Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

Option 1

It is understood that all students bring them with them to the classroom a

virtual backpack of knowledge, values, beliefs and understandings that impact

their interactions with a learning environment (McGregor & Mills, 2017).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are no exception to this and in

their virtual backpack also bring with them rich histories and cultures that

historically have been ignored or repressed in a western education system

(Price, 2015a). Over the past decades, education outcomes for Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students have been subject to much debate over how they

can be improved. Despite extensive research and initiatives having been

conducted, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students still experience lower

educational success compared to non-Aboriginal students (Price, 2015a;

Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,

2018). Key policies and frameworks have been implemented to support teachers

in providing ‘real education’ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,

where they are treated as individuals with unique learning needs in order to

improve success (Price, 2015a, p.16). Therefore it is paramount not only for

teachers to interpret and implement policy correctly but do so in conjunction

with building positive relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students in order to effect real change. This paper will examine how by adopting

Aboriginal pedagogies, involving communities, having high expectations and

understanding the unique needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students (such as bilingualism and identity issues), teachers can build positive

relationships with students and in turn effect real change on their success at

school.

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

One component of building positive relationships with any student is

adopting a teaching practice that caters to students learning needs and this is no

different for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. By adopting a

pedagogical framework that caters to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students, teachers engage in teaching practices that are culturally

inclusive (NSW Department of Education, 2018). One such framework is the

eight-way framework that encapsulates a holistic approach to ways of knowing

and being for Aboriginal students (Yunkaporta, n.d., as cited in Drozdowski,

2012). Increases in positive relationships, higher order thinking, engagement

and outcomes have been exhibited for both Aboriginal and non-indigenous

students alike when implementing the eight-ways framework (Yunkaporta, n.d.,

as cited in Drozdowski, 2012).

In regards to curriculum area of Commerce, the eight-ways framework

can be implemented to enhance Aboriginal students understanding and

connection with a western curriculum. Story sharing can be incorporated in the

classroom by first sharing my own personal stories on a topic and giving

students a chance to share theirs. For instance, I have travelled extensively

throughout Europe and Australia and when starting a travel unit I can include

these narratives in my teaching and ask students to share theirs. Providing

narratives in the classroom is also a component of the NSW Quality Teaching

Model and assists in enhancing the significance of what is being learned by all

students to improve education outcomes (NSW Department of Education and

Training, 2006).

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

Community links can also be incorporated in to the Commerce classroom

by inviting guest speakers to present different perspectives on government or

law or having local entrepreneurs speaking to students on their experiences of

building a business. By incorporating story sharing and community links in the

classroom, positive relationships are founded with students, provided the links

are not tokenistic, and as such learning, success and retention is increased for

students as they are able to see the significance in what they’re learning and how

it relates to their lives and communities (Yunkaporta, 2009).

Understanding and appreciating Aboriginal students as students with

English as an additional language or dialect (EALD) is an essential component in

building positive relationships with students. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students learn standard Australian English (SAE) as a second or

additional dialect (Buckskin, 2015; Nichol & Robinson, as cited in Lloyd,

Lewthwaite, Osborne & Boon, 2015). Language plays an important role in

developing a student’s sense of self and understanding of their culture (Eades,

2013) and in the context of a classroom requires special consideration to

understand the individual needs of students (Buckskin, 2015). Shipp (2015)

argues that in order to improve education outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander students, teachers need to acknowledge and understand AE as an

additional dialect and support students in developing their skills in

understanding both their own language and that of SAE. This is supported by the

Aboriginal Education Policy, which states that all students will be provided with

“opportunities to develop deeper understandings of Aboriginal … languages”

(NSW Department of Education, 2018).

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

As language is a crucial component of identity it is my duty as a teacher to

encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in developing or

strengthening their identities. I intend to do so in the curriculum area of English

by incorporating texts by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and texts

that represent genuine and assured Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

(Price, 2015b; Herbert, 2015). Not only is this a requirement of the English

syllabus, by providing students with learning materials that are culturally

relevant Aboriginal students are provided with a mirror that affirms their

identity (Price, 2015b). Further, this assists in building not only strong teacher-

student relationships but also relationships between peers as non-indigenous

students are given an opportunity to develop deeper understandings of

Aboriginal cultures, histories and languages (Price, 2015b). By incorporating

culturally relevant texts in the English classroom learning, success and retention

can be enhanced in school. Culturally relevant texts may make Aboriginal

students feel valued, that their virtual backpack is accepted as a “supportive and

culturally inclusive learning environment for Aboriginal students” is provided

(NSW Department of Education, 2018). As such learning, success and retention

at school can be improved.

