Carissa Cook Aboriginal Education- Critical Reflective Essay 17818298

Building a positive relationship and rapport with your students is essential as future
teachers in this profession. Supporting respectful relationships can improve the
attendance rates of indigenous students, which evidence shows that attendance rates
are well below non-indigenous students (Ockenden, 2014). Improving attendance
rates for indigenous students can build an environment were students feel engaged,
belong and participation through grade retention and suspension rates. This issue of
declining attendance is alarming for all professionals due to the importance of
education in allowing individuals to grow, identify their full potential and make
positive informed life decisions. Within the Closing the Gap policy, there has been
little change in the indigenous school attendance rates from 2014-2015 (Ockenden,
2014) therefore progress in this matter will need to accelerate from now on to meet
the target achievement within the closing the gap government policy.

This paper will examine strategies for future educators in Personal Development,
Health and Physical Education in adapting policies such as the syllabus and applying
to their pedagogies for further professional development.
The importance of building positive, respectful relationships with indigenous students
will allow students to feel engaged, safe and comfortable in attending school and
being involved within the school community activities. Addressing the Australian
Teaching Standards (AITSL, 2014), in increasing attendance rates would focused on
standard 1 and 4 by ensuring you know the students and how they learn as well as
maintaining a supportive and safe learning environment for indigenous students
within the Australian educational system.

Education attendance can affect the experiences of job opportunities, study paths, and
build resilience to potentially improve outcomes for indigenous people (Purdie &
Buckley, 2010). Regular school attendance is not only essential for successful
academic outcomes or improving academic performance but also can improve social
skills, emotional and mental wellbeing. A Western Australian Aboriginal Child
Health Survey study shows that at least twenty- six percent of Indigenous young
people are affected by mental, social and emotional wellbeing and are at a high risk of
suffering from mental health difficulties (Walker, Robinson, Adermann & Campbell,
2014). This finding shows just how important it is as future educators to be aware of
the life stressors indigenous young people may face and how this may contribute to

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the reasons of low attendance rates with contributing to little to no motivation of

participation within school activities. As educational professionals we need to be
aware that around 70% of Indigenous students had experienced 3 or more major life
stress events that could include family dysfunction, subjected to racism, physical ill
both careers and child and injustice prior 12 months of education (Zubrick et al,
2005). The result of life stressors can affect the health of Indigenous students and
further lead to problems of remaining on set tasks, peer interaction and avoid classes
or school attendance in total.

As a result of this, educators need to adjust their lesson to ensure tasks are engaging
for all learners, and identify how students learn to increase motivation levels whether
that is visual, individual, or group work activities. Not only does the content and
context need to be appropriate but also engaging within their culture and identity, this
can build a rapport with the students and increase their confidence to discuss their
experiences in class discussion and increase their learning opportunities.

Within PDHPE allowing students to celebrate and explore their identity and heritage
in both theory and practical lesson by making strong connections to a variety of
cultural experiences. For example when discussing notions of family and
relationships, students can explore Indigenous concepts such as kinship, extended
family connection and relationships that may be different to other peers experiences
(Board of Studies, 2003).

Additionally understanding how students learn, teachers need to be involved and

engaged within the students learning path and take the time to build a relationship, by
understanding the students life stories and events they may have or are occurring
throughout their schooling years. Currently research suggests that non-indigenous
teachers have inadequate understanding of indigenous pedagogies and the
complexities of indigenous cultures, knowledge and identities (Santoro, Reid,
Crawford & Simpson, 2011). This can suggest programs to be implemented within
the schools and/or communities to inform professional educators about the indigenous
culture, therefore be able to build positive relationship. Allowing the students to be
teachers for certain topics such as teach the class a traditional and contemporary
Indigenous dance within the dance unit of PDHPE. This can build confidence with

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allowing students to express and identify their cultural identity within a safe
environment.

In relation to attendance rates, creating an atmosphere that is patient, sense of

security, comfort and promotes confidence, allows school environments to address the
distinctive needs of indigenous student such as trust and engagement with their
learning (McRae, 2011). Once students feel comfortable and success they have higher
arousal to attend classes regularly as they feel accomplished in achieving both
individual and professional standards.

Building inclusive and positive classrooms may not be evident in a variety of

mainstream schools as teachers believe they are time restraint, however how are
professionals meant to build an inclusive, supportive and engaging environment when
little time is spent on building a positive and informative relationship with your
students. Making a connection and building a school culture that promotes positive
learning and values indigenous students can influence attendance, engagement,
achievement and school completion among indigenous students (Helme & Lamb,
2011). The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan for 2013-2023
includes involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in decision making,
equity, equality and equitable and appropriate educational outcomes to assist making
decisions for life choices and access to employment after school years. Striving to
achieve the plan, educators need to adjust and be confident in involving family and
communities with indigenous students development with connection to their cultural
knowledge, therefore shaping a foundation of learning and partnerships. This
approach can build success for student attendance for indigenous students, as they are
able to express their cultural identity in school festivals or cultural days that shows
that the school contributes to a socially cohesive society that respects and appreciates
cultural and religious diversity.

Ensuring students are engaged within the classroom is another strategy to build a
positive and respectful relationship and furthering to improve success for attendance
rates. Engagement requires teachers to build upon trust and integrity and build upon
shared goals within the classroom or individual goals set. Recognizing what
underpins Indigenous students with high expectations relationships needs to be

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initiated by focusing on gaining a deeper understanding of both oneself and cultural

beings (Stronger Smarter Institute Limited, 2014). Relationships allow individual
strengths to be acknowledged and equal spaces of power through conversations being
respected and safe in a trusting environment. Without genuine engagement with
indigenous students it will be difficult to meet the required targets of attendance set
by the Council of Australian Government in 2014 of reaching within five years of
non-indigenous students attendance rates (Australian Government, 2015).

