What is the literature saying. ….

During my research I focused on the book “Teaching to the North East” by Russell Bishop. This book was mesmerising. It completely changed my viewpoint on education and made me have so many questions. Why is it that there are still toxic environments in education where students face marginalisation every day? Even though we are getting better there is still a huge gap in education. 

In Teaching to the North-East, Russell Bishop challenges educators to move away from deficit thinking that views the languages, cultural perspectives, and prior knowledge of marginalised students as barriers to learning. Instead, he argues these should be celebrated and utilised as powerful assets in the classroom. Central to his approach is relational pedagogy, which emphasises that strong, caring relationships between teachers and students are not optional extras, but the very foundation of effective teaching. Bishop describes the “north-east quadrant” as the optimal space where teachers achieve both high relational engagement and high quality interactive pedagogy, resulting in meaningful and fair learning experiences for all. He encourages teachers to create classrooms that operate like extended families, where power is shared, students’ voices are legitimised, and learning is co-constructed around their lived experiences. Importantly, Bishop highlights the need for teachers to continually monitor the impact of their relationships and teaching practices, making responsive adjustments to ensure every student thrives (Bishop, R. (2019). Teaching to the North- East. NZCER Press).  

Without this we face segregation, students who do not want to come to school and whanau are disengaged. “All students have a cultural fund of knowledge” (2022, The Education Hub) in classrooms this is what should be used and celebrated. In a classroom there is no room for cultural assumptions. 

With this all in mind I have thought deeply about what intervention would be useful to our school and how to support not only teachers in the classroom but creating a sense of belonging for cultures at Sommerville.