Joanne

Hello and welcome to episode 18 of the Leadership in Focus podcast series. I'm Joanne Jarvis and I'm the Director of the NSW Department of Education's School Leadership Institute.

Today we will be exploring the impact of culturally inclusive pedagogies on student engagement and belonging. With me is Melissa Grima-Schmidt.

Melissa is the Head Teacher, History and Languages at Macarthur Girls High School. She joined the school as a teacher in 2014 and was appointed head teacher in 2017 after relieving in the role the previous year. Melissa is a graduate of the School Leadership Institute's Middle Leadership Development Program. During the program, Melissa undertook a unique Practice Based Project focused on developing teacher cultural competency and the impact of culturally inclusive pedagogies on student engagement and sense of belonging.

I'm keen to find out more about this work and share Melissa's insights with colleagues.

Welcome Melissa.

Melissa

Hi Joanne. Thank you for having me.

Joanne

So, Melissa, what inspired you to focus on teacher cultural competency for your Practice Based Project with your faculty and Stage 5 history students?

Melissa

We are really, really lucky at our school to have 93% of our students having a language background other than English, with 52 languages being spoken at home. We also have a diverse cohort of teachers. We have early career teachers and beginning teachers, teachers of different generations with different backgrounds. And this really inspired me to focus on cultural competency.

Joanne

So I imagine when you were thinking about this project, you were really interested in supporting the development of your teachers' understanding of cultural competency as well.

Melissa

I really wanted to establish a shared vision with my team so that we are able to really allow students to feel a sense of belonging and to feel that their cultural capital is being valued by us.

Joanne

And you're doing that through the lens of history.

Melissa

Most certainly yes, It really lended itself to looking at perspectives, looking at empathy, looking at contestability. And that was a really good platform for us to be able to initiate this project.

Joanne

I'm really excited to hear a little bit more about it because I was once a history teacher and, as you know, once a history teacher, always a history teacher, so I’m really excited to hear a little bit more about what you have done.

So, let's unpack it a little bit more. What research did you conduct and how did it shape your Practice Based Project?

Melissa

I undertook a wide range of academic research, specifically looking at culturally responsive pedagogy, looking at self-efficacy, the value of a shared vision and looking at students' cultural capital.

So, part of this involved undertaking a qualitative and quantitative questionnaire, sending that out, distributing it to students to get a better understanding of whether or not they felt it was important for their teachers to be culturally inclusive and responsive.

And I also designed a questionnaire that was qualitative and quantitative in nature for colleagues on how they think about the role of culturally inclusive pedagogy in their own classrooms. Part of this involved is self-reflection, whereby we were able to evaluate our own practice and to see our strengths as a faculty and also create a shared vision for improvement for the future.

Joanne

So, when you talk about the surveys that you sent out, were you surprised by the results that you got from students, or did it confirm what you already thought?

Melissa

It confirmed what I already thought, and it made it really ... this, I should say, served as pre-data because I wanted to ensure that the project was viable. Not only did the data highlight that this was a viable topic, but also essential.

It is really, really important for students to feel like they belong in a school, and particularly in the history classroom where we are talking about complex, controversial issues. It's really significant for them to have a sense of belonging and that they are visible.

Joanne

So, can you explain to our listeners the Translation Initiative your team implemented in the Stage 5 history curriculum to highlight students’ cultural capital? Because it sounds like it was a really engaging way to get them invested in history, and you were using some really interesting techniques. So, what did you do? How did you go about it?

Melissa

Well, where possible, we always like to be authentic when we are developing our students' historical skills. So, we were fortunate enough to have a genuine letter from World War One from 1916. And so, to help our students engage with the content of this letter, we tasked them to try to translate it into as many languages as possible.

This is to ensure that the letter was accessible to them, and it really was able to resonate with students because they had to really think about the sentiments that were expressed in the letter. So, it is from a young man from Melbourne who is trying to explain to his father that he has become blinded in one eye, and he potentially has to have his foot amputated.

And with this letter it was a really pertinent opportunity for students to be able to develop skills of empathy, which is one of our key features, key focus areas in Stage 5 history as well as perspective.

So, students were really excited to get on board with this initiative, and it really enabled them to highlight their cultural capacity. The research has indicated that even in contexts that are very diverse, like schools, often the dominant culture permeates.

And so, for students, their multilingualism is sometimes undervalued. So, this was a really good opportunity for not only students to engage with content pertaining to the syllabus, but to also demonstrate skills of communication, perspective and empathy, and by making connections with their own culture and their own communities.

Joanne

And so, is that the letter, the actual original letter?

Melissa

Yes, so you would see at the top it says copy, and the reason this is a copy is the gentleman I believe was dictating this letter because he was so severely impaired in the war in battle. So, he was blinded in one eye and didn't have much use in his other eye.

And then he talks about his experiences with his fellow soldiers and his desire to return to them. And I think this is something that really resonated with the students that despite all of these hardships from this perspective, this soldier wanted to go back to the front, to be there with his friends, to be there with his mates, and to fight for his country.

