I have made it to the second year of this degree and with that comes a new school for student based learning (SBL). I have been placed at Arthur Miller School in Taradale in Napier. This school is smaller than the school I was working with last year and I am excited to experience new things and see different teaching styles and learn as much as I can while I am here.
On the first day we had a special powhiri/school assembly to be welcomed into the school. This was very powerful and a great start. I enjoyed this because of my cultural background I think it's important to welcome guests onto school grounds in that way If it is apart of the school culture. Arthur Miller school has around 280 students the way they sung their school song it felt like many more were there.
We were very lucky to get to go with team two on a Feild trip to Otatara Pa. They were looking at the meaning of their school song and what it respresents which is their area that their school sits. Otatara Pa is significant to the school because in the song it talks about it being the maunga/mountain for the area. They teachers spoke about wanting the children to have that real life experience so by taking the children there they could understand the school song better and their schools community. The children had been practicing their pepeha and got the opportunity to say it while at the top of Otatara Pa. It was a stinking hot day and walking the children there and back was a mission. It was a nice way to meet some of the teachers, students and parents of the schools community. 
On the second day of SBL I got to observe and be apart of a classroom with a male teacher in it. This was my first real opportunity to see what it was like. I was highly impressed the main point that stood out to me was that I saw a style that I really liked and thought that is going to be me. I liked the way the classroom was set out, how he spoke to the children in a nice calm and relaxed fashion. I saw the children had the upmost respect for this man so I had to ask him how he set that up. We have been looking at positive and inclusive classroom environments this class ticks all of those boxes. I hope to get back in there soon and learn more.
