Math PLD - 29th May 2026

 ​Introduce the Airtable to the team and explain how to use it. 

- Co-create a planning document that works for all. 

- Print out the te mataiaho so that the team have a printed copy, that they can go back to. 

- Sort the connected books, 

- Use the figure it out books at the reading time. 

Use the vocab in the back of the curriculum and get the team to make a vocab wall so we can unpack it for the ākonga. Putting an image with the vocab. 

The ākonga can stick it into their maths books, modelling books, 

Learners talking about their learning is very important. 

 Vocab is key to understanding

We need to celebrate the math mahi in the classroom, having a concept map moving through the strand. 

Census at school

We need to know the practice statements for the children that we are learning. We need to be deliberate about the tasks we put in front of the children so they connect to what we want them to know. I have to repeat the tasks to help the learner make connections to their thinking. 

Mathematical and statistical processes are the basis of the planning. We need to integrate it effectively and efficiently into the planning process. 

Sentence stems for the processions, which are blown up and on the wall. 

Investigating situations - New name for problem solving

What are the 

Set up norms in the class so that no one feels like they can't share. What is the math culture in the room? 

When you approach problem solving, how can we make it ours? 

My time as Acting Principal

 I was acting principal for the end of Term 2 while Tara was on sick leave, and again in Term 4 2025. 

This was a huge learning curve, and I leaned into what I was learning through the Growth Culture course. 

In term 2, we had a staff changeover, and they were not happy with how things were going. For example, Antoinette was spending half the morning in Kapuka, then coming over the Huatea, and Debbie was teaching maths in Huatea and then going over the Kapuka. It was a mess, and neither of them liked nor really understood the why. 

After hearing these conversations and thinking about it, it became clear that something needed to change and that something was me and where I was to be. 

After talking to the kaiako and sharing my idea with Tara, we decided to move forward. 

The idea was as follows:

Antoinette became the main teacher in Kapuka, Debbie became the main teacher in Huatea, and I became the CRT/roaming teacher who can still do the intervention groups in the morning. 

Once we had this worked out, Term 3 went well until Tara handed in her notice. I then became acting principal for Term 4 and decided to apply for the job. 

Term 4 was filled with a lot of cleanup and reminders to the children, community, and staff about expectations, plus I was dealing with a sick team member who took 2-5 days off each week. After talking to them about that, she decided to take the end of the year off to 'recover' and start fresh in term 1. 

While the time in the chair was challenging, it was, in fact, something that I enjoyed. The good times far outweighed the learning conversations I had to have, and since taking the job as Principal, I have done a huge amount of learning, especially about myself and how I handle tricky situations. For me, it is about forming relationships with others so they can trust me and know I am here to help them. I have the children and the community at the heart of everything I do and every decision I make. I work alongside the team to make informed, carefully weighed choices that will have a positive impact. 

Don't get me wrong, Term 4 and Term 1 2026 haven't been a walk in the park; they have had their fair share of challenges, learning, and joy, but it has definatly been what I have needed to move forward and grow in who I am and the way that I operate. I definatly am still in the learning pit, and feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get things achieved, but my thoughts are that if something doesn't get done, then it can wait for tomorrow, and I have to put my family first and encourage others to do the same. Those boundaries that have been blurred for the last 5 years under others, the phone calls at night, at weekends, and on holidays, they have all stopped, and now they are precious times with those that I love. 

Self Care plan

 

At the start of the year, we created a self-care plan after a webinar with Karina.

Refleciton 11/8/25

Daily - 

Walk - 

I am in a good space when I walk in the mornings, and then it allows me to process and mull over those things that are in my head, whether it's personal or work-wise. It has really helped me and who I am. I have a few weeks off this, but I need to get back to it as I can see the difference in myself. 

Read - 

I am getting my reading in and prefer this to scrolling or watching TV. 

Meditate - 

This is a lifeline for me, I do this every night, and when I don't, I can tell the difference in myself. 

Journal - 

I do this when walking and meditation don't work. This means that I am in a place where I need to get my thoughts out, but can't through the normal ways or can't process it. 

