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PASSIONATE TEACHERS Lighting the Way THE HEART & SOUL OF SOCIAL WORK SHOULD BULLIES BE ALLOWED TO STAY IN SCHOOL? CREATIVITY & WELLNESS A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A COUNSELLOR 1
GREAT HEARTS + MINDS
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CONTENTS 4. 5. 6. 8. 12. 14. 19. 21. 23. 25. 26. 27.
DEAN’S COMMENT INTERVIEW - Creativity & Wellness IN BRIEF - LOCAL/INTERNATIONAL/TRENDS/NEWS FEATURE - Passionate Teachers - Lighting the Way OPINION - Should bullies be allowed to stay in school? A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A COUNSELLOR LIFE - CULTURE/LEARNING/FAITH INTERVIEW - The Heart & Soul of Social Work SPOTLIGHT - Worthy Recipients 2012 KEY DATES TOP 5 - Ways to stay sane while you study THE FINAL WORD
Forward is published annually by Bethlehem Tertiary Institute. Editor: Wendy Pyne Contributing Writer: Kathryn Overall Contributors: Alaster Gibson, Dr Andrew Smith, Arumia Downing, Dr Bev Norsworthy, Daniel J. Clarke, Gavin Hodges, Linda Naniseni, Lisa Corbett, Phil Ozanne, Raymond Stripling, Simon Bridges MP, Wendy Pyne Design: Bayly & Moore, Jenny Kyle Advertising/Editorial Enquiries: Linda Naniseni - l.naniseni@bti.ac.nz Printing: Tigerzi Design
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editorial
Welcome to this first edition of Forward. I want to thank all those who have worked hard to pull it together, and also to thank those who have contributed. I have been reading the articles in preparation for writing this editorial, and I trust you will enjoy the content as much as I have.
DEAN’S COMMENT Dr Andrew Smith, Dean of BTI, welcomes you to the very first edition of Forward magazine
I have been struck by the diversity that the magazine reveals - art therapy, bullying, Myanmar to name but three topics you will find as you read on. BTI is a small organisation but staff, students and alumni bring a breadth of interest and involvement, and a depth of thinking and commitment that I find inspiring and challenging. Alongside the diversity I also see focus within the articles. I am writing the editorial while at a conference in Hong Kong (writing during down time, not during conference sessions, just in case you were wondering!). The conference is on School-based Family Counselling - a group of counsellors, educators and academics whose interest is on promoting family life and well-being specifically within the school/ educational context. It is a very stimulating environment and has underscored again for me BTI’s own (I believe God-given) focus on school and family, and the potential out of that focus for community transformation. So, as you explore both the diversity and the focus within these pages, I trust you will find both enjoyment and challenge as we move...Forward.
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interview
Interview Creativity & Wellness BTI Counsellor Education lecturer, Suzzanne Barthow, completed a Masters in Arts Therapy in 2010. Her research explored the links between creativity and wellness in counselling students. Kathryn Overall caught up with Suzzanne to find out more. Your dissertation is titled ‘Creativity and Wellness’. Can you explain what your research explored? What I was interested in is how counselling students particularly could enhance their sense of wellness, that is, their sense of knowing what was going on in their life; emotionally, physically, mentally, relationally and spiritually, so that they could work in ways that were more helpful for their clients and to live more helpfully for themselves. I was interested in using creativity to explore these things. What approach did you take to research this? I used an approach called Person Centered Expressive Arts Therapy (PCEAT). What happens in PCEAT is that people engage in authentic movement - so 5
it’s not dancing, but it’s moving, as the body feels led. From there you go and create something, usually in a visual arts style. Then you go into a creative writing stage. At the end of that time, usually the people get together and listen to and respond to each other’s experiences. Do you have to be particularly creative to benefit from this type of activity? No! When we are at school something often happens around our writing or our drawing – the work that you do gets criticized and you kind of go “Oh, I can’t do this”. That’s more often than not what gets in the way; not that you can’t do it, but that your ability to be creative has been shut down along the way. What really matters is that you’ve got a willingness to be open to the process and to be quite non-judgmental about what you do. What is one thing you discovered as a result of your research? One thing I discovered was that the creative process helped the research participants to get in touch with internal realities that they didn’t know were there. I’m always intrigued by this; that someone can put something on the page and suddenly go, “Oh, that’s what that means!” What stood out to you from you research? The other thing that was really interesting to me, for one student in particular who was going through a difficult time, a picture that she created became a metaphor that she hung onto that enabled her to get through the rest of her study programme. That’s kind of amazing – that something that seems like ‘just a painting’ actually has the ability to take someone back to another time, remind them of a different way that they have been and they can hang onto that and live differently in the here and now.
