At Koori Curriculum, we often say that meaningful change in early childhood education doesn’t come from one-off workshops or downloaded ideas. It comes from relationships, time, and walking alongside educators as practice unfolds

Our Pedagogue in Residence Program was created in response to this very understanding. It is not a fly-in, fly-out model. It is a relational, embedded approach to professional learning—one that honours place, community, and the unique context of each service.

This year, the program has been brought to life through two very different yet equally powerful partnerships:

TAFE NSW Children’s Centres and Mogo Aboriginal Preschool. Together, these case studies show how culturally responsive pedagogy grows when educators are supported shoulder to shoulder.

What Is a Pedagogue in Residence?

A Pedagogue in Residence is not an external “expert” who comes in with answers. Instead, the role is to:

• Walk alongside educators over time
• Support reflective practice and teacher research
• Help translate theory into everyday decision-making
• Strengthen cultural safety and intercultural ways of working
• Embed Aboriginal perspectives meaningfully, not performatively

The work is slow, intentional, and deeply contextual. It begins by listening.

Setting Shared Goals: Starting With What Matters

In both partnerships, the work began by setting clear, shared goals—not imposed targets, but goals that emerged from each community’s needs, strengths, and aspirations.

With TAFE NSW Children’s Centres, this involved working with educators across urban, regional, and remote contexts, each facing different challenges and opportunities. Goals focused on:

• Strengthening intercultural ways of knowing, being, and doing
• Moving beyond tokenistic inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives
• Supporting educators to lead their own inquiry through teacher research

At Mogo Aboriginal Preschool, goals were grounded in community priorities:

• Deepening connections to Country, culture, and community
• Developing culturally safe rhythms, rituals, and learning experiences
• Using the 8 Ways of Learning to intentionally connect pedagogy to place

In both settings, goal-setting was a collaborative act—one that positioned educators as knowledge holders, not passive recipients.

Shoulder to Shoulder: Learning in Relationship

A defining feature of the Pedagogue in Residence model is working shoulder to shoulder.

This means:

• Being present in the service
• Observing practice as it happens
• Yarning with educators in real time
• Reflecting together on what is working and why
• Asking questions rather than prescribing solutions

At TAFE NSW Children’s Centres, this approach supported educators to trial ideas, reflect, adapt, and refine practice over time. Educators weren’t asked to “add more,” but to look more deeply at what they were already doing and consider:

• Whose knowledge is centred here?
• How is Country visible in this space?
• What stories are being told—and whose are missing?

At Mogo Aboriginal Preschool, shoulder-to-shoulder work meant honouring community leadership and local knowledge, ensuring that pedagogy was not only culturally informed, but culturally led.

Reverse Classroom: Learning That Starts in Practice

Rather than traditional professional development models, the Pedagogue in Residence Program uses a reverse classroom approach.

This means:

• Practice comes first
• Reflection and theory follow
• Learning is grounded in real experiences, not hypotheticals

Educators engage with the Koori Curriculum Club (KC Club) as a shared professional learning space—accessing:

• Masterclasses
• Case studies from services across Australia
• Practical tools and provocations
• Resources aligned with intercultural ways and Aboriginal perspectives

These resources are not consumed in isolation. They are used to:

• Spark team discussions
• Support inquiry questions
• Deepen understanding of what educators are seeing and doing each day

In this way, the KC Club becomes a living resource, woven into everyday practice rather than sitting on a shelf.

Case Study: TAFE NSW Children’s Centres

Over the past two years, Jessica has worked as Pedagogue in Residence across 15 TAFE NSW Children’s Centres, supporting educators to undertake teacher research and reflect on what meaningful reconciliation looks like in their context.

This work has:

• Supported educators to lead change within their own services
• Highlighted the diversity of intercultural practice across NSW
• Created space for honest reflection about challenges and uncertainty
• Strengthened educators’ confidence to embed Aboriginal perspectives with integrity

Importantly, the work recognised that there is no single way to do this well. Each centre’s journey was shaped by its community, location, and relationships.

Case Study: Mogo Aboriginal Preschool

At Mogo Aboriginal Preschool, the Pedagogue in Residence work centred on Country, culture, and community as the foundation of practice.

In partnership with the preschool team and their broader community, the focus has been on:

• Embedding the 8 Ways of Learning in everyday pedagogy
• Reflecting local Country through environment, storytelling, and experiences
• Developing culturally safe routines and rituals that honour identity
• Strengthening connections with families and community knowledge holders

This work demonstrates what is possible when pedagogy is grounded in place and led by community voices.

Why This Model Matters

The Pedagogue in Residence Program offers an alternative to performative professional learning. It recognises that:

• Cultural capability cannot be rushed
• Confidence grows through supported practice
• Relationships are central to learning
• Educators deserve time, trust, and guidance

By combining goal-setting, shoulder-to-shoulder support, and a reverse classroom approach, this model creates space for real, lasting change.

Walking the Path Together

The work with TAFE NSW Children’s Centres and Mogo Aboriginal Preschool reminds us that embedding Aboriginal perspectives is not about having the perfect resource or setup. It is about commitment, reflection, and walking the path together.

This is the heart of the Koori Curriculum Pedagogue in Residence Program—learning in relationship, grounded in Country, and guided by community.