Eat well - 

Since having a functioning kitchen, I am more conscious of what I am cooking and how fresh kai tastes better. I love creating meals that fill me up with healthy kai. 

Drink water - 

Ah, this is still my downfall...I reach for Kombucha, or Zero Sugar Sprite, rather than water. I need to improve my skills with this. 

Weekly - 

Gym, run, catch up with friends and nature walks - 

Apart from catching up with friends, everything else has fallen off. I have a Zoom with my trainer this week, and she is going to create a program for me to follow. 

Monthly -

Roxburgh trips, dates with my husband, massage and a Dr visit every three months. 

Roxburgh trips fill my bucket when I need some time out. Things with Jody have got better, but he is focused on his trip to Croatia in September, so they have fallen off. But we are taking the times when Hank is in bed, or when we were in Roxburgh this weekend, we decided to not turn on the TV, and sat around the fire chatting and joking. My massages have been amazing! These aren't relaxation massages, they are deep tissue and they make my body feel better. 

Yearly -

I have been going to the dentist every three months!! I am very proud of myself and my teeth and mouth feel amazing! 

I still need to go to a new event...what is that going to be?

Growth Culture Summit

Keynote speaker 1 - Marshall Diggs

Trust is your currency.

Culture is:

- everything you say

- everything you do, and (walking the walk)

- everything you allow 

Culture is established through process and reinforced through events. How do we do this through change and diversity? It's not about being on the waka, it's about preserving and maintaining a positive culture throughout the kura. 

How do you roll out change, and how do you do this?

Every single person has a different appetite for change. Most people aren't afraid of change; it's the pace at which you roll out the change. As a leader, we can't be comfortable; we need to be ok with being uncomfortable. 

It's always the right time to do the right thing, when it pertains to health and safety, sexualised or racist things. 

What is the season of Education currently in? It's a season. There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the sun. 

As leaders, we need to get the timing right because timing is everything. 

There is a heartbeat in every community, and what is the rhythm of your community and school?

Got to capture the heartbeat of the community, the school.

"Change. But start slowly because direction is more important than speed," Paulo Coelho

It's about the mantra, repeat this meeting after meeting, time after time, and lead by the mantra, what are our big rocks? How do we lead this change? 

We all have a lens, and we should use it wisely. Leaders are custodians of culture 

Trust matters:

Not everything counts, but everything matters. Trust is established through small incremental acts that occur sporadically. 

Humility matters:

Humble yourself to build relationships - "We can go fast by ourselves, but we can go much further with others," African proverb

Work Ethic matters:

It involved a work ethic, it is key

EQ matters: Well-Being and self care is important

Emtional Intelligence

- Be aware of you! 

- Self awareness

- Self regulation 

- Motivation 

- Emplath

- Social skills (others awarenes)

Communication matters:

Encouraged to sit and have lunch with the people. Capture the heart beat of you people. 

Priorities matter:

What are out big rocks for the school/community? 

We only entered the sector for outcomes, not the income. Know our priioties - what are the key ones becasue there are two mant at the moment. 

Authenticity matters:

Turning up to work as me, not as anyone else. 

Keynote 2: Culturally responsive leadership - Barbara Alaalatoa

Step up, step out! Why dance?

What does culturally responsive look like and mean in our school?

What is essential to our community and children, and how can we foster ownership among children to help them become more engaged and take ownership of their learning? How does this link to that deep learning? 

How do you make it last? How can we keep it going with the new staff and leadership? What is the most important thing, and how can we keep it going? 

Induct

Research and evidence in its widest sense

-mantras - Respect and honesty

- Going public - sharing the data far and wide

- Take ownership - being optimistic - we got this! We have a plan and we are sticking to it. 

- Make it a clear priority

- know thy teacher - 

- Leadership

Knowing the why and sticking to the why. 

Apply - it's how we roll.

What adults do matters - every day and all day (ask the staff what this means to them? How can we make this change? What is expected from the adults? How can the adults create the culture for the school?)

