You learn very quickly that some schools are not held together by systems at all, but by borrowed tools, patched-up spaces, and people running on moral purpose alone.Aotearoa Educators Collective's Substack is a reader-supported publication.
Kia ora Bee, you shouldn't have to write this, and how incredibly awesome that you did.
We've always had an underfunded, under-resourced education system. Kura Māori have always been even more underfunded and under-resourced.
But there teachers are caring about children in ways that the general public never seems to understand when media and government spin tell them it's the opposite.
You are all sheroes, heroes, theiroes. Me i kore koutou, kua aha kē ngā mokopuna? It's not just the mokopuna either, those whānau out there struggling may not be able to be fully aware of what's happening, but in some way, there is relief for them because of you and what you do.
Yet, there are people who jump into these substack spaces riding their white stallions all pumped up about how structured literacy is the saviour of all and everyone as if it is all that matters...
They've never taught six hours, five days a week, weekends in the classroom figuring what will happen the next week, dealing with the diversity, but they think they have aaaaalllll the answers.
Your answers are human. Thank you for recognising that mokopuna are human and embodied.
It is so deeply sad to read this truthful, written-from-the-heart piece about the realities prevailing in too many classrooms and in the lives of too many children and too many teachers. Profound systemic change is needed, change within the Ministry, and change within political priorities. So I ask, granted that priorities such as jobs, health and housing are real, why isn't Education also up there as a top priority???
I am a retired teacher, primary trained, taught mathematics in secondary and tertiary institutions. This piece saddens me almost to tears. I am moved to offer my services to my local primary school as a fixer of things, a puzzle solver, as a minder, as an arithmetrick teacher, a book reader and any other job that might relieve the stress of the people working so damn hard in a wonderful profession. And I will do it all for free.🤗
Kia ora Bee, you shouldn't have to write this, and how incredibly awesome that you did.
We've always had an underfunded, under-resourced education system. Kura Māori have always been even more underfunded and under-resourced.
But there teachers are caring about children in ways that the general public never seems to understand when media and government spin tell them it's the opposite.
You are all sheroes, heroes, theiroes. Me i kore koutou, kua aha kē ngā mokopuna? It's not just the mokopuna either, those whānau out there struggling may not be able to be fully aware of what's happening, but in some way, there is relief for them because of you and what you do.
Yet, there are people who jump into these substack spaces riding their white stallions all pumped up about how structured literacy is the saviour of all and everyone as if it is all that matters...
They've never taught six hours, five days a week, weekends in the classroom figuring what will happen the next week, dealing with the diversity, but they think they have aaaaalllll the answers.
Your answers are human. Thank you for recognising that mokopuna are human and embodied.
It is so deeply sad to read this truthful, written-from-the-heart piece about the realities prevailing in too many classrooms and in the lives of too many children and too many teachers. Profound systemic change is needed, change within the Ministry, and change within political priorities. So I ask, granted that priorities such as jobs, health and housing are real, why isn't Education also up there as a top priority???
This is powerful. Nga mihi for sharing such rawness so beautifully articulated.
I am a retired teacher, primary trained, taught mathematics in secondary and tertiary institutions. This piece saddens me almost to tears. I am moved to offer my services to my local primary school as a fixer of things, a puzzle solver, as a minder, as an arithmetrick teacher, a book reader and any other job that might relieve the stress of the people working so damn hard in a wonderful profession. And I will do it all for free.🤗