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Gen Z learners

Engaging Māori students and whānau in future-focused education

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Nichole Gully

From the uLearn16 blog: a review by Nichole Gully of Janelle Riki’s presentation – Friday 7 October 2016

Educators from around Aotearoa descended on the Janelle Riki’s uLearn session to wānanga (discuss) similar questions:

  • How can we better engage Māori learners and whānau in future focused education?
  • As our schools are transforming, how do we ensure our whānau and Māori students feel empowered?
  • How can we ensure that our schools are truly bicultural and breathing life into the Treaty of Waitangi?
  • How can be inclusive of all learners and create pathways to success for all?
  • How can pedagogy and practice in a modern and innovative classroom align with the values and practices of Māori?

This presentation discussed these and a lot more, providing examples of how a transformative journey to innovation in education will be more successful if everyone is in the waka together.

Janelle Riki family

Janelle talked to her audience as much as a māmā bear of a blended whānau of five as she did as an educator. She prefaced her remarks that in the next hour-and-a-half people would probably feel uncomfortable, and that she did this intentionally, from a place of love, in order to renew our perspectives and invite change.

So, forewarned, Janelle launched into an emotional raw story of her 16-year-old’s journey through education. A journey fraught with deficit views of his intellect, behaviour, and motivation. Labelled as the ‘typical’ Māori boy, more interested in being the naughty off-task kid than focusing on reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. Report after report after report states, “Lots of potential but…”, “Lots of potential but…”. The negative perceptions of his teachers is the antithesis of who Mr Sixteen is at home. A teenage boy with the biggest heart for his siblings and cousins, respectful to his elders, a talented sportsman, a strong orator, and an extremely hardworking perfectionist. So, how is it that in a lifetime of schooling, none of these qualities have ever been noticed, fostered, and leveraged?

Russell Bishop quoteIs what we focus on all we see? As teachers, are our perceptions of kids shaping their experiences? If this is the case, if we see them as capable, driven, intelligent learners, how might this transform their experience in education? Janelle went on to talk about Russell Bishop’s research asserting, “What works for Māori in education, will work for ALL kids.” Why? “Because it is all about good practice”. She warned, though, that it doesn’t go the other way. What fits all, doesn’t necessarily fit Māori. And the stats speak for themselves.

Transforming educational outcomes for Māori like Mr Sixteen starts with knowing who they are and teaching to who they are. Valuing them. So, who are these Gen Z Māori, really? Janelle says, “They are really easy to love, but really hard to like sometimes”, but, if you make the effort, the payoffs are innumerable. And so, she unpacked who these kids are, starting with their language, Gen Z Māori lingo:

Gen Z Māori learners

  • Skux / Steezy (cool, keep doing what you are doing)
  • Salty (grumpy, so smile)
  • Snake (men who befriend lots of girls)
  • ACTUAL (truth be told, for real)
  • On the grind! (Getting fit, training, they actually value hard work)
  • TBH (to be honest)

It is this last phrase that really highlights the values that Gen Z Māori boys have. TBH – to be honest.

  • TBH u look skux
  • TBH u r a mean league player
  • TBH ur awesome at haka
  • TBH u smashed that exam

Their social media posts to their mates are splattered with positive affirmations of things they notice about each other, and they share them freely and publicly. What generation has ever done that? What would happen if teachers took this into the classroom every morning and everyone had a TBH session. TBH loved your writing yesterday, TBH your art inspired me to try new stuff, TBH… Normalise making mihi (positive affirmations) cool!

In these Gen Z Māori, we are seeing an emergence of kids connected and wanting to connect to their culture. They are smart Gen Z. They can process huge amounts of information really quickly. They can skim, not read line by line by line. Does that mean they know what to do with that information? No it doesn’t. So, we need to teach them how to analyse the reliability and validity of that information, summarise, and repurpose it. What do the oldies think —and, for your information, 25 and above is OLD to them! We think they are anti-social, have poor literacy skills, and that they are self-absorbed because they take lots of selfies. We could interpret it as self-absorption, or, we could interpret it as confidence and self-expression. We make really quick assumptions about these kids.

Angus McFarlane and his colleagues talk about how schools need to allow and enable students to be who and what they are. How are we enabling our kids to be Māori? Janelle asks, what would I hear, see and feel when I come to your school that sends the message, “We value and will celebrate your culture here?” Janelle goes to schools as an educator, but also wearing her Mum eyes. If she entered your school, what would she see and feel as a Māori mum? What signs would she see, and what would she hear that sends the message that we value and will celebrate your culture? How is she greeted as a parent when she goes to your school or your class? What might she see on your school website or read in your newsletter that will encourage her to enrol her beautiful tamariki at your school, safe in the knowledge that they will be cherished here, as Māori?

Janelle stated that, “It is not a privilege to be connected to the place you go each day. It is a right! Kids deserve to go to school and know they are home. If I was standing in your school, how would I know I was in a school in Aotearoa?” Furthermore, Janelle asked, “Shouldn’t I be able to choose any school in this country for my kids and expect that their language, culture, and identity will be celebrated and grown? This is Aotearoa, and Māori are tangata whenua, Te Reo Māori is this country’s first language. This is a school where my kids should be supported to grow into the Māori leaders of our future.”

