Learning about my students' needs
What is important (and therefore worth spending time on), given where my students are at? This focusing inquiry establishes a baseline and a direction. The teacher uses all available information to determine what their students have already learned and what they need to learn next.
What do we know about each student's:
Our two national curriculum documents The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and Te Marautanga Aotearoa place the learner at the centre of teaching and learning. In order to effectively "attend to the cultural and linguistic diversity of all students" (NZC p34), teachers need to develop a rich knowledge and understanding of who their students are, what they bring with them, and their learning strengths and needs.
Teachers as Learners: Improving Outcomes for Māori and Pasifika Students through Inquiry
Seven case studies about teacher inquiry in New Zealand classrooms have been adapted as learning stories; these are included in this set of materials as springboards for thinking about the Teaching as Inquiry cycle, effective pedagogy, and cultural responsiveness and how they might connect to your own practice.
Teaching Secrets: When the Kids Don’t Share Your Culture
An article from the New York Times which provides a number of practical ways to get to know students from different cultural backgrounds.
Student Voice: Have we considered what our students would like from us? What helps them realise their potential? Read about encouraging student voice.
Making Language and Learning Work in Secondary Science and Maths: Know the Learner.
Published on: 13 Oct 2015
