Fostering Student Reflective Report

Education will always be the primary source of student’s success in the workforce, community, nationwide and globally. Teachers carry the weight of ensuring students are learning what is required to become productive members of society. As a teacher, the success of my students is the most important goal. There are so many pedagogies, philosophies, strategies, and materials teachers are able to use to be productive in the classroom. Every teacher has their own preferred

There is a height of significance when it comes to embedding Indigenous perspectives in the curriculum and in schools. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, their students thrive in educational environments where staff respect and promote strong Indigenous culture and identity, build collaborative relationships and set high expectations (Kerley, 2015). Abiding by this principle would see students thriving for higher education, recognizing this has made it quite common for schools to introduce indigenous programs or units. These are put in place for the purpose of being extra support to not only Indigenous students but for everyone at school serving as a source of information and guidance. By incorporating these Units, cross-curriculum

The school’s curriculum priorities focus on literacy, numeracy and science and provides a range of enriching learning opportunities and experiences for students (Victoria Point State School, 2015). In regard to literacy and numeracy, the school aims to increase reading and number understanding by coordinating focus reading groups across year level cohorts and offers focus numeracy groups with additional teacher aide support (Victoria Point State School, 2015). Furthermore, to assist with reading and numeracy support, the school has additional teachers and teacher aides to target this (Victoria Point State School, 2015).

We reckon that it is worthwhile to advocate family-based education due to the fact that child’s education hinges on their parents. As we all know that, education begins with parents is an asset to possess the self-confidence and especially the self-discipline and work ethics that are at the heart of success in school and success in life. Second, We believe that state-funded early childhood education that focuses on the cultural needs of Aboriginal children and their families will help alleviate their disadvantaged position in society while simultaneously restoring Aboriginal identity and self-worth. Third, we would also like to recommend policies such as increasing financial support for affected municipalities and accelerating international efforts to secure a fair, transparent and coherent government policy to deal with the cultural

For this weeks’ reflection, I would like to take a different approach about certain things. I presented my article this week which was about El Centro high school which was a super segregated high school in the sense that no rights or help were given to the Latinos students. Every time I read about these type of issues, it gets me super mad that we Latinos, especially undocumented are seen as objects to US society. For example, something that I learned this week is about the term “illegal” which it refers to something illegal like a law or object and, most the time they call us illegal aliens as if were some aliens from another planet. This week’s reading just helps me to realize even more that we live in a country that clearly don’t want our

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are a distinct traditional cultural group of the Australian population. The historical wealth of the importance of contribution to country by the Indigenous people of this nation is truly significant. At the Indigenous Future-Venture Research Institution (IFVRI) we place at the forefront of our mission, the aim to develop and implement, through the in-depth research and analysis of data, new material for awareness platforms and information that will primarily lead to submission and contribution towards national Indigenous policy development and future venture directions. Future research initiatives include within the scope of research areas the sectors of education, health, economics, employment, cultural progress and most importantly the future of Indigenous affairs and growth in Australia. Through the generational waves of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, society in this contemporary setting is an optimal environment for the already established standards of child education as stable, safe and secure in regard to the facilities that provide the opportunities for cultural and student-centred learning.

Often educational policymakers do not realise the importance of considering Indigenous students’ expectations about their cultural context, life experiences, and cultural identity (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016). As a result, it creates the risk of alienation such as dropping from school or lack of interest in classroom activities (Bonney, 2018a; Ewing, 2013; Lowe & Yunkaporta, 2013; Partington, Beresford & Gower, 2012). Dr Chris Sarra and Reuben Bolt both emphasise that school communities need to show Indigenous students a better outlook on their lives to improve their academic performance (Sarra, 2014; Stan, 2017). Teachers have to respect the cultural perspectives, history, language and life experiences of Indigenous students. The Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School’s one of the innovative strategies outlines teaching Indigenous language as a second language in the school (Department of Education WA, 2013d). Moreover, one of the strength-based approach of Cherbourg State School is to teach students about Indigenous history through dream time stories (Newman, 2003). Hence, all these effective initiatives would give Indigenous students sense of belonging and increase their

