Matatoki School students were visited by Thames-Coromandel District Mayor Peter Revell on April 21, as part of a school-wide Challenge Seeker programme.
The programme has seen students developing their abilities to give things a go, try hard with tricky things, and develop overall resilience in addressing and tackling the challenges of life.
“We were wanting to develop really positive learner dispositions in our students, and we noticed that their attitudes towards facing challenges would be a really useful skillset for them to grow,” principal Hine Viskovich said.
“So as part of that, we invited people from our community to come in and talk about challenges that they face, and the kind of mindset and strategies they use to help them overcome something tricky or scary or challenging.”
Among the school’s other guest speakers were a competitive kickboxer, a firefighter, and a canyoning guide/outdoor instructor. Each shared their unique perspectives on overcoming challenges, as well as sharing a little about their jobs with the students.
Mayor Revell’s visit saw the students learning about the particular challenges he faces in his local government role, and the strategies he uses to work through them.
“The kinds of things the children have learned from listening to those people is to give it a go, think about the end, don’t give up, and take small steps, just one step at a time,” Hine said.
“In a classroom situation that would transfer to, for example, if someone doesn’t feel confident about maths, rather than being overwhelmed, just do small steps and think about what it will feel like when you achieve well.”
Hine said the difference in students’ attitudes has been noticeable.
“Teachers were on the lookout for children who were taking on challenges in their learning… each week the numbers just grew, and some children have got multiple challenge seeker awards.”
This term, the students will be focusing on having a good attitude, and showing more agency in their own learning.
