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.