Well-Being of Maori Students

How do I prioritise the well-being of the Maori students in my class? 

1. Know your Maori learners:

Building up rapport and positive relationships with the students at the beginning of the year was very important. This includes getting to know them individually; what they enjoy, their background, how they feel towards their learning, their family etc. It is important to be able to make connections with them and their experiences to be able to support learning and strengthen relationships. Manaakitanga provides common purpose or a bond between teacher and student/whanau. 

I have done this by talking to my students about things outside of school and I do this daily with a number of children. Also, at the beginning of the year we did a lot of 'all about me' activities and games so I could get to know the students and they could get to know each other as well. We spent the first four weeks of school focussing on building relationships.

2. Build community connections:

Welcoming the Maori community into school and going out to the community is very important for our Maori students. It is vital for them to see how Maori residents of our community play a part. For special events, such as, Powhiri, Anzac day and Matariki, we have had visitors to our school and also learning opportunities to go out into the community.

3. Build a culturally responsive environment:

Students are more likely to achieve when they see themselves and their culture reflected positively in the classroom. In our classroom, we have done art that reflects who they are as individuals. Our PRIDE values display also incorporates Maori culture and it was designed and made by students themselves. We have looked into the legend of Matamata and created artwork that is displayed in our classroom. Maori phrases and commands are used frequently and Te Reo is taught. As part of handwriting, we learn new whakatauki. In Term 1 we looked at mihi and presented these in our own ways. At school we had a powhiri when the new students started and during assemblies we sing waiata. Everyone attended kapa haka for the first Term, once a week, but it is now optional. As a whole school we celebrate Matariki, share kai and learn about tikanga.