Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice

 Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice

Activity 7

I will use Rolfes et al (2001) Framework for reflective practise. 

What:  I have taught in  Kura Kaupapa Māori for the past 19 years and pre teaching was a kaiawhina in a Kohanga Reo in Gisborne.

I understand that indigenous knowledge and cultural responsive is embracing the knowledge, relationships and each students own iwi experiences they bring with them.   Building genuine relationships with our tamariki and their whānau by acknowledging and understanding who they are and where they come from is paramount.   They are also taught to embrace all cultures. 

Kura Kaupapa are guided by the philosophy of Te Aho Matua.  Tamariki are taught to

“Cultural identity is crucial to children‘s growth and success” (Milne, 2013).

Part 4 of Te Aho Matua is Te Ao (The world)

Te Ao encompasses those aspects of the world itself which impact on the learning of children.   Kura Kaupapa Māori therefore:

·       recognise that the learning of children encompasses what enters their field of experience at home, in the Māori world, and in the world at large.

·       encourage children to marvel at and value all life forms, and the balance of nature which gives each of those life forms their right of existence.

So What: The kura is alive and well.  My belief is simply because each child knows who he/she is and where they come from.  Even if they have not physically visited their tribal areas, they are still able to stand proudly and recite their genealogy.

Now What: What to do now.  We shall continue educating our tamariki with the guidance of Te Aho Matua.  The beauty of the Philosophy is that is embraces the old and the new worlds.  We will continue to embrace the new world but without letting go of our past.  Understanding the contemporary and traditional views of te ao Māori, the wider world and the physical and natural worlds is effectively embedded into kura programmes. Equipping students with the skills necessary for living in both the Māori and the wider world is always ongoing. Our High School students have opportunities to interact with their peers from kura in the region.

‘Teachers are not only agents of change they are, to all intents and purposes, the sole agents of change’

(Gutschlag, 2007).

Kura Kaupapa Māori therefore: will continue to challenge parents, teachers and trustees to work together in establishing a harmonious, child‑centred learning environment in which care, consideration and co‑operation are acknowledged as necessary elements for the successful operation of the kura for the greatest benefit of its children. 

Tamariki find it easier to embrace and except all cultures.  The tamariki have been lucky to have been exposed to many cultures that have come to our school to see how we have created a language revitalisation learning centre.  We shall continue to nurture our tamariki in the same manner.

http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/education-on-the-east-coast-schools-and-kura-kaupapa-maori/kura-kaupapa-maori/

Gutschlag, A. (2007). Some implications of the Te Kotahitanga model of teacher positioning. New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 4(1), 3-10. Retrieved from 

http://www.teacherswork.ac.nz/journal/volume4_issue1/gutschlag.pdf

https://www.istockphoto.com/nz/illustrations/cultures?sort=

Milne, B.A. (2013). Colouring in the White Spaces: Reclaiming Cultural Identity in Whitestream Schools. (Doctoral Thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10289/7868

http://www.runanga.co.nz/Te+256Aho+Matua.html