Early Childhood by Lyndon Greening

This whakataukī reminds us that our goals cannot be achieved unless we all work together. To understand the importance of having an authentic bi-cultural approach weaved into your practice and throughout your kindergarten and evidenced in your philosophy. By providing different contexts/lenses of ways you can approach this journey, I hope this will become a common platform that you can use to contextualise how to meet the needs of your Māori tamariki, whānau, iwi and community.

Ko ngā tamariki te pūtake – keep them safe as they are the central core of the waka!

Attributes on a waka

• People (Teaching team)

• Hoe/Paddle (Kaupapa - Purpose)

• Steerer / Navigator (this role needs to be shared depending on the kaupapa being led, not just an HT role)

• The navigator is the most important person on the waka - Reads the stars, waves and wind (i.e. the good, the bad and the ugly)

• Check the wind before you do anything

• Know yourself, know your waka, how it moves, when it needs to rest

Questions to ask

• Are all staff on board (collective consensus)?

• Does everyone have a hoe (have a purpose, feel valued)?

• Are you all paddling at the same time, and in the same direction (constant communication, equal effort being put in)?

• ALWAYS check your timing - this will ensure your journey is smooth, without too many setbacks and has flow (check in with eachother)

• You’ll know your journey of Te Ao Māori is on the right track if you can...

see it, feel it, hear it, taste it, touch it

Kaua e rangiruatia te hāpai o te hoe;

E kore tō tātou waka e ū ki uta.

Don’t paddle out of unison;

Our canoe will never reach the shore.

(Ministry of Education, 2007)

This whakataukī signifies the need for the whole team to work as one and collaborate to bring improvement to the overall practice at your kindergarten to benefit all tamariki. Your haerenga (journey) in any journey will always be a difficult one unless you ALL are in the same waka, paddling together at the same time. Kotahitanga, unity is something that needs to be embedded here.

Kotahitanga -

• This is developing and maintaining a unity of purpose and direction and avoiding approaches and decisions that lead to division and disharmony.

• A commitment by all through oneness of mind and action to achieving its vision would be the expression of Kotahitanga.

• Everyone is encouraged to make their contribution, to have their say. Decisions appropriate for all will incorporate strategies that ensure collectivism processes.

When trying to create kotahitanga within a team, please always ensure to create worthiness and empowerment to each other. This can be done by consistent positive encouragements to ensure a strength approach is applied to continually uplift the mana of each other. This is showing a true sense of the term manaakitanga by creating supportive opportunities amongst your team.

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