“Students seem more assured of themselves and have more focus regarding their future”
Tim Brewer, classroom teacher from Titahi Bay North School, with a decile rating of 1, worked with his year 7 and 8 students on the FutureSelves programme.
“The FutureSelves programme requires students to look in depth at themselves and how intrinsic and extrinsic factors can impact their decisions”.
Tim acknowledges some of his students come to school with a lot of ‘background’ positive and negative. He has noticed change in student behaviour since completing FutureSelves. His students seem more assured of themselves and have more focus regarding their future.
Student Benefits
Benefits for students include recognising that their backgrounds have influenced choices made in theirTitahi Bay1 lives up to this point. They have recognised types of futures they can possibly have by looking at their strengths and weaknesses. FutureSelves has given direction to help them attain what they want to do with their lives.
Tim indicates student responses to FutureSelves have been positive. Some examples follow:
“It’s a great tool for learning about ourselves, highlighting strengths and weaknesses and it’s fun”.
“FutureSelves has shown me what I need to work on to become a better person in society”
“The programme has shown me that I am capable of more”
“FutureSelves has shown me that I need to get more focused if I want to make lots of money”
Cultural Boundaries
Tim’s perspective and experience as a teacher in a low decile school is that FutureSelves crosses cultural boundaries. Some students realise that their low socio economic background may impact on the opportunities they receive. Students can become more determined to work harder to achieve their goals and recognise there are many possible pathways they can take to their futures.
Benefits for Teachers
Tim commented on the depth of the FutureSelves programme and the conciseness of the teacher workbook making it easy to follow. He also noted the programme helped with future curriculum planning.
“FutureSelves has provided me with an insight to student direction including where they would like to head in their future, what type of job, what type of person they want to become and how their cultural background can affect them in a positive or negative way. This information is useful as I can incorporate it into my planning”. Tim Brewer, Titahi Bay School