NZ RTLB Professional Learning Network Term 2 Newsletter |
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Whakawhanaungatanga ~ Whakaohooho ~ Whakamana Connect ~ Inspire ~ Uplift |
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Our mission is to establish a Professional Learning Network that is innovative and sustainable using peer-to-peer connections, collaboration and shares good practice. |
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Whakawhanaungatanga Connect |
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Kia ora e te RTLB whānau, We hope you all managed some relaxing and recharging over the April break. The NZ RTLB PLN team had a very productive three days in Ōtautahi Christchurch planning an exciting lineup of activities for all RTLB this term. The teams also meet up via zoom each week during the term to continue work on their respective projects. We submitted our Milestone 6 report in March and thought you might be interested in reading it. The team have been busy!
We welcome content so if you have a great story or resource to share don't hesitate to get in touch.
Ngā mihi nui, Fi, Sue and the PLN team |
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The NZ RTLB PLN Team Back row: Michelle Wishart C6, Michelle Maule C34, Debbie Thompson C1, Leonie Philburn C17, Anthony Sandford C33 Front row: Sue McIntosh C33, Corrinne Devitt C18, Ve Grant-Lawlor C29, Fi Harkness C2 Missing (and missed): Tracey Richardson C8, Louise Woodhead C16 |
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Upcoming NZ RTLB PLN Events |
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WEBSITE We are excited to share the latest updates on our website as we continue to refine and improve your online experience. Our team has been hard at work evaluating various aspects of the site, from its functions and organisation to accessibility and notifications. We've revisited the previous survey data you provided, gaining insights that will inform our future plans for boosting participation on the site. Your input is instrumental in shaping the direction of our platform, and we're committed to implementing changes that reflect your needs and preferences. Additionally, we've re-evaluated the organisation and layout to enhance navigation and make finding relevant content even easier. TIPS Further conversations are underway regarding submissions to the site and the development of a rubric for peer review of content and materials. We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of quality and integrity in the content we showcase, and these discussions are essential steps toward achieving that goal. As always, your input and engagement are crucial to the success of the RTLB Professional Learning Network. We encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and ideas as we work together to make our website an even more vibrant and valuable resource for all. Website Rōpū: Deb, Leonie, Louise, Michelle M & Fi |
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RTLB REALITIES PODCAST The Podcast team has recently launched six episodes, and the response from our audience has been overwhelmingly positive, with numerous comments expressing appreciation. At present, our focus is on developing the next three episodes, which form part of a series exploring the theme of ‘Imposter Syndrome.’ These forthcoming episodes are scheduled for release in the upcoming weeks. During our recent hui in Christchurch, Ve and Corrinne engaged in discussions centered around the interests and concerns of our listeners. Looking ahead, we are planning to initiate a series on ‘He Pikorua’ in the following weeks. This series aims to delve into the concept and explore avenues for producing supplementary mini-episodes tailored to support RTLB in their practice. Ve and Corrinne are actively engaged in a learning journey, eagerly absorbing insights into the intricacies of Podcasting. They are acquiring fresh knowledge regarding both the content and techniques involved in producing engaging Podcasts. You’ll find all our podcasts on our website. Let us know what you think. We welcome all feedback and new podcast ideas. Don’t forget to check out the show notes for each podcast. ➡️ Show Notes Podcast Rōpū: Ve, Corrinne, Michelle W and Tracey |
