2008: What next
In 2007, most clients ended up being family members or friends, with students not having the confidence to work with someone less familiar.
"That's something we're working towards. We've got some kids coming through next year whom we may be able to push more in that direction, up to that next level of interaction. But you've got to know your kids before you push them too far. It's a progression, and it's going to take time
The effectiveness of the working relationship that Jean and Graham have developed is evidenced in the number of their Level 1 and Level 2 students now coming through into their Year 13 Materials Technology programme. They started the 2008 programme with a roll of 21.
"Some have to make a little adjustment to have both of us teaching them, but its actually a very good learning experience for them for them. They come to realise that both teachers don't have to be equally expert in the materials they are working in... and that they both know about Technology. So both the boys and the girls have just got just used to working with the two of us. We expect them to know what they're doing and to be able to get on with it with supervision from either of us, and there's always other staff around as well, so that gets those staff more involved in what the students are doing at L3."
With a Technology pathway that incorporates University Entrance accreditation and the opportunity for Scholarship awards now in place, both are confident that a different group of students will see value in "taking our subject, and staying with it through to Year 13". However both recognise that "it may take a bit of time to get that message through".
"If I look at my list for Year 12 for next year, half the group I've never taught before," says Jean. "That's the way it is every year. You have to work to get half the class up to a decent skill level, because they've never touched a machine before."
Because of this ongoing problemshe is planning to cut back on the number of projects she will be doing at each year level in the senior school. "I will be using the first term to concentrate on building up those skills more, across all the senior levels, so that students have the knowledge and skills base they need when they have to make decisions for themselves."
Jean is also re-evaluating the structure of her Year 9 and Year 10 programmes to more clearly establish the desired progression in moving from Year 9 to Year 10 to Year 11.
"We need to look at where we should be at, at each level, so we can consciously lift our performance a notch. We also need to pay attention to the 'take-home' value of the outcomes that students are producing, because that's what the community sees and reacts to. It's probably harder for the textiles teacher because students have to buy their own materials, and there's also an expectation that kids who've never touched a sewing machine before can produce something like a ball dress."
Jean is working to "try to get industry back into the programme a bit more".
"This really depends on the ability of the group of students. Doing that minor project first gives me a chance to assess the students I haven't taught before. But, now, many will have done both Level 1 and Level 2 technology so we'll spend some time during that minor project working out those who could be benefiting most from that outside help."
Both Jean and Graham recognise that their major challenge will remain working effectively with both boys and girls.
"The culture of the classes in many technology departments like ours is single sex – if it's a woodwork class it will be full of boys! So what we've tried to do involves a significant culture shift – a really hard thing to do. It's not just the staff and their perceptions that we have to work on, its in our wider community as well. When parents come to open days and evenings, all the talk is of woodwork and sewing – and boys don't do sewing and girls don't do woodwork, do they! We know it's going to take a long time to change that attitude. But that's what we want to happen – and it is progressing."
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