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A word from the authors...
Observations and wonderings from Steve and Rebecca - creators of Engaging Learning Voices.

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4 days ago3 min read
How Best to Invest Your Attendance Budget
by Rebecca Thomas Walking Bus When you work across schools and connect with different communities, you hear a range of strategies...
181 views0 comments


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7 days ago3 min read
Supporting Tamariki as Waitangi Day Approaches
by Rebecca Thomas Haki Ātea: Waitangi Day 2024 As Waitangi Day approaches, I find myself reflecting on the power of curiosity and the...
344 views0 comments


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Jan 293 min read
My First TOD 2025: The Day We Got It Right
By Rebecca Thomas The days leading up to our first Teacher Only Day were a blur of emails and last-minute logistics. Catering numbers,...
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Jan 192 min read
Time you can't get back
By Rebecca Thomas Between the cuts in education and educators being used as political footballs, we must continue to think critically...
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Jan 83 min read
Moderated or Not, Social Media Won’t Lead Us to Truth - Critical Literacy Matters More Than Ever
Facebook: left to the mob With Zuckerberg stepping back from moderation, Facebook has been left to the mob. Some argue this is a win for...
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Jan 44 min read
Getting the First Teacher-Only Day Right
by Rebecca Thomas Rākau Creations As a school leader, the responsibility for planning the first teacher-only day of the year looms. While...
528 views0 comments

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Dec 28, 20244 min read
Don’t Confuse Whanaungatanga with Icebreakers
By Rebecca Thomas For a brief moment, as we admire the meticulous school grounds and laminated displays surrounding organised desks, we...
528 views0 comments

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Dec 18, 20243 min read
Today I saw Policy changes impacting my community - and I didn't like it!
By Rebecca Thomas My Context, My Community Today I saw the impact of policy changes on my community—and I didn’t like it. While I’ve been...
221 views0 comments

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Dec 11, 20243 min read
How to Move from Checklists to Connection; Strategic Planning in 2025
by Rebecca Thomas As schools prepare for the 2025 academic year, the Ministry of Education offers compliance checklists and guidelines ....
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Dec 4, 20243 min read
What's new for Term 1 2025? (an alternative compliance guide)
By Rebecca Thomas (Image typoed and generated by ChatGPT) What we wish the Ministry of Education had given us instead of a compliance...
622 views0 comments

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Nov 29, 20243 min read
Are Charter Schools Helping or Harming Equity in Education?
by Rebecca Thomas Conversations about charter schools often ignite heated debates, creating a sense of division in our education system....
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Nov 20, 20244 min read
Neutrality, Place, and the Politics of Te Tiriti
by Rebecca Thomas ( BBC News Getty Image ) Is anything ever truly neutral? This question has been on my mind this week, particularly as I...
190 views0 comments

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Nov 11, 20244 min read
Change and Consequences
Bt Rebecca Thomas It’s been a while since I’ve shared some words with educators. It’s not for lack of trying—several half-finished blogs...
118 views0 comments

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Oct 31, 20244 min read
Build a Strong Start to 2025
By Steve Saville And so the maelstrom that is Term 4 is upon us. It is always a tricky term to navigate (and yes I do intend to torture...
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Oct 22, 20243 min read
The Corruption of the Science and the Practice of Teaching
by Rebecca Thomas Such rich kōrero from Guy Claxton — a true gift. Thank you, Aotearoa Collective, for sharing this with us so freely....
365 views0 comments


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Oct 10, 20247 min read
Changes to the Education act: A Te Tiriti Lens
by Rebecca Thomas The proposed amendments to the Education and Training Act 2020 are set to shape the future of education in New...
224 views0 comments

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Oct 2, 20244 min read
A Poem to Erica Stanford: A Quiet Revolution
by Rebecca Thomas Erica, we hear your words, Softly spoken, finely heard. You say you listen, you understand, But see, our...
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Sep 26, 20245 min read
The Social Nexus in Education - Technology, Power, and Voices
by Rebecca Thomas Education operates within a ‘social nexus’, symbiosis; interconnected relationships among teachers, students,...
74 views0 comments

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Sep 23, 20245 min read
The planned takeover: signs we need to pay attention to
by Rebecca Thomas Misdirection in policy-making is rarely accidental. Governments often plan it meticulously, laying the groundwork long...
387 views0 comments


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Sep 20, 20244 min read
Are We Being Misdirected? The Hidden Agenda Behind NZ’s Education Reforms and the Threat of Charter Schools
by Rebecca Thomas Refresh of the refresh; reform after reform, its hard not to feel like we are being fuelled into a narrow path of...
400 views0 comments
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