Bursts and Bubbles

Over the past few years here at Somerville, I’ve found myself becoming intrigued about cultural capabilities and how we, as teachers, can support one another to grow in this area. When I first started, I never imagined the impact this journey would have not just on my own teaching, but on the confidence and connection across the school. I was not confident in my own ability to implement anything school wide but reflecting on it now I have found how I doubted myself and it was successful.

Last year, myself with the learning languages team worked to make language weeks more meaningful, providing teachers with resources that helped them explore and celebrate different cultures. With the support of one of our amazing speech and language therapists, we created multilingual visuals for every classroom; in English, Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language which were rolled out this year.. These visuals might seem small, but in my eyes they had the ability to make a huge difference. They give both teachers and learners an easy way to communicate and connect even if they aren’t confident yet in Te Reo or sign language.

All of this got me thinking about a bigger question: How can we strengthen practices among our staff to build confidence in developing our cultural capabilities?

Because what I’ve noticed is many teachers want to celebrate cultural diversity but the confidence is missing. And for some of our overseas-trained teachers, Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are completely new. These are such important parts of who we are, and I want everyone to feel confident bringing them into their classrooms.

To get a sense of where we were starting, I sent out a survey. I asked our teachers how confident they felt using Te Reo Māori in the classroom. The results were really interesting, no one said they were very confident. Most teachers sat around a 6-7, and a few were at the lower end; a 1 or 2 feeling unsure where to begin.

When I asked what they needed support with, most teachers said adapting resources for diverse learners and building culturally inclusive classrooms. That made total sense. Here at Somerville, we have such a wide range of abilities and needs, so supporting cultural diversity and supporting learning diversity really go hand in hand.

From this, I identified three main barriers:

A lack of confidence and knowledge in Te Reo Māori and NZSL. Communication challenges, especially in special education where every learner is different. And a shortage of resources, time, and support materials.

From this I came up with three hunches:

1. If I could support overseas-trained teachers to learn more Te Reo, their confidence would grow.

2. If we could collaborate more in our cultural practices, our learners would engage more.

And 3. If I created clear, ready-to-use plans and resources, teachers would feel more confident using them.

Around this time, I read a book that truly shifted my thinking. “Teaching to the North-East by Russell Bishop.” He talks about moving away from “deficit thinking” , the idea that a student’s language or culture is a barrier and instead, seeing those things as strengths. His concept of relational pedagogy really resonated with me, that strong, caring relationships are not just “nice to have,” they’re the foundation of good teaching. It made me think: our classrooms should feel like whānau, like extended families, where everyone’s voice matters. So I took these ideas and built an intervention, something gradual and sustainable, not just a one-off.

We expanded our Language Week resources, but this time we didn’t stop there. We ensured the multilingual visuals were across the school. We created a school karakia and waiata in collaboration with Ngāti Paoa. We reformed our Kapa Haka group, open to every learner who wanted to join and we ensured our shared drive was full of accessible, easy-to-use resources for teachers.

Being honest, when this was first rolled out, engagement wasn’t quite what I hoped for. Teachers seemed interested, but time was tight, classrooms were busy and there was a lot competing for attention. So instead of pushing harder, I stepped back, and simplified things. With support I made the resources more flexible, things teachers could pick up and use instantly, without extra planning. And this seemed to make a difference. Slowly, engagement grew.

By the end of the year, we saw growth. Teachers’ confidence in using Te Reo Māori and NZSL had risen from around 3 to 7 out of 10. Confidence in culturally responsive teaching also increased from 5 to around 7. At the start of the year, most classes included cultural content once or twice a term. By Term 4 it was reported that nearly every class was weaving it into their daily routines. Simple things such as greetings, waiatas, karakia became regular parts of our school day.

One of the reflections said that “At the start of the year, I focused on learning about each learner’s background. Now, I’m actively celebrating culture every day, it’s become part of who we are as a class.”

That comment really summed up the change for me. This may not yet be the whole school but we are working on moving in the right direction. When collecting data at the end of the year to see progress it was expressed that a highlight of the year was our Cultural Festival, the energy, the pride, the smiles. It was such a celebration of who we are as a school.

But even more exciting was knowing that culture isn’t just something we celebrate once a year anymore, it's something we are striving to live every day.

