21 August 2026

Kia ora koutou,

I pulled a book off my shelf this week: Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel. It has a striking blue cover, and I knew I had read it before - though clearly, parts of it hadn't stuck!

Revisiting it reminded me of the concept of “desirable difficulties” and why educators must ensure learners regularly encounter them. Cultivating this kind of productive challenge is one of the essential ingredients in developing lifelong learners.

While a caring relationship and strong connection with our students are vital, it is the learning-focused relationship that truly transforms outcomes. In this model, teachers don't view students as empty vessels sitting passively and awaiting content. Instead, we intentionally build meaningful challenges into the curriculum.

At our recent Ministry of Education Curriculum Maths Day alongside Hataitai and Roseneath Schools, our facilitators led a motivating discussion about the teaching profession and the ever-evolving role of the teacher - especially amidst ongoing change. As I mentioned to the Board last week, I feel we have moved past a period where uncertainty was dominating. We are over that hump. Now is the time to step forward with inner confidence: to keep seeking, learning, and growing. Just as we encourage our children to build a sense of inquiry and curiosity that extends well beyond our gates for life, we must model that exact same mindset ourselves.

This opens up a fascinating topic that we continue to dwell on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation.

• What levers can we use when children are driven primarily by extrinsic rewards?

• How do we engage them when the thought of a "desirable difficulty" feels like an immediate turn-off?

It is a complex puzzle, but an essential one for us to unpack as a learning community.

PS Thanks again for having the children at home August 7 - the teachers gained a lot = good for our children.

Ngā mihi nui

Jude