2012 - Term 2 - Good Teacher Magazine by Good Teacher Magazine

Term Two 2012

“The best teachers don’t give you the answers... They just point the way ... Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 1 and let you make your own choices.”

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Index 3 Your Soapbox

We are all cultural beings Part 2

Lyn Pascoe

Born to the Job

MOTAT

Mighty MOTAT Classroom Giveaway

How to create learning-focused displays

Time Management and Gifted Students

Elaine Le Sueur

Number of children at internationl schools reaches 3 million

Addiction as a pathway to joy

Laurie Loper

Aramatai Tranquility

One Man’s Dream and the Ruben Jane

Neil Adams

Steampunk Alive in Auckland with MOTAT

Mighty MOTAT Classroom Giveaway

Mainland’s Adopt a Penguin programme

Michelle LaBrosse

2012 Otago Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Chemistry Puzzle

Fred

The Art of Children’s Conversation

Louise Howland and Keith Lamb

Interesting and unusual sculptures

Removing the Barriers for Speed

Michelle LaBrosse

Front and Inside Front Covers: Images from a sculpture park in the Waikato (Waitakaruru Arboretum) Back Cover:

Adelaide Zoo

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Independent publishers of quality education media. Advertising enquiries and bookings: info@goodteacher.co.nz is produced in the first week of each school term and uploaded to http://www.goodteacher.co.nz The magazine is freely available both in New Zealand and Internationally. Please keep a duplicate of text and illustrative materials submitted for publication. ed-media accepts no responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted for publication NOTE: The opinions expressed in Teacher Magazine are not necessarily those of ed-media or the editorial team. Goo

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Your Soapbox!

“

I am on a journey... with my work, my explorations and a few sad stories. I travel with a suitcase full of outrageous blessings. I am on a quest for truth, beauty and quiet joy. I am an artist, a writer, an explorer.

”

If you want to have YOUR SAY please email your offering to: soapbox@goodteacher.co.nz

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We are all cultural beings:

Considerations for teachers in multi-ethnic classrooms Part 2 Lyn Pascoe

These articles are written from a New Zealand perspective. We are a country whose population is increasingly strengthened by the many immigrants who make it their home. I believe however, from my own International experiences, that many countries are facing the issues this rich diversity brings to educators. In this global world, we are not alone. I hope the first article in this series of articles has provided you with some questions to provoke deep reflection about yourself as an educator and that as a result, you have taken the opportunity to consider your interactions with those for whom you have responsibility. The way we do things, the celebrations we take part in, the underpinning often unquestioned beliefs we hold about our world, our place in it and those with whom we come in contact - our culture - colours our everyday. However, culture is not a static thing, it is not buried in the past, we can notice things that are no longer useful or pertinent to us and change or modify them. As a result of your questions, perhaps you have started a reflective journal that will follow the process you have begun. Perhaps as you have talked to friends and colleagues you have clarified and extended your own thinking and positioning. Where did these beliefs come from? Are they still useful and appropriate? Where did these values come from? Are they still useful and appropriate? Did you step out of your comfort zone and really interrogate yourself? Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 5

Thinking about your identity anchor points - people, places, events that shaped you - did you begin to see who you really are? What shaped you and determined how you might be as a teacher and leader who has the responsibility to shape the world for others? This process of self-evaluation may take time. It may cause some discomfort. Our beliefs and values did not happen overnight and neither are we always certain how they came about, or sometimes even, until they are tested, that they are there. They may sit in below the radar until we react to something. Think about these things: When I react strongly to something, what causes me to do this?

to our lives and knowledge of the world. This has been the purpose of the self-examination. When we have a clear idea of our own fundamental core beliefs and values as they affect our teaching and leading, we can begin to look at how we reflect ourselves to our world of colleagues and students. We know that teachers make a difference. We know that teachers shape the future. We know that everything we do in a school or classroom affects lives, many of which are vulnerable in many ways. All of the research points to the difference being the relationships we are able to create. (Bishop and Glynn 1999, Bishop and Berryman 2006, MoE 2006.) How then can our self-understanding help us with our day-to-day working life?

We are so ingrained with our own way of interpreting the world that we are often blind to the effects it may What rules/practices in my classroom/school are have on others. It is my belief that when we “non-negotiable? understand ourselves better, when we talk to others Why is this? about the beliefs and values we each hold, and when we realise that not all people think alike nor the same What do I believe about the children in my class/ as do we, even within our own ethnic groups, when school? we find and understand the boundaries, we are more What are my expectations and why is this? likely and able to develop respectful, positive relationships. Conversations and respectful, deep These actions/reactions are strongly linked to our listening can help us to get a glimpse into the world of culture, (upbringing, world-view, religion), they are others and help us to better interact with them. Ask coloured by our core beliefs and maybe, are modified yourself these questions; by our training. Are they appropriate or may they be modified? When we understand these triggers we are better able to deal with them.

How much do I know about my students? Staff?

As teachers and leaders we may have found a need to act in ways that have challenged our inner selves in order to manage what we perceived as our “teacherself”. This tension between who we really are and who we perceive we need to be at work can be very stressful. This reflective, self-interrogation may allow us to see ourselves in another light. It may help us to notice and confirm beliefs about ourselves and our work or dispose of them as is appropriate in our current situation. It may allow us to see other ways of allowing ourselves the possibility of development and growth to be the unique person we each are within our work environment.

How often do I spend a moment to ask “how are you faring”? And listen deeply to the reply.

When we have a clear understanding of who we are, what we feel to be a non-negotiable belief or value, we are more able to negotiate with others to reach a safe and welcoming environment in which to work and learn. We will have a consistency to what we say and do. We will have clear boundaries from which to work.

How am I listening to this?

Mahatma Ghandi once said “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.” We can appreciate and enjoy the diversity with which we are faced daily but we are not rudderless when we know and understand who we are and what we stand for. This self-knowledge helps us to respect ourselves and in so doing, respect others for what they can add 6 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

How often do I have a personal, caring chat with all staff/students? Do staff/students feel that they can share happenings in their lives with me? Do I try to “fix” everything and everyone? Listening and empathising may sometimes be a better response. Think: How am I interpreting this? Do I need to respond to or affirm this person’s feelings/ideas? Can I ask a question to have them clarify what they might do? (What do you feel might help you to manage…?) Or do I just listen and be there! When we are working in such a diverse world the relationships we build enrich us and empower those with whom we interact. How much better we work when we know someone cares how we are and who we are and how work/study is for us. We all like our stories to be heard with respect. If one can feel “at home” and safe to be oneself when in class or at

work, when we can identify ourselves in the way things are done or talked about, then the tensions caused by the need to employ different â&#x20AC;&#x153;facesâ&#x20AC;? for places is lessened. Relationships are individual but affect communities. They develop over time. We need to spend time to develop them, sometimes even go out of our way to do it. Our position as teacher or leader does not automatically develop them as of right. Our way of being, our willingness to negotiate appropriate outcomes from our knowledge of ourselves and our willingness to truly know, care about and include the community from which our students come, creates relationships that can motivate and uplift those with whom we work. A sense of belonging is very powerful. Over our lifetime, as we interact with the diversity that surrounds us, we adjust and redesign ways of being. We may discard or keep ideas, values or beliefs we have previously accepted. We may keep cultural celebrations that we enjoy, modify them or dispense with them as we move through our lives. We may choose to leave the ways or our parents or caregivers and adopt others as we move along our pathway. We may become involved in new religions or philosophies that reshape our being. We are seekers of truth, seekers of wisdom, and seekers of a better way. Knowing ourselves deeply allows us to be authentic, and in understanding ourselves, to be empathetic and responsive to others whilst retaining who we are at our core. It facilitates the building of meaningful relationships with our colleagues and students. We know and value who we are, we have thought about it, can articulate it and respect ourselves. In this way, we are in a position to respect and understand more about others.

References: Bishop, R and Glynn, T (1999): Changing Power Relations in Education. Dunmore Press Ltd. Palmerston North, New Zealand. Bishop, R and Berryman, M. (2006) Culture Speaks: Cultural relationships & classroom learning. Huia publishers, Wellington, New Zealand. Ministry of Education (2003) Effective Literacy Practice in years 1-4 Learning Media, Wellington New Zealand Ministry of Education (2006) Effective Literacy Practice in years 1-8 Learning Media Wellington New Zealand. Further Reading: Seiler, A (2003) Coaching to the Human Soul: Ontological Coaching and Deep Change. Volume1 Newfield, Australia.

Random Amusement

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Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 7

Born To The Job In an age where most of us will experience three or more careers before finding our niche, MOTAT’s newest Educator was born to the role.

Like most teenagers, Melissa Hodson had no idea what she wanted to do when she left school but she was sure that following in the footsteps of her mother and two sisters who work in education, was not her destiny. However internationally registered psychologist, Dr Joanna Patching says career choice comes more intrinsically than we may think, with teacher families being a prime example. “Many of us aren’t emotionally mature enough when we leave school for the career that we are destined for and so find ourselves dabbling in three or more careers before finally finding the best fit. Ironically, after rejecting our parents lifestyles and values as teenagers we often come back to mirror them and their career choices in our 20’s and 30’s. “Teaching is one of those professions that requires high levels of empathy. This trait is widely recognised as coming from ‘nurture’ rather than ‘nature’ so it makes sense that some families breed teachers and others don’t,” says Dr Patching. Twenty-seven year old Melissa is the newest ‘MOTAT Educator,’ joining a four person team which delivers LEOTC programmes to 25,000 New Zealand school children annually. Melissa spends her days helping children explore the wonders of MOTAT, New Zealand’s largest transport, technological and social history museum. “I’m just like a kid in a candy shop and I get paid for it,” says an enthusiastic Ms Hodson.