(Sarra, 2014 p. 8) In other words, teachers should learn their students’ differing socio-cultural and historical backgrounds to create authentic programs and advise their instruction (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016) I/ATR also highlights the importance of understanding socio-cultural and historical backgrounds, as I/ATR principles emphasise the importance of ensuring ‘Indigenous world views’ are upheld when Indigenous people are the stakeholders. (Bonney, 2017) I plan to take time to learn the dynamics of the community where I teach, as it will help integrate local cultural knowledge into the classroom (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016) I plan to use resources such as Oxenhams’ ‘Aboriginal domain’ Model (1999) and Yunkaportas’ ‘8 ways of Aboriginal learning’ (2009) to learn the dimensions of all my students, this will help me design culturally safe and inclusive programs and adhere to the Australian Professional Standard 1.4 ‘Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’

Improving academic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is mired in inherited troubles as well as contemporary ones. As a result of poor policies and pedagogy, generations fear and lack confidence in the education system (Harrison and Sellwood, 2013). It is therefore imperative that teachers have a range of resources and strategies for adapting the curriculum to the needs of Aborignal and Torres Strait Islanders. This should include fostering pride in identity, making connections to community and land, and respecting language variation and culture. In doing so, teachers meet expectaions for Australian professional teaching standards and the community.

The ambition of this framework is that all students become “active and informed citizens…confident and creative individuals…and successful learners” (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL] 2014a). In pursuit of this goal they have identified seven key standards which all teachers are to meet related to Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement. Within these key areas Standard 1.4 and Standard 2.4 relate directly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and require evidence of teachers demonstrating that they know; the students, how they learn, the content, and how to teach it. Standard 1, Focus Area 4 addresses “Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children” (AITSL 2014b) and is further supported by Standard 2, Focus Area 4, “Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians” (AITSL 2014b). These standards highlight the responsibility of teachers to not only understand Indigenous students and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait culture, but also to be actively involved in the ongoing process of reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. The progressive nature of the benchmarks provided for teachers is a strength of the AITSL standards. This ensures that as educators develop and become more experienced they are encouraged to further improve and progress their professional knowledge, practice and

Successful teaching occurs when the teacher is able to select the most efficient method for reaching out to each student’s individual style of learning and inspire students to rise to their highest potential. While the responsibilities of a teacher are extensive (as one can serve as a teacher, a friend, a counselor, a disciplinarian, an entertainer, a facilitator), I believe that students should play a big part in shaping own education as well.

The integration would then make the child’s transformation to adulthood easy and with an understanding. For non-Aboriginal students, such a system of education raises awareness of the collective traditions of Aboriginal citizens and their community, through which, promotes respect and gratitude to the existence of the varied cultures. Moreover, students from other communities can benefit from the exposure to Aboriginal education, which can massively lower classroom racism and raise the sense of a community within the diverse group of learners. However, for the development of such a system of education, it would be significant to involve Aboriginal agencies and educators such as elders and community leaders in an attempt to develop teachings and curriculum strategies while encouraging activism of the Aboriginal

Students are often told that the path to success tends to be a lonely one because only they can get themselves there. For the most part that is true, they must be self-motivated and passionate about their future, but along the way they get to meet special people that want to see them to accomplish their goals. From an early age the relationship built between students and teachers has molded and impacted the student’s life. The relationship they have with a teacher can define the attitude that student has with the subject being taught. A lot of emphasis is put on students when they fail a course and they question their effort. Although, the root of the problem is not always the student, but the method the instructor is using to teach the student.

Aboriginal concepts of family communities, respecting and understanding the aboriginal language and group names of nation, communication, and general respect, and understanding for their communities. Getting more involved, bringing cultural people/aboriginal and Torres strait islander people into the centres, getting them involved I their communities and encouraging children to feel more positive and learn more about their cultural back round and nations. When working in partnership always being aware of every individual person is different, every schooling/centres are different, every cultural learning is different, but it all connects to having strong connections with the children and the lands, and environments, and the nations of the

Supporting Aboriginal students for successful literacy outcomes is fundamental to reciprocal satisfaction in learning for both teachers and Aboriginal students, families and wider communities. Unfortunately, many Aboriginal students do not have the benefit of shared reading experiences at home prior to their formal school entry, which significantly disadvantages Aboriginal students as they try and negotiate one-way learning in the Australian education system (Bonney, 2015; Harrison, 2011, pp. 90 – 91; WA Department of Education [WADE], 2002). Providentially, there are a range of two-way Indigenous strategies and resources available to educators today that make literacy curriculum accessible, relevant and engaging for the heterogeneous student