Tara J. Francis

I believe in creating a safe and quality classroom environment where students feel respected and valued by their peers and teachers. It is important to build positive relationship with students and their Whānau, creating a safe learning environment to encourage effective learning and full participation.

I am a firm believer that all of my practices should be culturally responsive and cater for ALL learners within my classroom. These practices and assessments will help guide my teaching and give me the opportunity to ensure that all teaching is student-centred and appropriate. I will co-construct the learning with students through clear learning intentions and success criteria that actively includes their input.

As a beginner teacher and beyond, teaching as inquiry will be something present in all of my teaching, following inquiry models such as Talatalanoa and Kaupapa Māori. This will not only assist in my own personal development and desire to provide the best learning possible for my students.

I believe as a teacher my goal is to create lifelong learners. To do this I need to ensure that I am also role modelling this practice and leading by example. I love to learn, and I hope that my students will become passionate about learning too. I enjoy working as part of a team and learning from other teachers and believe that the students can also teach me a lot from their own experiences of the world.

I live in Rangiora with my husband Paul who works with the NZ Defence Force.  We have three children, 14-year-old twins Jack and Poppy who attend High School, and 7-year-old, Edie, who attends school in Rangiora. 

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Thomas te maunga, Ko Pegasus Bay te Moana, Ko Francis toku hapu. Ko Johanna toku whaea, Ko Russell toku matua, Ko Paul toku tane, Ko Jack toku tama, Ko Poppy raua, Ko Edie aku tamahine, Ko Tara ahau, Wanganui-a-Tara toku turangawaewae Kei Rangiora toku kainga inaianei, No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

• Mathematics - I believe numeracy is extremely important and is one that I particularly enjoy teaching. I enjoy planning unique and engaging learning activities to make numeracy fun and exciting. I have experience teaching across a range of levels, and I really enjoy integrating mathematics into other curriculum areas wherever possible.
• Literacy - Literacy is integrated into our lives every day and therefore it's extremely important to give our students the best possible opportunities. I particularly enjoy teaching reading to all levels and exposing children to a wide variety of literature through stories, picture books and novels. I have a good understanding of the Better Start Literacy and an in-progress working knowledge of Structured Literacy.
• Special needs - I have experience with a range of specific learning needs including a non-verbal student and ADHD, ODD and ADD diagnosed students. I am able to plan and implement strategies to help cater for the learning needs of these tamariki.
• Planning - I use systematic and reflective teaching as an inquiry approach to identify student learning needs, identifying student knowledge and skills required to meet these needs. I can plan engaging learning experiences, and assess and evaluate the resulting learning outcomes of the students.
• Relationships - I take pride in developing constructive, cohesive and effective professional relationships with colleagues, Whānau and akonga.

• Mrs. Trish McKendry, Principal / Tumuaki, St Patrick's Kaiapoi, 021 578 288, tmckendry@stpatkai.school.nz
• Ms. Emma Sheeran, Senco and Year 5-6 teacher / Kaiako, St Patrick's Kaiapoi, 022 659 9289, esheeran@stpatkai.school.nz
• Mrs. Belinda Gifford, Year 3-4 Team Leader / Kaiako, Kaiapoi North School, 0272 734 172, belinda.g@kaiapoinorth.school.nz