Stories of Impact: Bluey Education Resources

Educator Impact Story - Marika

Bluey education resources help Indigenous kids with social and emotional learning

Cool.org partnered with Ludo Studio to created 70 Bluey resources that are curriculum-aligned, evidence-based and full of play, learning and social interaction. They follow a values framework to develop kids’ social and emotional learning, focusing on things like sharing, problem solving, story telling, patience, respect and mindfulness.

Since launching the resources they have been downloaded more than 31,000 times.

Marika works at Pia Wadjarri Remote Community School in Western Australia, about 300km inland and a seven hour drive from Perth. The only way to access the community itself is via one dirt road which is a 2.5 hour drive. She teaches Indigenous students from Kinder through to Year 4 - a job she loves because she finds that she learns just as much from the kids as they learn from her (she also loves that they call her Nanna!). On teaching in remote communities Marika says, “I love it, it’s more than a job, it’s a lifestyle.

Living with First Nations people - it's so different to what you know. I have a real appreciation and respect for the culture".

One of the challenges Marika experiences is that her kids have a hard time adjusting from their home environment to school. “They have problems sitting and listening, which impacts on their learning, because they’re used to being independent”. 

”They've got great motor skills - better than any other kids. They can take initiative and do a lot, but when it comes to learning it’s like we're putting a square peg in a round hole. It doesn't fit because the way they learn is totally foreign to the way we teach.”

As well as this, Marika says that many of the kids also have trauma issues. Teaching emotional regulation is a huge part of Marika’s job, as well as making sure that what she’s teaching is curriculum aligned.

Cool.org’s Bluey resources are ones that Marika says ticks all the boxes. Her students already love Bluey and bringing these lessons into the classroom has meant that she can engage her kids in a way that really resonates with them.

They can really get involved in it - they love Bluey and at the same time I get to teach self-regulation skills.
Marika

Marika says that since using the Bluey resources, she’s more confident in teaching social and emotional learning, but the most important thing for her is how well the students relate to the lessons and show.

“There’s so many values that come out of the show itself that kids can relate to. And I think that’s what engages them - they can relate to it. They can understand if and why they’re having a bad day, or why things aren’t working out. They can have a laugh. I love that the Cool Australia resources help me teach things that matter to me and my kids. I really hope you keep bringing out more Bluey lessons”.

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