“Whether I’m helping kids discover how technology and transport have impacted on our lives or sharing stories about our fascinating collections it is always great fun!” Early on, an interest in art led Melissa to a degree at Whitecliffe Arts College in Auckland, specialising in graphic design. Her design skill set led her to a stint working in the kids’ area at Auckland Museum and it was there that she started to rethink her vocational direction and focus on working as an educator. “My mum was not at all surprised, but I needed to discover for myself that working with children to help educate them about social history was my thing,” says Melissa who uses her graphic design and art skills everyday in her new role. MOTAT’s Education Manager, Paul Swift says that more than anything, taking on the role of a MOTAT Educator requires enthusiasm and passion for helping kids. “MOTAT seems to attract people with a huge variety of life skills and that diversity really benefits our visitors. Melissa knows how to make the experience interactive and visual, bringing history to life for our young visitors,” says Mr Swift. “As Educators we also help the events team develop ideas for the fun events at MOTAT, identifying the educational outcomes for our visitors. With a myriad of fantastic events always on the go at MOTAT such as Military Weekend and our inaugural Fire and Rescue day this month, there’s always something to keep us busy!” Melissa’s advice to school leavers grappling with their career options, “Never say never. Sometimes your parents’ advice isn’t so foolish after all.”

MOTAT is a great day out for school kids who often find they uncover new passions in the fields of technology, science and social science after experiences at MOTAT.

Topics covering science, social science, and technology are brought to life in a fun and interactive way, with over 25,000 Kiwi kids getting involved each year. MOTAT’s education programmes are taken by professional education staff and are designed to support the New Zealand curriculum and Te Whāriki.

One lucky school will win a MOTAT education programme for up to three classrooms!

Comprehensive Resource Packs and activity trails are available for planning and follow up lessons, and depending on your teaching objectives, the education programmes can be adapted to match your learning requirements.

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(usually $4 per child!)

To enter go to the MOTAT website http://www.motat.org.nz/ and check out the Planning Your Visit packs then write by June 1st 2012 to: The Editor Good Teacher Magazine PO Box 5531 Mt Maunganui 3150 telling us which MOTAT resources would best fit with your planned visit.

Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 9

How to create learning-foc Which of these two examples most closely reflects the displays in your classroom or around your school? a) A beautiful wall display located outside a kindergarten classroom.

The quality of the work is amazing for that age. That’s because it actually isn’t the work of the kindergarten children at all. But it takes a teacher to say that. Nowhere on the display does it give out information about the children who have created the work and what they’re aiming to achieve. But it’s beautiful.

b) Another attention-grabbing display in another school.

This time, it’s not so beautiful, nor as neat. But this one clearly indicates the class and the age of

the children who have contributed. It also clearly explains the learning outcome and includes the teacher’s reflections. And alongside their work, each child had written their own self-reflections on why they think their work demonstrates good learning. One is a display purely for decoration, the other is a learning-focused display – both real examples. No need to say which is which. So how do we use our walls – and floors and ceilings for that matter – in a way that maximises the learning opportunities? And why is this important?

This display emphasises key words for literacy and also features questions to encourage children to take their learning further. Crofton Junior School

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cused displays Why are learning-focused displays important?

learning and we prize it so much that we want everyone to see what you are achieving’. A non-learning-focused display says (among other things) ‘We’re not so bothered about the content of your work, but we want to make our school pretty and colourful.’

Here is what one very helpful programme for schools - the Looking for Learning Toolkit - says about learning-focused displays: Displays are important for four main reasons: •

•

For your children and students, displays are a visible recognition of their learning. Someone has considered that what they have learnt and recorded in some way is so good that it is up on a wall or in a corridor for everyone to see. They consider it deserving of a larger audience. For your wider school community, displays both inside and outside classrooms send a powerful message about your school culture and the value it places on learning. A learning-focused display says ‘We are so interested in your

•

For your busy teachers and assistants, time spent on displays should be time well spent and time that contributes to learning. Why else would they want to, or should they, spend all of that time on display?

•

A learning-focused display can drive the learning on within a class or across the school. It can integrate with and contribute to the learning process. And by asking them to engage with it, a learning-focused display can provide new and different ways of challenging the children.

Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 11

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As well as work samples, this display includes photographs showing skill development, new questions and learning activities too. Horley Infant School

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This display highlights some of the learning strategies that the children have used and displays key questions to drive the research. British School Of Charlotte So what can we do to make our displays more learning-focused? Here is some of the advice that the Looking for Learning Toolkit gives:

•

Use learning-focused language in your displays Use the word ‘learning’ or learning-related language in your display titles, questions and descriptions. For example, the title ‘Ancient Egyptians’ could become ‘What we have learnt about life in Ancient Egypt’ or ‘Evidence that we are developing our skills in history’. This learning-focused language can also be applied to individual pieces of learning within the overall display. For example, a caption on an individual piece of work can change from ‘A lovely timeline from Sarah’ to ‘Sarah chose this piece of learning for the display because it shows how she is getting better at sequencing important historical events’. Engage your learners Make your displays interactive so that they enhance and move forward your children’s learning. You can do this by: •

Adding questions within the display or including problems to be solved

•

Refer to the display when it’s appropriate during other learning with your class

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Situate a ‘teaching’ part of your lesson near to the display and use the display to help the children focus on the subject or to refer to specific language or ideas

Share criteria with your children Make sure that your children know why you select particular learning examples for a display. What success criteria are you using? •

Do you choose the ‘best’ pieces of learning from the class or the ‘best’ pieces of learning for individuals?

•

Do you choose work because it is neat and looks good on the wall, even though neatness was not a key element of the outcome?

Tell your children how pieces will be selected for display. Even better, involve the children in this by encouraging them to make explicit their own selection criteria as they choose learning for their own display. Value broader learning in your displays Often, the only learning displayed in schools is writing, art or other traditional forms of recorded

learning such as drawn maps, diagrams and so on. This isn’t surprising – they are forms of recorded learning that are easy to display. They lend themselves to being mounted onto backing paper and put up onto the blank boards that fill the corridors. But think about other possibilities such as models, museum-style displays, photographs, displays that incorporate technology, etc. Think about the overall messages your displays convey about learning in general and about the learning that your school values. Use displays to provide constant reminders about learning Create simple posters, mobiles or, for example, ‘washing lines’ that remind your children over and over again about the learning questions you use in your school. Questions such as: •

What are we learning today?

•

How is this connected to our other learning?

•

How is our learning improving?

•

How can we help others to learn?

Have a whole-school weekly learning question that is displayed everywhere and that becomes the focus of any whole-school gathering such as your assemblies. All of these ideas make certain that the focus is on display for learning, not display for decoration. When you think about and plan the displays in your school, the question to ask yourself is not: ‘Does it look good?’ but always ‘How is this display contributing to the learning going on in my classroom or throughout the school?’ Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 15

More tips for creating learning-focused displays •

Involve your children in writing simple texts for your displays. Computer generated text might look good but it does

•

When using computer text, consider using a range of fonts and styles. This is what children see in the environmen one style in your displays?

•

Try using children’s own questions and answers in the display. For example ‘This is what I wanted to find out…and

•

Try to link your learning in your displays to help show the transfer of knowledge. For example you could have a lite

•

Display key questions to encourage your children to continue to research and find out more or to practice a skill fu

All these ideas and more are included in the Lo a unique professional development and school improvement programme that focuses on th The Looking for Learning Toolkit is a unique school improvement programme to provide schools with all the support learning-focused as possible; everything f The Toolkit also helps schools to identify a definition of learning and provides them with a process to iden

For more information about the Looking for Learning Toolkit visit www.greatlearning.com/LF 16 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

This display is not only 3-dimensional and uses walls, floor and ceiling, but includes ideas from the children on where to go next with their learning. St Aloysius Primary School

sn’t let the reader know anything about the writer.

nt when they’re learning to read, so why use only

d this is what I learnt.’

eracy display that links to your history learning.

urther.

ooking for Learning Toolkit from Fieldwork Education; he core purposes of all schools – improving learning. they need to make every of aspect of their school as from displays and assemblies to lessons and targets. ntify, improve and increase learning in the classroom.

FL or call Fieldwork Education at +44(0)20 7531 9696 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 17

Time Management & Gifted Time management can be a problem for kids with high ability because their minds are motivated by novelty, challenge and idealism. Today’s children live busy lives. For some, the stimulation makes it difficult to prioritise and organise themselves when there are so many things competing for their attention. For others, the challenge and the fun resides in procrastinating for as long as possible because it is hard to learn the advantage of pace if there is no need to pace oneself in the first place. Stephanie Tolan, (http://www.stephanietolan.com/ is_it_a_cheetah.htm) refers to the conditions that are necessary for the cheetah to thrive. It is best motivated to run all out when it is hungry and there are antelope to chase. We create our own success by learning what we need to learn and then by practising it until we become proficient at it, but many able students do not manage their time well because they have not been

challenged enough and have learned to rely on their ability to complete class work in a short time, so they put it off for as long as possible. Having an authentic, legitimate reason for learning the skills of time management is the best motivator of all for anyone. I believe that the 21st century emphasis on “More + faster = better” would be more effective if it were to be redefined as “action + reflection = accomplishment.” Time management tools are useful to help children to become more proficient and to understand or compensate for their limitations. Effective time management is whatever works! Teachers can use a range of strategies to assist along the way with such things as scheduling regular reporting of progress, like-minded peer sharing opportunities and formal teacher/student interviews. There is no one way fits all, but the following suggestions are offered for students as starting points for reflection. The key to successful time management is flexibility. Age, temperament, interests and abilities all have a part to play. Gifted students need time to play and to innovate. As Sir Ken Robinson pointed out, http:// www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_ creativity.html, in our fast paced lives we have little concept of what the world will be like in five years, much less the unpredictability of the world where today’s students will find themselves in their adult years. I suggest that there is an even greater need now than ever before to understand our gifted and/or talented students and help them to manage their time wisely to enable them to cope with being creative souls in the future.

Think about the time constraints involved before making a decision to embark on a major change. What about mapping your project on a calendar by starting from the due date and then working backwards to sort out whether the change is ‘do-able’ within the time that you have? Be realistic in estimating how much time commitment you will have to give to an activity.

Investigate your alternative strategies (including how you will store information/ data etc online or offline), make an informed decision and then commit to it. Work in focussed, short bursts and don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Schedule regular, timed breaks.

