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).

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