the circumstances right.
We seem to have a government intent on pushing change through at the speed of light without any understanding of what a real classroom looks and feels like each day.
We know we need change, but the conditions must be right for that change to have any real impact on our children.
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