Embedded Files
My Own Indigenous Knowledge and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy:
Over the years I have been had the opportunity to speak at a variety of conferences about Maori Student Achievement - in particular to two Rural Schools Principals' Conferences, to First Time Principals at their conferences and to the Annual Meeting for Maori NZSTA . The first such opportunity came in the mid 1990's, prior to the work of Russell Bishop and the Te Kauhua Project - which I was later involved in during my time as principal at Te Akau ki Papamoa school.
The most important lesson I have learned in my time as an educator and as a principal (some 40 years in total) comes from a whakatauki we probably are all quite familiar with.
He aha te mea nui o te ao
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
What is the most important thing in the world?
It is the people, it is the people, it is the people
We know it but I wonder how many truly understand it?
I know of no other whakatauki - and I know of one for most occasions and situations - where this pattern is followed.
A question is asked - and it's a big question. What is the most important thing in the world?
An answer is given - but note it is given three times. It is people. It is people. It is people.
Our kuia and kaumatua understand us. They understand that for a question this big, the answer must be clear. The answer must be understood. To make certain we really do get it, that answer is repeated three times.
So it is people. As educators we have to understand this, and the importance of it.
To do that we need to look at where people start, come from and belong - the word for that in Maori is whanau.
Whanau unit is the foundation of Maori society. Whanau means ‘to be born’ or ‘give life’. It is also the word for the kinship group that includes mokopuna (grandchildren), tamariki (children), matua (parents), kaumatua (grandparents), and whanaunga (relatives).
The Harakeke plant is often used as a metaphor for whanau by Maori.
When a new school was being built in Papamoa, there was division between Maori as to what its name should be. There were three main iwi who all had their own ideas. As a previous principal from that area, with a house in the new school zone but now living out of the area, my help was sought by the Foundation Board Chairperson. I came back and consulted with each of the iwi and discovered an important story about the land of that specific area - it was a harakeke reserve used by all three iwi.
Harakeke features in a whakatauki about the sanctity of human life, where a child is likened to the central shoot of the bush:
Unuhia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea te kōmako e kō?
If you remove the central shoot of the flaxbush, where will the bellbird find rest?
The flax also represents the world of families within families.
Whanau is at the heart of Maori well-being and connectedness. Harakeke represents whanau in ‘Kua tupu te pa harakeke’.
This means ‘the harakeke is growing’. The heart of the harakeke is ‘te rito’ - the central shoot. This represents the child. Te rito is nurtured, surrounded by, and protected by the next layer of leaves - the awhi rito (parents). The outside leaves represent the tūpuna (grandparents and ancestors of the child).
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/13162/harakeke-plant
The pa harakeke metaphor assumes that individual and whanau security, protection, and well-being are interdependent. Each person supports others and secures their position in the whanau (Munford and Sanders, 1999).
According to Metge (1995):
There is the duty to care for each other, expressed in the words ahu (tend, foster), atawhai (show kindness to, foster), awhi (embrace, foster, cherish), manaaki (show respect or kindness to), taurima (treat with care, tend) and whangai (feed, nourish, bring up). All these words imply meeting not only the physical needs of others but also their need to be nurtured mentally and spiritually… This duty of care for each other includes the responsibility laid upon older generations to teach the young right ways and to hand on knowledge that belongs to and will benefit the whanau as a whole.
My gift to the new school on Summerland Drive was the name, Te Rito o te Harakeke. This name was gladly and gratefully received by the community. All three iwi felt they were represented and respected in this name. Their iwi connections were acknowledged as all three iwi had shared this resource and taken responsibility for the nurture and protection of it.
In the same way, all three were taking responsibility for this new kura, and for the nurture and protection of it for the benefit of all their tamariki and whanau.
My experience with Te Ao Maori has led me to understand Maori appreciate metaphor. Making connections between past and present and future, via metaphor, and in real world terms, are both important. Underpinning everything is whanau relationships. When we look at our history as a universal people on earth, whanau is at the heart of all society, it's just that some have at times temporarily forgotten this. Maori have not, and we must not, because connecting with whanau, connecting as whanau, cuts to the core of every child, every person, and allows us to make connections as people, as learners, as teachers and as interconnected families.
