Break the Cycle

27/7/12

Today it started

It felt a bit strange because what I’m doing in the classroom now is a bit unorthodox. For the first time in one and a half years I did not come to school with a conventional literacy or numeracy plan.

Break the cycle

Instead, we looked at a song my students love called ‘Break the Cycle’, which is made by a group of Aboriginal girls from a community near Alice Springs. The girls sing about the sad things that are happening in their community such as their families drinking and fighting, and the girls being bored, having nothing to do, making trouble and struggling to stay in school. The chorus repeats the words: ‘Gotta break the cycle’. So we had a closer look at the lyrics, spoke about what problems the girls were facing and what sort of things they wanted to change. We then started a discussion about what 'break the cycle' means.

Hoping to get some rich discussion, I encouraged the kids to as a group, speak in their first language (so as not to inhibit the discussion) to see if they could come to a conclusion on what break the cycle might mean. I was met with blank faces and the kids urged me to just give them the answer.

Break the what?

We had to start with what cycle means – as I was met with blank faces on that one too. I explained a cycle in terms that they could relate to, such as bicycle, tricycle, motorcycle, and the life cycle of a frog.  I explained that all of these things have parts that go round and round and doesn’t ever stop and that’s what a cycle is.

Where’d you get that t-shirt?

I then explained that cycles can occur in peoples lives. I shared the story of Carpets for Communities (CfC) an NGO in Poipet Cambodia which empowers mothers to break the cycle of poverty. I wore my CfC t-shirt and the students were amazed to see the words ‘Break the Cycle’ on my back. They were totally spun out that the words they have been singing were written on my t-shirt! They urged me to tell them where I got the t-shirt from and what it meant.

But what about welfare?

I shared the story of how some families in Cambodia have no money because the parents never got an education and so their children have to work to provide money for the family. The children don’t get to go to school, because they are out working. These kids end up growing up without an education and cant earn money so their kids will have to work to support the family too, and the cycle continues. The kids were really thinking about this and one student asked me "but what about welfare? What about their tjitji money (child payments)?" I explained that there was no such thing as tjitji money in this country. I was met with silence and I hoped that meant they were putting their situation into perspective. 

A happy ending 

Pleased with their engagement we looked up CfC on the net and I showed them the handmade rugs that the mothers now make instead of getting their kids to work. I explained that the rugs get shipped to Australia to be sold and now their kids get to go to school. I told them that was what ‘breaking the cycle’ means. There were smiles all round the classroom, to hear such a happy ending to the story and one of the kids suggested we buy a rug for our classroom. 

A true story?

Bringing the kids attention back to the group of Aboriginal girls who sing ‘Break the Cycle’ I asked the kids if they thought it was a true story. There was a unanimous ‘Yes’ from my students and there was a bit of discussion about how all of the sad things also happen in our community. The kids said they wanted the girls to break the cycle but couldn't offer any suggestions on how they could do that beyond "call the police when someone is fighting". I understood that it was hard to work out ways to break this cycle, when we weren't even sure what this cycle actually looked like.. so I knew that was where we had to go next.

My action plan

26/7/12

Education Changemakers

My recent motivation to create change has been sparked by the Education Changemakers program which I am lucky enough to be involved in. As part of this program we are to come up with a change project to bring back to our school.

The program has triggered many big picture thoughts and discussions about reforming education to better suit our remote context. I kept asking myself “but how does this fit with what I’m doing in the classroom right now?” Then I remembered a key learning from the first workshop of this program: think big, act small. Therefore my change project is around developing a model of education for our context that works in my classroom.

Change Project Ideas

The overall goals of my change project are to: 

Inspire a bright future

I would like to inspire my students to see that a better future is possible. I would like them to believe they can make a better future for themselves and improve their communities. Without hope for the future, reading and writing is not enough.

Empower local leaders

Teachers come and go from the Lands, some stay only a short time, others a long time. I don’t believe that it’s the teachers who are going to make a lasting impact on communities, it’s the people in the community itself. I believe school needs to have strong direction by these people. My biggest legacy is to value and empower the Anangu Education Workers in the school, the students and their family and community leaders to have more of a say about what goes on at school (starting in my classroom). We need to work together to find an ‘Anangu way’ of educating our students.

Develop youth ability to create change

I would like my students (in consultation with community) to identify an area of need in the community and work together on a project that will aim to better the community in some way. Not only will this show my students that creating change is possible, but it can give my students some experiences and skills that aim to prepare them adequately for a changing world and for future challenges, such as:

• Develop leadership and teamwork skills within my students
• Give the students a real-life learning context
• Value community knowledge
• Value student opinion
• Incorporate student views into action
• Give students a valued and recognized role within their community
• Give a concrete experience in creating change
• Inspire hope in themselves and in their community

Where to begin?