Start small and get it right - if you get it right, then we can make it grander, what can we do collectively that we can't do individually? How can we create ownership? 

Key not 3 -The hidden lives of schools - Kyle Brewerton

In recent times, there have been a lot of top-down. 

Cultivating a thriving ecosystem - Where do you start, and it's all so interconnected. There are four boulders: culture, strategy, leadership, and change.

How do you intentionally grow, nurture, and protect culture?

Change in envidtable.

You have to lead

Strategy is the way we go about it. How am I going to lead this change? How am I going to protect the culture and the community?

People remember how you made them feel! 

The weaver - 

You are constantly holding multi aspects of school and school lives, our job is to weave them together into the good. 

Culture is a reflection of leadership

What do they see, think, hear, and feel when they walk into the office? 

Trust - What is it?

Honesty

Benevolence - do they make you feel safe and look out for your best interest? 

Authenticity

Competence - can they actually lead?

Openness - we are all human, being open to vulnerability 

Communication - We think about it as talking, but that is superficial - it's around leaning into the more challenging conversations. Get back to the facts before you try to solve the problem. 

When things go wrong, they need you, and you need them. 

...is a Reflection of Leadership

Trust

Communication

Walk the talk - you have to create the space so that I can figure out what's not working for people. Create a space by saying what's getting in the way? It has a positive focus. Invite and create a space for asking what's getting in the way. Invite this by 1-to-1s 

Growing self and others - middle leaders, they are the engine house. Collectively create the vision - the team is the engine room; they will help drive the change. Ensure that we develop our middle leadership. 

Humour - This job isn't easy, but humour is one of the greatest outlets. It makes you human, it's disarming. 

Calm - in those times where it's really hard, if I can stay calm, then its such an important piece. 

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) - Daniel Goleman - It's your personality, it's who you are. 

- Self-awareness

- Self-regulation - did you erupt or did you lean in? If you are not in the right place, then you can't have the conversation. 

- Motivation - What drives me? The optimism is from within. Coaching is important; make sure that you have someone whom you can talk to. If you make someone feel good, then it comes back. 

- Empathy - 

- Social Skills - 

Feeling the air

Culture is in the air, how do you feel the air? If you are not in the space, how can you feel the air? What is the vibe? Find ways to be in the space. If you don't know your people and feel the air, then none of the MOE stuff matters. 

In the eye of the beholder

Discuss improvement, not change; it's the negative continuation. Talk about how we can improve things? Building that collective vision - do this with the kids, teacher, and community, what is it going to look like when we arrive? 

It has to be a human process and challenge - 6 months to create a vision. 

Probable, Possible, Preferred futures - 

Vision/mission

Values & Beliefs

Strategic goals/priorities 

Planning 

Success for every single kid is what is most important? 

Let's work together for the wellbeing of everyone - Me mahi tahi tatou, mō te oranga, o te katoa

Keynote 4 - AI in educational leadership - Bex Rose

Seseme.ai - good to ask advice 

googgle vivo - crictial thinking

The manual part of AI is learning how to prompt - if you can prmpt you can rock it. 

Genertive AI

Chatgpt/Gemini - These are like local pantries (large language model) no privacy issues

School Gemini - Staffroom pantry (can go into the large lanugage model but doesnt' go out)

Popular Generatvie AI

- Chatgpt

- Perplexity - get the same responses but tells you where the information came from.

- Claude

- Gemini (google version)

- Co-pilot (microsoft version)

Help us in our leadership

- Instant stragetig planning support

- Effortless BOT report

- Smarter email drafting

- AI assistant for tough conversations

- Fast policy & procudral dragting

- AI-enhanced Data insights

- Personalised Professional learning pathways

- Meeting magic - Agendas, notes and actions

- Community Communication clarity

- On-demand AI coach or thought partner

It's all about the prompt - 

Persona: IF your role. This gives context to your request.

AIM: Stage your objective so LLM can focus on your desired outcome.

RECIPIENTS: Specify the audience. These steps give GENAI the information it needs to tailor the language, tone, and content to resonate with the recipients. 

