Changing the Heart of Teachers of Māori Learners
After all, it isn't Māori learners who need to change, it is us. Teaching with cultural responsivness - I thought I was alright at this, but it just goes to show, that we are never done learning...learning about ourselves, learning about others. This is my ako. These last school holidays I was fortunate enough to go in the place of a colleague to a hui in Wellington about embedding Tātaiako into our school. I thought I would be over my head, but it turned out to be just the perfect PLD I needed, right now. It was run by TRCC and was THE best conference I have ever been to. A big claim, I know, but there it is. It began at Te Herenga Waka Marae with powhiri and yummy kai. We remained at the marae all morning, surrounded by its visual beauty, sheltered by it in the Wellington rain. The first session after kai was Toku Ao, where we each shared a taonga and/or kōrero of cultural significance to us. It was emotional and heartfelt. People shared their hopes, whakapapa, fear