Te Reo Maori Course Reflection

I have now completed the Level 2 Te Ara Reo Maori course! The course totaled 36 weeks comprising of units of learning covering Aotearoa, Whakapapa, Waahi, Te Waa, Mahi Ngahau, Haerenga, He Tikanga Marae and Tangata Rongonui. 

I am proud of what I have achieved completing this course. My main goals were 

• To know and understand what a powhiri entails 
• Feel comfortable on a Marae and the protocols involved
• Confidently deliver my mihi
• Pronounce names, place names etc, correctly
• Build on my vocab and simple sentences/commands
• Sing a variety of waiata

I have noticed a new respect from our Maori students as they realise I am genuinely trying to pronounce names, place names and other Maori language correctly. To be told by one student "I think you know more Maori than me, Mrs B" was pretty special. I realised that something as simple as the course I had taken (way outside my comfort zone!) had had a more far reaching effect than I ever thought.

I have already taken my next step - enrolling in Mauri Ora through the Open Waanaga!

My final assessment involved a research project on someone whom I admire, and then presenting it to the class. I chose Nancy Wake.

1. Mihi

Ko Te Aroha te Maunga

Ko Tikapa te Moana

Ko Waihou te Awa

Ko Barker te Hapu

Ko Whama te Marae

Ko Edens te Iwi

Ko Steward tōku Pāpā

Ko Peggy tōku Māmā

Ko Tipene tōku Hoa-Rangatira

Tokotoru āku tamariki

Ko Tracy ahau

Nō Waitakaruru ahau, engari key Ngatea ahau e noho ana

Nō reira,

Tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna tātou katoa

2. Ko Toku Tangata Rongonui ko

3. Whakatauki

Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu

Despite being small, it is of great value

4. Ko Tona Whakapapa

Ko Tōna Whakapapa

Ko Charles Augustus tōna Pāpā

Ko Ella Rosieur tōna Māmā

Ko Henri Edmond Fiocca tōna hoa rangatira tuatahi

Ko John Forward tona hoa rangatira tuarua

Kāore āna tamariki

5. Nga Umanga

He kairipoata a Nancy

He hōia Nō Engarangi i te pakanga ao tuarua

He hoia Nō te ope taua o Wiwi

6. Nga Pumanawa

He tangata koi Nancy

He tangata taonga Nancy

He tangata katuarehi Nancy

7. Waiata

Ko Nancy-Nancy

He tangata koi

He hōia Nō Engarangi

I te pakanga

What is a Powerful Learner?

The previous two weeks we have focused as a staff on what a 'Powerful Learner' is. Our first session involved Karla and Neil interviewing students asking them specific questions - "What is a Powerful Learner?", "What makes you Powerful Learner?", "What do you do when you get stuck?"

The most revealing and frustrating was the last question - "What do you do when you get stuck?"
Our Ss said they ask others like their friends or ask the teacher. They way they had answered gave the impression that we give them the answers when they ask us which is incorrect. We turn it back on the student by saying "What could you do...?".

The interviews were a real eyeopener, in terms of their perceptions of our role as teachers and of ourselves. I felt like I make no real difference, that you could put a cardboard cutout of me in our learning spaces and the responses would be no different! Food for thought and some real self reflection.

From here, our next meeting looked at what we as staff think makes a Powerful Learner.

And from our group:

• creativity
• resilience
• tenacity
• connected - learner
• communicator - deliver, receive
• empathy
• persevering
• risk taking - brave
• discerning
• curious
• questioning
• self awareness
• willingness/self drive
• emotional intelligence
• collaborative
• evaluative
• reflective

There was a great deal of discussion around grouping of ideas and what Empathy is. We felt that because of our own upbringings and place in society, we would have little real understanding of what some of our students go through in their lives. Neil shared with us this clip Empathy vs Sympathy. This clip is a great way of differentiating between the two and how we can get caught in the 'sympathy' mode.
I realised that 'being there' is enough. Taking the time to listen is something I try to do, not only with students but the people around me - be it parents, staff or anyone.