Training the Trainers in New Zealand 2011

Oh….Where do I start?

…..What I am really thrilled about though is that I am slowly building up a relationship with a cluster of small rural primary schools in low socio-economic area which has a cultural mix that is predominantly New Zealand European, Maori and an increasing number of Samoan families. Last year I ran a Train the Trainers there (do any of you remember that on that blog, August 2010, there was a photo of me with Hector the Harley Davison pig who I went to visit again this time at Billy Black’s wonderfully eccentric Hobbit accommodation!!) ….what a shearer of sheep and leader of men and wool that man is!! If you are ever in the Waitomo area….make sure to visit. The Train the Trainers was organised by two lovely ‘Soul Sisters’ – Marion Gauntlett and Jenny Whitehead. Raewyn, another warm bright flame, and a principal of one of the schools and manager of that RTLB group attended for a week as well.

This is where I glided through on a canoe – it was only minutes from my hotel.

Well, the exciting brave thing is that Raewyn and her school decided to take on our bronze, silver or gold challenge, where we award schools a special status if they manage to embed a range of the key features of our model. We have firm suggestions for how to raise staff and parent morale, set up three listening systems and six golden values, a firm golden time incentives and sanctions system, ten playground imperatives and circles of support for children and teachers needing extra help. Any school can apply – currently, we have thirty with a gold award and many others with bronze and silver status. It was great to visit Raewyn’s school, talk to all her teachers and children and go out into the playground….currently the school is hovering on the bronze/silver cusp and it won’t take much to tweak it the right way.

This is where my training was and I cycled around it every evening – a lively and exotic feast for the eyes.

Notes:

Jenny Mosley ran a 5-day Train the Trainers course in New Zealand during August 2011. Jenny also contributed to a conference in New Zealand and Australia earlier in the year. If you are interested in attending a Train the Trainers course in the UK or in finding out about booking Jenny to run a Train the Trainers course in the UK or abroad then phone 01225 767157 or email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk