Some hui give you new ideas. Some hui challenge the way you think. And some hui do both while making you sing in front of other people! 😂
Our Innovation Incubator hui was an opportunity to step away from the everyday demands of school life and give our attention to one problem, one process, and the possibilities that come with thinking differently. It was a chance to slow down, collaborate, challenge our assumptions, get creative, and explore how design thinking can help us find solutions that genuinely make a difference.
And what a weekend it was!
Setting the tone for something special
A massive shout-out to Dorothy, who is officially the best host ever and the undisputed camping queen! 👑 Thank you for opening up your whānau home and sharing your space with us. Being welcomed into a home rather than simply arriving at a venue made the experience feel that much more special. It was lovely spending time with your whānau and getting to know the people who are part of your world.
Dorothy's presentation on the first night set the tone for an awesome weekend. It got us thinking about innovation, possibilities, and what can happen when we create the right conditions for ideas to grow. It was the perfect way to kick-start our thinking and prepare us for the mahi ahead.
And Jenny, thank you for feeding our souls! ❤️ The kai, the conversations, the laughter, and the opportunity to spend time with you and your tāne reminded me that the relationships we build along the way are just as important as the work we come together to do.
Matt came in clutch with the gems and the tools to bring it all together and draw out all the ideas and goodness to get our projects going.
Thinking differently through design thinking
We kicked into the Design Thinking introduction, exploring how we can move beyond jumping straight to solutions and instead take the time to understand the problem we're actually trying to solve.
This was a reminder that sometimes the first problem we identify isn't necessarily the problem we need to address. Taking the time to question our assumptions, consider different perspectives, and reframe our thinking can open up possibilities we might otherwise miss.
The Parent Evening activity, where we explored Analysis of Variance through a Town Hall skit, brought a different energy to the learning. Making sense of concepts through role-play reminds me that learning doesn't have to look like sitting around a table staring at a presentation. Sometimes we need to get up, get involved, and experience the thinking for ourselves. It takes someone extremely motivational to get me singing in front of people, so that alone deserves recognition! 😂
Our paired role-play activities continued this process, encouraging us to step into different perspectives and think more deeply about the experiences and viewpoints of others. These activities helped us look beyond our own assumptions and consider how the problem might be experienced differently by the people involved.
From problem statements to possibilities
One of the important parts of the hui was revisiting and rewriting our problem statement before transforming it into a How Might We…? question.
I really appreciated this part of the process. There's something powerful about reframing a problem in a way that creates possibilities rather than limitations. Instead of focusing on what's wrong or what isn't working, a good How Might We…? question invites us to explore what could be.
And then came Crazy 8s! ✍️
Eight minutes. Eight ideas. No time to overthink!
This activity pushed us to get ideas out of our heads and onto paper, encouraging quantity, creativity, and a willingness to explore possibilities without immediately judging whether they were good or bad. It was a reminder that innovation isn't always about waiting for one brilliant idea to arrive. Sometimes it's about creating space for lots of ideas, building on each other's thinking, and discovering something unexpected along the way.
Design time, and inspiration!
The design time throughout the hui was genuinely inspiring. Having dedicated time to focus on one area, work through the process, share ideas, and develop our thinking was invaluable.
Sometimes the best learning happens when we're encouraged to step outside our comfort zones, try something unfamiliar, and realise we're capable of more than we initially thought.
What stood out to me was how each task built on the one before it. We weren't simply completing activities for the sake of it. Each experience helped prepare us for the next stage, giving us the tools, confidence, and thinking processes to keep moving forward. The tasks were designed to set us up for success, and that made a real difference.
The gift of time
One of the biggest takeaways for me was the opportunity to spend an extended period away from school, focusing on a single problem or aspect of our mahi.
How often do we actually get to do that in our profession?
Our days are usually filled with competing priorities, interruptions, responsibilities, and the constant need to respond to what is happening around us. Finding uninterrupted time to focus deeply on one thing is rare.
This hui gave us permission to pause, think, question, create, and refine. Rather than trying to squeeze our thinking into the gaps between everything else, we were able to give the process the time and attention it deserved.
It reminded me that meaningful innovation requires more than good intentions. It requires time, the right people, a supportive environment, and opportunities to work through ideas rather than expecting solutions to appear instantly.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to the final day, and I'm sorry to have missed that last part of the journey. Nevertheless, I left with plenty to reflect on, new ways of thinking, and a real appreciation for the people who made the hui such a valuable experience.
Thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas, energy, humour, and willingness to give things a go. And, of course, a huge thank you again to Dorothy and Jenny for your manaakitanga, generosity, and for making us feel so welcome.
This hui was a reminder that innovation isn't just about coming up with clever ideas. It's about asking better questions, understanding the people we're trying to support, creating space for different perspectives, and working together to turn possibilities into something meaningful.
Now, to take all that thinking back into the real world… til next time! 😂
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