I heard, over and over again, from the principals and schools I was working with, their frustration with the costs of having to release teachers to use face-to-face PLD hours, and especially how hard getting to any PLD was for smaller schools. So, I thought, why not PLD at your own pace – and when it suits you, a sort of “PLD in your pyjamas” approach?

My question is, what stories are you telling and what stories do your students ‘read’ in your classrooms? I’m not referring to the texts you encourage students to read and write about or the genre you introduce. I’m talking about the covert texts that Māori and non-Māori learners receive if you don’t actively and intentionally eliminate them from your practice.

If you are thinking of enrolling in my online courses this term and trying to decide - here is a “sneak peek” with text excerpts from Courses One and Two.

My whānau asked my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to write their own citations. I’m disappointed that the official Honours citation makes no mention of my old age, my present-buying skills, or my really clean house and its toys. And I’m sort of secretly chuffed that a 23-year-old moko still thinks I’m “the shit”.