Managing pupil anxiety

Suicide is at a distressingly high level in NZ - particularly among young men.
Understanding suicide in NZ

Today, as part of whole-school PD, we had a presentation from a child psychologist around the subject of Managing Child Anxiety. I am pleased that this topic is being given an airing because it is so important.
Limited reassurance is the only way to move forward. Ok to worry, but let's decide how we can manage this. Compassion is key. Exposure is the only way to overcome what we are scared of, but this needs to be handled carefully.
Hot/cold responses just add to the anxiety - remove the drama.

I believe that anxiety is very real. Without playing to the drama, it is important to find something positive to say to each student.

Where am I from?

Am I a local or 'from' a place?

RITUALS - DAILY walking the dogs, cooking for my family, (heritage) car-sharing to work, reading
Other rituals include roast dinners, christmas trees - things from 'home' /family traditions

RELATIONSHIPS - breakfast and dinner with (reducing) family, arguments about lack of respect for the house and home rules by young adults, chats in the staffroom, Facebook with family and friends in UK and NZ

RESTRICTIONS - reducing as the kids leave home. Travel time to work, social support network, cost of housing (Wanaka/Queenstown), job opportunities

Am I a 'kiwi', because I have become a citizen?

Where are my students 'from'? Does it mater? Are they local? Schools might have 30 different cultures amongst their students. Maybe as a 'community school', this is less important. Instead of making space for diversity we could design units to use their diversity  as a resource for our class and community for real work.

International Capabilities - the knowledge, skills, attitudes, dispositions and values. How do we prepare our students to work like this?
Need to create a willingness to work across cultures. Be aware of our own willingness.
RECOGNITION - can a person recognise cultural differences around them?
RESPECT - of  another cultures?
RECONCILIATION - of other cultures
REALIZATION - that things need to change.

SCHOOL CULTURE - customs, rituals and stories that are evident and valued throughout the whole school. Do we have road blocks? I feel there is big moves towards supporting Maori and Pasifika students but as an English staff member I actually don't always feel welcome and comfortable in a school where Irish heritage is highly valued. By focusing on ensuring some groups are not alienated, we need to consider that others may be feeling uncomfortable.

http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Initiatives/Lifelonglearners.pdf

Changes ahead! Less than 10 years to put this new vision in place.

The drive for Passion Projects is here. I love the idea of making international links/links to experts.

Non-digital teachers will struggle and consider leaving the profession. Key skills be lost? This recognition of me as a non-digital teacher sent me to Mindlab for training.

Gaming as a key element - will this favour the boys and give them the 'leg-up' that has been missing?
Is this 'Go Pokemon', 'Minecraft'? Is this fostering artificial communication? supportive option for very shy students.
MLEs are a key component - currently lots of negative feedback about this ways of teaching and learning.
SCHOOL
Employing or training up teachers to be digitally-minded
Where does the school need more teachers? Maths, Physics, Technology
The vision puts an increased emphasis on family and whanau. The School needs to share this MoE vision with them to help prevent the backlash on teachers who are working towards this pedagogical shift.

Everyone has a role to play

Society is finally waking up to the fact that more learning can take place outside school than in it! Kids know this, that is one of the reasons why school trips are so popular.
Outside of school students learn how to manage themselves, how to behave with new people or in unfamiliar environments, how to be respectful, gratitude at new opportunities and experiences, that it is ok to ask questions of experts... the list goes on.
What they are not doing is sitting at desks, filling in worksheets or watching the clock, waiting for the lesson to be over.
The idea of 'Design Learning' is still unsettling for me. But what I am sure about is that the classrooms need to be more seamless into society so my students are motivated and open to learning much more than I could expose them to in school. After all, "it takes a village to raise a child".

Education of our children has been a fundamental right for 150 years. Since schools first opened their doors, teachers have been striving to offer the very best education possible to their students. However, in the words of Bob Marley 'Times, they are a changing'!

No one can deny the rate of technological change in the last ten years; flat-screen T.Vs, mobile phones, GPS and social media sites. New technologies are coming along almost before we have time to assimilate them. Now we have music and heart monitors in watches, T.Vs in our phones, and 3D printers. It is no longer 'cutting-edge' to own an Ipad or a Fitbit, and it seems that every day brings a new, clever computer-based gadget to  blow our minds.

This poses a massive conundrum for schools today. Few can afford to even try and keep up with the latest technologies. How can a 'good' 21st century education be delivered in the face of such rapid change?

What does society expect from schools today?