Support for teachers
In this clip, we hear how one school has shown its commitment to Māori language by giving release time to two of its young teachers, to step up and take a leadership role in the school, in terms of its Māori language programme. We also see the integration of ICT in the teaching of Māori – with the SmartBoard.
The principal reiterates the importance of having a supportive community that values te reo Māori.
Transcript
At Northland School anybody who has a position of responsibility has time, release time, to work on that. So we release Matt and Eleanor every week for an hour and a half. Part of the time is for them to sit down and come to grips with the new resources that are out, try them out, experiment, see what works for them and what doesn't. Maybe take a small group of children and just work with the two or three of them, see how it works for them. But it is a commitment that we have made, and too often resources arrive in school and they are still in those boxes some years later. You’ve got to have a little play, and a bit of experience to make it work.
Jeremy Edwards – Northland School
We don't team teach te reo Māori, and I would imagine that’s the case in most schools around New Zealand. However we do, as joint unit holders of the te reo unit here at Northland School, we do work quite closely together, towards developing curriculum at Northland School. Although, compared to many other schools, there isn't a great deal of expertise there, and knowledge in Māori culture, and in Māori language, I think one strength that we do have is in the positive attitude. Our principal is very supportive, as are other members of the staff, and all very enthusiastic and keen to implement Māori in their classrooms wherever possible. I think the biggest hurdle really is that confidence in teaching, and that is where a really planned, really well set out resource, can be a real benefit.
Matt Barnacott – Northland School
I think we are really lucky at Northland school in that we have a very supportive community and they do value te reo Māori.
Eleanor Ainsworth – Northland School
If you don't have community support in your community with you then you are going to make no progress. Or it will be progress against a wall, and there will be people dragging the chain and you will hear the feedback from the community. We haven't heard that, we have just heard great positive things. You have got to win them over and I think we did it with kapa haka.
Jeremy Edwards – Northland School