Make each minute count. There are only 1,440 minutes in each day, but less than 1,000 to act on. Look at your habits. Get rid of any unproductive routines. Think about how you could do things differently. ‘If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.’ In our lives we don’t waste hours, we waste minutes.

Evaluate the effort that will be required and know when you are the most productive so that you are able to capitalise on that. The more you understand about the way that you learn, the more likely you are to find ways to motivate yourself. Rank yourself on a time management scale (1-5) Discuss your ranking with a partner to find ways to improve. Time management for gifted is best taught by a peer who does it effectively.

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d Students

Elaine Le Sueur

Make a list and keep to it. If you are a big picture person then you might find it easier to make a collage of pictures or photos of the things that need to be done. Refer to it regularly to identify the gaps. Ask yourself...what am I missing in this picture? What do I still need to do?

Act! Have an action plan to follow and review it regularly. Ask yourself... are you on track? If not, what will you have to do to get back on track? “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” Napoleon Bonaparte

Negotiate the ground rules ahead of time so that expectations are made clear. Knowing where you are headed is an essential element in planning how to get there. Effective people know where they are going, how they are going to get there, and how they will know when they have arrived before they commence the journey.

Ask for help if you find yourself falling behind. The sooner that you do this, the better. If you are stressed then identify the source of the stress and see if it can be negated. Shift your perspective. Try to see the funny side. We all have choices. You can choose whether to laugh or to cry!

Goal setting helps to keep you on track. Think about ... What you want to achieve When you want to achieve it What you need to do first Your next steps Your goals may not always be aligned with the teacher’s goals. Be aware of consequences. Think about the differences between short, medium and long term goals.

Efficient recall saves time. Aim to find out at least 5 new things in each topic that you study. Challenge yourself to make creative links between your new learning and things that you knew already. Ask yourself ... how could I use this information in my life? Practice relaxation techniques. Challenge your brain with sequence games.

Make sure that the resources you need are at hand when you start to save time later. If you need help with something in order to make progress then negotiate time for this with the person best able to meet your learning need.

Essentials first (even if they are not easy.) Prioritise your most important actions first. Not everything deserves the maximum amount of time so don’t waste time by doing minor jobs too well. Ask yourself, “Is this job worth my spending a lot of time on it?” If the answer is no, then don’t!

Note any areas of particular interest to go back to. Use web tool filing systems to collect and record such things as book quotes, bibliographies, pictures, data files etc so that you can access them easily in the future. Eg. Wiki, Pinterest, Google docs etc. Clearly label your computer files so that they can be easily accessed. Don’t create unnecessary files

Train your brain. Try www.lumosity.com to exercise and enhance memory and attention and to track changes in brain performance.

The World Conference 2013 blog is now up and running and the aim is to update it every couple of weeks. You can access it directly via the following worldgifted2013.blogspot.co.nz Please help the NZ conference committee to circulate the information as widely as possible by passing the link on to any of your local, national or international contacts who might be interested.

The ‘ 2013 Soul of Giftedness’ conference website www.worldgifted2013.com Registering your interest on the conference website does not commit you to anything. It just allows us to send you updates via email. Your email contact will not be shared with any other third party. So... have you registered your interest on the website yet? Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 19

Dear Teacher, Visit my website and register for your FREE resource to use in your classroom with your able students. No strings attached. It is my thanks to you for taking action and following through on this flier. If you would like heaps more ideas and strategies for differentiating your lessons to meet the needs of these students, check out my new teacher manuals, available from www.thinkshop.org.nz

Check out the LSSNA (Le Sueur Student Needs Analysis) and the link to University on wheels for even more help. www.universityonwheels.org.nz Thank you for your interest. From Elaine

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Number of children at international schools reaches 3 million

The latest figures published by ISC Research show that the number of children attending the world’s international schools has passed three million. This is phenomenal growth in just ten years.

In 2002 there were one million international school students. It is this increasing demand for places which is driving the rapid expansion of international schools worldwide; a trend that ISC Research predicts will continue for the foreseeable future.

Primary Curriculum. Others deliver alternative national curriculums such as American or Dutch. The best international schools have extremely good reputations, are accredited, and are used as models by national schools the world over.

Ten years ago, the typical international school student was from an expatriate family. Today, that student is from a local family. The number of expatriate children attending international schools has not decreased, indeed there are many more . What has changed is the recognition by local families that international schools are a means of advancing to further education at some of the world’s best universities. “Parents of the next generation are looking towards international schools to satisfy the need for critical thinking rather than learning by rote,” says Clive Pierrepont, Director of Communications at Taaleem which owns and manages 13 schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. “The parents clearly see international schools as a route through for university opportunities.” It is this recognition, coupled with increased income, which is making attendance at an international school a real possibility for the wealthier local families. Today 80% of students at international schools are local children.

ISC Research, the organisation that researches and analyses data on international schools worldwide predicts that the number of students in international schools will reach six million in another ten years and that the number of international schools will increase from 6,000 today to 10,000.

In a number of cities, this demand from both expat and local families, is outstripping supply. Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha all have significant problems. So much so, that many relocating expats with families are now demanding security of their school places before accepting new placements. In certain locations, it is the availability of good school places that is driving job decisions by expats rather than salaries and destinations. As a result of this demand, a number of countries are actively encouraging the growth of international schools including China, India, Malaysia, Korea, and the UAE. International schools are typically fee-paying schools that deliver the curriculum wholly or partly in English (outside an English-speaking country). The good quality of learning at international schools is recognised the world over. Many of these schools follow, to a large extent, the English National Curriculum. Others deliver such highly respected international curriculums as the International Baccalaureate and the International

Managing Director of ISC Research, Nicholas Brummitt, says “The international school market has become big business. There are now a number of highly respected, multinational groups of schools driving growth forward. Examples of these are Taaleem with schools throughout the UAE and partnerships in other Middle East countries, WCL with schools in the US and Qatar, Nord Anglia with schools in China and Europe, Cognita with schools in the UK, Europe and Asia, ESOL with schools in a number of Middle East countries, Yew Chung Education Foundation with schools in Hong Kong, China and the US, and GEMS with schools in many parts of the world. Most of these groups are expanding aggressively, either by buying existing schools, expanding current operations, or building new schools. There are also schools with campuses in several countries. These include a number of UK private schools with international operations such as Harrow (in Beijing, Bangkok with a third school in Hong Kong opening in September this year) and Dulwich which has schools in China and is opening several more in Asia over the next few years.” For more information about the international schools market visit www.iscresearch.com. ISC Research is the only organisation that supplies data and market analyses covering all the world’s English-medium international schools; data that it has been tracking for over twenty years. The latest market updates plus individual school information, news, statistical overviews, and country reports are all available from ISC Research.

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Addiction as a pathway to One way of wringing real performance out of the education system would be to ensure every student became addicted to learning. It wouldn’t take all that much to achieve this, either, as the possibly has always been lurking there. All it would take would be to set children up from the outset so that the learning capacity nature bequeathed them could then be let loose. Learning would soon become such a joyous habit, it would end up being more addictive than any drug on the planet. Since it’s now known that practically all children possess a “remarkably similar” capacity to learn, we could expect achievement outcomes to rise in spectacular fashion. Indeed, practically all students would then become potential top learners so achieving a PhD would be an option open to most all of them. Compared to how relatively rare PhDs are currently, the level of achievement suggested will likely seem a pipe dream. But it does at least raise the question of why it couldn’t happen. In my book, the unrecognised culprit and major determinant of underachievement is patently that one and only learning process all teachers use. Indeed, efficacy research has already established beyond doubt that that process is “inherently” ineffective. That is, it’s unable to ensure that children will learn as well as we now know they can. That means unless an efficient learning process replaces the current inefficient one, the only pipe dream here is the notion that any of the measures currently in place will see significantly improved across-the-board achievement occurring any time soon.

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Becoming hooked on learning ought to be the easiest addiction to acquire and the hardest to kick. Why? The capacity to learn must be in everyone’s DNA, humans appear programmed to learn from birth, some say learning begins even before. Other species, too, share this learning attribute but their capacities come up well short of ours in both quantity and quality. Our capacity to learn has enabled humankind to survive and develop. The almost primeval urge to learn that humans display couldn’t be better illustrated than in what happened on the most environmentally rugged of Otago’s gold fields in the 1860s. Following the 1861 discovery by Gabriel Read, near the now township of Lawrence, one of the first social institutions to arise was a school. In that harsh climate, where forty feet deep snow drifts were recorded, it first operated not in a building, but in a tent, it’s teacher being what we would now call a home-schooling parent. Coming very close to that, though, is the more modern day example of the Porirua school’s that organised a hikoi in support of the “School is cool”, the slogan used in the Battle Against Truancy initiative. This recent event saw not only children from local schools marching in support of the kaupapa, but also some Mongrel Mob parents. That virtually each of us share this learning capacity to such an amazingly equal degree has to be significant. It ensures, of course, that should a calamity strike and by far the majority perish, there’s this virtually inbuilt safeguard – enough skills and knowledge possessed by each survivor – that would be sufficient to secure a future for those remaining. But there’s an even greater significance here. The possession of this “remarkably similar” capacity confers upon us the responsibility of ensuring that that capacity is developed to the full. To do otherwise would deny us not only our own humanity, it would mean loosing out on all the knowledge advances and

o joy Laurie Loper Psychologist all the development possibilities that would flow from there. Turning now to a discussion of what it would take to get things happening. Space restrictions mean not everything can be covered – a representative sample of some of the more important considerations follows. First consideration, society has for too long underestimated, if not ignored, the power of learning on the learner. Seemingly, it’s only when that power’s negated that people get any inkling of how strong are the forces at play here. Awareness of this grows from experiencing the all-too-familiar continuum of studentdiscontent behaviour. As we know, it stretches from students showing up at school but that’s all they do (passive resistance and general disengagement), through to the pursuit of other satisfactions whilst actually at school (creating surreptitious amusement at some hapless student or teacher’s expense, indulging heavily in things like sport, the arts and extra curricular activities, arranging one’s social life), and on into things like disruption, defiance, truancy and at risk behaviour. Where second-chance education operates, those providing it get more positive reminders of the power of learning. But generally speaking, the grip that learning can have on students seems to be under appreciated by those in the business of providing education. Learning is actually a powerful magnet in it’s own right, if only students were set up from the get-go to be attracted. I’m suggesting to those wishing to significantly improve educational outcomes across the board, and who appear keen to keep pouring taxpayer money into flavour-of-the-month interventions, that they step back, pause, and take a long look at the achievement problem from a powerof-learning perspective. One thing that stands out to me is that once you rob anyone of their independence, you diminish their

