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I have been very interested in the work taking place in the Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako. Working together is valuable and I have always been passionate about teachers and leaders working together as a process for support and development. We have much to learn together and from each other.
Co-constructing a way forward takes time and a lot of sharing of ideas. I get the sense that some communities of learning will reflect in time on decisions they are making now and state how they would do it differently knowing what they know now. This is the process of learning though and by doing, we will learn and discover what works and what doesn't within our own contexts.
Shona Smith from the Waitakere Community of Learning explained in the New Zealand Education Gazette: “We are working as a team rather than as islands and we will gradually understand what is possible at each school – we know we can’t do everything!”
Another interesting aspect of Communities of Learning is the work put into understanding pathways and developing strong transitions. As secondary and primary schools work together there is great potential to develop our understanding of each others contexts, strengths and challenges. Jill Farquharson, the lead principal for Auckland Central Community of Schools shared in the New Zealand Education Gazette: “So we’ve got a far better understanding of what goes on for all the learners in our community, and are better placed to make a seamless pathway for our children,”
I am excited to be working with Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako and look forward to being part of an approach that supports teachers and leaders to work collaboratively across their community.
Click here to read the article about the Waitakere Community of Learning in the New Zealand Education Gazette
Click here to read the article about the Auckland Central Community of Schools in the New Zealand Education Gazette