In Brief LOCAL
INTERNATIONAL
TRENDS
NEWS
Imagine teaching in Myanmar Teaching where? Previously known as Burma, Myanmar is situated between India, China and Thailand, and comprises nine states and several administrative divisions. With a population exceeding 50 million, the people of Myanmar come from many diverse ethnic groups each having their own distinct languages. The dominant religion in Myanmar is a form of Buddhism; everywhere you look there are golden pagodas and crimson robed Buddhist monks. Myanmar has experienced a turbulent history. It was once a British colony, and only gained independence in 1948. Since 1962 it has been ruled by the military and democracy has been repeatedly suppressed. Today most of the people of Myanmar are very poor. In the first week of May I had the opportunity to visit Yangon, the former capital city of Myanmar, as a part of a team of four New Zealanders with an organisation called Leadev-Langham. My responsibility was to provide some professional development seminars in adult education at the Myanmar Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (MEGST). The teaching staff who attended the sessions came from seven different Bible colleges from within Yangon, were highly trained in their particular fields of Christian theology and were keen to broaden their understanding of approaches to adult education. Meeting the people in Myanmar and hearing some of their stories about how they came to faith in Christ were real 6
highlights for me. I visited the huge Shwedagon temple complex in Yangon with a former Buddhist monk who is now a lecturer in Christian Missions. This ancient site provides a rich insight into the culture and history of the country. I also attended a Chin speaking church fellowship one Sunday morning. The passion and courage of the believers to serve the Lord in difficult circumstances was an inspiration. Please pray for God’s work in Myanmar; the people there face significant economic, political and spiritual difficulties. For more information on Leadev-Langham visit: www.leadev-langham.org Alaster Gibson, Lecturer, BTI
One man’s perspective on what the May 2011 budget means FOR early childhood EDUCATION According to reports released in the media, the Government is investing an additional $147 million in 2011/2012 into early childhood education. At the CECEAA (Christian Early Childhood Education Association of Aotearoa) conference, held in May, the response from delegates seemed to indicate that this extra money was expected and, in fact, was equal to an inflation adjustment. Their understanding was that this money was mainly being earmarked for the increased demand on the sector, due primarily to rising birth rates, and that additional funding was critical therefore to meet the demands on the sector. The big plus, once again, was a commitment from the Government to invest in increased participation from Māori and Pasifika, as well as in lower socio-economic areas. The sector welcomes this with open arms and hopes that the extra funding in these areas will allow for substantial increase in participation rates. One area that scares me is the Government’s signalled intention to extend national standards to the early childhood sector. What would this look like? Would it mean we have to “TEST” children
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feature in the early years and not allow them to enter school until they pass a tick box examination that indicates a readiness, whatever that means, before being able to ‘graduate to school’? The last piece of news affects pay scales. In my opinion, the Government is creating a two tier system between its ‘State owned Kindergartens’ and the rest of the early childhood sector. Whilst I understand that State owned Kindergarten’s negotiate directly with the government, and that the rest of the field do not and only have to attest to the Consenting Parties’ Agreement to receive the best funding possible, I have felt that in recent years NZ has been moving along nicely towards a unified pay scale. Re-creating a two tier system will slow any progress made to date, and risks setting up a “them and us” mentality in early childhood which was slowly being broken down. It’s hard to get overly enthusiastic about this year’s budget effects on the sector. Personally, I would rate it as a D+ fail. The splitting of funding will divide the sector in two, which goes against everything I believe in. I believe that it is wrong to send a message to every child and teacher, whether in part-time or full time, in kindergarten or education and care, that the Government values one over another. Phil Ozanne, Lecturer, BTI & CECEAA Secretary
Tertiary Education Funding & Performance Requirements Over the past 10 years, the Government has substantially increased the amount of money funding the tertiary education sector, but the results have not been as expected. Whilst funding has increased, the number of degree students has plateaued; there has also been a huge increase in the number of qualifications resulting in confusion for students and employers alike. Following the global financial crisis in 2008, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) announced that over the next few years their focus would be on ensuring that the Government received better value for the investment it was making, year on year, into the tertiary sector. They would do this through four ways. Firstly, by placing heavy controls on tertiary education providers (TEPs) to gain better results across measurable performance indicators that focus on, young people achieving at higher levels (5 and above), increasing success of Maori and Pasifika students and improved school-tertiary 7
transitions. Secondly, by moving towards implementing a high trust, high accountability model for well-managed, high performing providers. Thirdly, by reducing the 700 qualifications on offer to a more manageable level (approx. 70) and finally, reporting on job outcomes once there is a means to measure this. How does this affect BTI? I believe that the introduction of performance indicators and consolidation of qualifications for all providers (Universities, Polytechnics and PTEs like BTI) will level the playing field, which can only be a good thing for tertiary students and stakeholders in the long term. Graduating students, at level 5 and above (diploma and degree level), who are prepared and qualified in their chosen profession or field of expertise is BTI’s number one priority; whilst the government has introduced these measures for 2011 and beyond, BTI has a history of achieving results well above the sector average. For example, our course completion rate, for both 2009 and 2010 was 90%, compared to the PTE sector average of 76% and 79%. During this same period, BTI saw the number of Maori/ Pasifika students increase from 9.7% to 13.1% and the number of students under 25 increase from 19% to 22%. For 2012 and beyond, this level of performance gives BTI access to the additional 750 funded places being made available by the Government, thus providing us with a mechanism for future growth in terms of the number of places on offer to prospective students, as well as adding new qualifications to our suite of programs at level 5 and above, such as the Bachelor of Social Work which is currently awaiting NQZA approval for delivery in 2012. Wendy Pyne, Head of Operational Services, BTI
feature Do you remember your favourite school teachers? The commonality of childhood experience is such that we can all attest to the influence that our teachers had to either enrich or deflate our learning experiences. We may remember a good teacher who drew potential from us that we didn’t even know existed; conversely, a lesser teacher may have snuffed out the flame of inquiry and creativity before it had barely begun to burn. What remains clear is that passionate, inspiring teachers who love what they do and love the students in their care are remembered fondly for a lifetime. Connection, it would seem, is the seedbed of education.
