Saturday, July 15, 2017

Recognising a Commitment to tangata whenuatanga


What: As I begin a presentation to a group of teachers I always include a whakautukī ia the beginning in recognition on tangata whenua. This one is a favourite of mine as some of the learning that I am presenting can be challenging and the wish that by working together the potentially rough waters can become smooth like pounamu is a good one. As we work together we will overcome challenges and the way forward will become clearer.

So What: Although I understand simple te reo and my pronunciation is not awful my confidence is not as good as it could be as I feel that I will be criticised for imperfections as has happened in the past. By having the whakatauki written down it prompts me to practice and hopefully sets a positive tone of inclusion for the rest of the presentation.

Now What: I am working on including more te reo into my daily language and into my presentations. Words like
  • mōrena
  • kia ora, kia ora kōrua, kia ora koutou
  • mā te wā
  • mahi
  • kura
  • Kāhui Ako
  • tamariki
  • karakia
  • tino pai rawa
  • ka mau te wehi
What other words related to schools and learning could I incorporate in my presentations???