facetoface2 day 4

Ma te huruhuru te manu ka rere (With feathers a bird flies). When looking at Inclusive Practices with Dr Joanne Walker she used an activity called a Whatu pokeka, where we had to complete two sentences on blue and orange coloured paper cut out in the shape of a feather. “I know I belong at school because…….” And “I feel valued at school when …”. This is a very good activity to do at the start of the year when establishing a classroom treaty giving the freedom of everyone in the class to express their opinions. Joanne had collected a set together on a cloak ( a large sheet of paper) which you can then display in the classroom.

Did a number of matching exercises. One was phrases with their correct definition of either “Differentiation” (the what) or “Adaptation” (the how). Again, a good practical strategy to use in the classroom which I have used a lot when taking health classes where there is a lot of terminologies the students have to come to grips with.

For education to be inclusive we must treat everyone the same, challenge each and every one of our students, use the skilled

approach, use peer support from within the school and from the wider community, and, when necessary, adapt and differentiate.