PASSIONATE TEACHERS LIGHTING THE WAY BTI is dedicated to growing GREAT HEARTS + MINDS. Kathryn Overall spoke with a BTI leader, lecturer and student to discover how this ‘whole person’ approach distinctively flavours BTI’s Teacher Education programmes. 8
Dr Beverley Norsworthy, Dean of Teacher Education at Bethlehem Tertiary Institute (BTI) believes that the bond between teacher and student is of utmost importance, and that it is the quality of this connection that will determine how well a student will learn and develop. Dr Norsworthy explains, “There is almost something mysterious about this process… there is something in the relationship where the student actually has to give permission to the teacher to let them influence. Good teachers have the capacity to make connections with their students”. It’s one thing to intuitively recognise a good teacher, but the million-dollar question is, what does it take to actually produce a teacher like that? Given that teachers spend one to three years in pre-service preparation before they enter the classroom or early childhood centre, the importance of effective initial teacher education cannot be underestimated. It is like a rock dropped into a lake that will ripple out incessantly, reaching many unknown shores. BTI’s distinctive and innovative approach to teacher education is built on a meaningful Christian worldview and is formed out of a deep belief that if teachers are to develop good connections with students, they must first deepen their knowledge of themselves. While a typical teacher education programme will focus primarily on curriculum and methodology, the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of teaching, BTI has a passionately developed approach, which also considers the person who is the teacher as a foundational concept. Dr Norsworthy noted, “Rarely do questions about ‘why’ do the teaching be asked, and almost never is the question ‘who’ is the teacher that teaches asked. At BTI one of our distinctive commitments is to the person who is the teacher. It’s not just about the projects the teacher gives the student, but everything
feature about the teacher actually ends up being influential. This means it would make really good sense to focus on who the person is who does the teaching, and that’s what we’ve done at BTI.” The way that elements of BTI’s unique character have been shaped is in itself unusual, in that BTI student teachers and graduates have had a significant role in shaping the programmes. Dr Norsworthy says, “Research around teacher education is often about what theorists think, what should happen or might happen, but this programme is developed by student voice. It came out of the early stages of my doctoral work when I was asking student teachers about what made a difference for them in terms of their learning; what really influenced them.”
The research made it apparent that secondary school environments had produced students who had a consumer approach to education. Many of them didn’t want to learn how to think; they wanted to be told how to think. “This made us alert to the fact that we really had to re-establish the student as learner in the first instance if we really wanted them to be inquirers”, says Dr Norsworthy. “Students come thinking that education is the completion of tasks rather than a developmental journey. Our first year is basically focusing on undoing that view of education and seeing that every part of the journey is a learning part.” Previous research with BTI graduates had shown the power of engaging with the biblical worldview and asking the big questions like, ‘what’s the meaning of life, who am I, what is
BTI Teacher Education programmes have been strongly influenced by student voice and feedback.
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feature my significance, what is my purpose?’ Dr Norsworthy says, “Those big questions were the really powerful instigators for change.” Opportunities to engage with these big questions were then woven through many of the considerations of the programme, and form an important part of what has come to be affectionately known as BTI’s PIPI strand. “What we’ve come to call the PIPI approach has been a commitment to making sure we focus on the teacher living the learning”, explains Dr Norsworthy. “PIPI stands for Personal Integration and Professional Inquiry and this is another way we outwork the fact that the learning that is going to make a difference is the learning that is integrated into the person. We want people who are learners, who will always inquire into what they are doing and why.” Turning that ‘why’ back on themselves, student teachers are also taught to explore their personal motivations for teaching.