capacity to learn. The most obvious example of this is where student learning becomes micromanaged. Where this happens, there’s research showing students, deprived of being able to invest enough – in some instances, nothing – of themselves in the learning activity, simply don’t learn. Choking off learning like that results in a failure to develop skills in areas like initiative taking, innovation, thinking, analysing and contributing. Micromanagement isn’t a term much associated with learning – more often it crops up as a concern in businesses, corporations, governments and the like – but applying it to classroom learning is apt. Clearly it’s origin lies in the multitasking teachers feel they have to do in relation to the management-ofclassroom-learning role they see as being what they’re paid for. Much of the learning-management load that teachers therefore shoulder ought to be shared with their students. The skills students need in order to take on this responsibility ought to be progressively taught from day one. The feeling of ownership of any learning done is very much tied up with who it is that does the actual learning and who the learner perceives as owning the learning that’s being done. Take the situation where you ask any child why they are doing the task in hand and the answer you commonly get is “The teacher told us to do it”. Notwithstanding it may be a bit of a loaded question, it’s difficult not to get the impression that the children see the teacher as owning the learning. Also, feeling they are in charge of their classes and responsible for their student’s progress – teachers think that it is they who cause their students to learn. Research shows this couldn’t be further from the truth, students do their own learning. Other than setting up the learning activity – no mean task admittedly, with all that’s involved – all the processing done and understandings arrived at are functions the student alone controls.

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Likewise, students are in charge of their own motivation to learn, efforts teachers make in that regard need to be tempered with that knowledge. Without a student feeling they own and are in charge of the learning they do, they simply don’t learn as well as they should. Even the belief in interest-based learning, which teachers use in an attempt to improve motivation won’t necessarily improve learning – considerations of inefficacy aside – because what counts is whether the conditions pertaining to ownership, control and independence are conducive or not. The joys of learning are never going to be widely available if the essentials of an efficient learning model are not known and made use of throughout the land. One of the main ones is that learning is much more of a student-driven activity than has ever been understood. Nobody can learn for another person. Each makes their own unique understanding of any learning they undertake. There’s also an important rule to be heeded. It applies to the learning of all new topics, ideas, or concepts (tics). Before any learning can become an integrated part of the learner’s established knowledge base, the full information pertinent to any new tic must be experienced three times, each occasion after the first must be at two day intervals, otherwise no properly processed learning occurs. Eighty to eighty five per cent of students who learn according to that rule, Nuthall found, will be able, twelve months afterwards, to both recall the learning and make use of it. Could we say that would be true for all the other learning of new tics that goes on? The notion of students driving their own learning needs to apply without exception to all facets of the learning process. Since the current teacher - as - learning - manager model has been found to be hopelessly inefficient, it needs replacing by a model that gives students much more control. They need to be in charge of all the choice making decisions in relation to the learning being undertaken. They need to be capable of planning the learning, implementing and monitoring the plan, evaluating the outcome and deciding where to from here. A six stage approach along these lines has been successfully trialed on

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many occasions in different contexts with learners as young as eight through to mature adult students. Trials of this approach indicate this kind of learning model will find ready acceptance with both learners and teachers. Its use would easily generate enough goodwill to overcome the difficulties that implementing it on a widespread basis would likely bring. Cashing in on the benefits of such a model appears a sure means of ensuring students enjoy a lifetime of learning addiction. As we know, when you have happy students, you have happy teachers. And happy parents. The closer we think we’re getting to the elimination of the achievement gap, the further the accomplishment of that goal recedes into the distance. That’s largely due to not twigging that in an inefficient learning environment, underachievement is endemic, so all students are under performing. The red herring in this situation is the notion that fixing the achievement gap will fix this inherent, systemic issue. Compounding things, our fondness for horses for courses sees us lurching from one – often politically driven – option to the next, with no significant increases in across-the-board achievement resulting. We’re are also, and long have been, resident in a strategy desert. Living in that progress vacuum, we take what solace we can from a philosophy of incrementalism – we talk up anything producing better results, however marginally so, than those obtained before, cost effectiveness be damned. So obsessed are we with this carry-on, we’ve yet to acknowledge the research saying that the true capacity of virtually every student is to be a high achieving learner. Out of the mirage-like haze this philosophy has created around the underachievement issue, two things emerge. One, we’re seemingly stuck with this stagnation of policy for the foreseeable future. Two, significant progress on this issue can’t possibly happen unless change goes in a joyously different direction. Learning does have the power of addictive attraction. Let’s set it up to operate that way, not micromanage the guts out of it.

Aramatai Tranquility

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Frequent travelers on State Highway 4 will be familiar with the hills between Te Kuiti and Taumarunui. There is one just out of town, which affords a panoramic view of The Shearing Capital of the World and then the motorist descends towards Eight-Mile Junction and turns left. The road then meanders for a few kilometers before the next major climb, Kurakura Hill, is encountered. Halfway up, on the right, there is a small waterfall which has become something of a shrine. Folklore has it that the Madonna’s image was seen in the spray of the falls -Te Whaea o te Rere. Windmills, flowers and balloons provide a colourful contrast with dusty scrub and clay banks. Motorists stop and collect containers of water, which reputedly has therapeutic properties. Some even bathe. The runoff from the Madonna Falls flows under the road and streams down the hill into adjacent farmland. Within that land is another attraction but it is not as well-known. If you have a spare hour or two, or better still, a couple of days, then Aramatai Gardens would be a superb place to unwind, relax and let the world drive past. 26 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

Immediately before the hill, take a left turn into Mapara North Road, veer right and follow the winding farm track, which weaves through some mature matai and kahikatea to the Donaldson farm and homestead. What motivates people to embark on ambitious projects, schemes that will obviously be expensive in time, money and energy? Why would people, who are already busy, contemplate doubling their workload? I put these questions to Trisha and Stu Donaldson, designers of these stunning gardens. Trisha’s response is automatic. “I woke up one morning with a vision, picked up a shovel and started digging.” Stu sees it slightly differently. “I reckon she fell out of bed onto her head.” “Prior to this, I had no inspiration or inclination to become a gardener. I didn’t even bother with growing flowers.” The Donaldsons’ vision, however it came about, started eighteen years ago. They are still driven by it. They had a typical King Country sheep and cattle farm, with a few pine shelter belts, open paddocks and bare, grassy slopes. The surrounding countryside is dramatic. Hills, rocky outcrops and waterfalls all feature but most of the original climax vegetation has gone. Trisha’s dream landscape is centred around the immediate area of their homestead. Almost two hectares have been dedicated to the dream.

Blackberry-infested gullies, pink, algae- covered ponds and thistle- bedecked hilltops have long-gone. With their three children grown up, Trisha had plans for the swimming pool . The Donaldson’s have created a network of tracks to access a countless number of trees, shrubs and grasses. Sunken gardens and boulders feature. They have created an award-winning environment. Stu is whimsical about the process. “Back then, I used to be a fat-stock buyer, as well as a farmer. Trisha would take care of the farm when I was away. One morning a good friend turned up with a bulldozer. Trisha and he started planning which paddocks to work on. He must have detected a bit of reluctance on my part, so he told me to bugger off for the day. I did.“ There is obvious pride in the result as Stu points out what features were created that day and in subsequent ones. Huge boulders were relocated, depressions re-contoured, streams diverted and dammed and paddocks shaped. Sometimes the bulldozer operator would get over-enthusiastic and want to tip massive boulders over steep bluffs to see what would happen but Trisha’s vision held sway. The couple appear to have the memories of their journey embedded indelibly. For anybody who may be keen to start their own gardens and are looking for advice, each pitfall and triumph in the evolution of the property is easily recalled. Even during the early stages, people showed an interest. Trisha has a

photograph album showing tour groups inspecting the plantings and landscaping. Eighteen years later there are regular visitors. Many are satisfied with just the stroll and the scenery. Others are more inquisitive. “To start with, when people asked,” says Stu, “I used to say everything was a pittosporum. One day some botanist had me on, so I had to remember all the proper names. “ These days, Trisha and Stu can identify all the species and often have a story about them, for those who want to know more. The Donaldson’s have not fallen into the trap of merely planting as many trees as possible into the area available. Keen photographers will appreciate the play of light and the sense of space throughout the walk. Mixing exotics and natives may not please purists but by doing so, each season provides the visitor with a different vista; an incentive to return. There are the obvious opportunities for photographs such as mirror- reflections in lakes, and pairs of ducks gliding amongst raupo reeds but those with a more creative eye will relish the opportunity to engage manual on their cameras and attempt to capture more subtle images. The fresh-green leaves of the swamp cypress in spring, the interplay of sunlight through rhododendron branches, the contorted but somehow balanced proportions of the variegated dogwood tree provide suitable challenges for adventurous types. Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 27

‘I think of balance, structure, texture and form. Does this tree suit? How will it blend with its neighbours? We wanted to create beauty but also evoke the essence of this place. We salvaged a huge matai stump and placed it in exactly the right spot-it’s the spirit of Aramatai.’ Trish finds that many of the secluded areas provide her with a great sense of peace. ‘We have put seats and benches in these spots and in the summer I provide picnic baskets for those who want to disappear for a while.’ Aramatai Gardens reflect Stu and Trish’s outlook on life. There is balance, beauty and humour. In the lee of the hill on the eastern edge, there is a small lake, with an island- Stewart Island. A large rhyolite boulder has been christened the dinosaur egg. According to a visiting geologist, its likely source is from the Hatepe, or Lake Taupo eruption in 180 A.D; over 65 kilometres away. Occasional hedgehogs and miniature sheep, products of a local sculptor, peep out from buttress roots. A large stone figure overlooking the lake commands attention. Trisha explains that their endeavours claimed first place in the regional gardens competition and this statue, dubbed Moses, was the prize. Gandalf-like, he glowers into the middle distance. Stu places a smaller statue of the nude forest nymph beneath him. That will make him happier!

