MIT May 7th Meet- What impact did this meet have on my thinking and planning?

With the COVID-19 lockdown came pressure and extra work as educators moving into a completely digital way of teaching and learning. Also came the extra work as SENCO helping our whanau navigate their way through this period.

My passion and excitement from our hui one week prior to lockdown turned to frustration and zero output as I became time poor, extremely busy with the extra lockdown workload.

I entered the meeting feeling frustrated and feeling like I was failing. 

However, the meeting quickly allowed me to gain a positive perspective.

What we have just gone through as educators is unprecedented. We have had to change how we teach and connect with our leaners, and deal with situations that are new to everyone. Being kind to myself is not something that comes easy to me and this is what I needed to do.

Taking the pressure off myself has allowed the passion and excitement to return in a natural way. Since returning to school, being open again to this journey and where it is taking me,  has made me look at the project with new eyes.

I have returned to the empathise phase of the project with the learnings I have gained from the COVID experience connecting with whānau. Exploring the 'partnership' aspect of the challenge focus as become key, as it was the partnership between home and school during lockdown that fueled our successful teaching and learning opportunities during that time.