So, students were really touched and moved by this in terms of how he wanted to interact with his dad, the way he you know, he even says something along the lines of, you know, tell mum not to worry about me, I'm going to be OK. So, it really brought in that personal perspective, that humanist perspective.

And students were able to then connect with somebody who lived over 100 years ago.

Joanne

And I can see it's been written from the hospital, Queen Mary's Hospital in Lancashire. So, yeah, what a wonderful artifact. And I can imagine that the students were able to engage with this process, not only because you were, you know, giving them a really strong sense of belonging to the work, but they were able to engage with a person who appeared to be real through the beautiful crafting of that letter as well.

So, what happened then, and what did the students do?

Melissa

So, we had students work individually, in pairs with classmates and also with their families and community to produce the letter in 17 different languages.

And it was such a wonderful experience to see them talking to the history faculty about what they had translated. It was wonderful to see them bringing their friends to read what they had translated. And that sense of pride in what they had accomplished because it was quite a complex task, asking them to translate a letter that had sentiments that were over 100 years old into the spoken language that we use today.

Joanne

Did you find families beyond the students got involved and engaged in this process as well?

Melissa

I think that was one of the most exciting things for us as a faculty was when students were saying things like, you know, my parents were squabbling at the dinner table as we were trying to find the right word in our language. We had students indicate that they were bringing this activity to their language school. One student in particular, had her Arabic teacher help her translate the letter on a Saturday morning.

So just seeing how this activity has really been able to connect communities together, individuals within communities to feel a sense of belonging, and then that is an extension of what we do at school.

Joanne

And did you get feedback from the broader community around that as well and the impact that this particular project had on them and their sense of belonging to the school?

Melissa

Parents were quite chuffed if I, if that's the right word. They were very, very pleased to know that their language was really valued at school.

Joanne

Melissa, I'm interested in how you were able to engage every student in this project in a way that, you know, captured their hearts and minds and their enthusiasm to want to translate this very old letter, which I find incredibly exciting, but perhaps not every student might have felt the same as I do for this work. How did you do that?

Melissa

Well, the beauty about this activity was that communication comes in many different shapes and forms. So, yes, we had students using their heritage tongue, their mother tongue, to translate the letter. We had students seeking assistance from their grandparents, looking back generations. And we also allowed students to think about other multimodal means of communication.

So, we did have one student sing elements of the letter in English who accompanied it with original music on the guitar.

We also made it very, very visual as students were able to create a storyboard to communicate the main points of the letter. But yes, communication and expression is so diverse that we didn't leave any stone unturned with this project.

Joanne

Good on you. That's so creative!

Let's turn to the Middle Leadership Development program, because you've been a part of that and it's worth noting that, you know, you need to demonstrate particular capabilities to be in that program. So, thank you for applying and being a part of it as well. How did you incorporate the Middle Leadership Development Program, key themes of identity and belonging into your work?

Melissa

When we are considering students' cultural capital, we are looking at the facets of their culture that can come to the forefront that are sometimes undervalued.

So, for me, really wanting to grasp those and highlight those and really celebrate those was crucial to this activity by giving students a platform to showcase, in this case, their multiculturalism and their bilingualism, they were able to feel more visible at the school and also, they were able to bring their families and communities as part of the learning process.

Joanne

And I can see in this little pile here that you have some of the translations here as well.

Melissa

So, this one has been translated into Egyptian Arabic. We have another student who has translated it into Serbian, Mandarin.

Joanne

Goodness.

Melissa

And Tamil.

Joanne

Wow.

Melissa

And that's just a just a few examples of the 17 that we were able to produce and showcase.

Joanne

And you've told me that they adorn the walls of the classroom now?

Melissa

Yes, they do. So initially they were displayed outside so that visitors to the school and students could come and engage with the translation as they were in plastic sleeves. So, it was a real highlight at lunchtime to see kids milling outside, the faculty, you know, opening and taking out these translations, reading and engaging and getting really excited that they could understand.

Melissa

We then moved them inside the classroom just to preserve them a little bit more, save them from the elements, but we did take a collection and communicate these to our community via our school’s newsletter. So that was exciting!

And I should also add, not only did we have written translations, but we also had students translate it orally as well.

So, we put up a QR code so students could hear, and the community could hear the letter being spoken in a different language. So that was supporting those students who were fluent in their verbal communication but were not as confident to write

Joanne

How special.

It seems to me just from hearing you talk about this work, that you've grown an awful lot through the process, and also through your involvement in the Middle Leadership Development Program. How do you think this project has contributed to your growth and the way that you support others on your team as well?

Melissa

I think it's been transformative in the sense that I am not the same leader I was prior to this, prior to my participation in this program. And what I mean by that is I've been able to develop a wider sense of understanding about the machinations of change.

So for me, being really able to see the importance of having a shared vision within my faculty and being able to have a plan and an understanding and a shared goal and working together to be able to achieve that goal has been something that I've felt really, really proud about, and it's given me that sense of accomplishment that I want to keep continuing doing this.

