Activity 2: My Professional Community

In answering this question, I will refer to the school I belonged to in 2015 since I am currently on study leave.

What is the organisational culture (collective values/principles) that underpins your practice? How would you contribute to fostering a positive professional environment in your community of practice?

What is school culture? According to Stoll (1998) culture within a school is complex yet one of the most important concepts in an educational setting. It starts with a vision and becomes engrained in the ways of doing things. It requires those within the school setting to ‘walk the talk’.

Reporoa College is a small rural college set half way between Rotorua and Taupo. It does have a culture of its own and in some ways it is still the old ways, and in some ways it is changing to new ways of being. This is lead by a new Principal who started in 2015.

A few years ago our school had an appointed Principal who introduced the concept of Kotahitanga – Unity – Proud to Belong. This statement in itself is a strong statement. It can be amazing to watch a school that you know so well go through its own battles. Kotahitanga and the view of being Proud to Belong was the start to getting the school back on its feet.

I think culture is something that you have to nurture; you can’t assume that people know what it is and what it looks like. School culture is no different. As stated by Academy for SEL in Schools (2015) a successful school has a culture and climate of learning, caring and success. Furthermore, it is recognised that while students come and go, staff are usually the consistent glue that holds culture together. This can only be done with a common vision with great leadership.

With the introduction of Kotahitanga, I set the task for my senior students to develop a banner that could be printed and staff chose the final design. This currently hangs at the back of the hall for all students to see. I believe that Reporoa College is a great school to be part of.

What changes are occurring in the context of your profession? How would your community of practices address them?

As we move towards the 21st Century learning style there are a multitude of changes that are occurring. With the availability of the Internet the role of the teacher changes, from one that ‘has the knowledge’ to one that shares the learning within a context of the classroom. This involves keeping up with not only technology but also moving forward in teaching pedagogies. Throughout the course of MindLab, there is a change in thinking to a world of possibilities. As more staff undertake the process of learning in a collaborative way there will be change.


As for me, I actually like being part of the Google+ community. I like being challenged by like minded people. I like to see what other schools are doing, and figuring out ways to integrate them into the classroom context for the benefit of my learners.




Academy for SEL in Schools. (2015). What is School Culture and Climate? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-_NvhlcusQ

Stoll, L. (1998). School culture audits: making a difference in school improvement plans. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin 9, 11(1), 74–82. http://doi.org/10.1177/1365480207086756