They are encouraged to identify and define their core values, to discover what they feel passionate and purposeful about in their role as a teacher. These discoveries are distilled into a portable written statement called a Passionate Creed. Angela Captein, who has now been teaching for a number of years, wrote the following about the value of a passionate creed while she was still a student teacher: “It shows my ability to articulate and justify my reasons for teaching and learning and captures it within a simple statement. By having this document written down, I am essentially accountable to the things that I believe and strive to live up to these standards and values in my classroom teaching and other aspects of teaching and learning.” The PIPI strand is woven into primary, early childhood and secondary teacher education programmes at BTI. Sala Naivalulevu, who is in her second year of an early childhood degree, is a likeable and inspiring young woman. PIPI has been an important part of her personal development. “Without PIPI in our course there’s a lot of things about myself that I wouldn’t have learnt,” says Sala, “I don’t think that you can totally separate one’s personal and professional life; I think that who you truly are comes out in your teaching. If I didn’t have PIPI I think that I wouldn’t be as good, as a teacher, as I could be.” Another core value within BTI’s teacher education programmes is the notion of teachers becoming wise, as opposed to being simply knowledgeable. In traditional models of education, the teacher’s focus is on the acquisition of knowledge, which is then dispensed to their students, often from their lofty positions in the ivory towers of academia. BTI lecturers are deliberately mentoring a new generation of teachers who think differently. BTI lecturer Cathryn Bell remarks, “I think what we are really fighting is a historic transmission mode of education, where I am the expert and I’m in a sense downloading my knowledge to you. But knowledge is all in my iPhone now! We are about transformative education, but the only way you can teach transformatively is if you are continually being transformed.”
Sala Naivalulevu, second year Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood Education student
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In keeping with a transformative model of education, wisdom is viewed as transactional, living, breathing, knowledge which is connected to the realities of life and dynamically expressed within the context of relationship. Wise teachers have the
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Research has shown that students find it very valuable to engage with the ‘big questions’ about life.
capacity to take their students beyond the dry crust of knowledge to the rich meal of relationship and understanding in a way which can be lived in real contexts. In 2010 Cathryn Bell undertook a research project as part of her Masters of Education, in which she set out to discover what BTI graduates had found most valuable in their teacher education preparation programme; what had been most useful in setting them up to succeed in their day to day teaching practice? The research findings overwhelmingly affirmed the value of BTI’s distinctive approaches in preparing students for effective and transformative teaching practice. New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) feedback following BTI’s standard five-year re-approval process in 2010 was also positive, and affirmed the courageously innovative work that BTI is doing within teacher education. Some would say that education is currently in a time of transition with the baton of leadership being passed from one generation to the next. Cathryn Bell keeps in contact 11
with many BTI graduates, and from the feedback she has received observes, “I think BTI is beginning to have quite an influence throughout our nation, one classroom at a time. We are beginning to get feedback from principals who say that our students know what they believe and are very gracious in fitting into a school culture but very clear on what are their non-negotiable values and approaches and understandings. Therefore, because they have engaged with this in such a way that they can articulate it to someone else, they are beginning to influence discussion. We are also beginning to see a number of our graduates in lead roles. I think that we are grooming our graduates for a longer-term passion for education. I would aspire that we are releasing the leaders of our next generation of teachers.” With their mentors championing them from the sidelines, and the flame of their Passionate Creed burning in their hearts, it is easy to foresee that BTI graduates will be of that inspiring breed of teachers who are fondly remembered by their students, who will face the future with passion and confidence, lighting the way for those who come after.
Opinion ISSUES
DEBATE
VIEWS
CHOICE
SHOULD BULLIES BE ALLOWED TO STAY IN SCHOOL? GAVIN HODGES - PASTORAL CARE/COUNSELLOR, BETHLEHEM COLLEGE Steve Biddulph wrote in his book “The Secret of Happy Children”, “Bullying is not caused by “bad kids’. The problem is, in fact, always a symptom of the adult world in which children live.” What follows from this is that removing “bullies” from school gives us as a society the illusion that we are doing something about the problem when in reality we have made no change to the broad relationship issues that lie at the root of the issue of bullying. Both the school and the home are the two main areas of society where we have a chance to help students grow in their ability to manage conflict, to get on with a broad cross section of people and to develop compassion and empathy for other people. Part of the responsibility of the school while maintaining a safe environment for all students is to use the instance of a bullying event to teach the students involved how to grow and develop their relationship skills. This, along with an increasing statement within society that bullying is not accepted, gives us hope for change.