So, we are now really trying to collaboratively design a new project which is going to have hopefully a similar impact on our students but really focusing on harnessing their cultural capital. And for us as teachers, building opportunities in our programs for students to be able to share their capital and for us to demonstrate culturally responsive pedagogy.

Joanne

Were there any unexpected consequences of your Practice Based Project?

Melissa

One of those was to see students who were typically disengaged in their learning really want to be part of this initiative. So, for me, it really just confirmed what the research had indicated. That belonging is very, very important. Belonging aligns with identity and by really being able to give students a platform and a voice, it will then manifest into interest, participation, and engagement in the classroom.

And so, with some students who were in some instances a little bit less receptive to, you know, teacher instruction and to ...

Joanne

To history.

Melissa

To history. That's right. The relationship was so much improved because they knew that the teachers cared about them and were interested in what they had to offer and really valued what they had to offer. So, it improved that teacher student dynamic as well and really, I guess, cemented the necessity of having a good relationship, a good positive rapport with students. So that was something that I would say was probably latened consequence, I wasn’t anticipating that, but it was nevertheless something that was really welcomed as well and just further attested the importance of focusing on belonging in schools.

Joanne

And when I think about it, one of the challenges for middle leaders is to be able to bring your team along with you when you're all so busy. You know, you've got a pretty full teaching load. You're busy working with community, you're working as part of the executive and you're trying to be the best role model of a teacher that you can possibly be.

And so, bringing your staff along with you in a collaborative way, you know, is something that takes time, but it's so important. Do you feel that this project facilitated and fostered that nourishment of collaboration within your team?

Melissa

I think it did. I mean, I've been very, very lucky, very fortunate to have been working with this particular team for a long time now. And in terms of my own leadership style, I really do focus on the importance of having positive relationships, having, you know, emotional interpersonal skills.

And so this, and I should also add, my faculty is quite diverse culturally as well in terms of demographics, in terms of ethnicities, religions as well. And so, for us, this was a really exciting endeavor that everyone was not only willing to participate in, but were actively advocating for it, encouraging it, encouraging students as well. And so it was really, we had that strength in that sense, that we all had that shared vision, and we all appreciated the importance, and we believed in what this initiative could provide.

Joanne

I can hear that what you've really done is energise the group through that really strong moral purpose. And it's, it's just so lovely to hear the way you talk about the students and your team and the school as well. You've touched a little bit on next steps, so let's explore a little bit more and I'm sure they're going to, it's embryonic, but what are your thoughts about where to next with your work?

Melissa

Well, in terms of an extra-curricular initiative, we started sowing the seeds for a new project called ‘You are where you’ve been and what you’ve seen’. And this is a display outside the history faculty with a world map where students have been asked to bring in a photo of a place that is special to them, a place maybe where they've got a family, a place that might have religious significance or cultural significance.

And then we laminate those photos, putting them on the map, and then we are tying a red piece of string to it to showcase that we all have our school in common. We all have that sense of identity within our school, but we also have our own individual identities as well. And that's something that should be celebrated and that's something that's really, really valued.

In terms of curriculum focus, we are in the midst of planning for a new curriculum, as a result of our professional learning, as a result of this initiative, we are really, really invested in integrating culturally responsive pedagogies into our classroom rooms and into our lessons. So, this has involved things like having signs in our classrooms where students have been asked to write ‘welcome’ in their own language. When they come in, they can see that they are welcome.

It has also involved us looking at specific practices, pedagogies in our Stage 4, 5 and 6 programs which encourage students to talk about significance, talk about their cultural background, their own perspectives, perspectives that are different to the dominant society’s. In order for them to showcase those necessary skills of perspective and interpretation.

Joanne

So, I'm thinking about the way you approach the implementation of new curriculum and embedding, the opportunity to really surface the cultural responsiveness. What does that actually look like in practice? If you've got your team together, what do you do to develop better capabilities in that space and to enact that?

Melissa

A lot of it is asking questions of each other and how could we approach this in a way where it is reflecting and acknowledging diversity or difference in perspective?

So often we try to maybe look at something that might be a little bit esoteric or a little bit abstract, because, you know, when we're talking about history, we're often talking about, well we are talking about the past, things that have happened, you know, some time ago. And, you know, particularly with some of the things we teach, our students might not have any cultural connection to it, so really trying to build in questioning, build in reflection, build in critical thinking, so that they are able to make connections with events, people or issues of the past and try to align it, and not to say they aren’t the same, but try to make an analogy or connection so that they are able to activate that schema to build in new knowledge and facilitate deeper learning.

Joanne

A lot of skill is required to do what you're doing, Melissa. Well done.

Well, I think this sounds like a good place to conclude what has been a fascinating podcast. And for the listeners, I'm surrounded by the most exquisite material, an original letter, and even more importantly, the translations of students in your setting, enabled by this innovative and thoughtful project that you have led.

So thank you for sharing your insights and perspectives on enabling culturally inclusive pedagogies for student engagement and belonging. I'm absolutely inspired by your leadership!

For our listeners, please follow the School Leadership Institute on Spotify. For NSW Department of Education Staff, you can access our leadership resources on the Department's website. Thank you for listening.