Walking the Talk

Cultural Responsiveness and Relational Pedagogy has been one of the key areas of development for our staff over the last 2 1/2 years in particular.  I have been part of our CR&RP team, engaged in all of the professional development offered through our external facilitator, supported staff release to build collective capability, and integrated this pedagogy into our staff appraisal system.  

But. 

Have I modeled CR&RP as a leader?  

Has our SLT team modeled this to our staff? 

No.

Believe me, it is very hard to state that word.  Its been nearly four years of trying to build an SLT that is trusting of each other, willing to drive initiatives together, and excited to grow both our kura and our collective capability as a team. So why hasn't this happened?  I don't think it has been due to a lack of comittment by any team member to doing their individual best for this school, nor to a dislike or lack of respect for one another.   

Then what?  

A lack of relational trust and culturally responsive practices through which we work. 

Not having a shared understanding about how each other works, thinks, feels.  

Not being able to be vulnerable with each other and know we have each others backs. 

Not understanding how a culturally responsive and relational team should look, sound and feel.

Who should have been modeling these from the start and setting the tone for how we operate - yep, the Principal, me.

I have felt lonely a lot during my principalship and, at times, felt unsupported and made to drive the ship by myself.  But I need to now ask the question, what was my role in setting up these rules of engagement in the first place?

Yep, there were many hurdles in terms of building trust and relationships during my first two years with my SLT.  The hard questions asked, the right decisions made, the big changes happened.  So should have been plain sailing right?  Thats where I have realised my biggest error occured. Not putting the time and effort into developing what an 'Epic Leader' looks like and what an 'Epic Leadership Team' looks like. 

So back to the beginning we go.  And this can only occur if we model CR&RP.  Which means to begin with, working out what this looks like through the lens of the CR&RP principles and the CR&RP principles of PLD. 

Whanaungatanga

Building relationships, maing links & connecting in culturally appropriate ways.  Establishing what is fundamental to the team in terms of rights, responsibilities, commitments, obligations and supports.  We support each other and care for each others wellbeing (manaakitanga).

Kotahitanga

There should be no assumption of a power relationship, where there are non-dominating relations of interdependence. Multiple voices are at the table and contribute to building new knowledge.   

Whakapapa

Understanding we are all culturally located human beings and each have our own lens through which we see things. We build our awareness of how culture has informed and shaped our learning. Each identity is valued and nurtured.   

Ako


Everything is a 2-way process.  We are all learners who get to share and grow in productive partnerships, and support each other on this journey.  We will both acquire and impart knowledge. We make sense of learning through interactive, dialogic and spirals of inquiry.  

Wananga

Our practices and all decision-making is based on evidence.  We always use a CR&RP lens when we reflect, explore, discover and apply our learnings.  We try new things, share the impact of what we have tried and create new actions as a result.

Kaupapa

We have a common vision and will work collaboratively in pursuit of learner-centered goals (students always at the heart of all decision-making). We are a group working together towards a shared goal. We develop a common vision of excellence for Maori in education.

So what next?

Kotahi: ask each of my SLT to think about what an Epic Leader and Epic Leadership Team looks like/sounds like/feels like (using a CR&RP lens). Give each a reading 'Cultural Relationships for Responsive Pedagogy' to support their thinking.

Tuarua: develop my understandings above so that when we delve into this as a team, I feel ready to discuss it through my lens. 

Tuatoru: ask an external facilitator to a) make sense of the ERO report findings with SLT as a group and b) lead a hui on how to make us the most Epic Leadership team around.

Wish me luck!





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