I got to observe Whaea Waitonga and her mahi with her Te Reo Māori and Tikanga ā-Iwi classes and I can confidently say that te reo and tikanga Māori are thriving in Whaea Waitonga’s akomanga. The following are some of the key observation notes that lead to my above statement.

Arrival at Aorere

I walked into a large reception area where I was greeted by a lovely receptionist. I lookedg around for the wharenui and the Māori classroom but could not spot them. Waitonga’s runner, Rawiri, came to get me from reception and we walked what felt like for ages to the Te Reo Māori classroom. The Te Reo classroom is situated at the very rear of the school near the school field. I really felt aroha for our kaiako and ākonga Māori when I learned that they do not have a marae or wharenui. Ka aroha! However, what they lack in facilities they make up for in tikanga.

Entering into the Akomanga

Upon entering the akomanga, I was relieved to see shoes lined up at the entrance. I knew straight away that tikanga is present here. The class was a mixed level classroom of Year 11s and Year 13s. Whaea Waitonga sat at the front of the room where she used an online spinning wheel to randomly select the kaiwhakahaere for the morning. The kaiwhakahaere’s role was to elect the kaikarakia and kaimihi to open the akoranga. After the kaiwhakahaere appointed the roles, the kaikarakia started the karakia mō te reo Māori, which was written by Kīngi Ihaka. The kaimihi stood up to mihi to the class, after which the whole class stood to do a hīmene (Whakataka te hau). I was brimming with pride. E manako nui ana ahau kia pērā hoki te mārohi o te tū a āku ākonga i roto i ngā tikanga Māori. This is definitely something I need to push more in my akomanga. 

Ākonga Māori at Aorere College

According to Waitonga there are 400, or so, out of 1700 ākonga at Aorere College who have whakapapa Māori. Aorere College have devised a system of carefully arranged whānau classes that consist of only Māori students. Waitonga and SLT select the teachers who get to teach these whānau classes as they are taught mainly through a Te Ao Māori lens. Aorere College also have a programme called Te Pae Tawhiti, which was designed specifically for ākonga who are at-risk of disengaging from school. The participants of this programme are predominantly Māori. The learning of the ākonga in the Te Pae Tawhiti programme looks different to the rest of the other classes. These ākonga are not dumb, kāhore! This school understands that mainstream schooling is not for everyone and have responded to this by creating the Te Pae Tawhiti programme. I fully commend them on their efforts! These whānau classes and the Te Pae Tawhiti programme demonstrate the commitment of the kaiako Māori (and the kura) to trial what works for their ākonga Māori and to see what learning environments are conducive for ākonga Māori to be able to enjoy educational success as Māori. I believe our school should look into doing this with our ākonga at Tāmaki College. Our ākonga Māori and ākonga Pasifika could benefit greatly from a programme such as Te Pae Tawhiti.

Waitonga and her many pōtae

She wears many pōtae – as kaiako Māori do – including dean of the Year 9 cohort, kaiako, kapa haka tutor, pou tikanga for SLT, and the ūpoko of all kaupapa Māori in the school. Sounds familiar.

Wins

I loved hearing the wins that Waitonga has achieved with her ākonga Māori over the 6 years she has been there. She fostered a kawa of care, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga, and aroha. These were all evident in the learning and personal relationships she has created with her ākonga even beyond school. For example, an alumni ākonga dropped in while I was there to say “kia ora” to his Whaea. She also proudly told me about how there are nine Māori prefects. Last year there were three. Of the three head boys, one is Māori, and he is her son. How cool is that!

Hungry for the reo

I sensed a hunger for the reo in the classes I had observed. These ākonga love their Whaea and crave their culture and Whaea Waitonga presented them with a hearty kai of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Aorere College are very lucky to have her.

High-Expectations

The recurring theme that I observed throughout the day was the high expectation Whaea Waitonga held for all her ākonga. Her te reo input was dense and rich. Her tasks were demanding for some, but others readily took up the challenge. The way she engaged and conversed with her ākonga is like that of a mother to her child. I felt the deep aroha and genuine care she has for these ākonga and their success. Tētahi momo!