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The Donaldson’s preference for weeping species mean there are secretive nooks, with curtained entrances. Trails meander through large, split rhyolite outcrops. Splendid dawn redwoods mingle with rimu and swamp cypress. Some trees are dark and brooding, others are contorted, with peeling, paperlike bark.is beautifully-appointed.

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A few years ago, the Donaldsons added a B@B to the gardens. Birdsong Cottage is situated on a rise overlooking a feature lake and the pathways. It is beautifully-appointed. From the bedroom window, the view is of distant paddocks climbing to the Madonna

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Falls. Splendid Clydesdales share a paddock with a brace of donkeys. In spring, lambs are in abundance. Next door to the B@B is a small museum. Stuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest in music has lead to an impressive collection

of almost one hundred and fifty old and exotic instruments. Describing himself as a ‘back of the bus musician’ his favourite instrument is the banjo but he can render some recognisable bluegrass melodies. Each wall of the room is packed with instruments ranging from autoharps to zithers. Incongruously, ancient, cane fly-fishing rods lie across the rafters. There are other rare and engaging artifacts to be discovered. Stu has his eye on a bust of Elvis, owned by a local-reckons it will set off his collection of retro guitars perfectly. Trisha has added several displays of eye-catching crystals, porcelain and silverware.

long- abandoned guitar or violin and rediscover their musical prowess. Spend time at Aramatai Gardens. The Donaldsons are living off the land but they are also giving to the land. It’s a gift they are willing to share.

In the gardens there is an outhouse for visitors. Apart from the requisite amenities, there are lutes, violas and banjos to provide a distraction. Day visitors to the gardens have the option of sitting on the large verandah of the homestead, enjoying the view with tea and freshly-baked muffins. For those who prefer to experience the peaceful ambience, without wanting to expend energy, the views are impressive. The sloping lawn leads down to the pond, which reflects the trees and flower-covered banks. The property is animal-friendly. Mitsi, the Donaldson’s Cairn Terrier scampers around, birds wade and the occasional pet lamb demands attention. Overnighters have the opportunity to be completely private, or to enjoy the company of Trisha and Stu, with their tales of sheep musters to Waitara, hardcase locals, or King-Country folklore. Stu enjoys showing students his collection of instruments and often adults leave his museum, inspired to dig out a

12 Mapara North Road, R.D. 3,Postal Code: 3983 Te Kuiti. Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 33

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One Man’s Dream and the Ruben Our intrepid sailor determined to tick his lifelong dream off is ‘bucket list’ continues his journey with the Ruben Jane 13th May. Sandy greeted us early in the morning. He told us to go onto a certain heading and then he headed out to meet 5 other boats which had arrived overnight outside the reef. We thought he had forgotten us but all of a sudden he told us to go onto a different bearing (a good lesson in faith). We eventually ended up in the middle of the convoy. The last part of the circumnavigation was a very tricky dogleg. Sandy only guided 2 boats through at a time. As soon as we arrived the customs guys came on board. Warren plied them with Steinlager and they only charged us T$18 ($20NZ) but if you calculate the cost of the beer it would have been cheaper to pay full price. The Immigration/Agriculture people had been confiscating all fresh(?) fruit and vegetables so we had ours out ready. He looked at the potatoes and asked if we were intending to eat them on board. When we affirmed it he said ‘well, you’ll have to peel them and put the peelings in a plastic bag and then.....Well you’ll have to peel them and put the peelings in a plastic bag and then...’. He had dug a hole for himself. If he said anymore he would have to take some responsibility and action as well. The potatoes tasted delicious. He did take 2 bags of garbage away with him. We’ve got our own resident bommie (coral outcrop) - 2 feet under the keel. The family were waiting on the shore for me. They had had a hair-raising trip out from Nuku’alofa on the motorboat with the customs guys smoking directly over the outboard fuel.We ate at the restaurant $18 per head. Laura ordered then fell asleep so I had to help her out. Even in paradise some people require assistance. 14th May. Went for early morning swim and snorkel. The fleet has assembled so we all went for a walk through the local village and plantation. The gongs in the village are made from old oxyacetylene bottles. I hope they’re empty because some are quite rusty. In the afternoon a group of us organised to go for a snorkel over the giant-clam beds. The longboat took off in the wrong direction so I asked Shaun, the boatman if we were going to the clams. ‘Yes’ he replied (meaning yes I’m listening, not yes, we’re going to the clam beds). When we arrived at the reef he mumbled something about no anchor so he stepped barefoot onto the reef with a mooring line. Also muttered something about tide too low to go to the clams anyway. Still visibility underwater was awesome at 50-60 feet. There was lots of staghorn coral. 36 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

There was a buffet dinner at the restaurant of traditional fare. I enjoyed the raw fish dish and cheesecake as well as ice-cream and sauce. The evening wound up with traditional dancing by the islanders. I was too tired to really enjoy it though. Laura and Susannah were given some leis afterwards. The dancers cover themselves with oil so that the tourists can stick money to them while they dance. I found it goes against the grain of most Europeans who regard it as a form of begging. When you realise they only get about 68 cents an hour working in the restaurant though you realise they do need help. A good union negotiator might help raise their standard of living but they seem contented - or is that just resignation? 15th May. ICA Sports day. Joy, Laura and I played 9 holes of golf; 5 holes chipping up through the coconut palms and 4 coming back. Joy and I played tennis against our crew which we won comfortably then because it was so hot Joy threw the next game. We won 2 games of coconut bowls before bowing out. S and R won through to the finals.. We had the protests tonight. I got protested for keeping my riding light on when we came around the island in convoy. We protested Delphis for contravening the spirit of the ICA by calling on the elephants (elements) when we sighted them and then we were becalmed while they sailed off into the sunset. We also had the poems and stories incorporating all the boat names. Don and Sue, the crew off Episode won that. Their entry also had burnt edges around it along with the best story. I composed mine on the bottom of a Steinlager tray which should have won me some points. 16th May. Today Susannah, Warren and I finally got to the clam beds with 10 other folk. The weather was overcast and blustery. Shaun took us again. We enjoyed it for a few minutes but after looking at a giant clam from 6 different directions the next one looks somewhat similar. At teatime we had the pirate/shipwreck night along with prize giving. We got a large plastic platter, a wicker tray, and a hat along with the blue water certificates. The finals for the coconut bowls was held and although our girls won the first 2 ends, unfortunately they went down 3 - 2. Many people said that they wished our girls had won because they were nicer. 17th May. Went to church. The Wesleyan church. The first church in the village was full so we went to the other

n Jane one. All the service was in Tongan. One could almost understand the sermon because of the gestures and intonations. There was a long prayer with congregational responses which enabled the preacher to take a breath. There were two men up at the front of the church, a little to the side - possibly elders. They must have been bad because a lot of the gestures during the service were aimed in their general direction. At the end of the prayer the congregation suddenly burst into song which gave me a fright. Some of the crews were sporting hangovers and the loud singing was hard for them to take. The singing is almost shouting but their enthusiasm is infectious. In the afternoon Susannah and Warren went for a snorkel. Realm was leaving for Nuku’alofa and was heading straight for them. Fortunately for Susannah and Warren it stopped before it reached them; unfortunately for Realm she stopped because she hit a bommie; fortunately for them I took a line from them to Matangi who pulled them off Warren and Susannah dived down and saw that half the keel was firmly on the reef before she was pulled off. It was fun playing tugboat, rescuing the Realm from the clutches of a small island. Realm backed off and were taking an alternative route which also led towards a bommie so we again redirected them to a safer passage. I played Bennet at tennis until darkness overtook us. We get the feeling that it’s time we moved on. 18th May. Motored from Atata Island at 0930 hours. We were led through the reef by Sandy, this time on Impetuous. Omega followed him and we were next. There is quite a dogleg in the middle of the channel and Sea Salter who followed us cut the corner and ran onto the reef. Because the channel is so narrow we were unable to turn about to assist. Instead we radioed to Atata Island and they were sending out longboats to help. Delphis who were close behind Sea Salter were also unable to assist. Fortunately they were able to reverse off under their own power with no apparent damage. On arrival at Nuku’alofa we all moored stern to the embankment - Mediterranean style. All the crews assisted each other as there was a crosswind which made it difficult. We still needed a dinghy to get to the embankment which was made of rocks with concrete steps in it. Most of the boats rigged up a continuous pulley system. We just commandeered a dinghy which was across our stern. Its owners are taking the adjacent yacht to Auckland to sell. They are the European Union ambassadors to Tonga. After lunch Joy, Laura and I took a taxi to town where

we had a look around. Joy had given the taxi driver her ballpoint pen. I went to the New Zealand High Commissioners office to seek out an old family friend, who is New Zealand’s ambassador to Tonga. We did some grocery shopping on the way back to the boat. With heaps of groceries I took one big load and left it by Realm before returning to collect the remainder. Then I walked around the small boat harbour to our boat before returning in Plain Jane to pick up the groceries on the first trip and Joy and Laura on the second. I then took the main and the genoa over to the motor catamaran Hakula. Her skipper is a sail maker - a New Zealander gone troppo. The girls tried to shower in the toilet block Only one shower worked at a time so when the men’s shower finally got going the girls all showered there - no nozzle, just a dribble from the pipe. Pretty primitive and filthy. The men’s toilet didn’t have a seat but at least there was toilet paper. Also the water seems to be turned off at irregular intervals for no apparent reason for indeterminate times. There was finger food and free drinks for the regatta personnel at the Billfish Bar, which is 400 metres from the boats. This is put on by the Tonga Visitors Bureau.. Around the walls are many bills from the piscatorial conquests around Tongatapu over many years - quite impressive. A very full day but given the events of the next few days I should have eaten heaps more and drunk lots too. 19th May. We were going to have another day looking around the town but Joy met Edward the Tongan taxi driver who had brought them into Nuku’alofa from the airport so we hired him for a trip around the island of Tongatapu. Edward is mentioned twice in the Lonely Planet book on Tonga. We saw the Crown Prince’s residence - a huge mansion with extensive grounds and an impressive driveway leading up to the house. A rather large abode for a confirmed bachelor - with an eye for the ladies. He went to Kings College in Auckland. Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 37