Looking ahead, we still remain focused on growing confidence in Te Reo Māori and NZSL, embedding them more deeply across our curriculum, and enhancing our partnerships with whānau. This year has shown that change is gradual, driven by consistent effort, collaboration, and reflection. And most of all together, we are creating a Somerville where language, culture, and identity are celebrated every day.

Evaluation of the Intervention:

Evaluating data from the beginning of the year to the end of the year!

At the beginning of the year, our staff reflected on their confidence in using Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), and in applying culturally responsive teaching practices. As we reach the end of the year, revisiting those same reflections shows clear growth. In Term 1, most teachers rated their confidence with Te Reo Māori and NZSL between 2–5 out of 10. By Term 4, those ratings had risen to 6–8, with many teachers now describing themselves as “comfortable” in teaching these aspects. Confidence in culturally responsive teaching grew even more significantly, from an average of 5 to around 7. This reflects both increased exposure and practice, as well as the impact of targeted school wide initiatives. Together, these shifts demonstrate a collective belief in our ability to create inclusive, culturally rich classrooms where language and identity are celebrated every day.

At the start of the year, many classrooms included cultural content only once or twice a term. By the end of the year, almost all teachers reported including students’ cultures regularly in their planning and activities. Simple beginnings like circle time, waiatas, and greetings in Te Reo and NZSL have evolved into daily routines that include karakia, multilingual visuals, and student-led sharing in some classes. Teachers have moved from acknowledging culture to actively celebrating it; shifting from one-off events to ongoing practices that reflects genuine engagement.

As one teacher reflected:

“At the start of the year, I focused on learning about each learner’s background. Now, I’m actively celebrating culture every day, it’s become part of who we are as a class.”

The introduction of multilingual visuals and Language Week resources played a key role in supporting this transformation. At the start of the year, only about half of teachers were using multilingual materials. By Term 4, nearly all were doing so; describing them as helpful, time-saving, and confidence-boosting. These tools made a tangible difference, helping staff move from simply acknowledging diversity to embedding it in daily teaching and classroom environments.

A highlight of the year was expressed as our Cultural Festival, which many described as fun, meaningful, and a proud moment for both students and staff. While some noted logistical challenges such as timing and crowding, the overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The event fostered a strong sense of belonging and pride, offering students a platform to share and celebrate their identities. The festival served as a living example of our school’s commitment to inclusivity, and how far we’ve come in making culture a visible, celebrated part of school life. Our reflections also highlight key areas for ongoing development:

- Continued PLD in Te Reo Māori and NZSL to build fluency and confidence.

- Deeper integration of cultural practices within the curriculum, balancing time and priorities.

- Enhanced support for whānau communication, particularly for families who need interpreter assistance.

- Consistent, school-wide inclusion, ensuring all cultural groups are represented and celebrated.

The difference between Term 1 and Term 4 goes beyond improved confidence scores, it represents a shift in mindset. We’ve moved from awareness to action, from inclusion as an event to inclusion as a way of being. Our classrooms now have greetings in multiple languages, waiatas sung, and the learning that reflects the richness of our community.

As one teacher put it:

“We are more aware of Māori culture now, and there are so many opportunities to engage with different cultures at school.”

While we still have progress to make, this year we’ve made a strong start toward becoming more culturally aware, and it shows.

Reflecting

As we continue to embed language and cultural practices across our school, I’ve been reflecting on how we can deepen their impact in meaningful, sustainable ways. Over time, I’ve learned that real change doesn’t happen overnight, it grows through consistent effort, collaboration, and reflection.

One key insight has been the value of introducing new resources and routines gradually and changing where need. When we allow teachers and learners time to adapt, the results are far more lasting.

I’ve also recognised the importance of differentiation. Every learner connects with language and culture differently, so resources need to be flexible, using simplified visuals, tactile supports, or AAC where needed. This is something I’ll continue to guide alongside our Learning, Language, and Cultural Capabilities team, offering ideas and support while empowering classroom teachers to take the lead in their own spaces. Supporting teachers remains one of my biggest focuses. While I had hoped to deliver more practical professional learning sessions this year, time has certainly flown by! That said, we are making some progress as a school, from incorporating greetings in different languages to celebrating diverse cultures and weaving these practices into our daily routines for most people.

