Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness

My own pedagogy of indigenous knowledge and culturally responsive pedagogy has been one that I challenged myself to develop. When I  first attended University I came from a very white middle class background and my cultural awareness was pretty lacking. So I took Maori studies in both Te reo and Tikanga at university. I was on a steep learning curve.!!!

My first job 22 ago years was as the teacher of Maori studies in a high school. I engaged my learners. I went on Marae trips, I discussed beliefs, I explained their importance and relevancy. I was teaching in a small conservative, predominantly Pakeha town so I was meet with some disdain, from the parents but it made me more determined.  It was tough.

From here I have developed as a teacher. I am very aware that positive student relationships are essential. This an area that I would say that I have a strength in and try to foster and

develop relationships with all my students.

The six elements of the Effective Teaching Profile (Bishop & Berryman) are a relevant and useful profile to help teaching Māori.

Manaakitanga – teachers care for their students as culturally located human beings above all else.

Mana motuhake – teachers care for the performance of their students.

Nga whakapiringatanga – teachers are able to create a secure, well-managed learning environment.

Wananga – teachers are able to engage in effective teaching interactions with Māori students as Māori.

Ako – teachers can use strategies that promote effective teaching interactions and relationships with their learners.

Kotahitanga – teachers promote, monitor and reflect on outcomes that in turn lead to improvements in educational achievement for Māori students.

I  think Bishop and Berryman strongly know what a Maori student needs and how that as a learner they can achieve and succeed. I also feel that these points correspond to many learners and this would correspond for all cultures. As a school with 47 different nationalities and over 20% of our students receiving ESOL funding we have a diverse range.

How our school addresses cultural responsiveness

Our school’s vision is a commitment to Kapa Haka. Every child  in the school attends sessions and the Year 7 and 8 team are all in the performance Kapa Haka. It is compulsory.

I think you need to be able to experience and be led and role modelled by Māori and this is where our Kapa Haka tutors are outstanding. Our students have for the last three years successfully performed at the Christchurch Cultural festival, where we are  given excellent feedback. I do not see this as tokenism, I see this as students immersing themselves into a culture through the arts and the language. As well I feel that  the students can connect together, all learning something new, all being culturally responsive.

Recently I was on a team who organised a Whanau Hui for those students and families that identify as being Maori for our cluster. The overall aim of the hui is to ensure that people are there to meet others who to are in the minority and that it is okay to identify as Māori. The night was a huge success (helps always to put on some awesome kai). People were mixing and talking and most importantly making connections.

I was also very proud on our speaker, who two years previously had not spoken much Te Reo, and two years on he got up and presented his whaikorero proudly and confidently and it was  great to see how immensely proud his son was of him. I feel that as a school we have given him this opportunity, he was so proud and we had given him mana, a place to use his language and be to be proud.

To others these may seem insignificant, but within the community we have and only having 12 students who identify as being Māori , it is huge. We need to keep the momentum to  ensure that it is not just a must do, that it is relevant, and worthy.

References

Bishop R. Source:Edtalks.(2012,September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994