Across the road from this stately home is the less grand abode of the Princess. It is probably equivalent to a middle class home in Auckland. However it had big stone tigers guarding the padlocked gate. About 30 metres further along the road there is an open farm gate leading back to the house. About a mile further along the road out of town was a humble house even by Tongan standards with a cannon in the front yard. We visited Cook’s landing, the burial mounds of the ancient kings with its massive stones brought by canoe 800 miles across the ocean; Ha’amonga the Tongan version of Stonehenge was next. Here Joy bought a necklace and bracelet T$5. They take a week to make according to the vendor. We then went to Edward’s house so he could collect a torch. His home is about the size of the average NZ garage. He shares it with his wife and five children. With his torch and our two we visited some caves. Bennet, Andy (Sanity) and I had a swim in the deep clear fresh water at the back of the cave. The water was cool but not cold. We then travelled to the southern coast where we saw one of the most awesome sights I have ever seen. All along the 12 miles of coastline are blowholes. The tide was full and the swell was 1.5 - 2 metres high. The spray was being flung 70 feet into the air. Apparently in a really big surge the view is nowhere near as spectacular as the water goes up to the next level of rocks on the shore. The final site was the south western peninsular which we had sailed around the previous week. Here the sight we were shown was the bats or flying foxes in the tops of the trees. Rebecca took a photograph of 3 young schoolgirls and they ran away giggling. On the way back to town we were shown a very rare sight - supposedly unique - a coconut palm which branched near the top. Back in town we drove past the Royal Palace with the flag flying. Joy, Laura and I had seen the King and Queen arrive yesterday with police escort and sirens and lights. The King’s Palace has a small retaining wall come fence out the back made of rusting corrugated iron. Then we drove past the Prime Minister’s residence just as he was arriving home. Total cost of the daylong trip was T$100 ($20 per adult) When we arrived back at the boat we found the other yachties in an angry mood. In order to extend our visas it was going to cost T$26 per person and take one week. We felt aggrieved because three weeks visa had cost us nothing and we had not been told of the wait or the cost when we arrived at Atata Island. This is the first year that 3 month visas hadn’t been issued to the members of the ICA on arrival in Tonga. There was certainly a feeling of deceit. 20th May. Bennet and Warren had spent the night in a motel prior to catching their flight home. As today is Bennett and a Mahimahi 38 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

Bennet’s birthday we all got up early to wish him a Happy 21st. Joy had bought a bone carving off the taxi driver who had asked for the ball-point so we gave that to him. After farewelling all the returning crews we returned to the boat. Late in the morning I started walking to town but a nice taxi driver came by and it was hot so I took a taxi ride instead for $2. I saw Ian Hill (New Zealand’s Ambassador) at his office and he said he would send his man around in the afternoon to arrange for us to go to his place for drinks. I then went to the Immigration Department underneath the Central Police Station. Only 1 out of 6 fluorescent lights in the corridor was working. Stupid Palangi. Anyone but a palangi would know that the Immigration Department closes for the day at 12.30 on Wednesdays. For future reference they are also closed on Friday afternoons. Ian arrived at the boat and invited us to a barbeque at their place. He would send a car for us at 7pm. All the ICA had a council of war on Emotion late afternoon to discuss visas. Some hot heads and some cool ones. Someone suggested calling David Hunt (Atata Island) who had offered to help if we ever got in trouble. He said he would contact immigration in the morning. Ian arrived in NZ1 to pick us up. His surname is Hill and he lives on the only hill on Tongatapu. He said that he has had Tongans who have lived all their lives on the island who, when they ascend his hill, have been scared of falling off. We met Barbara, his wife, and their children. Laura played with Emma, their daughter. It was an enjoyable evening with some good experiences of Ian’s to enjoy. At the conclusion of the evening he delivered us back to the boat. He said he would contact the Tonga Tourist Bureau regarding our visas. 21st May. Arrived at Immigration Department at 0930 hours when they opened. I was immediately sent to another counter where there was a man sitting behind a desk doing nothing. After a few minutes he gestured me to another counter where after several minutes a girl gave

me 5 forms to be filled out by each crew member. I told her that all the crew were back at the boat harbour (2 miles away) and anyway some were too young to fill out forms. She reluctantly said I could fill them out. I asked if I could borrow a pen. She said ‘No’. So I went to a stationary shop where ball-points were T$1-50. I was charged only 40 cents, why I’m not sure. I filled out the forms and took them back to the girl. She charged me T$130 and when I proffered my bankcard she looked at me blankly... I went off to the bank to get the money. Upon eventual payment she gave me 5 receipts. I returned to the first counter where they took our passports and told me to come back on Monday morning. I told them I was leaving at first light tomorrow. ‘When is that?’ was the response. ‘At dawn’ I said... After a long pause I was told to return at 3pm today. At 2.55pm I was back to pick up our passports. I had asked for 6 month visas (because it costs so much to renew), I was given 5 months - but I won because we only need 2 1/2 months. It is worth noting that if you are changing money at the Bank of Tonga they convert it into Australian dollars then into Tongan so you pay 2 lots of conversion. However the ANZ bank converts it straight from NZ to Tongan dollars. The T$6 charge seems uniform. The attitude continued amongst the bureaucrats throughout Tonga and does little to perpetuate the myth of ‘The Friendly Isles’. Only one bureaucrat in the whole of Tonga was found to smile. The other feature which took some adjusting to was the shopkeepers’ habit of glaring at you when there was change to be given. They would then slap the change down on their side of the counter. Again, in Tonga this was almost universal. The exceptions were refreshing. Obviously public relations do not feature highly within their tourist industry. 22nd May. Spent the morning trying to find the Customs Clearing Officer on Queen Salote Wharf. When departing for one of the other groups of islands which comprise the Tongan group one must clear out and clear in at the next group - more on this later. The office at the gate sent me way down the end by the containers. The only office there appeared to be the Quarantine Office and as I didn’t need to clear out from them I returned to the gate thinking they had misunderstood. They again sent me way down the back so I played their little game and asked at the Quarantine Office. They directed me behind some yellow containers to a tiny office. I could have spent all day looking for it. After clearing we had to leave within the hour. I had paid my port dues $30 the day before so all that remained was to fill up with water. Had also refuelled with diesel from a truck on the embankment. Took 60 litres. We kedged out on the anchor and adjacent buoys with the help of Andy (Sanity) and motored to the other side of the boat harbour where we tied alongside a fishing boat. We made a good approach second time. T$5 for as much water as we needed. Then we motored to Pangimotu Resort, several miles off the coast. Had a swim and lunch. There is a wreck on the

SE corner of the island but no-one was game to go into it because it looked very dark inside. About 1500 hours we weighed anchor and motored along the shipping channel followed by Delphis. We found the channel markers confusing as did everyone else: some are not working, some are in the wrong place and some are non-existent. We deliberately left mid-afternoon so as to ensure arriving at our destination in daylight hours. We were heading towards a light on an island when Delphis went off on a different angle. Then a ship came from Nuku’alofa and followed them. Then a reef appeared between Delphis and us so I contacted them on Ch 6. They said they were about to contact us because they thought we were headed for a reefy area. I checked the chart and the GPS and found I was several miles from where I thought I was so we retraced our steps and put the sail up to give us maximum speed in order to be clear of the reef by dark. I think the error came by taking a misplaced channel marker as being correct. Once clear of the reef we took the middle course to the Ha’apais. Delphis took the right hand lay line and Sea Salter followed us. There was a NE change in the weather forecast but I thought it would not come for 20 hours by which time we should be there. It is only 60 miles so should only take 12 hours. The problem would be to slow down as we get closer to arrive in daylight. Under No.4 jib alone we made very good speed into the night. The wind speed increased from 18 to 26 knots. All the family except Laura was seasick and miserable. I had made a bad call with the weather and they let me know. Delphis had been wandering all over the ocean with her wind vane steering and when we came abeam Steve adjusted the bungee cord on the wind vane. By the time Rebecca and I had changed to the storm jib Delphis was 1 1/2 miles ahead. He thought it was because he had altered his bungee. Our speed dropped from 6.2 to 2.6 knots. During the night I had catnaps on the cockpit sole. Rebecca was too worried and sick to sleep but tended the others well by keeping their buckets empty. I was not worried, just uncomfortable. She thought she was going to die but was determined not to die a wimp. In the middle of the night we came across a boat going around in circles. It gave us an average speed of 2 knots. Although the wind had just gone over 30 knots the seas were 2 metres and quite close together. The wind had pushed us further west than we had wanted. We resorted to motor. We had hoped to pick up the light which is visible from 10 miles at night but it was not to be. Our destination was a volcano and the volcanoes I know are Mayor, White and Rangitoto. They rise hundreds of feet into the air and are visible from a considerable distance. When we were 8 miles from Nomuka Iki, Rebecca said to me ‘Dad, what happens if when we get there it isn’t really there?’ Oh the insecurity of trusting in GPS. It makes one look over one’s shoulder in case the island is there. Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 39

