Learning-focused culture

Develop a culture that is focused on learning, and is characterised by respect, inclusion, empathy, collaboration and safety.

Key Indicators:
• Develop learning-focused relationships with learners, enabling them to be active participants in the process of learning, sharing ownership and responsibility for learning.
• Foster trust, respect and cooperation with and among learners so that they experience an environment in which it is safe to take risks.
• Demonstrate high expectations for the learning outcomes of all learners, including for those learners with disabilities or learning support needs.
• Manage the learning setting to ensure access to learning for all and to maximise learners’ physical, social, cultural and emotional safety.
• Create an environment where learners can be confident in their identities, languages, cultures and abilities.
• Develop an environment where the diversity and uniqueness of all learners are accepted and valued.
• Meet relevant regulatory, statutory and professional requirements.

Questions I have asked myself:
- How can I access/use personal information about students that may enhance the effectiveness of my teaching?
- How can I access agencies, groups, individuals in the community?
- Who is out there and how might they support me?
- What type of environment have I created in the classroom?
- What sort of behaviour should a focussed and engaged student exhibit?
- If student(s) are not engaging, is it because they do not feel safe either physically, socially, culturally or emotionally?
- Can I make a difference by changing an aspect of my interaction with student(s) or delivery of a lesson? How? Who can help me?
- What is acceptable behaviour (for everyone) in the classroom and what routines can be used to achieve this?
- What are the different learning styles my students might have?
- Does my teaching style meet the needs of the different learning styles of students?
- Where can I learn about different learning styles?
- Are my lessons interesting, varied, relative, contextual?
- What are the relevant regulatory and statutory requirements and where do I find out about them?
- How do I show in my practice that I actively promote the wellbeing of all ākonga for whom I am responsible?

- How do I establish background information?

- How do I elicit the information from the students?

- How much information should I allow to influence my planning?

- How does my teaching reflect that I understand the main influences on how my learners learn?

- How am I planning my strategies based on my student needs?

- How do I demonstrate knowledge of my learner, their backgrounds, interests and identity?

- Do I provide students the opportunity to reflect on their learning experiences?

- Do I allow my students to reflect on their learning and behaviour? 

- Do I allow students to set themselves personal goals?

- How do I support the students to implement their personal goals?

- How does my teaching reflect that I understand the main influences on how my ākonga learn?

- What are the important social and cultural influences on learning in this school?

- What best practice teaching approaches are effective for learners in a multicultural context?

- What are the needs of the learners at this school?

- How have I incorporated this knowledge into my planning and choice of assessment?

- How will I best utilise the technologies and resources available to me?

- Do I understand analysis and use of relevant data?

- Am I aware of the languages in the cultures that I teach?

- Am I engaging the learners in my teaching in a cultural context?

- Am I flexible in my teaching approaches?

- How does my knowledge of the varied strengths, interests and needs of individuals and groups of ākonga influence how I teach them?