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Te Whare Whakaruruhau Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) Research Project Te Whare Whakaruruhau research team spent significant time in Ōtautahi, preparing for Phase 1 of the trauma-informed research project. All ten kura involved in the research have been recently re-contacted and most are now ready for this exciting, next phase. This includes the administration of online surveys early Term 2 to school staff, ākonga and whānau. The outcomes of this research will provide a platform in which key themes and topics in the form of practical tools and strategies can be promoted to school staff and RTLB across the motu! With this in mind, our team also spent significant time brainstorming key themes and topics that encompass the umbrella term, Te Whare Whakaruruhau (i.e. safe, connected relational spaces). We see the importance of “operationalising” this term at a practical level, informed by our trauma-informed research (described above). As a result, we are carefully co-constructing a visual which includes foundational pillars of a whare. A starting point for this mahi, is creating a shared purpose, which includes the terms, social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion. From here, we have brainstormed key topics under the following headings: Support Pillars, Outcomes/Focus Areas, Foundational Understandings, Focus and Enacting Systems Change. We also spent time prioritising our specific next steps, based on the content of the graphic. This graphic is currently in the planning stage. It will be uploaded to our website, in due course. As a team, we are also reading the excellent social justice book, The Four Pivots-Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves by Shawn Ginwright (PhD). We spent time in Ōtautahi reflecting on and brainstorming ideas of how we can directly support RTLB, within future PLD opportunities, using The Four Pivots as a central focus. We also see the content of this book, and subsequent dissemination of ideas and strategies to RTLB, as an integral component to the Te Whare Whakaruruhau visualisation and concepts (described above). We have concluded that Ginwright’s book has an excellent alignment with the trauma-informed research we have conducted at Phase 1 (i.e. semi-structured interviews with key staff members in schools) and starting to roll-out at Phase 2. We meet online each week to progress our plans and are committed to updating the trauma-informed website space with all of these exciting developments! Te Whare Whakaruruhau Rōpū: Fi, Tracey, Michelle and Anthony |
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"The greatest hope for traumatised, abused, and neglected children is to receive a good education in schools where they are seen and known, where they learn to regulate themselves, and where they can develop a sense of agency. At their best, schools can function as islands of safety in a chaotic world. They can teach children how their bodies and brains work and how they can understand and deal with their emotions. Schools can play a significant role in instilling the resilience necessary to deal with the traumas of neighborhoods or families. If parents are forced to work two jobs to eke out a living, or if they are too impaired, overwhelmed, or depressed to be attuned to the needs of their kids, schools by default have to be the places where children are taught self-leadership and an internal locus of control." Bessel van der Kolk The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma |
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
The UDL Group on the website now has over 30 members - our team is working on a plan to add ‘provocations’ to the forum to prompt conversation and sharing of ideas and experiences with UDL implementation.
Many of you will have attended the online UDL workshops with Jon Mundorf. Team members have been working on editing these workshops to highlight the gems. These will appear on the facebook page and on the website under the UDL tab as well as within the UDL group forum as a way to revisit and promote further conversation about UDL implementation.
As a further way of sharing good practice, we’ve been liaising with an ex-RTLB and current principal with a view to providing UDL implementation tips via video clips and a Podcast. These are a ‘work in progress’ that we’re hoping to have released later this term. We hope to also tap into other contacts in order to provide different perspectives.
UDL Rōpū: Sue, Leonie, Louise, Ve and Corrinne |
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Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) Wow! We have loved learning all about Collaborative and Proactive Solutions through the CPS CoP. A huge mihi to Kelly McGowan C33, Debbie Schnell C36, Dawn Walker C4 and Tara Holland C4 for leading the charge and sharing their knowledge and experience in this space. Each session has started with a brief kōrero with a couple of RTLB who are trialing CPS in their mahi as they share successes and barriers. If you have been using the CPS model and would be willing to share your experiences then let us know. Learning from each other is how we grow.
When you get a chance, hop onto the “Lives in the Balance” website. Videos and resources have recently been updated to include the updated ASUP (Assessment of Skills and Unsolved Problems) guide.
Have you joined the CPS Group on our website yet?
It’s never too late to join the CPS CoP. Here are the links to our next two sessions, please note you do need to register separately for each one:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Click add to calendar in the confirmation email to ensure you don't miss out.
