I have noticed an inspiring trend in ECE that is leading to COLLECTIVE EFFERVESENCE among teaching teams.

What information would you like first - unpacking collective effervescence or what inspiring practice has been happening?  Let’s start with practice, and the rest will become clear.

Over the last couple of months, I have noticed leadership's intent to ensure that processes such as internal evaluation and PGC are inclusive of all kaiako. This might sound a little ho-hum; however, it is anything but that.

If I give you an example, you will see what I mean.  I was sitting with a teaching team as they tried to make sense of their internal evaluation.  They had completed a lot of mahi, but their ideas were scattered across different pathways that did not seem to connect.  The original intention of the meeting was to kick-start the internal evaluation that was on a very, very slow simmer.  The energy in the room was heavy; there was uncertainty and a lack of clarity about the process and how all their mahi could come together.  This all sounds like bad news, but the tale has a happy ever after.  After much circling back and forth between ideas, it was agreed to wind the internal evaluation up and move collectively on to something that everyone was curious about, a question that everyone had ownership of.

The kaiako started to share ideas and possibilities for an internal evaluation question. At this point, there was a slight rise in the energy level of the kaiako, which eventually exploded into a bubbling over of ideas and possibilities once they found the right internal evaluation focus.  The sharing of ideas is the beginning of collective effervescence.  This transformation from a ho-hum view of internal evaluation to a bubbling up of ideas and possibilities happens when wise leaders step back and let the magic of collaboration happen.  I am seeing more and more of this ability to step back, not rush ahead or rescue, in leadership.  It is so exciting to be sitting on the sidelines or amid the conversations in kaiako hui and feel the difference this sense of collaboration brings.  This is transforming how kaiako see internal evaluation, which is exciting because internal evaluation leads to quality improvement for the mokopuna in our spaces.  In this example, the kaiako found their curiosity for their individual PGC questions that will support the internal evaluation.  I am so excited to see where this journey takes them.

Fostering collective effervescence involves several intentional steps, all aligning with internal evaluation. Internal evaluation and PGC inquiry are the perfect tools to maintain a continuous sense of collective effervescence, which fosters inspiring teaching practices.

1. Learn and Grow Together: Encourage shared learning—this is internal evaluation. As a teaching team, you are diving deeper into pedagogy, all learning together.

2. Celebrate the Journey: Make it a practice to acknowledge progress, no matter how minor, and ensure everyone feels valued for their contributions. Educating Hearts and Minds fosters a collaborative connection between internal evaluation and PGC, creating a shared journey rather than separate ones. We perceive internal evaluation as the waka that moves everyone forward together, while the crossbeams represent the kaiako PGC questions. These crossbeams (PGC inquiries) lend strength to the waka (internal evaluation), which in turn supports professional learning and improvement within the collaborative space. When all kaiako are aware of each other’s PGC inquiries, ongoing feedback flows more easily, enabling them to witness the growth in each other’s professional practices.

3. Establish Rituals: Establish regular, meaningful practices that reinforce everyone's sense of belonging to a larger community. As a teaching team, routinely revisiting internal evaluation will help maintain the waka's momentum. Coming together and acknowledging the shifts in thinking and practice helps kaiako track their journey. One suggestion for teams is that each kaiako should take turns sharing their PGC inquiry with colleagues, fostering collaborative understanding. This approach revitalizes the kaiako, transforming each kaiako hui into an opportunity for professional learning and adding a touch more vitality.

The previous example highlights a teaching team’s dialogue and active participation in internal evaluation; it illustrates one of numerous instances. It is a privilege to be alongside teams as their ideas develop, fostering a passion and dedication to enhancing the mokopuna's learning experiences.

Ki te kotahi te kākaho, ka whati; ki te kāpuia, e kore e whati.  When we stand alone, we are vulnerable, but together we are unbreakable.