Valuing our whanau

This is my story.......... All my efforts of:
-goal setting
-scaffolding the learning
-rewriting learning objectives in "student speak"
-being explicit about subject-specific literacy strategies
-sharing teacher-created learning strategies
-using experiential learning
-giving verbal and written feedback
-using our school's VTaL (Visible Teaching and Learning) framework
-having positive conversations..................has not had the desired effect of increasing Maori learner engagement and therefore success in maths.

 One of my disengaged Maori learners showed minimal shift with regard to effort and attitude in class; that was common across all NCEA L1 subject areas.

I felt that I had no more to offer.............., so I contacted whanau with ONE message, "I need you to help me, help your child" by............ and I listed what we could both do to help their child get a taste of academic success. I refrained from saying what was obvious; that the learner had 0 credits, struggled to focus in class, gave up before attempting set tasks, had little desire to achieve, was reluctant to accept help from both teacher or peers.

Whanau agreed to support the learner by setting aside time at home for him to review what he had done during the day and to continue with his learning programme at home. I made a commitment to encourage the learner to take advantage of additional one-to-one after school support and to continue to give him real-time feedback using NCEA criteria so that he could gauge his quality of grade after each set task and not have wait after the summative task was completed.

Whanua kept their word and I  noticed a shift in attitude and engagement where the learner voluntarily attended after school classes, actively sought assistance and clarification about the learning and now my disengaged learner is NO MORE. He now walks into class with his shoulders back and is ready to engage meaningfully with his learning. He has shifted from 0 credits to 7 within a few weeks. Being explicit about learner needs and VALUING WHANAU SUPPORT has worked wonders.
Benefit for the learner: academic success
Benefit for the whanau: positive relationship with their child's teacher
Benefit for the teacher: confident learner, brighter future.