Mentoring New Teachers

A provocative statement! Younger people socialise more through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any new technology that comes along. Older people perhaps stay close to their roots and stick with Facebook or Blogger which can be akin to writing a letter. Many people use Facebook as a way of connecting with others and keeping in touch particularly when family are living overseas. I use instagram as a way of developing my photography skills and get to see what people in other countries are doing artistically and how others see my work. NZ is a long way from the rest of the world but not a long way from the internet.

Working in a school that is made up of mainly Pasifika (62%) & Māori  students (33%) means getting to know and understand the Pasifika & Māori cultures that the students have come from and are enveloped in. New teachers to the school, especially non certificated teachers, sometimes have difficulties in getting the students engaged and motivated. This video "Strengthening Relationships" with teachers from  Aorere College, McAuley High School, Mangere Bridge School, Sylvia Park School, Mary MacKillop School and Wymondley Road Primary School  gives helpful advice and strategies on accelerating the learning of Pasifika students. " Where teachers and Pasifika students develop strong relationships with each other , they each gain a more holistic view of the other person as an individual. Teachers who integrate cultural values and socio-cultural norms explicitly into their pedagogy increase levels of trust, acceptance, sharing and mutual support between students.&qu