My Professional Community

• What is my practice?
  
  1. Who are the stakeholders of your professional community? In what ways do they influence your practice?
  A community of practice, as defined by Wenger (2011) is a group of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. In my context, my community of practice is my classroom, with my students being the major stakeholders in our community. We are a low socioeconomic community with a range of ethnicities, predominantly Pasifika people.
  We are also part of the Ako Hiko Cluster of schools and have 1:1 Chromebooks. My practice has changed dramatically since beginning to teach in a digital classroom. My learners influence the direction in which we go with their learning. Student voice is well represented in our school with decisions such as concepts to be covered.
  
  
  2. What is the purpose and function of your practice? In what ways do you cater for the community of your practice?
  The purpose of my practice is to educate my ākonga. To provide my learners with the best possible environment for them to learn, develop and grow. My community of practice (my students) are catered for through differentiated learning, developing ways students can have more say in what they are learning and how they are learning it. Providing opportunities for students to become aware of other ways of learning.
  
  
  3. What are the core values that underpin your profession and how?
  The core values that underpin my profession are the Registered Teacher Criteria. These “describe the criteria for quality teaching that are to be met by all fully registered teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand.” (NZTC, 2009)
  There are 12 criteria which fully registered teachers must meet. Criteria 1 states teachers must: establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of all ākonga. I do this through working to know my students in both their academic abilities, but also as a person, their likes and dislikes, their passions and dreams.
  Criteria 2 states teachers demonstrate commitment to promoting the well-being of all ākonga. In a low decile school this is crucial to the academic achievement of our students. Pastoral care is a necessary part of my daily role, if my students are cold, hungry or haven’t have enough sleep how can they be expected to perform at their best.
  
  
  4. What are the challenges that you face in your practice?
  As in all classrooms there are challenges, students who have learning difficulties and how to best cater to them, and how to extend and support the high flyers. Whilst ensuring those in the middle are learning too.
  
  
  5. What changes are occurring in the context of your profession? How would you address them?
  One of the major changes affecting my context is the loss of our principal at the end of this term. She will be moving on to another school after 10 years in my school. She is one of the driving forces for the technology we have in our school and the way in which we as teachers are given freedom to explore new ways of implementing learning in our classrooms. As with all changes, we as a staff, are unsure as to what the future holds for us, in terms of a leader with the same vision and forward thinking ability as our current principal.

• Hodkinson, P., & Hodkinson, H. (2004). A constructive critique of communities of practice: moving beyond Lave and Wenger.