Review of Te Mana Kōrero

Just been reading and watching the "Te Mana Kōrero, Relationships for learning" book and DVD's.

Designed for schools and high schools, but a useful teaching reference for all, it talks about the importance of teaching and learning taking place in a social context.

Instead of teaching to a group of children, teach them as individuals, or better yet individuals who are members of groups. And don't just teach them, but have them teach each other, teach you, give them control of what and how they learn, control of how it is evaluated. Draw on what the students and their families are interested in, and know about, to put learning in to context.

Also don't try and teach on your own but draw on all the members of your community, other teachers, parents, relatives, friends, people from around town.

Before you try and teach anything, form a relationship with your student and their family, get to know them and keep building and growing that relationship every day. Have high and positive expectations of children and realise that how you convey those expectations may not be in ways the student notices so you might need to adapt. Care about your students as people, not grades.

Powerful stuff, supported by what our families shared in the survey we've been reviewing, empahsising the importance of placing learning in a social context, and the principles of Te whāriki our curriculum.