DR ANDREW SMITH - DEAN, BTI If the question were “should bullying be acceptable in schools?” – then the answer would be clearly “no”. The question as posed, however, is more complex. I would want to make three comments in response. Firstly, labelling someone as a “bully” is rarely helpful. People who bully do so for a reason – often there are issues of insecurity or feelings of rejection – while this does not excuse wrong behaviour, punishment without rehabilitation or assistance often makes the situation worse. Secondly, while short-term ‘time out’ may be useful in responding to a specific situation, I do not believe that long-term removal from a school achieves anything constructive. Research evidence suggests that ‘exclusion’ does not work – evidence indicates that exclusion from school sets the person up for negative long term consequences. Thirdly, there are Biblical grounds for taking a Restorative Justice approach. This aims to address the underlying issues and bring about reconciliation – to give people an opportunity to change and rebuild, rather than throwing them out. Evidence suggests that this is not a soft or easy option, and can have constructive outcomes for all concerned. 12
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opinion DANIEL J. CLARKE - TEACHER, BETHLEHEM COLLEGE & BTI GRADUATE “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?” Mathew 543-47 ESV Most students already battle with an internal bully, a voice that criticizes and attempts to plant fear. In my work as a PE teacher, I often need to address these internal voices in order to help a student reach his or her full potential. I feel that the issue of social bullying is an extension of this, an opportunity to turn curses into blessings, weaknesses into strengths. Most bullies I’ve encountered are individuals struggling with anger, fear, low self-worth and a sense of powerlessness. Instead of turning these feelings inward like many people do, they project it outward. They are often strong personalities whose behavior, if properly channeled, can become a great asset. Rather than punish bullies by expelling them from a learning environment, I think more might be accomplished by protecting victims while providing appropriate consequences and counseling for the bully. As students explore their identity, I see part of my role as a teacher is to provide opportunities for turning harmful behaviours into building a character of integrity. Bullying is an area that provides a powerful opening to invite in the healing presence of God and apply biblical teachings.
LISA CORBETT - COUNSELLOR, KATIKATI COLLEGE & BTI GRADUATE In my opinion this question simply cannot be pre-empted with a stock-standard ‘one size fits all’ answer. Bullying occurs in many forms: physical, verbal and emotional ranging from experiences such as exclusion or teasing to physical assault, coercion and intimidation. Each incident is experienced differently by all and as such each individual and their families are impacted differently. Schools then must take into consideration a variety of factors in reaching a decision for each individual experience. These include but are not limited to: - Legal Obligations as set out by the Ministry of Education – including student rights to education and the provision of a safe physical and emotional environment - Ethical Obligations – Such as the long term impact on the community and student - School policies/vision – e.g. Katikati College’s vision includes supporting students in fulfilling potential and in becoming valuable members of society. - The experiences which sit behind the bully’s behaviour and how these may be supported towards change. The key perhaps lies within the ‘bully’ themselves – Do they want to be at school? 13
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A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A COUNSELLOR Leith Thompson shares a typical week with us as he balances his roles of counsellor in his private practice Solace, counsellor for school age children at Bethlehem College and husband, dad and poppy to his grandchildren.
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Monday, first thing
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Leith starts each day with God.
Leith works from his private counselling practice, Solace, which is at his home. Leith builds his practice on a foundation of listening, caring and support.
Part of Leith’s work includes being a Placement Liaison Person (PLP) for students on their practicum placement, including Wendy Bowen-Graham, a second year BTI counselling student.
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Wednesday Playing alongside young clients is less threatening and valuable work is often achieved in this space. Here Leith is connecting with Dom and Hope.
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Wednesday
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Younger children’s thinking processes are not well developed and they sometimes struggle with adult-style therapy. Rather, they respond better to enquiry when it’s enveloped in friendship and play.
Play therapy is a tool that Leith uses a lot as a school counsellor. The ‘little people’ (toys) are a great tool to help children identify their perspectives on relationships.
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solace: someone who comes along side, who supports and comforts in distress
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Thursday lunchtime
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During school lunch breaks you will often find Leith in the school playground playing handball with the students, building up trust and a rapport with them...high fives all around!
Young people often struggle to listen, they much prefer to be listened to. By walking and listening to them, Leith tends to ‘earn’ the right to identify problem areas or to lay a challenge when it’s needed. Here Leith is spending time with Jacob and Travis.
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Friday Here Leith is back in his private practice, Solace, where he in spending time engaging in conversation with David.
Friday Supervision is another aspect of Leith’s day where as a MNZCCA (member of NZ Christian Counselling Association) he sees clients for Professional Supervision. Here Leith is with Teresa Sage, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Counselling from BTI. 17
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Saturday Family time! Leith and wife Donna enjoy time in the park with their children and grandchildren.
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Leith and Donna walk Skyla, another important family member.
Once a month on a Sunday Leith is part of a prison ministry team.
Life CULTURE
LEARNING
FAITH
FEEDING THE SOUL Raymond Stripling, Pastoral Care Coordinator and Lecturer at BTI, reflects on the importance of the Bible in our lives. As I look out my office window I have a perfect view of the beautiful, old, white chapel in the middle of the campus. This classic landmark makes a silent statement to all of us of the centrality of the message of Christ in this place while next to it is the metal statue of a child reading the Bible. I appreciate symbols which help me to refocus my thoughts as I walk in the midst of a very active environment. Eugene Petersen (2006) gets to the heart of this for me as he explains that followers of Jesus “feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus’ name, hands raised in adoration of the father.” I love being in a setting where we have been given space to grow into that type of community. Peterson, E. H. (2006). Eat this book: a conversation in the art of spiritual reading. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.
