Leane Carlson

I tupu ake ahau i te taha o te awa o Waikato. Nō Tuakau ahau.  I tēnei wa, kei Tāmaki Makaurau tōku kainga.
He kaitakawaenga ahau mo Te Whai Toi Tangata o te Whare Wānanga o Waikato mo te mahi, Houhou Te Rongo.
Ko Leane Carlson tōku ingoa. Kia ora tātou.

I grew up on the banks of the Waikato River. I am from Tuakau. Nowadays I live in Auckland city.
I am a facilitator for Te Whai Toi Tangata at the University of Waikato for Restorative Practice. Kia ora everyone.

Mana tu mana ora – empathy motivates

I am an experienced and passionate leader, educator, and facilitator having worked in schools for 36 years, (31 years in NZ and 5 years internationally in 4 countries). I have fourteen years’ experience in school leadership as Principal, Deputy Principal and Team Leadership as well as enjoying being a classroom teacher for twenty years. Over the years I have led, facilitated and managed many change initiatives in schools.

My particular strength and passion is in building and sustaining relationships with challenging students, to engage them in learning. My personal restorative approach which I implemented school-wide, effectively and sustainably created a relational, student-centred, positive school culture which empowered teachers with better strategies, reducing behavioural incidents, and increasing student engagement and achievement in learning.  This led me into working for Te Whai Toi Tangata with the Restorative Practice team as Regional Coordinator in Auckland, Northland and the Bay of Plenty. I honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and have a strong sense of equity and social justice. Valuing diversity, my practice is underpinned and informed by Ka Hikitia, Tātaiako, the Pasifika Education Plan and Success for All.

In my role as Regional Facilitator for Restorative Practice I support and guide school principals and lead teams to implement and embed restorative practices in their school communities, as well as providing opportunities for regional cluster training. I support schools to build restorative sustainability and capacity, so that both students and staff can focus on engagement in learning, reducing distraction from behavioural incidents. When incidents happen, as with the human condition they always will, I support school teams with employing Restorative strategies which are mana-enhancing, repairing the harm and restoring broken relationships. This work continues to inspire me to wake with excitement every morning to continue in this rewarding profession of education.