Strong Smarter Philosophy

The Stronger Smarter philosophy was created in order to create positive change regarding the way Indigenous identity is celebrated. There are five metastrategies outlined in the Stronger Smarter approach:
- acknowledging, embracing and developing a positive sense of Aboriginal identity in schools;
- acknowledging and embracing Aboriginal leadership in schools and school communities;
- “high-expectations leadership to ensure “high-expectations” classrooms, with “high expectations” teacher/student relationships;
- innovative and dynamic school modelling in complex and social cultural contexts and;
- innovative and dynamic school staffing models, especially for community schools
(Sarra, 2012)

The last two of the metastrategies outlined, I, as a general classroom teacher, do not have much control over. However, I can utilise the first three metastrategies. By utilising these metastrategies I can help support Indigenous students within my class and the school, helping me meet the AITSL standard 1.4 (strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students).

Sarra (2012) stated that with regard to acknowledging, embracing and developing a positive sense of Aboriginal identity in schools, teachers can embrace and develop cultural identities as part of the process of developing quality literacy and numeracy outcomes.

This is something that I will have to actively remember to do while planning lessons until it becomes habit. In my future lessons, I will ensure that I embrace Indigenous identities throughout all subjects, not as something on its own. This will help me meet both the AITSL standards and the cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and

cultures.

To assist me with this in my future classroom, I can utilise any Indigenous staff, especially teacher aides, and allow them to become Indigenous leaders for the students. In both the Sarra (2012) reading and in the tutorial, the academic and non-academic knowledges that Indigenous staff members can bring into the classroom was seen as invaluable. In my future teaching, I will use these people purposefully, not giving them menial tasks such as photocopying. By inviting these people into the class, I am not only embracing Aboriginal leadership, as outlined in the Stronger Smarter approach, but I am also meeting several AITSL standards (particularly 1.4, 2.4 and 7.4).

When Sarra (2012) refers to high expectations, they refer to high expectations for everyone. Teachers must have high expectations for all their students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. However, teachers should also have high expectations of themselves and other teachers. Sarra (2012) stated that in order to help teachers meet these high expectations and further develop teacher understanding, access to professional development was provided, and teachers of the same year level were encouraged to engage in professional dialogue. In my future teaching, I hope that the school I am at will support me regarding both of these things. If in my future workplace I am not supported as much as I feel I should be, I will seek out these opportunities myself.