#TFALLGC2015

Speaker bio

Mary has held a range of teaching and management positions in New Zealand secondary schools and was formerly the Senior Manager for Schools Monitoring and Support in the NZ Ministry of Education. In that role she was responsible for national policy development and the leadership of a diverse range of education change management projects. 

Mary was formerly a board member for the International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) and has represented New Zealand on the OECD work on ‘Combating Failure at Schools’ and ‘Innovation for Effective Schools’. Mary was appointed as an Executive Trustee for the Cognition Institute from August 2006 - August 2012.

My sessions

Culture Counts: A deeper look at the significance of relationships

October 15, Thursday
15:15 - 17:00
Lower NZI

Pioneering educators in New Zealand have developed a culturally responsive approach to teaching and leadership that is based on the idea that teachers must develop strong relationships with students – acknowledging that both teachers and students come to the relationship with their own cultural identities.  This asset-based approach to cultivating Māori students’ sense of self and worth led to an astounding jump in outcomes for Māori students, while also improving outcomes for all other student groups.  We’ll learn from the practitioners who designed this approach, reflecting on i

School visit discussion

October 16, Friday
13:45 - 15:45
Orakei Marae

The team from Culture Counts will help us make sense of our school visit experience, deepening our understanding of this culturally responsive pedagogy and helping us consider applying these principles to our home countries.