With 7 miles to go I sighted it right where it should be. With a swell now up to 3 metres on the nose it took a few hours to approach the island. The light stands on a small island which looks like a battleship from the seaward side. Just off the light we caught up with Delphis. I went up the rigging and guided us into an anchorage at the prison island. A marvellous place for a prison. Who wants to escape from paradise? We dropped anchor at midday in sheltered waters which were a beautiful turquoise, beckoning us to snorkel. However after 21 hours at sea we all had a sleep. It was for anchorages like this that I had wanted to come to these isles. When we went for a walk to stretch our legs in the evening there was the ubiquitous rubbish littering the shore and the clearing where there were several huts. An early night was on the cards as we still weren’t feeling wonderful. 24th May. Went for a snorkel early in the morning. Delphis and Sea Salter were also in the bay. Jim, off Sea Salter caught a crayfish. After breakfast we all went ashore to explore. There is only one track leading from the clearing so we followed it for several hundred metres. We came upon a plantation so we borrowed some coconuts, papayas (paw-paw is a rude word in Tonga) and some bananas. Stealing food is a very serious crime in Tonga so we only borrowed it. This was on a Sunday when people were in church back home. We then walked along the beach to a wreck lying on the shore. It is also anchored to the shore. This is apparently to fulfil the law that says all wrecks must be secured. Jim told Laura he would give her 50 cents if she could catch one of the crabs running up the beach. Within 5 minutes she had caught one. She caught a few more to show how easy it was. They did look hard to catch though. 25th May. Today we spent doing the things I do best, swim, snorkel, eat, sleep, snorkel....The fish are so colourful. I like the electric blue ones best. Another full day in paradise. 26th May. Most of the fleet are here now. Today was like yesterday, really busy and full of tiring activities. There was a BBQ ashore tonight but a bit of a surge made going home a wet experience for me. It was tricky navigating through the reef by using masthead lights on the anchored boats alone as the sky was overcast. 27th May A lazy morning on the boat. In the afternoon a few of us circumnavigated the island on foot. It probably took a couple of hours. It is amazing how many boat parts are just lying on the beaches and amongst the rocks. 28th May. After breakfast we set off for Ha’afeva Island some 20 miles to windward (NNE). We took a long board out 40 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

towards the volcanic cone of Kao and her squat neighbour, Tofua. It was around these parts that the mutiny of the Bounty took place. Delphis with her steel hull went close to Hakaufisi Reef but we stayed a more cautious 3/4 mile off. Just after we tacked in 13 knots towards Ha’afeva Island Steve came on the radio to alert us to whales leaping off our port quarter. We saw one tail waving in the air for a while then one whale leapt right out of the water. Apart from that, the only noteworthy points were that we went on the E side of Teauba Island and Fetoa Island while the rest of the fleet went to the W. and just as we passed N of Russel Reef the fishing reel went off and Rebecca got very excited but unfortunately there was nothing on it by the time I got to the rod. We anchored to the E of Ha’afeva in 60 feet on a sandy bottom. This is our deepest anchorage so far. We had covered 29 miles on a 20 mile journey. It had been an enjoyable sail but a trifle long as the breeze was just under a good sailing strength. Most of the people who live here are in debt to the storekeeper. If they have benzene they can go fishing and earn some money: no benzene; no fish; no money. One of the potentially most dangerous incidents of the trip happened this evening when Laura who had been playing on the jib on the deck fell through the for’ard hatch. The good Lord was watching over her because Rebecca just happened to be walking underneath the hatch and Laura fell on top of her. Laura sported a sore knee for several days but her injuries could have been far worse. 29th May. Sandy (Matangi) warned us of the islanders’ nocturnal antics. The supply ship was due in tonight and there were outboards and shouting in abundance. I slept through it all. Apparently the supplies took about 3/4 hour to unload. They must have worked fast because there are 300 people on the island. This island appears to be a Mormon stronghold and at 4am the bells (oxy-acetylene tanks) started ringing with the usual island vigour. As soon as one bell at one end of the village stopped being beaten to death another one at the other end of the village would start complaining. Sometimes 2 or more would be beaten at the same time. A most unholy din. The incongruity of the splendour of their white floodlit buildings contrasted with the squalor of the native structures. I noticed the other church building was more equitable. Rebecca’s hormones are coming into play. There are 5 eligible young men and only 2 eligible girls in the fleet. The young lad in the picture is Andy Marshall (Sanity) We all went ashore and had a walk through the village. The inhabitants include horses, goats, chooks, dogs and pigs. Someone had booked us to visit the local school but when we arrived they weren’t ready so we walked across the island to where they are building a new wharf. No safety helmets or safety goggles but they all had steel-capped boots. The

welder did have a welding visor though. We returned to the school where we were entertained by songs, some with actions and some without. In reply we sang our National Anthem and Old McDonald had a farm. Yvonne (Sanity) then sang them a song about a wiggly fish. Sandy (Matangi) recited a poem and made the greetings and farewell speeches. After lunch we all shifted our boats to the other side of the island for better protection. The anchorage was in 15-20 feet. There was a bit of a roll though. I was expecting Elyxir any day, so when I sighted a sail on the horizon I called them up on the VHF. However it was Sandy from Atata on Impetuous. He had a boatload of beauties including Elle Macpherson on the way to a photo shoot up north. He is normally fairly taciturn but must have been starved for male company because he kept starting up the conversation again every time I signed off. The guys practised the haka before walking back to the village to take up the challenge of a game of touch. Rebecca played too and it was comical to watch the locals’ reaction to her. They didn’t know where to touch her so just ran alongside waving to her. I played a little too. Not sure who won but it was fun. Laura and I walked back across the island and were given some citrus fruit by a lady and a young girl. We were both startled by a horse hidden behind some tall grass.

31st May. Joy, Laura and I went for a walk along the beach then back through the undergrowth looking for the well. We found it at the back of the backpacker’s hostel. Sonny, the custodian, was giving water to the pigs when we arrived. We asked if we could have water for our boat and he said yes. He also said all the pigs on the island belonged to him so we told Steve before he went hunting. The young folk played the first half of a game of touch on the soft sand. At half time they all jumped in the sea to cool off (26°C). They stayed in so long they forgot to play the second half. We spent the day on the beach then went to Omega for a bread party. Grant had cooked a loaf so we helped him eat it. I interrupted John’s sked tonight when I heard Pacific Prophecy trying to contact him. There seemed quite a bit of tension in the lady’s voice. I needed a relay from Sunset Quest to make myself understood and then another relay was needed to get their message to John. They were returning to Cape Brett with a broken boom vang. Also 5 of the 6 crew were seasick so I felt the interruption was warranted. The trip on the Ruben Jane continues in the next issue of Good Teacher Magazine

30th May. The boys from Pericon took me out to the wreck of the Ekiaki to snorkel. Every reef seems to have its resident wreck. It certainly cautions one in respect for the sea. This dive was very disappointing with very little in the way of fish life. We all returned to Ruben Jane for morning tea while a squall went over. We then raised anchor along with Pericon and Sanity and motored S out of the bay, we were all bound for Uoleva Island which The Lonely Planet describes as the best beach in Tonga. The main hazard to avoid is Lord Shoal and we motored into the SE chop. Once around that it would have been plain sailing on 045°M apart from being one crewmember short as Rebecca had gone on Sanity. It was an uncomfortable 2 1/2 hours motoring with frequent squalls whipping up a 4 foot short sea. Finally the wind dropped to 20 knots so I hauled up the drifter and our speed rose to 7 knots (7.6 max). We were quickly overhauling Sanity but eventually ran out of time. Pericon with full main and No.3 up got to 11.8 knots. We anchored in the SW bay on Uoleva and found that it certainly is a beautiful bay with good anchorage on sand sheltered from N through to SE. As we arrived we heard the cheers of the Canterbury supporters (mainly Sanity) as they beat Auckland in the Super 12 final. The Lonely Planet says that there are wild pigs ashore and Steve (Delphis) is keen to get some pork with his crossbow. Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 41

Steampunk Alive In Auck

Channelling Victorian science-fiction, MOTAT is set to transform into a fascinating scene from an alternate history on Saturday 28 April at Aether & Iron: A Time Traveller’s Day Out. For one day only MOTAT will morph into a Victorian world powered by steam and futuristic innovations. Aether and Iron will be an enchanting day for all, with unique workshops and intriguing characters galore. MOTAT Museum Director, Jeremy Hubbard says Aether and Iron has returned to MOTAT for its second year after much Steampunk hype was generated at the unique event last year. “We were blown away by the great lengths some visitors went to with their costumes and interesting characters last year. Everyone who attended the event really let their hair down and had a great time, and we are looking forward to raising the bar even higher this year,” he says. Mr Hubbard says that MOTAT is the perfect location for this diverse event with its sensational steam powered collections and Victorian buildings. “Aether and Iron is all about unleashing creativity and using the past, present and future as inspiration - and what better place to celebrate this than at MOTAT,” said Mr Hubbard. For those who don’t come in costume, never fear, MOTAT is offering Aether and Iron visitors the opportunity to make their own quirky accessories with ‘Make and Take Goggles’ and ‘Steampunk your Ray Gun’ workshops. Other highlights to look forward to are the Character Creation Workshop, spot prizes and a myriad of Victorian activities and characters. “We want all members of the community, including Steampunks, cos-players, social history aficionados and theatre-lovers to share the fun of Aether and Iron. There will be something for everyone to enjoy,” says Mr Hubbard. “Also, the day’s best costumes will be given a ‘Best Dressed’ prize, so we are encouraging people to start preparing for this outrageously fun day out now.” For a day of fun, fantasy and imagined future, come along to Aether and Iron at MOTAT! 42 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

One lucky school will win a MOTAT education programme for up to three classrooms! (usually $4 per child!)

kland With MOTAT

Mighty MOTAT Classroom Giveaway: MOTAT is the largest transport, technology and social history museum in New Zealand and is also widely recognised for offering fantastic education programmes for school groups. Topics covering science, social science, and technology are brought to life in a fun and interactive way, with over 25,000 Kiwi kids getting involved each year. MOTATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education programmes are taken by professional education staff and are designed to support the New Zealand curriculum

and Te WhÄ riki. Comprehensive Resource Packs and activity trails are available for planning and follow up lessons, and depending on your teaching objectives, the education programmes can be adapted to match your learning requirements. MOTAT is a great day out for school kids who often find they uncover new passions in the fields of technology, science and social science after experiences at MOTAT. Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 43

Mainland’s Adopt a Penguin programme Schools looking for an exciting educational programme and an opportunity to win over $10,000 worth of prizes need not look any further. To celebrate Mainland’s 21-year sponsorship of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, Mainland is running The Mainland Adopt a Penguin Programme, open to all New Zealand primary school classes duringTerm Two, 2012. Throughout the programme, teachers will receive fun and engaging information and activity sheets about yellow-eyed penguins, conservation and the environment. Plus students can watch their class’s adopted yellow-eyed penguin grow from egg to parent.

