Watch Part 1 Here
In this short video, you’ll learn:
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The real reason schools struggle to embed te reo Māori and kapa haka (it’s not time or training)
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A simple mindset shift that removes the fear of “getting it wrong”
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Three powerful Māori frameworks that build instant teacher confidence
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How to facilitate a waiata with your class — even if you’re not an expert
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How successful schools are creating an authentic, school-wide culture shift in te ao Māori
If you want te ao Māori to feel confident, visible, and real in your kura — this video is for you.
Student video
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Student lesson: Action song!
***Be sure to watch the Kickstart part 1 video FIRST to get a full explanation before diving in! ****
Play Backing track
Answer in the comments
Watch the Part 1 video and answer these in the comments:
1) Do you fall into wanting to be an expert or a facilitator?
2) How do you encourage ako in the classroom?
1. Facilitator
2. being open and honest about strengths and if I don’t know the answer.
Thank you for sharing this, Judith. Being honest about the answers I don’t have has been a big weight off my shoulders!
Ngā mihi nui for sharing this fabulous resource. I have been trying to unskilled myself in Te ao Māori for many years and I definitely want to encourage this growth within my kura- but wasn’t sure how.
This is so gentle and welcoming 🙏
I definitely want to be a facilitator and demonstrate my ability to learn alongside my tāmariki.
I encourage ako in my classroom by demonstrating to the students the concept of being a life long learner.
Tēnā koe Alicia, thank you for this message and especially for those words gentle and welcoming- I hadn’t realised until you said but those two things are a big part of the way we want to share our mahi! Appreciate you taking the time to watch and respond.
I have been running kapa haka at my Kura for several years but love this format to help my colleagues gain more confidence.
Ako is one of our school values. We encourage students to lead what they are confident in and working with buddies in class..
Amazing that you’ve been running Kapa Haka at your kura Sheree! It’s very cool also you can see ways to build capability and confidence in your colleagues too.
I really want to be a facilitator and learn alongside my students. I’m definitely not an expert and don’t pretend to be one. If I make mistakes, then it models that it’s ok for them to make mistakes too.
Cathie, thank you for sharing this. It’s great to have that modeling for the students as well- they’re like wonderful little sponges and take in the content we teach as well as the way we present it to them.
Question 1 Try to be a facilitator but also land up trying to be an expert.
Question 2 – Be open and friendly ,get student to accept that one can learn from failure .Getting some students to accept this is a different story.
Form relationships to find out what makes akonga who they are along with their whānau.
I’m with you Heather- students can have difficulty being comfortable in failure. And I think the whanaungatanga you’re consciously building will do a lot to help them on that journey.
Facilitator
Ako is encouraged through whanaungatanga – Our baskets of knowledge is woven together as one.
Annette, I love the connection both you and Heather have made with the importance of whanaugnatanga in connection with ako. I love how the concepts tie together- I love our culture!!!
Kia ora, I know I have been guilty of falling into the expert category as I feel like I need to have all the answers but I love how you broke the concept down and allow us to see how the role of a facilitator can support the kaupapa we are trying to achieve.
I encourage ako in the classroom through a lot of role reversals. Valuing what my students bring to the classroom is huge and allowing them to have a voice makes them feel empowered to achieve. Our students have so much to offer and teach the teachers, which I do not take for granted! At our kura we allow for lots of tuakana teina activities and I am really encouraged by the korero that comes from these times.
Thank you for these whakaaro Renee- young people are GREAT at keeping me in my role as facilitator. And I agree that sharing the roles like this can allow all of our expertise to emerge organically because you’re right, our rangatahi have a lot to offer.
I fall into wanting to be a facilitator and my tamariki help and support me with my Reo pronunciation and keeping in tune when we are learning new waiata.
Keeping in tune AND pronouncing te reo at the same time is tricky for sure, Robyn. How awesome that your tamariki support you on this!
Facilitator
Mistakes are good. No question is a silly question. We are all learning together, we can all support each other.
Extra note: This was a fantastic video and I love the waiata. I really appreciate you sharing this with us!
Ngā mihi nui Sam, what awesome foundations to set up ako in your class. Glad you enjoyed the waiata and video!
1. A bit of both – I really try to be a facilitator when teaching but do catch myself falling into Expert mode at times..!
2. I guess listening is the key to encouraging ako… give the student a big menemene and listen to what they have to say. I have one student in my kapa haka group who I can always count on to know the next kupu or action if I have a brain fade moment!
Love your energy Justin, look forward to learning more.
Tēnā koe Paul! Love your whakaaro on this and how awesome you have one student in particular you know you can count on when the brain fade comes- that’s also when inventing your own action is a good option!
1 – facilitator
2 – build relationships first, belonging and participating is very important, being safe and happy together so that we have created an environment in which risks are taken, that help is asked for, that wonderings are listened to. I model, model, model (I teach 5 year olds).
Beautiful orientation to your work, Hayley and I’m completely with you. Showing our tamariki they will be listened to no matter what and that there is space for them. Key building blocks for success in the classroom!
1. Facilitator
2. Build relationships, have fun in the learning environment with the tamariki, share your stories special to you while listening and enjoying their stories, we all have a voice that matters, succes for all will follow, how that looks is different for all
Thank you for sharing here, Myrtle. I love this specific application of sharing the stories that light us up. This is a great relationship builder and active inclusion of ako.
1. Facilitator, although the more I learn personally about Te Ao Māori/Te Reo Māori rānei, the more I am seen as an ‘expert’ to others which feels a bit uncomfortable. It comes from that knowledge that “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know!’.
2. Show akonga that kaiako are learners too and will take risks. Emphasise that mistakes show we are learning.
Awesome honesty here, e hoa and I completely relate to you on this one! So great to keep that constant learner mindset when it comes to our beautiful taonga Māori. Appreciate you sharing here
1. facilitator – when I was talking with my principal, we definitely want our teachers to be able to learn alongside their students, building confidence for both, especially as we are a large school with many staff and students who are new to NZ.
2. I encourage ako by making mistakes and having fun, encouraging students to support each other with tricky new learning and I’m always trying to show curiosity and an openness to trying new things
Ngā mihi i ōu whakaaro Emma- thank you for sharing on all three videos! Really great to note those staff and students new to Aotearoa, it’s super important to create frameworks to make everyone feel included.