Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui! Be strong, be brave, be steadfast! "

 

I believe my role as an educator is to support students to be brave, vulnerable and courageous as they navigate their life of learning. As a teacher, I encourage students to love and value themselves for who they are and what they bring to the world. I want students to feel confident to make empowered choices for their lives in an ever-changing and complex world. This starts with whanaungatanga and building caring and honest relationships with the students. It also relies on showing manaaki, and acknowledging the wairuatanga we each embody, and creating safe and supportive spaces for tamariki to learn and grow within.

 

I believe in an integrated approach to education and learning. For our children to actively engage in their own lives, and the ever-changing global society, they must be exposed to and experience a diversity of learning concepts and strategies across the curriculum. It is also important that this is taught within a culturally appropriate and responsive framework, incorporating the students, their whanau, and communities, experiences and values.

 

Educating children also requires more than just the work of the classroom teacher. I enjoy and benefit from working collaboratively with other teachers, parents and education specialists and providers. Working together as a team improves the quality and provision of education to children and creates a more sustainable teaching environment.

 

I have deep respect, and enthusiasm, for te Ao Māori and have been learning te reo me ōna tikanga Māori in immersion environments. I am continuing this learning journey until I am fluent. This is important to me as Tanagata Te Tiriti as a means to understand and support tamariki Māori and their whanau.

 

Supporting people to understand who they are, what has happened to them, and what they need in order to create a life of learning and joy, is a passion of mine within and outside of my teaching life. It has been reflected to me that I show genuine care, empathy and compassion when supporting people. This is because I take time to get to know those I am working with, to understand their story, to get to know what inspires them, what needs they have, what barriers and strengths they embody, in order to do my best to support them in their lives. I value and support taking risks to grow and empower others, and myself. I actively research and learn about how to do this in my personal life.

 

Above all I do my best to practice empathy and compassion in all areas of my life. I strive to live a whole-hearted, honest and courageous life and support those I work with to do the same.