Community participation is another cornerstone of building positive

relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Community

participation is not just involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

communities in on pre-established plans but is the co-construction of programs

between schools and communities to improve educational outcomes for their

students (Stronger Smarter Institute, 2017; Jones & Harris-Roxas, 2009). This

approach is supported in the Aboriginal Education Policy which states

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

communities will be equal partners in education (NSW Department of Education,

2018) and modelled in the Closing the Gap - Prime Minister’s Report 2018 which

details Governments working with “Indigenous Australians to develop an agenda

that reflects their diverse needs, strengths and aspirations” (Commonwealth of

Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018). As there is no

single Aboriginal culture, history or language, involving communities ensures

that individual student needs are met in an appropriate and culturally

responsive way. In doing so, trust can also be established between Aboriginal

communities and an institution that has historically been a symbol of repression

for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Jones & Harris-Roxas, 2009;

Rose, 2015).

In the curriculum area of English, I have outlined that I will include

culturally relevant text choices in my classroom to build positive relationships

with my students, however, just adding Aboriginal perspectives can lack context

and deliver little more than superficial understanding for students (Blair, 2015).

Therefore, in order to effectively build positive relationships with Aboriginal

students, I will consult with local community groups on appropriate texts choices

that reflect the true identity of the students in my classroom. This strategy was

outlined to me as a true way to include communities in the classroom on the

Healthy Culture Healthy Country professional development course I participated

in, facilitated by the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG). The

NSW AECG argues that in order to develop a true cultural curriculum it needs to

be developed and implemented in conjunction with the local community (NSW

AECG, 2017). I could conduct this consultation independently, however, a whole

school approach would be encouraged. Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

Islander histories and cultures is a cross-curricular priority and must be

included in the classroom (ACARA, 2016), if appropriate text choices really are

an identity affirming mirror for students (Price, 2015b) then ensuring Aboriginal

cultures, histories and languages are treated distinctly and in conjunction with

communities will ensure students recognise who is looking back them and in

turn learning, success and retention will be supported (Jones & Harris-Roxas,

2009).

As outlined above, building positive relationships with Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students involves supporting and encouraging individual

student identity, however, Jones and Harris Roxas (2009) state that not only do

individual identities need to be developed but academic resilience and identity

as a learner also need to be supported. This is also supported by Dobia &

O’Rourke (2011) who suggest there is a need for skill building in resilience for

Aboriginal students to improve their self-concept in the area of education. In

order to do so social and emotional learning (SEL) can be adopted. In regards to

my own praxis I will incorporate a program such as MindMatters (2014) or

Smiling Mind (2018) that can be accessed intermittently dependent on student

needs. SEL programs have had positive impacts on learning and success for all

students, however, SEL programs are better implemented at a whole school level

so I will advocate for this to ensure all students are developing their SEL not just

those I teach (Taylor, Oberle, Durlak & Weissberg, 2017; Taylor & Kilgus, 2014).

Another essential component of building positive relationships with

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is having high expectations.

Historically there has been a deficit approach to the positioning of Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students and their educational outcomes (Blair, 2015;

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

Buxton, 2017). High expectations in respect to the NSW Quality Teaching Model

involves ensuring that all students participate in work that challenges them and

supports students in trying hard and taking risks (NSW Department of Education

and Training, 2006). High expectations are also explicitly mentioned in the

Aboriginal Education Policy with teachers needing to “demonstrate their high

expectations of all Aboriginal students” (NSW Department of Education, 2018).

In extension to the Aboriginal Education Policy and NSW Quality Teaching Model,

the Stronger Smarter Institute asserts that high expectations for Aboriginal

students goes beyond classroom expectations and involves building high

expectation relationships throughout a whole school community (Stronger

Smarter Institute, 2017). The Stronger Smarter Institute (2017) argues that

when high expectation relationships are developed, students become confident

not just their ability to achieve in school but in their personal identity. The

Stronger Smarter Institute (2017) states that using data to drive change is a

crucial factor in developing high expectation relationships, a sentiment

supported in the Closing the Gap – Prime Minister’s Report 2018 which uses data

to measure and report on their success as a Government in improving education

outcomes Aboriginal students (Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the

Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018).

Having completed the Stronger Smarter Institute’s programme and

attended the Healthy Culture Healthy Country professional development course,

I believe the biggest thing I can do as a teacher to build high expectation

relationships is promote the importance of professional development to my

colleagues. Whilst I can be an individual agent of change, school wide change will

be more successful to ensure Aboriginal students experience positive

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

relationships all of the time, not just in my classroom. Hattie (as cited in, Price

2015a) states the most important factor in student success is the teacher,

however, it can sometimes be difficult to challenge or even acknowledge your

own undisclosed beliefs about student achievement, particularly for Aboriginal

students (Rauland & Adamas, 2015). Therefore by participating in professional

development teachers are able to challenge themselves in a supportive

environment free of judgement to better build positive relationships with their

students back at school.

In conclusion it is evident that although policy is there to support and

guide teachers, it is up to teachers to build positive relationships with their

students in order to effect real change. By having high expectations, involving

communities in the process, adopting Aboriginal pedagogies and understanding

their unique needs, teacher can support the learning, educational success and

retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in a secondary school

environment.

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Critically Reflective Essay 17195892 Rebekah Donoghue

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