THEME: Describe the style, tone and any related parameters.

STRUCTURE: Note the desired format of the output, bullet points, code and even emojis/

Notebook.LM - creating your own pantry

SUNO - Music

Keynote 5 - Truth and Lies - Aaron Ironside

Powerful Emotions that cause reactivity are trauma responses - whether... capital T trauma or Little t trauma

Stories that might not seem to be very important, but need to pay attention to, these are ones that shape us. 

The two days I have spent interacting with other teachers and leaders have been truly fabulous. From hearing about the story that Dan shared at Dilworth, his journey to unpacking the day of Keynote speakers, it has all been such a learning journey and has really fostered my ideas and thoughts if and when I get the chance to take my next step. I think that I am ready to lead change and create a culture where everyone feels safe, heard and positive. Where I can create an environment where the children are at the centre of their learning, holding respect and honesty, leadership and mana at the heart. We truely have the chance to be change makers, both in the current space and in any future space, not just with our school but with our students. Turning those little traumas into moments when people can learn from each other and make the change that we need. 

My next steps from this summit as a DP/leadership team - 

- take on the communication aspect if agreed to. 

- Lead up

- Remind the team of our why, including unpacking it again with the principal and making clear pathways that we can share with the community. Making sure we are all on the same page. 

- Rebuild trust in our Kura 

- Listen to my own inner voice

- Get all of us to lift our eyes to the horizon, the whole team, to see where we are going and the direction we are on. 

- Remind our community of the big rocks, and get their feedback on it. Structure the learning around the community that we have now, not the one we had in the past. 

- Does our mantra "Light the mind, Fire the heart and Engage the whanau" fit with the current community that we have? How can we do this? 

- Get the children involved in having a voice around their learning - what do they want more of (not literacy and math) what do they want to learn? 

Module Two - Te Ārahi Tika: Ethical Leadership and Decision-Making

TeTeTe Ārahi Tika: 

Ethical Leadership and Decision-Making

Section One - Exploring Ethical Frameworks

Notes about Reading 1: “Tu Rangatera”

Notes about Reading 2: “What is Ethical Leadership and Why is it Important?”

Definition of Ethical Leadership:

Involves making decisions based on what’s right for the common good, not just personal gain or that of one student.

Ethical leaders consider:

Customers/students

Employees

Communities

How to grow the kura and community

What Is a Good Leader?

What Happens with Bad Leaders?

When leaders make bad choices or behave unfairly, it can hurt the company and make people not want to work for them.

That’s why having good, kind, and fair leaders in charge is imperative.

Unethical behavior and poor judgment in leadership harm a school's brand and reputation.

Leaders must be ethical to ensure long-term business success.

What Makes a Leader Good?

A good leader does what’s right, even when it’s hard.

They care about everyone, not just about money.

They think about:

- The workers

- The customers

- The community

- The future of the school. 

Helping Others Be Good Too

- Good leaders set a good example.

- They make sure the workplace is:

- Safe

- Friendly

-A place where everyone feels heard

Why People Want Good Leaders

People like to work for kind and fair bosses.

Young people today care a lot about doing the right thing.

They don’t like leaders who are mean or unfair.

6 Important Rules for Good Leaders

1. Respect

- Treating everyone nicely.

- Saying “thank you” and listening to others.

- Respect goes both ways – everyone gives and gets it.

2. Taking Responsibility

Good leaders own up to their mistakes.

They don’t blame others when things go wrong.

3. Helping Others

Good leaders think about how they can help people.

They like to do things like volunteer or donate to those in need.

They also encourage their team to be kind and helpful.

4. Honesty

Always tell the truth.

Even if something is hard to say, good leaders are honest.

This makes people trust them.

5. Fairness

Treat everyone the same.

Good leaders don’t have favorites.

They make sure everyone has a fair chance.

6. Teamwork

Good leaders think of their company like a team or family.

Everyone works together.

They listen to everyone’s ideas and ensure no one is left out.

