Feature 29 May 2020
Counting the friendly frogs: welcoming children back to early learning centres
Parents experienced a mix of emotions when their children returned to schools and centres at the end of Alert Level 3. There was relief at the resumption of some sort of normality, but there was also anxiety. For the parents of young children in particular, there was concern about how tamariki would re-transition into early childhood education. Two kindergartens share their stories of transition with AKO.
Feature 25 May 2020
Q&A with Mark Jensen, drama teacher at Northcross Intermediate
Mark Jensen, the drama teacher at Northcross Intermediate School in Auckland, talks about how performing arts activities have been used by staff across the school as a positive way to reconnect with their thousand-plus students in the first days of reopening at Level 2.
Feature 22 May 2020
“Another way of doing it”: being a beginning teacher during Covid-19
The disruption caused by Covid-19 has been particularly felt by hundreds of beginning teachers. Barely settled into their classrooms, they have suddenly found themselves having to work in a different way. Ako spoke with three new teachers about meeting the challenge.
Feature 20 May 2020
In the deep end: new principals leading through a pandemic
The Covid-19 crisis has tested everyone involved in our education system. But for scores of new principals, the challenge has been particularly fraught. AKO talks with three beginning principals in the Auckland region about how they have managed through a crisis, while still coming to terms with their new role.Book Reviews
Tuakana, teina, whānau: lockdown learnings in Kawerau
AKO catches up again with Ripeka Lessels, tumuaki of Te Whata Tau o Pūtauaki in Kawerau, as she reflects on how her students and their whānau have got on during the lockdown, and what everyone has learnt.
Q & A with Liam Rutherford
AKO chats with Liam Rutherford, NZEI Te Riu Roa president, about what it's been like for him working from home, how he's looked after his own wellbeing and what he sees the future holding for our members.
Inequities run deep: supporting our school communities
Recently, AKO spoke with two school principals about their efforts to bridge the digital divide in the lockdown. We caught up with them again to find out how their schools are managing the transition to Level 3 and beyond. They reminded us that behind the digital divide is a greater inequity.