An Evaluation how my school addressed cultural responsiveness in practice in
● vision, mission, and core values
● decision-making
At Te Akau ki Papamoa we established a Maori Support Ropu - Te Whanau Whakaruruhau. The name comes from "Magellanic" clouds, these were the visual icon that represented our school and were gifted to us by local Kaumatua.
This was a group of Maori parents who met initially fortnightly, then monthly, at our school on a Sunday. We would have a big cook-up and korero to finish each meeting. The focus of this ropu was on how we as a school could support our whanu and how our whanau could support their school and our collectively established learning goals.
We looked at things such as 'Pause Prompt Praise'; 'Positive Parenting'; Growth Mindset language and approaches to use with children in the home/whanau situations; parental aspirations for their children; Ti (Tikanga Maori) as it applies in the classroom; whanaungatanga - the culture of familiness. This latter point for example, meant that we powhiried new children into our whanau pods. Whanau pods were groups of classrooms with children in composite classes from year1/2, through to year 7/8. This brought in whanau to our school. It created a handing-over process that emphasised for teachers the significance of each child's arrival into our kura whanau. It ensured parents and extended whanau (because the nans and pops always came along to see their mokopuna have their special day) felt welcomed and at home with us from day one. It emphasised partnership, belonging, shared goals and high expectations. It exemplified aroha in action and contributed to the wairua of our kura. Each powhiri was a moving and momentous occasion.
For me as incoming principal, I too was powhiried on to our school. I was handed over by teachers and Kaumatua and tamariki from my previous school. I was challenged by rangi tahi toa tamariki at Te Akau ki Papamoa and they were under strict instructions to strike me with their taiaha if I failed to observe the Tikanga of the occasion in every aspect. I then spoke to their community who had all gathered under a huge marque on the school grounds. In addition, I hosted a community hui immediately upon my arrival, which was attended by several hundred parents. From day one, the message was this is a partnership, we are on this waka together, and we are all paddling in unison to a common destination.
Community hui ensued on a regular basis and I met with PTA and other community groups with a policy of openness and honesty - full disclosure about anything and everything. This built trust and understanding.
A focus of these hu initially was on how we wanted our children to learn, and how we could best represent that so all understood and could follow the ara nui.
From this we developed a mural representation - as follows:
"Our pictorial pepeha which hangs above the stage in our school hall.
This mural captures our school vision and how it embodies our history, heritage and local surroundings.
The Central Panel
Our waka is our ‘vehicle of learning’ where learners, teachers, whanau, community and the Board of Trustees journey together, riding the crest of our ‘seven waves of learning’ which are
Think
Vision
Nurture
Learn
Grow
Communicate
Shine
Our waka is ‘navigated and driven’ by all those on board, each having a role:
Learners leading their Learning.
Teachers facilitating the process.
Whanau and Community providing guidance and support.
The Board of Trustees providing governance.
The ‘journey’ is also guided by Tawhirimatea with the power of the ‘four winds’ (nga hau e wha) which signifies the ever-changing direction of learning for the individual and the world we live in.
The triangular sail has significance, depicting the use of technologies to assist in the learning process and recognises the ‘markers’ provided by the stars as another means of navigating.
The three seagulls recognise the importance of ‘guides’ in our journey providing further direction and connection to the natural world within which we live.
The Papamoa Hills (Nga Rae Papamoa) are featured as our Maunga (Mountains), recognising the importance of Tangata Whenua (People of the land) and our relationship with the land and our school.
The three whale flukes recognise the importance of one of our local legends (Pakiwaitara). The three maunga in this legend are –
Mangatawa, Hikurangi and Kopukairoa of Mataatua Waka and the hapu (sub tribe) of Nga Potiki.