How do we make ethical choices when this happens in a Kura or community? How do we take the first step, and how do we stay safe during these times? 

When considering leadership and what is best for the whole, we need to ensure that we are fair and treat those fairly during this time. When dealing with situations like this, it is important to lean into vulnerability, honesty, and fairness. How can we rebuild when these situations arise and make the kura feel safe and cared for? It's about rebuilding the community's trust and that of the students, teachers, and BOT members. 

It's about the leader taking responsibility for the actions of the kura. If that doesn't happen then it creates distrust in the company/kura. This is the time to step up and take it on the chin, as you are the leader of the school and therefore the 'buck' stops with you, it's not the teachers or the students responsibility to own that, especially when you have made the decisions around something. 

It is important for those in leadership spaces to practice ethical decision making, again what is right for the whole, not just one person. It's creates a culture of positivity, trust and honesty. When looking at weather. you are practicing ethical decisions, you need to look at the turn over of staff/students and how can can we create these and move to leaning into ethical leadership. 

Task - Ethical Dilemma Analysis

Step 1: Identify an ethical dilemma relevant to your role as an Associate/Deputy Principal at your kura.

Step 2: Apply what you have learned from the resources in this module, considering different perspectives, potential consequences, and relevant ethical principles.

Step 3: Discuss with your learning partner or a colleague at school how you would approach this dilemma, including how you might consult with others, what information you would need, and how you would ensure transparency and fairness in your decision-making.

Step 4: Document your analysis and proposed approach in the online forum for peer feedback and discussion.

Jubilee Hut Tramp

On the 5th and 6th of March, I led a group into Jubilee Hut, which is in the middle of the Silver Peaks. It was a trip that I knew the kids would love, and I thought, 'How hard can it be?'

Many things went well on the tramp, including the resilience that the children showed throughout the tramp, the bonding that we had as a group, and getting to know the children who came with us from Purakaunui school. 

We started off with Pete and Jody leading the charge, but it soon became clear that they were too fast at the front, so we switched so that I was at the front of the group. We made several stops and realised that this was, in fact, going to be harder than I initially thought. 

We were getting lots of breaks for the group to catch up, but it became apparent that the girls from  Purakaunui were not as prepared as the Waitati children. (Change number one: Gather all tamariki that are going on the trip with their gear a week before the trip so that can make sure that they have a correct gear, especially rain gear, suitable tents etc) Their packs were also too big for them and they struggled to carry them. 

As we walked into Jubilee hut the views were stunning and the children loved to see them and appreciated that they were in such a stunning place. 

We approached the start of Huatea and this was when the terrain was beginning to get harder. (Change number two - Do a recky so that I can see what the terrain is like) 

We got to the top of Huatea and sat there for a while, looking at our next part of the trip, down hill to the devils staircase. 

What went well

What are the challenges

What could I change for next time?

Math PD -

 Day 1 - 21 March 2025

Making it more consistent for teachers across the country. 

A wide variety of achievements and progress, methods, and teaching varied. 

Liking math and being good at math are linked to greater success. Teachers not feeling confident teaching math. 

Teachers know exactly what they need to teach. 

The Refresh process - 

Got together and revised, and there is continuous feedback from the sector and lots of drafts to ensure that teachers and students gain success.

Books: 

- Effective Pedagogy in Mathematics (little pink book)

- Making it count - teaching maths in years 1-3. 

- Accelerating learning in oral language, reading, writing and mathematics

The learning matters:

The strands must be taught equally. 

Spending time to share students' thinking, they need the opportunity to share how they used that specifi.c 

Always fold back to the materials and then manipulate and talk about it. They need to visualize before they can move forward. Pattern and structure play a big part in maths. They want to apply their learned strategy through rich tasks and word problems. 

When we give them a word problem, we need to unpack it more for the children so that we can identify the language and structure of the problem. Spending time on the launch is really important. 

Our learners are struggling to understand word problems. They get stuck as they get older, and this starts early with creating word problems so that they can understand and unpack them. 