CPS Rōpū: Sue and Anthony |
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Leadership It has been wonderful to get the Practice Leader Rōpū up and running, providing opportunities for Practice Leaders across the motu to connect either face to face or online. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity for Practice Leaders across regions to attend Marg Thorsborne’s Relationships@Work and Trauma Informed Restorative Practices workshops. Due to the interactive nature of these workshops Marg had limited our numbers of attendees. The Practice Leaders who attended have now got the responsibility of sharing their new knowledge with other PLs in their cluster. Some of the awesome feedback included: "'Thank you for arranging the amazing PD last week. I really enjoyed every moment of it!"' '"I wanted to thank you for organising the PLD for Marg Thorsborne's Trauma Informed Workshop. It was excellent! Marg was wonderful, and so knowledgeable, weaving together neuroscience, trauma-informed practices, and research with such wit and humour. I also really appreciated the opportunity to meet so many other PL's. Thanks again to the team"' "'Thank you all so much! My favourite gem is reframing behaviour management as behaviour development. The possibilities for changing mindsets by changing one word are pretty exciting!"' "'Thank you for organising 3 days of amazing PD and opportunities to connect with other PLs. Your choice of having the wonderful Marg Thorsborne take us all on the RP journey was so timely and pertinent to the ākonga we are supporting. I was delighted to see the infusion of relational practices (RP, CPS, Neurosequential model & polyvagal theory) delivered with such passion and commitment in order for ākonga to be able to be the best versions of themselves. As Marg says 'Conflict is co-constructed' and as we are in the business of making relations, we need to 'Connect before content'." '"Great three days of learning, connecting and networking. Thanks to the team for your mahi in organising this event. We had our Canterbury PL hui today and were able to share key takeaways with our colleagues which sparked some rich discussions. Ngā mihi nui team."' "'I enjoyed all three days. I have so much interesting stuff to share with my colleagues back at our cluster. Thanks for all the korero. I’ve met so many new friends, and caught up with so many friends from several clusters.'' Our Term 1 online hui was an awesome opportunity to share some of Marg’s gems. For all PLs, whether you attended Marg’s workshops or not, we have invited Marg to join us for our online hui on 24th May at 8:30am-9:30am to answer any questions about Relationships@Work so jot any questions down and add them to the registration forms coming out soon. If you are a PL and you haven’t completed our PL survey so we can add your name to our PL email group and database: You can complete the survey here. There may have been changes of PLs in your Cluster so please let us know if someone has left, or is no longer in the PL role and we will update our database.
We have set up a PL Rōpū on our website. This is a private group where PLs can ask questions, share resources and where we post any PL updates, so please join up.
➡️PL Rōpū Leadership Rōpū: Michelle M, Sue, Anthony, Leonie and Fi |
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Embracing trauma-informed practice in Aotearoa New Zealand schools: The perspectives of those at the coalface by Cath Barrie Cath is an RTLB from Cluster 34 in Ōtautahi, servicing the east and south of the city. Her varied experience as an RTLB, SENCo, primary kaiako, teacher fellow in Early Intervention, and hospital school teacher, has led to her passion for supporting the development and understanding of inclusive education using a trauma-conscious and neuroscience-informed lens and embracing learning through pūrakau. Cath completed a Master of Specialist Teaching through Massey University in 2023. Cath's recently published article in Kairaranga on her findings regarding educators' perspectives of the key enablers to implementing sustainable trauma-informed approaches, practices, and systems in Aotearoa schools is a must read. Her research contributes significantly to the current discourse regarding Trauma Informed Practice and aligns closely with the focus of Te Whare Whakaruruhau. Cath continues to champion trauma-informed approaches and is an active member of NATINA (Neuroscience and Trauma Informed Network Aotearoa). ➡️Read Cath's article |
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Facebook It has been amazing seeing our membership grow to 589 RTLB. A reminder that this group is for current practicing RTLB so you can feel confident and supported while posting, commenting and asking questions amongst each other. ➡️ NZ RTLB professional Learning Network Facebook page If you have friends outside RTLB who would like to access resources you can direct them to the public RTLB page. ➡️ RTLB - Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour Spot Prizes for Joining Groups We’ve all been mentioning the Groups function on our website so jump into a Group that appeals and uplift each other with posts, resources, questions etc. For everyone who has joined a group by 12 p.m. Monday 13 May, including those already joined, we’ll have some spot prizes on offer. ➡️ How to connect to the ‘Groups’ Look out for the NZ RTLB PLN survey coming in the next few weeks. This was last done in 2021 so we would like to hear your ideas about our direction, and ways in which to support you. |
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