(Four waka are associated with this area: Mataatua, Te Arawa, Tainui and Takitimu)
The area between Nga Rae Papamoa (the Papamoa Hills) and the beach is traditionally important for Harakeke (Flax), which is represented within the green clusters between the Maunga and the beach. Harakeke also features prominently with triangular whatu bindings which tie the three elements (panels) together.
The Left Panel
This panel contains the Mangopare design (Hammerhead Shark) and the names of the three whales (maunga) acknowledging the whenua (land) that remains when we journey beyond our school of learning and into the wider world.
The Right Panel
This panel depicts six ‘hoe’ (paddles) that signify the importance of whanau and family that continue to guide the learner’s vision.
W Whanaungatanga: Interrelatedness
H Hui: The importance of shared understandings
A Awhi: To support and assist
N Ngati: Inclusiveness
A Aroha: The love of Whanau / Family
U Ukaipo: Protection, Governance
Our Vision was also collectively developed and owned:
"At Te Akau ki Papamoa school we place a strong emphasis on relationships between whanau, learners, staff and our community."
Our vision of ‘leading me to lead my learning’ challenges students to take responsibility for their lifelong learning journey. Meanwhile, a philosophy of ‘know me before you teach me’ inspires our dedicated staff to create positive learning environment where all learners can celebrate success.
The proof of our collective mahi and huaina can be found in ERO reports and in the learning success of our children.
In my time at Te Akau ki Papamoa, there was no gap between the achievement of Maori and non Maori students.
Our ERO Report in 2004 was very positive and identified the collective efforts of us all...
Leadership:
The principal is a focused and knowledgeable educational leader who articulates a clear vision for school direction. He fosters a collaborative approach that empowers teachers to use their initiative in a nurturing and supportive environment. Teachers are provided with meaningful opportunities to develop emerging leadership skills and enthusiastically contribute to many aspects of school management and operations. This contributes to high levels of ownership and unity of purpose amongst the school community.
There are numerous opportunities for students to experience leadership roles and be involved in decision making. For senior students these include the school council, hospitality, enterprise, media training, enviro-schools, sports councils and the mentoring of younger students. Teachers value and respect students' ideas and contributions. Students are confident and competent to express their ideas and are taking increasing responsibility for aspects of school and classroom organisation.
School vision:
The school community demonstrates a shared commitment and understanding of the current vision of 'leading me to lead my learning'. During 2003 extensive consultation was undertaken which resulted in the creation and adoption of seven key goals. These goals provide both a mechanism and motivation for the vision to be realised. They are highly visible in classrooms and underpin relationships across the school.
Strategic plan:
The school's newly developed strategic plan provides clear direction for all aspects of school operations and is strongly focused on improving student achievement. Extensive consultation during its development has ensured ownership and support by all stakeholders. Appropriately challenging achievement targets in literacy, numeracy and higher order thinking are embedded in all planning and reporting individual student's achievement to their parents.
Parent/school partnership:
The school has developed mutually supportive and respectful relationships with its parent community. There is strong evidence that the school enjoys the increasing confidence of its Maori community and open two-way communication with all stakeholders. The school actively seeks and values parent involvement and parents as partners in their children's education.
Student led-learning:
Students throughout the school are fully involved in setting specific, measurable, agreed, realistic and timely goals that are strongly focused on learning. Parent, student and teacher conferencing is a well established and regular practice where progress is reviewed, achievement celebrated and new goals formulated.
The student appraisal process is an integral feature of the school. It is a holistic package that includes reflection, teacher and student self-assessment, reporting, goal setting and evaluation. This appraisal approach strengthens student, teacher and parent relationships and provides a powerful focus for ongoing learning.
Strong formative assessment strategies are evident throughout the school. Learning intentions are shared, success criteria are identified and students receive appropriate feedback and feedforward. These practices are enhancing students' ability to become increasingly responsible for their own learning and behaviour.
Learning environment:
High quality learning environments are strongly reflective of students' learning. Classrooms are well-maintained fully resourced and print rich. Interactive and informative displays motivate and guide focused learning behaviour.