Another way to look at the overview

What is conceptual understanding? It's connecting related ideas, representing concepts in different ways, identifying commonalities and differences, communicating things, and interpreting information.

using assessment to inform teaching

Continuously monitor students' progress - observations, conversations, and low-stakes testing.

Planning the next steps

Using the assessment information promptly - identify the misconception immediately and get them to share their learning. 

They can then go home and share with their parents what we are doing and where we are heading. 

Create a concept map—what are we learning along the way? Put it on the wall, and then they can use the wall to help them work through the problem. Support the learners along the way.

Planning:

Teaching and learning plans, 

Program richness - thought being put into the work and how it supports them to make that progress>

Using assessment information to guide and support them. 

Put the vocabulary wall/sheet so that they can have a deep, rich conversation with their peers, which will deepen their learning. 

Teaching Resources - 

Features of the sequence - 

We need to connect our learners to these sequence statements multiple times throughout the year. We need to get into applying through the strand; they need equal opportunity. 

Need to change the thinking around the long-term plans, 

Rich Tasks - 

Rich tasks are meaningful problem-solving and investigation experiences, designed to invoke curiosity and engagement. They should relate both to mathematical contexts and wider contexts relevant to the communities, cultures, interests, and aspirations of students. Rich tasks provide a motivational hook when exploring new concepts and procedures. They can also be used to consolidate concepts and procedures that have already been taught, to develop the mathematical and statistical processeses of Do, and to facilitate the transfer and application of learning to new situations. These experiences often allow students to decide how to approach the task, developing their agency, confidence, and motivation. Teachers design rich tasks that are accessible to all students and offer different levels of challenge. They ensure that students are clear about the purpose of learning, and they consider the core requirements of the task as well as the range of possible responses. As students work on rich tasks, teachers plan opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and feedback. They are actively involved in monitoring, prompting, and questioning during the task, to encourage students to ask questions, test conjectures, make generalisations, and form connections. 

These are contexts that are relevant to our community, which are a motivational hook to explore or proving concepts and procedures. 

Example of rich tasks at phase 2:

Plan to explore rich mathematical and statistical situations and contextual tasks that are useful and meaningful to the class or community. 

› Design tasks that use different contexts or combinations of operations to encourage students to apply their reasoning and knowledge to other types of problems (e.g., using decimals in measurement situations). 

› Encourage students to generalise by using questions such as “If I change this, what happens to that?” and “Is there another way to show this?” 

› Teach problem-solving and investigation strategies. Support students to read and make sense of a problem – through drawing, using materials, or trying some numbers – and then to identify relevant knowledge, plan how to solve the problem in a sequence of steps, take action to apply their plan (recording calculations with meaningful explanations), and check their findings. 

› Give students opportunities to notice and wonder about patterns, structures, and relationships and make statements about them.

Example of rich tasks at phase 3:

› Design investigations where students experience rich mathematical situations, as well as investigations where students use their findings to make decisions in their lives (e.g., making a savings plan). When planning an investigation, help students to identify appropriate questions, as well as the mathematical and statistical concepts, procedures, and representations they will need. 

› Design tasks that have multiple entry and exit points and more than one solution or pathway. 

› Teach problem-solving and investigation strategies such as:

– making sense of the problem by drawing a diagram or considering previously solved problems to identify strategies that can be reapplied

– trying some sequential numbers, recording the results in a table, and looking for patterns– identifying key information in the problem and connecting it to prior knowledge

– translating a word problem into a linear equation, to solve for an unknown quantity– recording calculations in an organised way, using correct mathematical notation 

– checking the reasonableness of findings.

An example of a teaching time:

How would you define accelerated learning?

Acceleration: students are able to learn concepts and procedures more rapidly than expected. 

Enablers and extenders

Enablers: strategies to reduce barriers and allow students to engage successfully. Examples: Scaffolded entry points break down complex concepts into smaller steps, visual aides, and strategic prompts that guide students into engaging in the tasks. 

Extenders and enrichment: Strategies used to deepen understanding. Example: add complexity to problems, apply learned concepts to new learning.