When I speak with teachers about language and cultural responsiveness, there’s a genuine enthusiasm to learn and grow. Many express a desire for more hands-on strategies they can easily implement in their classrooms. Yet, despite sharing resources, engagement is still low which tells me that perhaps we need to rethink how support is offered and this was rethought during my monitoring and adapting phase.

Moving forward and thinking into the future, I want to explore ways to provide deeper, more accessible guidance that builds confidence and participation. A goal is to make cultural and language integration feel not just achievable but exciting and rewarding for everyone involved as it is much appreciated by our whānau.

Together, we can continue to nurture a school environment where language, culture, and identity are celebrated every day and we will continue to work on it.

Adapting on the Go: What Monitoring Has Taught Me

When I first set out to implement this project, I had a clear plan in mind. But, as with most things in education, the reality in the classroom quickly reminded me that flexibility is key.

During the monitoring stage, I started to notice that the overall participation and engagement wasn’t quite where I hoped it would be. Teachers were interested, but time was tight. Classes were already packed with other priorities, and my initiative was competing for attention.

Rather than pushing harder, I decided to step back and rethink my approach. I began tweaking the resources so they could be more easily integrated into everyday lessons or during language weeks. I simplified some activities with help from others who sent amazing resources to me, created shorter versions for quick use, and adapted materials to suit different learners making sure that everyone, regardless of ability or learning style, could take part meaningfully, even if this was just through song.

These small but intentional changes made a big difference in my opinion. We saw more engagement and the intervention began to feel like a natural part of classroom rather than an extra task for some.

Monitoring has shown me that success isn’t always about sticking rigidly to the original plan, it’s about being responsive, adaptable, and willing to meet people where they are and sometimes adding more is just too much.

Interventions: Part 2

Introducing multilingual visuals, cultural practices, and inclusive resources is only the first step in the implementation their impact is just as important. In our school, we do this through a combination of classroom observations, participation tracking, and teacher feedback. Observations from team leaders help us see how students engage with visuals, Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language, while tracking participation shows who is involved and who might need a little extra support and if they are valuable to learning.

Teacher feedback plays a key role too. Our staff are encouraged share what strategies are working well and highlight any challenges they notice, giving us a clear picture of what’s effective in real classroom settings. This will be more present and the end of the year when another survey is sent out. 

To keep everything fresh and meaningful, I have tried to review our resources and routines, ensuring materials remain accessible and engaging for learners. Reflective meetings and brief reports help us celebrate successes, address any gaps, and plan next steps. This ongoing process ensures that our focus on cultural capabilities isn’t just a one-off initiative or tokenistic, it's a sustainable, evolving part of school life. 

We will see how this goes and I will make adjustments if needed as the year progresses.

Interventions: Part 1

From the information gathered and my existing knowledge, I decided to make the intervention slow and gradual throughout the whole year to best support both teachers and learners. We already had resources and activities in place to support teachers during various language weeks, and these were expanded each year. While this created a sense of confidence during those weeks, it did not provide enough support throughout the rest of the year. So what could we do about this.....

Firstly, myself along with Speech and langauge therapists supplied teachers and classes with multilingual visuals that included English, Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language, using the same symbols as our coreboards. This provided a clear and consistent starting point for teachers and learners. It helped create a cohesive environment where, even if you were not confident in Te Reo or sign language, you could refer to the visuals as guidance. This was particularly valuable for new teachers at Sommerville.

Secondly, we re-established a school Kapa Haka group for learners to join. There were no specific requirements to participate, and we have seen how much the learners enjoy it. It has also provided teachers with exposure to different cultures and encouraged collaboration between classes. This year marks the first combined special school cultural festival, in which the kapa haka group will perform. This supports cultural capabilites along with collaboration. In line with this, the learning languages team, which I led this year, created a school karakia. We collaborated with Ngāti Paoa to ensure an accurate translation in Te Reo Māori that reflected our school. The karakia was shared with teachers alongside a waiata, this was put to music so that the whole school could begin learning it together.

Lastly, we hold a whole school cultural festival each year. While this is not a new initiative, it remains an important way of celebrating all cultures in our school and fostering an inclusive environment.

All resources provided to staff have been stored in the shared drive for easy access and ongoing support. These resources will continue to grow as new materials are developed. Having a central bank of resources is particularly helpful for our teachers, allowing them to revisit materials whenever they need additional support.

Causal Chain

 

My causal chain focus on the thought process behind creating my inquiry focus and what my interventions are going to be.