Within a classroom, being fair to all and building trust will create compassion and a
non-judgmental environment. In a literature review, studies suggest that positive
relationships with the teacher is an essential factor in encouraging self-identity and
therefore becomes a motivational factor for indigenous students to work hard at
school in the respect they have for their teacher (MCEETYA, 2010). Teachers and
schools have pre-assumed assumptions about indigenous students expectations and
often have low expectations of academic outcomes in mainstream Australian schools.
The lack of recognition of cultural identity, languages and traditions is a reason
attendance and engagement in school is low.
As pre -service teachers, this view and attitude needs to change for any success in
closing the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous student achievements.
Schools need to embrace diversity and value indigenous cultures to enable students to
feel culturally safe at school therefore a key in supporting regular attendance and
retention (MCEETYA, 2010).

Building a non-judgmental classroom and an engaging classroom is therefore a

teaching strategy as future educators to improve indigenous students learning and
success within mainstream educational environments. With some current teachers
having little knowledge on indigenous culture, an option can include involving an
indigenous tutor/teachers aid or an Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) within the
classroom. This can build the foundations of positive connections for the students and
can therefore grow confidence, sense of identity and safety to express their cultural
identity, knowing it is going to be respected. Gower., et al,(2011) suggest that the
Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer Program builds a relationship with the
teacher in a two-way partnerships, two way teaching and a two-way education. This
partnership can help build positive relationships within classrooms to allow inclusive

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education and increase the success of academic learning outcomes as they have the
support available for their learning achievements.

Involving parents and the community within their childrens learning such as the
learning together, family literacy, Aboriginal Turn Around Team (ATAT) initiatives
and Fair go Project, students can succeed in achieving the outcomes required at
school by feeling comfortable, included and engaged within the academic outcomes
needing to be attained. As future professionals we should be striving to address
elements such as student engagement as it is a requirement within our standards of the
Quality Teaching Model (Department for Education and Child Development, 2013).

Learning about indigenous ways of knowing can be seen to refer to pedagogy and
methods of learning within classroom environments. Teachers need to distinguish the
funds of knowledge that indigenous students draw on and how teachers need to
adopt culturally responsiveness to become open to the curriculum and assessment
practices to allow different ways of knowing and being (Klenowski & Gertz, 2009).
This can be enforced within the new collaborative Australian Curriculum in majority
of the subjects that includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and
cultures, Asia and Australians engagement with Asia and sustainability. These three
areas can provide opportunities for the students to make sense of the world they live
in today as well as understanding their cultural history and identity.

Quality leadership at schools is a key direction for promoting a learning environment

to drive the outcomes and opportunities for success in learning. Ensuring lessons
within the classroom are adaptable for indigenous students will ensure they are
achieving the desired outcomes where they are able to complete set tasks. For future
teachers to make a difference we need to encourage professional development
opportunities in the classroom to make real changes for both indigenous and non-
indigenous students (Gilbert, 2015). Teachers need to develop their own personal
leadership skills by understanding how their own beliefs can impact students learning
and therefore become role models for all students to trust and create positive
relationships. As professionals we need to take on the stronger smarter approach
and ask questions of what is happening in the classroom that is valuable to indigenous
students and what am I doing about the rate of absence and disengagement (Sarra,

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2007). A teacher with high quality leadership skills and passion for change, educators
such as myself would expose students to rich and varied task; push students with
complex task and direct expectations of the students success of learning.
Governments and professional educators must show leadership to the rest of the
community by displaying genuine respect for indigenous culture and base actions
towards closing the gap (Price, 2015).

For PDHPE, a topic that can build positive self-identity and cultural identity can be
strengthening resiliency. Examining case studies of people who have overcome
adversity, including Indigenous people and identify their characteristics and qualities
(Board of Studies, 2003). This learning can help them for their own experiences and
build self-confidence, belief and resilience in their own life choices and decisions.

Currently within the PDHPE syllabus the focus is on a risk- based model of what,
when and how young people experience risky behaviours. Emphasizing on risk
factors particularly within risky groups such as Indigenous Australians can increase
the racism and negativity of stereotyping within the school environment. As future
secondary educators within PDHPE, we need to take on a strength-based approach,
which focuses more on what is keeping people healthy, what combinations of skills
and activities can be included within a range of environments (Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2010). This can be incorporated through
traditional cultural activities such as indigenous games furthering encouraging
engagement, participation and appreciation of cultural significance.

In conclusion, the future of inclusive and positive learning opportunities for all is in
our hands as future educational professionals. There is no single option to shift
classrooms to support learning, success and attendance however including the above
suggestions in your professional development will assist building positive
relationships with indigenous students to make them engaged in the content, attend
school regularly and have the opportunities to meet the academic outcomes for further
life experiences. Reaching the targets of closing the gap will be challenging and the
success will need to come further than the governments implementation but also
collaborative working from the community and schools. Becoming culturally

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responsive as future educators plays an important role in building positive

relationships and environments for indigenous students therefore making a positive
change. As future educators we need to adopt and respect the history given to us and
foster engagement within local indigenous communities to help build positive
learning relationships (Price, 2015).

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Carissa Cook Aboriginal Education- Critical Reflective Essay 17818298

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Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010). Health and

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McRae. D. (2011). What works: the work program: core issues. Australian
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