School Leader's Study Tour

On Friday morning, the MDTA cohort was fortunate enough to attend the exciting and thought-provoking Student Leader's Study Tour at Stonefields School, a school within the Manaiakalani cluster which bases it's learning around four vision principles.

The importance of teaching our learners transferrable skills really stood out for me and it was evident whilst walking through the hubs and talking with the learners. This is something which I think is so important for our learners in such a fast-changing world. The learners really reinforced this introductory message and showed their ability to think reflectively about their learning.

I attended two workshops during the morning. The first was on teacher effectiveness. This workshop started with a group discussion around the effective practices that move student learning outcomes. Some of the responses to this included practices such as relationships, involving learners in discussions around their learning, and being explicit with our teaching. Even though these practices (and more) are all important to move student learning outcomes, how these are approached look different for different teachers.

The workshop based on culture and collaboration resonated well with me. The workshop looked at what makes team collaboration work well. We were encouraged to think about our team and how we work. Attending this workshop reinforced discussions I have had with my mentor teacher regarding being open as a team and talking about things which may be difficult to discuss. Flexibility was another aspect of culture and collaboration which stood out. Being flexible and open to change can make a team work more effectively.

Spending the morning at Stonefields School was a great way to reinforce our discussions we have been having on our Friday digital immersion days, as well as challenge us with what our learners need to be learning for their future success.