Mathematics and Statistics Leaders Symposium

September 2011Waipuna Conference Centre

Culturally Responsive Leadership

Jill Parfitt

Whakatauki

He aha te kai o te rangatira? He Korero, he korero, he korero

(What is the food of the leader. It is knowledge. It is communication.)

A Description of Culture

• Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviours shared by a group of people. Culture is the behaviour that results when a group arrives at a set of - generally unspoken and unwritten - rules for working together.

School Culture

• A school’s culture is made up of all of the life experiences each person brings to the organisation. Culture is especially influenced by the school’s BoT, Principal, and other Senior Leadership staff because of their role in decision-making and strategic direction.

• How do we do things around here?

Cultural Iceberg

Cultural Insights

• INSIGHT- Surface behaviours are influenced by beneath-the-surface values and assumptions.

• INSIGHT- Behaviour makes more sense when you understand the value or belief behind it.

• INSIGHT- Some behaviours are shared by us all, while some others are unique to individuals or groups of individuals.

• INSIGHT- Behaviour reflects deeply seated values and world views.

Cultural Insights

• INSIGHT- The relationship between an individual and ethics is influenced by culture.

• INSIGHT- Time is a cultural phenomenon • INSIGHT- Culture influences whether you act

more like an individualist or a collectivist.

http://www2.pacific.edu/sis/culture/

A good place to start is to acknowledge that:• Students have a culture• Teachers have a culture• Some things will be similar or seem familiar• Some things will be different• One of the teachers’ main job is to work out:• What those differences are• Where they come from• What they mean

What does this mean for mathematics leadership?

School leadershipAt its most basic, inquiry is a process in which those involved investigate what is working well for student learning and achievement and should be continued, and what is not working well and should be changed (Timperley & Parr, 2009).

ERO 2010 Inquiry Questions

A final thought

Gaining cultural competence is a developmental process which begins with the awareness of one’s own culture, gaining knowledge of other cultures and understanding the way different values intersect. As we move along the continuum of cultural competence and gain proficiency we deepen our understanding of inequity and our ability to help create equity.

(Shana Ritter, I.U. CEEP, 2007)

In Conclusion

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Access Mathematics Symposium resources and links onlinehttp://teamsolutions.wikispaces.com

Educational Leaders Websitehttp://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz