START
begin or be reckoned from a particular point in time or space; come into being
Starting something new is always exciting. The beginning of a new journey breeds excitement, hope and the idea of endless possibilities. I think of the beginning this year and the excitement I had, entering a new decade with a list of things that I wanted to tick off and work towards. Now it is worth mentioning that the year of 2020 and the events that have unfolded have completely left many of us feeling underwhelmed and overwhelmed (I am sure that you can agree with this). At times many of us have had to start again, whether it was our diet, training or even professionally. Personally I have experienced a lot of setbacks this year and have found myself trying to 'start' again mentally.
Which brings me back to my initial point, that the start of something new or something revisited is always an exciting and promising moment. There is a sense of hope, hope for the better and a hope for the best. For my Year 11 cohort the start of their NCEA Level 1 journey started in November 2019 with the Jump Start program. The momentum for 2020 was built off the success of this and it was all go. Students were excited to enter a new chapter in their learning journey, I was excited to see them start NCEA - everyone involved saw potential in what this year could be and was driven by this. Starting is always great but what is even more exceptional and important is finishing well.
FINISH
bring (a task or activity) to an end; complete
Finishing well can be difficult. The sense to measure your progress against others, giving up because there is too much to do - all of this and more can create a sense of doubt and add stress to anyone's journey. But it is so important to finish well. I asked my students 'what does finishing well look like for you?' 'Finishing assessments' and 'going to class' were the most consistent answers that came through. What I found particularly interesting about the feedback was that no one spoke about or mentioned anything about fulfilling their goal, it was about what they could do here and now. Finishing well for me is about commitment and quality control. Commitment in finishing what you have started - quality control in making sure that your finishes are complete and done to the best degree possible.
For students now, getting to the finish line has been made easier with the most recent changes to NCEA as a response to COVID 19. Getting over the line and meeting the credit protocol is a quick but very necessary win. For my Year 11 students, achieving NCEA Level 1 has always been the goal. For 11 students, there are some who have achieved Level 1 (one has surpassed 80 credits and 10 have 'technically' passed Level 1 with the new NCEA changes). The numbers at the moment are promising and the 'finish' is near. The data below highlights the start of our review of the data for NCEA Level 1 (Year 11 students) at the end of Term 1 and Term 3.
- 34 students with 0 credit
- 39 students with 3 - 9 credits
- 31 students with 10 - 13 credits
- 12 students with 13- 25 credits
- 5 students with 0 credits
- 12 students with 1-10 credits
- 12 students with 11-20 credits
- 13 students with 21-30 credits
- 22 students with 31-40 credits
- 20 students with 41-50 credits
- 25 students with 51-60 credits
- 17 students with 61-70 credits
- 1 student with 71-80 credits
- 1 student with 81-90 credits
- 95 students have L1 Literacy
- 91 students have L1 Numeracy
Numbers do not lie and the data shows that there has been a significant shift. My aspiration for my year group is that their attitude towards their learning shifts as well. I am proud of their progress especially with everything that is going on in the community and world. This is not small feat. Achievement in education is no small feat. I get that there is a lot going and that we have been encouraged to 'be kind'. But I also know that given the opportunity, young people will find a loophole. Their attitude towards their progress and the people (teachers) who are helping them to achieve is just as important as meeting credit protocol. This is integral in 'finishing well' - to finish with integrity.
RAVI ZACHARIAS
"Beginning well is a momentary thing; finishing well is a lifelong thing"
Life is made up of moments - yes that sounds like a stale hallmark quote that can be found on a store bought birthday card. But it is true. There are moments that are absolute bliss and then there are moments that can be incredibly challenging. How you approach those moments can determine your experience of the moment - as mentioned earlier, starting something is always a promising and hopeful experience. It is a moment that we are able to envision possibilities. Finishing something well can be a rewarding moment. It can be rewarding in that you have grown mentally or emotionally, your perspective has been influenced and you can see what you are capable of.
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