To begin with I envisage a series of lessons to lead my students towards realising what their positive future looks like, for themselves and their community. When they are clear on this, I want us to share that picture with families and the community and begin a conversation about how we can help educate our kids together so that they are able to achieve their dreams. This is how I see it unfolding: 

1. Reality check/inform

Explore a few honest truths with my students about the disparities that exist between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians, as a starting point to recognise that there is an opportunity for change here. 

2. Inspire – change is possible!

Show my students examples of how other individuals and other communities have broken a perpetual cycle and created a better future for themselves and the others around them.

3. Dream big – what’s possible?

Get students to think about: What’s possible for your own life? What is the best possible future you see for you community? 

4. What do you need to do this?

Ask students: Why do you come to school? How can school help you to be the person you want to be and have the future you want to have? How do you learn best? What is most important to learn?

5. Share with family/community – ask for help

Share students’ dreams and aspirations with family/community and ask for their input and support going forward in dual responsibility to help our kids to achieve this together. 

6. Come up with the 'How?' - begin the authorship process

Start a conversation with our Anangu Co-ordinator, Anangu Education workers, students' families and other community members about how we can best educate our kids together. Begin to hand authorship over to local leaders and establish regular activities to work with families and community members in the classroom. 

7. How can we help our community right now?

Work with students and community on a project that betters the community in some way right now to foster a culture of 'change is possible' and develop important 'change maker' skills within my students.

Looking ahead

It's a bit scary to not know exactly what might happen in my classroom after this, however it's exciting to know that what ever it is, will be created in collaboration with Anangu Education Workers, students, families and the wider community.

Time to take action

25/7/12

I just realized that I nearly walked away from the biggest opportunity I have ever had to follow my passion. 

My passion is that disadvantaged youth are inspired and equipped to have a positive future for themselves and the others around them.

Today, someone told me this:

"25% of teachers who work in disadvantaged areas leave the profession in the first 3 years."

Many go in to fields of social justice into areas where they feel they can better make a difference. This was nearly me.

I realized today that I am actually in the best position to make a difference because I am working with some of the most disadvantaged youth in the country and what’s more… I have a good relationship with a lot of them.

I have let many excuses get in the way of realising I can make a difference in their life. Excuses such as:

• There is a language barrier and my students need to have a strong understanding  of English in order for me to get the message across to them
• Any good I try to make will be counteracted by their adverse situations in their community life outside of school
• Continuous welfare payments mean that there is no incentive for them to get a good education
• I am constrained by an education system that makes it impossible to address the areas I feel are important for my students whilst still delivering the curriculum
• My students will never see education as important if their parents don’t either

However there is no room for excuses anymore and I truly believe this is something worth fighting for.

It is unacceptable that…

• I have students in my class (between the ages 10-13) who can not read or write
• None of my students are working at their year level
• I know of only 1 student from my school who has gone on to higher education
• The majority of the students in the school can not read and write in their first language
• Many of my students walk in and out of class as they please
• I have only had a parent come into my classroom on two occasions this year

The list of things that are unacceptable goes on and gives me more reasons to stay in this profession and keep fighting for change.

Yes there is pressure on teachers to enable our students to meet national academic standards and improve literacy and numeracy, however I don’t believe we are going to get there doing the same things we have always done. Everyday the teachers at my school come well planned, well resourced, well informed and often we are met with very challenging behavior, disengaged students and yes we see small progress but nothing that even comes close to equaling what we put in. I don’t believe that charging ahead with the curriculum and delivering our own agenda is going to make the difference for our students. I believe it will turn more and more students away from school and drive more and more teachers to absolute defeat. I think Albert Einstein might call us insane: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

No change = no change

Its time to make a change and so its time to do things a bit differently. I think that if the futures of our kids’ lives are going to be bright it needs to start with them believing it can be possible. I think that when kids believe in themself and see a bright future for themself they will start seeing education as important and can engage and progress. I also see a need for a different education than what would be suitable for mainstream English speaking students. If our students are to grow up empowered in both their Indigenous culture and in the western world, what goes on in the classroom cannot just be decided and driven by the teacher but in collaboration and dual responsibility with their families and wider community.

Don’t worry be crappy

I don’t know what it will look like from here on in, but if I at least start taking some action, I’m bound to get somewhere and make some steps towards closing the educational gap.

Many of the families and parents of the kids in my class don’t have jobs, are illiterate, don’t value education and do not appear to be particularly happy. My students will end up that way too if I don’t choose to do something about it.

It is time to take action - and this blog will follow those actions.