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Schools can also compete to win over $10,000 worth of prizes by collecting labels from Mainland products and uploading photos of their class completing the programme. Teacher’s can sign their class up to the programme at any stage. But to get a head start teachers should sign their class up to the programme at www.adoptapenguin.co.nz

After a hotly contested photographic battle, Simon East of Dunedin has been named the 2012 Otago Wildlife Photographer of the Year! All the winners in this year’s competition were announced last in a prize giving ceremony held at the Otago Museum. Presented by Otago Museum in partnership with Natural History New Zealand (NHNZ) and with the support of Jonathan’s Photo Warehouse, the competition, now in its thirteenth year, continues to be popular among local amateur photographers, attracting an impressive 1014 entries this year. The competition was judged by Stephen Jaquiery of the Otago Daily Times, Craig Meade of NHNZ and Jonathan Kemp of Jonathan’s Photo Warehouse. In addition to taking away the title of 2012 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Simon East also won the 15 years and over Animal category, with his entry West Coast starfish colony. The judges remarked that the photo was “a well crafted shot, creating a particularly striking image and reflected a level of thinking around the category.” For the 15 years and over categories, the top prize in the plant category went to Gary Speer with his entry

of Staghorn fungi. Connie McDonald took away the prize for best entry in the Human Impact on the Natural Environment category with her innovative image, Genetically modified. In the 14 years and under section, the prize for best animal photograph was awarded to Katie Atkinson forWatching you watching me, while Kate Gold took away the Human Impact on the Natural Environment category prize with Plastic in paradise. The Plant category was won by Abbey Baird with her entry Mushroom. The jury prize, awarded for capturing the judges’ attention, went to Craig McKenzie for his photograph Reef heron;an entry specially noted as “capturing nature looking dishevelled rather than beautiful.” A continued enthusiast of the competition, Craig was named Otago Wildlife Photographer of the decade in 2009 “This year we’ve seen an exceptional leap in the quality of entries” says Juliet Pierce, Marketing Coordinator. “With some fantastic technical skills being shown and people really thinking outside the square in their photos, 2012 has been another great year for the competition!”

Banksey’s influence Fred’s Chemistry Puzzle Answers are: Achieved Merit Excellence Scholarship

dog urine Mercedes Benz(ene) Ferrous wheel Contraceptive (a ‘No’ in every conceivable position) Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 45

CHEMISTRY PUZZLE #1

Chemical formulae by FRED

This is an internally assessed achievement standard in Puzzle Solving Level 1 Work out name of the substance with the given formulae Print your answers in the box provided. Group work is encouraged. Each puzzle is worth 1 credit. Time: all afternoon

ACHIEVED

MERIT

K9P

EXCELLENCE Fe Fe

Fe Fe

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SCHOLARSHIP NO

NO NO

The Art Of Children’s Conversation® A new game and gift book promises to help children develop as confident speakers, better listeners and great all-round communicators, as well as being suitable for use in therapy and education. From toning down the over-the-top talker, to drawing out the shy child and all those in-between, TAOC® is helping to get families communicating again! Creators Louise Howland and Keith Lamb, have long mourned the demise of the family dinner and the valuable forum it provided. They have spent years researching and developing The Art of Conversation series and have created a Universal and a Children’s edition. Suitable for players from five years to adults, TAOC® helps children put complex ideas into words, share their ideas and feelings and respect the views of others. When so much of life’s fulfillment comes through having adequate social skills, does it not make sense to teach this area as we do other subjects? Highly acclaimed by educators, therapists and parents (and best of all, kids love it!) TAOC® can help children of varying abilities and special needs, including Asperger’s, gifted children, and children at risk. The game may be played in nine different modes, both competitive and non-competitive – there’s even a solo mode with which social skills can be fine-tuned in private! TAOC® is professionally accepted as a resource for use in therapy, education (including anti-bullying programmes), counselling and language teaching. It is also plain good fun for everyone! Experts agree that more children are now starting school with language delays, and this is widely blamed on their decreased exposure to conversation. With so much modern communication taking place by e-mail and SMS, and with TV, computer games and games consoles being the preferred recreation for many children, they are simply less exposed to real-life conversation. Yet children who communicate well by the time they start school have a head-start in life.

great fun for players of any age. The 16 page book included provides valuable guidelines for communication for the use of TAOC®. It’s also worth noting that, at a time of economic turmoil and mortgage stress, better communication can be important to us all. At such times, the focus tends to move much more towards our families and those closest to us. Why not actually spend more quality time with your loved ones, or go out and find your special somebody, confident in your ability to communicate and understand… a great reason to turn off the screens and communicate effectively. “The Art of Conversation for Children allows everyone in the group to have their say, to be listened to and to express opinions. It is every teacher’s dream. The beauty of it is that it can be used in such a variety of situations across a wide age range, focusing on language development, confidence building, brainstorming ideas, creative thinking, morale building and so much more. Can also be used «just for fun»!” Leila Harrison Special Education Teacher

TAOC® also proves valuable in dispute resolution and therapeutic settings, and can be an important factor in the primary prevention of family breakdown. TAOC® makes is easier to find the root cause of family conflict, and to help build and re-build relationships, opening lines of communication. It can also help blended families to bond more easily as well as being a useful ice-breaker during access visits to the non-custodial parent.

“TAOC® for Children is a wonderful tool to engage young people in meaningful and fun conversations. The cards are so diverse and would to varying age groups, stimulating interesting and thought provoking conversations. My own children love to play too we have some really good laughs and chats around what is important to the child.” Steve Phillis, Programme Coordinator St Luke’s Anglicare, Bendigo

It can be particularly valuable for children, who are often caught in the middle of conflicts between their parents. Periods of parental relationship breakdown are associated with stress and behavioural problems in many children.

“TAOC® is a highly original, simple and very effective resource that will provide invaluable assistance in solving many of the communication problems increasingly encountered in education and many other areas of life.” Russell Deal, Innovative Resource

TAOC® will not only help children to become confident speakers and attentive listeners – it’s also

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Interesting or unusual sculptures in public places

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50 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012

Removing the Barriers for Speed By Michelle LaBrosse, PMP®, Chief Cheetah and Founder of Cheetah Learning, and Kristen LaBrosse, Co-Author, CAPM®

As we cruise through our career path, it can be tempting to fall into comfortable patterns and turn autopilot on as we coast from project to project. But as the world changes and projects become more complex, it is imperative to remain in the drivers seat to ensure that we are constantly removing road blocks that make our project teams falter and pause. Follow the below tips to ensure that you and your project team are moving along at Cheetah Speed. Create Limits with Your Space and Time. Have you ever sat at your desk thinking about what you needed to do, but kept putting off the tasks at hand in favor of procrastinating? Sometimes when we are sitting in our work area we trick ourselves into thinking that we are being productive. This is because we are so close to actually being productive in our work space - we have the desk prepared, the computer is powered on, and the pen is readied. But we are fooling ourselves; productivity is not an area, it is an action. To help rid yourself and your team of this habit, make sure that you set limits on your workspace and time. If you are sitting in your workspace and not working, it means you need to take an actual break, as you are not making yourself more productive by staring at the computer screen. Set a time limit to take a break to do whatever it is that is distracting you from work, whether that is getting lost in the world of Facebook status updates or scrolling through your Pinterest account. Then come back to your workspace with a goal in mind, and don’t take any breaks until your goal is completed. Most people find their groove when they are working towards a goal, so don’t be surprised if you don’t need a break after you have accomplished your task. By creating more boundaries for yourself within your work, you’re remove the barrier of distraction and are able to accomplish more. Healthy Team Dynamics. While team members’ hard skills are an important aspect of any project team, it is important for the team to not lose sight of the soft skills that make working together possible. Conflict within a project team can be one of the biggest barriers to speed and can not only be frustrating but a waste of time and resources. Growing up, we’ve all learned the Golden Rule: Treat others the way that you want to be treated. But to ensure that your project team is harmonious and successful, make sure that you are all following the Platinum Rule: Treat others how they want to be treated. The more you pay attention to how others prefer to communicate and the style of work that they

prefer, the better you will be able to work in a way that maximizes their capabilities. Take a “Funk-buster” Break. It’s three p.m. You are on your third cup of coffee and staring at your computer, but for some reason your brain won’t work, and you still have to finish your quarterly report! This condition is commonly referred to as a “funk” and happens when your body thinks it is sleeping because it hasn’t exerted any energy for a significant period of time. When you find yourself in a funk, instead of trying to push your way through it, take a break. Get up out of your chair and do some jumping jacks. Take a walk around the block. Have a small dance party for one. Stop the funk as soon as you can by getting some motion into your body to remind your brain that it needs to be on alert and ready for action. Achieve Flow. You now have a productive project team that sets time and space boundaries, has great team dynamics, and is funk-proof. The next thing to do is to ensure that your team has the skills and motivation required to get the tasks done. For your project team to be the most efficient, each member of your team should be able to consistently achieve a state of flow while performing project tasks. Flow is a mental state where an individual is completely immersed and focused on the tasks at hand. Flow happens when there is a balance between ability level and challenge, and when there is a very clear goal. The three biggest barriers to achieving flow are inadequate skills and/or preparation, confusion as to what the end goal is, and a lack of personal meaning in the task at hand. Make sure that your project team has the skill sets they require for their project deliverables, are able to keep their eye on the prize with clear goals, and has a personal vested interest in what it is they are doing. Keep these tips in mind when you are safely steering your project team around barriers to speed and towards project success! About Michelle: Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, an entrepreneurial powerhouse with a penchant for making success easy, fun, and fast, the founder of Cheetah Learning, author of the Cheetah Success Series, and a prolific blogger whose mission is to bring Project Management to the masses. Cheetah Learning is a virtual company with 100 employees, contractors, and licensees worldwide. More than 30,000 people have become “Cheetahs” using Cheetah Learning’s innovative Project Management and accelerated learning techniques. Recently honored by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012 51

“The best teachers don’t give you the answers... They just point the way ... and let you make your own choices.”

52 Good Teacher Magazine Term 1 2012