A positive and supportive atmosphere is evident across the school. Students and teachers demonstrate high levels of respect for others and positive engagement in classroom and school activities. The school environment fosters and encourages high self-esteem and assists students to become articulate and confident learners.
Student engagement with learning:
Students exhibit high levels of on task learning behaviour. They confidently share ideas and goals with their teachers and peers. Highly effective teaching strategies facilitate cooperative planning, learning and problem solving. Students are meaningfully engaged in directing their own learning.
Professional development:
High quality professional development, focused on teaching and learning has been provided for staff. The school's involvement with the Maori Mainstream Pilot, Te Kauhua, has resulted in a number of initiatives that have positively impacted on Maori students and relationships throughout the school and community.
Improving educational outcomes for Maori students:
Since arriving at the school, the principal has been proactive in addressing the issue of successfully engaging with the Maori community. A Maori support group, Te Whanau Whakaruruhau, is operating effectively. This group is made up of teaching staff, board members and interested parents, and forms a vital link in the strengthening partnership that is developing between the school and Maori families. A significant amount of achievement information is collected by the school that informs individual student planning and goal setting..
Attendance and behavioural issues and concerns involving Maori students are handled in a proactive, sensitive and effective way. There have been no stand downs or suspensions of any students during the 18 months since the new principal was appointed.
The staff have been involved with the Te Kauhua Maori Mainstream initiative since 2002. This involvement affirmed many of the core beliefs already present in the school and has had long-term benefits for all students, particularly Maori.
Ten years later, the foundation work we had collectively contributed continued to bear fruit. In other words, because we had such broad and comprehensive ownership of all our community, those foundations remained strong and were built upon. Extra rooms were added but the whare remained intact.
The evidence of this follows:
"There is a sustained culture of high expectations for staff, students, trustees and whānau. The overall tone and climate in the school is inclusive and respectful." – ERO Report 2014
"The Te Akau Ki Papamoa Primary School Curriculum is highly effective in promoting and supporting student learning. The curriculum is focused on the vision of ‘Leading me to Lead my Learning’.
The curriculum was developed through focused review and consideration of achievement information.
Important strengths of the school curriculum are:
broad coverage of all subject areas, with a strong emphasis on literacy and mathematical learning
an evolving and highly successful emphasis on the use of computer technology in learning programmes
the normalisation of te reo and tikanga Māori throughout the school, including a planned and sequential te reo Māori programme for staff and students
the wide range of initiatives that support a sense of belonging and wellbeing for staff, students and whānau
well-embedded processes that target individual student learning needs through in-school interventions, specialist agencies and effective use of teacher expertise.
A culture of ‘know me before you teach me’ has enabled teachers to become well informed about students’ backgrounds, circumstances, interests and strengths. This culture has been achieved through:
positive and purposeful engagement with local early childhood education services, which has fostered effective transition to school for new entrant students
ongoing positive engagement, and effective wrap-around support for families and whānau
clear and shared understandings about school curriculum priorities among leaders, teachers and support staff
teachers’ shared commitment to professional learning and improving their practice.
Students observed by ERO were enjoying their lessons and demonstrated high levels of interest and motivation.
Particular strengths of the school’s approach to promoting success for Māori as Māori are:
the presence of strong, well-informed and knowledgeable Māori role models on the board, in senior positions, and in the teaching team
the way Māori students and families are welcomed into the school
the high expectations for Māori attendance and participation in classrooms, sporting and cultural activities
the ongoing focus on the significance of being Māori in the Bay of Plenty region
the recognition and value trustees, leaders and teachers place on Māori cultural identity.
The result of a deliberate and strategic focus on promoting success for Māori is that Māori students are achieving and progressing very well in an inclusive school environment." ERO Report 2014
http://www.ero.govt.nz/Early-Childhood-School-Reports/School-Reports/Te-Akau-ki-Papamoa-Primary-School-04-06-2014/3-Curriculum
1. Munford, R., & Sanders, J. (1999). Supporting families. Dunmore Press.
2. Metge, J. (2014). New growth from old: The whanau in the modern world. Victoria University Press.
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