Knowing our Maori & Pasifika learners with Ros

Here at HPSS, 23% of our roll identify themselves as Maori or Pasifika learners.

And its important that we help eradicate the gap between Maori & Pasifika achievement and Pakeha achievement.

With Ros we underwent a Te Reo Maori activity that allowed us to construct the mihi of the school. I've done this for myself at university and also with Stevie at AGGs, so I understood the structure and some of the vocabulary. A mihi is a spoken introduction that you might use when you visit a Marae. It is important as it connects the person with their whakapapa (ancestry).

What I really value about the mihi is that is requires you to reflect on who you are, why you are who you are and where you are from. When we worked with Stevie back at AGGs it generated some interesting conversations and quite emotional stories about our families and our memory of family members that have passed away. I like that this is a simple thing that is not only significant in the Maori culture but is purposeful in its ability to connect us, start those interesting conversations and also let people in.

In the past, when we've approached professional development around Maori and Pasifika learners, it has made me feel like we're being asked to compartmentalise students based on their culture. I think it is important to know and cater for the behaviours and learning styles that you might recognise in students that identify themselves as Maori and Pasifika, but I believe that this is one component that makes up the individual; and once you get to know the student, you will be able to truely develop a pedagogy that suits their needs.

I liked that Ros has recognised this and talked about our need to get to know every learner; after all, a common belief is that teaching strategies designed with Maori and Pasifika learners in mind are often extremely effective for all learners.

Our final task of the session was to select a number of students and write what we knew about them and also what we wanted to find out about them. I think this is wonderful and can support me as a new teacher here at HPSS.

#TeTiritioWaitangipartnership