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Bora da
Te Wheke
The multi-faceted visiting teacher
ABSTRACT - The multi-faceted visiting teacher
The quality of home-based education and care for children under two years of
age is under the spotlight, as the ministry of education establishes the
characteristics of this, in collaboration with the sector. Research undertaken in
2012 sought to establish the meaning of quality from the perspectives of four
stakeholders, parents/whanau; educators; visiting teachers and service
providers; and an expert group, which included early childhood researchers
and representatives from the ministry of education and Education Review
Office. Analysis of the data collected revealed, unsurprisingly, that the visiting
teacher was a linchpin in ensuring quality, playing multiple roles which require
multiple skills. This presentation will discuss these and also thoughts about
how to ensure all visiting teachers are armed for this complex role.
Relationships, Intentionality and
Leadership - buzz words or reality?
We want to make these a reality.
Kaupapa for this session
• Feedback from study into quality HBEC for children 2 years
and under that foregrounds the VT’s role
• Implications for VTs and services
Quality???
• When you walk into a HB setting what tells you that
quality practice is alive and well???
Quality????
• White (2005) concluded that , “quality was a constructed concept
that required dialogue and dissensus, as well as consensus, if it was
to be realised in early childhood contexts” cited Dalli, White,
Rockel, Duhn, 2011, p.37).
• Dahlberg Moss and Pence also discuss the development of more
democratic, shared understandings of quality “in dialogue with
others”, with the aim of supporting meaning-making and
effective pedagogy (2013, p. 112).
• Quality is contestable and there is a need for, “translational
research that would bridge the gap between knowledge from
different disciplines that inform understandings of quality” (Dalli et
al, 2011, p. 41).
Study - Quality early childhood
education for under two-year-olds in
home-based early childhood
services
• 4 focus groups
• Ascertaining views on what quality is and looks like for
children under 2years
• Questions framed around ecological model
Findings
• Importance of connectivity within and between all systems
• The VT plays a key role in either directly or indirectly
ensuring this
• The professional practice of VTs ensures the vision of
quality practice becomes a reality.
Relationships Leadership &
Intentionality
Research on the VT role & quality
• Multiple support roles of VT provided key to quality educator
practice and in turn successful learning outcomes for children
(Duncan, Irvine, Cross, Fagan, Seuili, Smith, Sutton & Weir, 2008).
• VT plays key role in alerting educators to the learning-potential in
experiences in the home and community and recognising and
responding to children’s learning
• (Hooker, Peters, Biggar & Bleaken, 2008).
My research ………
MOE & Regulations
Service Provider
Visiting teacher
Educator
Children & parents/
& Children
whānau
Professional Practice of VT to ensure
quality – how does this LOOK?
• Being a conduit between the educator; the service provider;
the parents/family/whanau; outside agencies;
• sensitive balance of multiple professional relationships and
multiple tasks;
• being an effective role model when engaging with children;
foregrounding and articulating learning;
• being sensitive to the fact that educators are working in
their own, or in the homes of the children whilst ensuring
structural and process compliance;
• ensuring professional learning opportunities.
We will unpack what these mean
for VTs, service providers and the
MOE in relation to
responsibilities; knowledge;
skills; attitudes
Being a conduit between the educator; the service
provider; the parents/family/whanau; outside
agencies
The visiting teacher:
• is possibly the first “face” of the service the parents/whānau
will see, and “that first meeting is vital”
• Needs to articulate the nature and philosophy of the service,
how it operates, related policies and procedures, people’s roles
and responsibilities.
• Ensure parents/whānau express their aspirations.
• Keep in regular contact with parents, in a way that works for
them e.g. e mails, blogs, writing in notebooks, phone calls
after their visits, catching up at drop-off and pick-up times
(P/WH).
• “take an interest …know your child”
• taking parent/whānau concerns seriously, validating and
following up on their concerns, not protecting the educator,
but being a mediator if issues arise (P/WH).
• Ensuring educators understand the boundaries of their role &
discuss any concerns they may have regarding a child’s
development and learning with the visiting teacher (P/WH).
Sensitive balance of multiple professional
relationships and multiple tasks
• “understand their role” and “the philosophy of home-based education and
care”,
and be able to, articulate the learning embedded within everyday and
community experiences, particularly as they mainly come to their role
from centre based settings (SP/VT).
• “they can confirm that what you are doing is expected and pick up where
you might need help” (EDUC).
• “they are a sounding board if you have an issue, which is important”
• having the skills to deal with any issues that arise and/or, knowing what
support agency to draw on for assistance and advice (P/WH), “the person
in the middle”
• “knowing what is going on and negotiating when necessary”
Being an effective role model when engaging with
children; foregrounding and articulating learning;
• clear purpose for their visits, which is curriculumfocussed,
“working alongside educators to help them understand
different ways of doing things…that routines are given
time…it’s not just something you have to do” (SP/VT),
and that they are kept up to date with new thinking and
“new trends” in education (SP/VT).
NOTE…..
In Duncan et al’s research VTs discussed the importance of
informal conversation leading into “teaching and learning “
conversations,
however,
educators said that the professional discussion mattered most.
(p. 3).
Being sensitive to the fact that educators are working in their
own, or in the homes of the children & ensuring structural and
process compliance;
• Knowing the educator and the experience, knowledge,
interests and strengths they bring to their role
“..acknowledge the value of their experiential knowledge and
build on this..” (Everiss & Dalli, 2003; Kontos et al, 1996 cited
Doherty, 2014)
• having some time to engage with the educator “away from
children”, was ideal (SP/VT)
• Being honest with educators and articulating what is good
practice and what needs to be developed was seen as
crucial (SP/VT), whilst also monitoring stress levels and
saying “no” on behalf of educator when necessary (for
example, in relation to taking on new families and children),
a balancing of safety and quality over income (SP/VT).
Bromer et al,2009 (cited Doherty, 2014),
Use of a “formal quality assessment tool “ recommended to
assist in identifying “programme components requiring
attention”.
Checking for health & safety & licensing violations has “no
effect on the quality of the provider’s programme” ???
Ensuring professional learning
opportunities
• Supporting educators to understand their multiple roles as professionals,
“providing opportunities for professional development, and encouraging them
to recognise themselves as professionals”
• having opportunity and time for educators to bounce their ideas off their VT
and “chew the fat at a pedagogical level”
• can build a “community of learners” in a “community of practice” within their
scheme (EXP).
E.g. “educators supporting each other, where they are all engaged with sharing
that discussion”, developing relationships with other educators and being able
to say, “can I come and talk to you about ….”, “dropping in on each other”.
This results in, “creating that kind of community of learning within a service”
and, “is another key to supporting quality”, ideally resulting in the “icing on the
cake, which is becoming a community of inquiry” (EXP).
For each characteristic…….
Where-to-next for you and your
service
What do you need to do to respond to this at a service level?
What might be the association’s role in this?
Kia ora!
Kia pai ō rā whakatā!