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RESEARCH IN ACTION AT BTI Growing number of doctorates... This year at BTI we have celebrated with three more staff members who have brought their doctoral journeys to a successful completion. Dr Barbara Bulkeley’s research focused on addiction and adolescents, Dr Alaster Gibson’s focus was on the role of spirituality in school principal’s leadership of teaching and learning, and Dr James Arkwright’s research explored disability within a narrative discursive framework. Maximising Learning Dialogue Opportunities Research Project This eighteen month project further explores and develops Dr Marion Sanders’ doctoral work into the early childhood and counsellor education sectors and is funded by Ako Aotearoa national project fund. The work was presented at the Ako Aotearoa symposium in Wellington in July, with much interest shown from other providers of professional programmes with field-based practicum components. Research is valued at BTI for its ability to bring insight and understanding and each of these makes a significant contribution to the knowledge in its specific field as well as to research methodology. Dr Bev Norsworthy, Dean of Teacher Education & Head of Educational Development
CULTURE AT BTI BTI is a unique and special place; the whole campus has this focus on relationships and connecting with others that’s absolutely amazing. There are activities that aim to cater for everyone whatever culture you’re from, from sports to worship times, but personally, my biggest endorsement is to the lecturers. I recall one of my friends who is studying elsewhere commenting on one of her tutors who, when she asked for help, simply told her to “work harder”. When I heard this story I was struck again by how lucky I am to be studying at BTI. Here as compared to most other tertiary providers, students actually have a chance to get to know their lecturers, and have them walk alongside, happy to fit in times to help you get your head around an assignment or even just to have a catch up over a coffee. All of this is immensely important to the whole study experience, so that when all is said and done you can emerge with your sanity intact! Arumia Downing, BTI Student Association (BISA) Cultural Representative
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Interview THE HEART & SOUL OF SOCIAL WORK
BTI has spent three years developing a Bachelor of Social Work degree which, subject to approval by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Social Work Registration Board, is hoped to be on offer in 2012. Kathryn Overall caught up with Richard Cook (Dean of Counsellor & Social Work Education) to find out about the motivations behind this new development. Why has BTI developed a Bachelor of Social Work? We were approached by a Christian social work agency that has branches right around New Zealand and they said to us, ‘why aren’t you offering a social work degree?’ They made it very clear that when working in an agency that comes from a Christian heartbeat, it takes quite a long time for some people who have come from a training programme that doesn’t have that perspective to learn how to integrate their faith and their learning. If they’ve got Christian faith, they’ve got motivation, but they haven’t necessarily thought through ‘what does that mean for my everyday practice, what does that mean for the little decisions I make?’ That’s the challenge, to say ‘what 21
Richard Cook, Dean of Counsellor & Social Work Education
difference does my faith make, do I just tack a little quiet time at the beginning or end of my day?’ No, it’s something much more! As we thought and prayed about it we sensed that this was something new that God was leading us into. What is the difference between counselling and social work? Counselling is very much one on one, or one and a family, but it’s kind of working on their personal growth. Social work is about bringing change to systems and communities and family systems, and not just therapeutically, but plugging them into resources. The impetus comes from this deep belief that God wants to bring shalom, peace. He is busy in the world
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with all it’s brokenness to ‘increase the net amount of shalom in the world’, as Plantinga says. That is our vision for this programme. Can you explain more about what ‘shalom’ means? Shalom is literally the Hebrew word for peace, or things being in a right state, a state of fruitfulness…when things are right with the world. Shalom is very closely linked to ideas around justice and righteousness. Micah 6:8 is going to be the guiding verse for this programme. The prophet Micah says that what God desires most of all is that we ‘do justice, we love mercy, and walk humbly with our God’. That is really the heart and soul of social work.
“Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8 So we are to act justly and righteously, which are very similar words. Righteousness in the scriptures is actually a verb, it’s the putting right activity and that’s what justice is. Justice puts things right when they have been out of balance or where there’s been oppression. It liberates people and that’s us entering into the righteousness and justice activity of God. That’s what brings shalom. I think the key thing is, to be able to train as a Christian within a programme that embodies, explores and expresses these really central biblical worldview perspectives, means that one’s whole person, faith, beliefs and actions are all integrated together. It’s not like I have to put my faith on the shelf and just learn social work knowledge and skills – it can all be integrated together and therefore expressed together. You recently went on a trip to the United Stated & Canada to make some academic connections on the international scene. What impacted you most on this trip? Mark Rogers is the head of the Masters of Social Work programme at the Dominican University at Chicago. He has spent most of his life working in the field of opposing
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human trafficking around the world. It was that visit that stood out, because it really moved me. He has a really strong international, global awareness. He has set up 16 reciprocal relationships with social work education programmes in poor and developing countries. They receive students from Chicago, and then students from their programme go to Chicago and the Dominican University pays for their expenses while they are there. What he was describing was that students get not just a real heart for their own culture and their own country, but they start to see some of the possibilities for international aid and development and how social work actually crosses borders. It’s the kind of profession and vocation that can take you anywhere in the world, to international aid, community development, the United Nations. It just opens the world up and I think that’s what happened for me. We’ve already got some of those components in our programme, but we are now going to strengthen some of those so that students going through our programme will have this possibility of basically seeing the world open up for them. We are going to work on a partnership where our graduates with a B average or better, can apply to go to the Dominican University in Chicago and go straight into their programme and get a Masters degree within two semesters. It was a really exciting trip and was well worth the jet-lag!
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WORTHY RECIPIENTS BTI partners with local iwi to offer student scholarships to iwi members who wish to complete a teaching or counselling qualification. Scholarship recipients, Shanandore Brown and Jasmine Bell share their stories with us. Over the last five years, Bethlehem Tertiary Institute (BTI) has been thrilled to develop a closer connection with local iwi and enjoys a special relationship with Ngati Kahu on whose ancestral land the BTI campus is situated. “There is a sense of mutual enrichment as we link hands with local iwi to work together to fulfill God’s purposes in this place,” says Dr. Andrew Smith, (Dean). One of the initiatives that has sprung out of these relationships is the development of student scholarships. These scholarships are offered as a partnership between the three Tauranga Moana iwi (and particularly the Ngati Kahu hapu) and BTI to encourage and support the vocational development of local Maori.
the scholarship means to them and makes possible for them. Shanandore Brown & Jasmine Bell share their stories with us. Shanandore Brown, Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) I have always loved Te Reo Māori and marine/environmental education. I’m here to be a secondary school teacher to put my actions where my mouth is. I feel secondary education is where our Māori students are most at risk i.e. in successfully going from secondary to tertiary education. I believe tertiary education and higher education is a necessary pathway for our whānau, our hapū and our iwi (actually I believe in higher education period). I want to be a part of ‘raising Māori achievement’ in science and math education and in particular for the rohe in which I whakapapa too which are the Tauranga and King Country areas. I’m here to tell the world that Māori (as our tīpuna have shown) are ‘tūturu rangatira’ (superior) in mahi pūtaiao (science) and pāngarau (math). This scholarship has made it possible for me to fulfill a ‘deeper purpose’ in life, not just for me but for my whānau,
In 2011, a total of 7 scholarships were awarded to local iwi individuals. Henare Rahiri Ngati Kahu scholarships were awarded to Roimata Nicholas (Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary)), Rukuwai Apaapa (Diploma of Counselling), Joy Jack-Kino (Diploma of Counselling) and Trevor Kerewaro (Diploma of Counselling). A Ngati Ranginui scholarship was awarded to Jasmine Bell (Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Primary). A Ngai Te Rangi scholarship was awarded to Shanandore Brown (Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary)) and a Ngati Pukenga scholarship was awarded to Tyler Runga (Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary)). Each scholarship recipient is on their own unique educational journey and each has their own personal story to tell of what 23
Shanandore Brown
spotlight feature for my hapū and for my iwi. Having this scholarship has meant I have been able to engage in a safe environment that is conducive to Māori values and whakawhānaungatanga (including ancestral and environmental links). Most importantly I have been able to be just me. I am ‘loving’ every single moment of my programme so far. I feel like I am in the right place at the right time with the right people. I am streaming through all that I need to do with amazing precision. I’m feeling truly ‘blessed’ and I’m feeling like the whole world is supporting me in this pathway. Thank you Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Te Rangi Iwi and thank you BTI. Jasmine Bell, Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Primary Through this scholarship I have been able to meet and connect with people of Ngati Ranginui who have supported me and encouraged through this journey. Knowing and connecting with these people has made me more determined to do well and achieve all that I can in order to repay the
amazing gift that they have given me. I also feel that I am able to give these people a look into what BTI provides and how well they provide it. When I talk with them, they are all so pleased to hear and discuss my experiences. Also, I was brought up in a predominantly Pakeha way and having the opportunity to be a part of my Maori heritage and actually having it define me in a way at BTI has pushed me to learn more about my tupuna and whakapapa and the Maori side of my history. An understanding that I have gained while working with different kids and in different contexts is that although you can be a great teacher in the classroom and feel that your students are learning, it is in the whanau unit that most of the important learning takes place. Because of this I believe that working with students whanau and wider family groups to ensure maximum learning is possible for their tamariki, and I think that this is somewhere else I could work and that I feel passionate about.
