5. Support your mahi (Whakamahi)

The resources and ideas in this section may support your role in whakamahi to plan the ways in which you:

• connect with whānau during whakamahi;

• support kaiako and others in coaching conversations as they implement new strategies and approaches with ākonga; and 

• support the practices of teacher aides and other support people.

Connections with whānau

As an LSC you may consider:

• how are the lines of communication established?

• how is communication mana enhancing for all?

• how are we maintaining a culture of ako as we learn with and from one another?

During whakamahi you may be connecting with whānau regularly. These links have ideas for providing options for communicating and collaborating and using digital technologies.

Coaching: GROW model

GROW:

• Goal - what are you trying to achieve / work towards?

• Reality - where are you now and what have you done to get there?

• Options - what are the different ways you can reach your goal, what will help?

• Way forward - what will you do next, what's your first step?

The GROW coaching model gives you a framework from which to encourage the development of new practices as teams work towards the identified goals in tātai.

Download a GROW template and question prompts to support your work with individual kaiako, groups of kaiako or other adults.  

Teacher Aides

These resources may support you to work with kaiako and leaders to encourage teacher aide practice that is focused on enhancing and promoting belonging, full participation, progress and achievement in inclusive education settings.

The modules on Teachers and teacher Aides Working Together are useful for exploring areas of effective teacher aide practice.

Of particular interest could be:

Click on images to go to the modules

Click on images to go to the modules

This video shares ideas for planning and supporting effective ways of working with teaching assistants.

This video looks at effective strategies for support staff practice - roving, scanning, supporting attention and asking open ended questions. 

This video talks about the use of modelling to support consistent teaching approaches between teachers and teaching assistants. 

Reflective questions:

• What is my role in supporting our team to implement strategies and approaches identified in tātai?

• What coaching or other professional learning opportunities might be needed to support progress towards the goals in the plan?

• How are we ensuring that the work we do together in putting the plan into action is mana-enhancing for ākonga, whānau and kaiako?

• Have we got a shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the team?

• How has the team been enabled to communicate, provide support, share successes and meet challenges?

• What monitoring processes are in place to help the goals, strategies and supports in the plan remain relevant and appropriate?

Download PDF with all reflective questions