My goal is to build a culturally responsive classroom based on respect and connection. I am finding the best way for me to do this is to initiate more korero and establish classroom communication practices that include te reo Māori. One example of this is our morning routine. We do daily taumata. After taumata we do the role and each child is asked how they are feeling and then respond and ask another student the same question (in te reo māori). When we first started this routine it took a while. Students stumbled with the asking and answering. They were also clearly nervous. Now it has become second nature to them. They are starting to experiment by responding with new kupu, instead of the standard e pai ana ahau. This routing has been beneficial for me most of all. It has helped build my confidence and I can also see that the children appreciate my efforts as well.
Here is a list of things I have noticed when I use more te reo māori within the classroom.
- Our confidence has grown.
- Our pronunciation has improved.
- We are more willing to give things a go.
- We are supportive of each other.