A few of the 2011 Scholarship recipients: Tyler Runga, Roimata Nicholas, Shanandore Brown & Jasmine Bell
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key dates
S D EPEC
M A AY UG -
A
JA N PR -
2012 KEY DATES 27- 30 Jan 30 Jan 31 Jan 31 Jan 6 Feb 7 Feb 7 Feb 13 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 5-9 Apr 6 Apr 9 Apr 10 Apr 11-13 Apr 25 Apr 28 Apr
4 Jun 2 Jul 16 Jul
1 Oct 5 Oct 12 Oct 22 Oct 19 Nov
Parachute Music Festival Anniversary Day Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood) programme begins The ‘Get Set’ programme begins at BTI - a great introduction into academic study Waitangi Day Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Primary & Early Childhood Education programmes begin Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) programme begins Year One Counselling & Social Work* programmes begin Te Wiki Whakawaia - Familiarisation Week begins Year Two & Three Counselling programme begins Tauranga based National Jazz Festival Good Friday Easter Monday Term break begins NZEALS Conference ANZAC Day Graduation
Queen’s Birthday Term break begins Semester Two begins
Term break begins World Teachers’ Day Early-bird programme application closing date Labour Day Teacher Education Professional Learning Conference begins & Poroporoaki
Some dates may be subject to change. *Programme under development. Subject to approval processes late 2011.
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top five
TOP FIVE WAYS TO STAY SANE WHILE YOU STUDY Current BTI students & Alumni pass on some classic tips. GET OUTSIDE Find time for regular exercise by taking a well deserved break and make the most of this beautiful country we live in! Go for a surf, walk in the sunshine, or enjoy a spa. Invest in your future by focusing on the main goal. Study hard, but save up some time to get out and get some fresh air into your lungs and recharge your energy!
CAFFEINATE, CAFFEINATE, CAFFEINATE Have good coffee…and sugar on hand at all times! Late night trips to a coffee shop can work wonders when burning the midnight oil for an impending due assignment!!! Several scientific studies claim that the caffeine in coffee can boost your memory and facilitate better learning and optimize thinking. Good news is that both coffee and chocolate contain antioxidants which can not only help us concentrate on our study but also help prevent heart disease and cancer! So go ahead and indulge...in moderation of course!
LAUGH OUT LOUD!
Laugh lots...The Bible quotes laughter as a medicine for the soul and *studies show that laughter causes the body to release endorphins which helps lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones and boost our immune system. These endorphins produce a general sense of well-being so...laugh away! (* Dr Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr Stanley Tan, Loma Linda University, California)
GET A HOBBY
Having a hobby you enjoy with passion helps to keep you balanced and to focus on the prize at the end of study. Keep focused on the future while still being able to enjoy the present. This can be taking up a craft or starting up a new sports team - something to let you know there is a life outside of study! Try and enjoy the little things in life - meeting up with fellow students and knowing there are others out there going through study with you helps too!
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
While studying it is important to stay hydrated and get a good nights sleep to keep you going. Balance the ‘treats’ by also including healthy foods such as fruit and nuts (which are full of vitamin B to assist brain function and concentration) Remember healthy body = healthy mind!
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Here are my five top tips for a successful journey from being a tertiary student to entering the big bad world of work. Persistence As is the case with tertiary study, so it is true that all good things take time and effort. In life most of the things that really matter require persistence, so stick at it. Life is a marathon not a sprint. Patience Just as persistence is crucial in work, life and play, so is another P word: patience. I’ve always loved the saying that good things come to those who wait. That doesn’t, of course, mean sitting on your chuff watching television all the time, but as with persistence, it means hanging in and not giving up when things don’t go your way.
THE FINAL WORD MP for Tauranga, Simon Bridges shares his top five tips for life after graduation. It’s a great pleasure to contribute in the inaugural BTI Forward Magazine. As local MP for BTI, I’ve visited a number of times and deeply value what you do. As alumni of BTI you are by definition good looking, likeable and successful people! Like you, I like to think I have some of these attributes. Certainly, I’ve always placed a great deal of weight on the value of education and of community.
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Reverence for knowledge and learning As a BTI student you had to study and sometimes do so through the night fuelled by a lot of coffee and, if you were lucky, some donuts as well. Do all you can to retain the love and reverence of knowledge and learning you had while a student. By remaining interested, you stay interesting. Consciously choose to read and stay in wonderment at what you learn. This will keep you young at heart. Don’t just follow the money! Too many people make work choices on the basis of money. Don’t! Probably if you have studied at BTI your values go beyond the pure lure of money, so make sure it stays that way. Life is too short to act only on the basis of who or what career pays the most. Do what you have a passion for and usually the money will follow. Enjoy! Finally, if you are persistent and patient and follow your passion, I’m sure you will live a joyful life. Find joy in what you do and take time to smell the roses. All the very best, Simon
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GREAT PLACE,
GREAT PEOPLE,
GREAT HEARTS MINDS
28 Discover a career in Teaching, Counselling or Social Work* today at www.bti.ac.nz
Programme under development. Subject to approval processes late 2011.