Tataiako

The Tataiako document shares the guiding principals of teaching and learning with Māori children. Recently the staff at my school were introduced officially to this document and taken on a short personal reflection around how we are already adhering to these principals in our own classrooms, and where we might go next. We looked at what our students and whanau were saying about their experiences, and their expectations of school. We must all be paddling in the same direction to row our waka, so it was a timely reminder to us all to consider the variety of teaching and learning approaches we use.

We have a growing Māori roll. 9 years ago we were only something like 4% Maori, whereas in 2013 we seem closer to 30%. That is a huge difference, and does not account for our Māori descendants who are not registered as Māori on the school roll.

I myself have 9 out of 27 students with Māori ancestry this year.  So what does this all mean for me?

I have always been mindful that many Māori students can be whakama about their learning, and not always likely to directly ask for help. They often prefer learning together - from and with their peers. For a classroom teacher this is always hard to balance. How do I know they contributed at all? How can I assess what they know as an individual? But for our Māori children I have facilitated experiences where they can work collectively, and have many different grouping types I have used at different times. During inquiry this year I facilitated multi-levelled pairs, so less able children could feel successful with an able partner and used collective responsibility for sharing back for accountability, we are able to buddy read and buddy write at times during the day, and we also work often in peer and teacher chosen groups. It has been great to see my Māori girls, this year, shine during these times and be so enthusiastic about what they are learning.

One of the best  Tataiako reminders for me was around building relationships. This is important with all children, but is vital with our Māori learners. It helps to build your mana as a teacher to show you are interested in and care about them and their lives. It builds trust and respect, and it is very easy at the beginning of the year with so many new things, and crowded curriculums, to forget to take the time to do this well. As I reflect back on this year I know this is an area I could have done better.

Next year I will focus on how I can take the time to talk with each student 1:1, especially my Māori and Pacifica students. To ask about their whanau, their whakapapa, their lives. I think it is definitely worth taking a little longer at the beginning of the year to create these connections, and then the job is simply to maintain them throughout the year. 

My second goal for the coming months/ year is to use more Māori contexts. I was reminded of this the other day in maths. I was writing problems for the children to solve. All the names I used were the anglicised ones like Bob, John, Sue. So instead I threw in an Aroha and a Tane. What was scary for me, was how unnatural it felt. Definitely a place I can work on. To use more Māori names, places, settings, themes so my Māori children can feel more valued in the teaching and learning world.
What is it you do (or need to work on) when considering your Maori learners?