Māori Achieving as MāoriSo, what is the recipe for Māori Achieving Success as Māori? We returned to Mr Sixteen’s repeated reports, “potential but…, potential but…”. But, Janelle asks, What are you as the teacher, as the school doing for him? His potential is his and it is not him that hasn’t realised it. That is the job of schools, to draw this out of our kids. He has potential but … what are you doing about it?”. What will it take for teachers to change their view, change their lens for kids like Mr Sixteen to realise their potential? See them in all their greatness, see all of their potential and enable them to apply what they are good at. It’s really not rocket science.

What might this look like for Mr Sixteen? How could we tie art into learning maths and sports into literacy. Where are the opportunities for him to leverage off his oral story-telling talents and working collaboratively on creative projects. Here is the box, fit in it. You don’t fit, you fail. The one-size-fits-all approach to learning doesn’t fit him and lots of other ways of learning and presenting learning do.

Janelle asserts that, “The label of failure is actually just unrealised potential.” If Mr Sixteen was born into pre-European settlement Aotearoa, he would have been considered off-the-charts gifted and talented with his oral abilities, physical prowess, and interpersonal skills, and yet he is not in our current system. He is a ‘failure’ in the NZ education system. A system that does not see or recognise his natural abilities and leverage off these. And Mr Sixteen’s experience is typical of many Māori in education.

If you are Mr Sixteen and you suck at reading, writing, and maths there are very few opportunities to to shine at school and feel good about yourself. What are other ways that all kids have time to shine. One strategy is the Tuakana/Teina wall. On one side teachers and learners write on stickies with their name, “I am good at…”, and post them on the tuakana wall. On the teina wall they can write, “I need help with….” Schools who have worked with Janelle have put this in their weekly programme and celebrate everyone’s skills. All attributes, skills, and abilities are valued, not just the ones considered valued national standards skills. What other strategies could work?

perceptionIn closing, Janelle finished with the saying, “Perception is everything! Intention is nothing”. As educators, if we want to collectively transform the experience of Māori across the education system, we need to address our perceptions and actions. It takes persistence and tenacity to shift the focus from others to ourselves, and we need to work with whānau to do this. It takes a big person to ask, What is my part in this? How can we then make it better? She says, the system is failing some kids and perception is the number one killer. We are failing our Māori kids with our perception of them and their perception of what they think we think of them. They think teachers don’t know them, don’t want to know who they are, and don’t care. Our kids have made assumptions and have gotten used to teachers having negative assumptions of them.

We have stuff in our profession we must unlearn. We have developed some bad habits and we have to learn new ones. We have to be open, critically reflective, and honest in turning that mirror around as the change starts with us. She implored teachers, as a Mum of five beautiful Māori kids in the education system to do this, so children like Mr Sixteen are no longer labelled as failures and become damaged in their journey through our education system. We cannot wait; we must act now. Our babies are too important, and our future depends on us growing the very best leaders we can.

Check out CORE’s Culturally Responsive Practice offerings.

Additionally, check out the Te Reo in English medium offerings.

Contact us to find out how we can help you and your school

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Charisma Rangipunga

Kei te kapakapa rānei te ngākau o te reo Māori? E kai ngā mata i te rā! — Spotlight on Charisma Rangipunga

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Nichole Gully

From the uLearn16 blog: a review by Nichole Gully of Charisma Rangipunga’s presentation – Thurs 6 October 2016

Kei te kapakapa rānei te ngākau o te reo Māori? E kai ngā mata i te rā!

Charisma RangipungaI tatū atu a Charisma Rangipunga nō Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Taranaki ki uAko2016 e wānanga ai i te oranga rānei o te reo Māori. Hei tā Charisma, e hia kē nei ngā ara kua whāia hei whakarauora i tō tātou reo engari he haere kurī noa iho ērā haerenga, kua ora ake rānei tō tātou reo i aua mahi? Ko te whāinga o te kauhau kia matua mōhio te hunga whakarongo ki ngā āhuatanga o tō tātou reo Māori me tōna ora i tēnei ao hurihuri, hei āwhina i te hunga e ngākau nui ana ki te reo i ā rātou mahi. I whakaoreore i a Ngākau, i a Hinengaro kia aro ki ngā mahi whakarauora reo, kia whai whakaaro hoki ki te wāhi ki tēnā, ki tēnā o tātou i ēnei mahi.

Aua atu ngā mahi rangatira a Charisma Rangipunga hei whakarauora i te reo Māori. I te uepū whakarauora i te reo o Ngāi Tahu mai i ngā tau 90. Ko ia tētahi o ngā tino ringa tōhaunui i kōkirihia te rautaki Kotahi Mano Kāika, Kotahi Mano Wawata mai i te tau 2000. He Kaikōmihana a Charisma i Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, ā, i te kāhui i kawe nei i Te Ture Reo Māori 2015. Ahakoa te hekenga o te werawera, ko tāna, kāore he mahi tua atu i te mahi hākui me te whāngai i te reo i te kāinga.  Kāore hoki he wāhi i kō atu i te kāinga hei whakarauora i te reo. Kei pōhēhē Ngāi Tātou, mā te kura te reo e whakarauora, ka ora rānei i te marae. E hē!

Charisma-tamarikiHe māmā a Charisma o ngā makimaki tama e toru, 17, 10, e 8 ngā pakeke. He reo Māori te reo i te kāinga pō noa te ao, ao noa te pō. Heoi, ki tā Charisma, ehara rawa te whāngai reo i te kāinga i te mahi ngāwari. Kia aro mai ana poai, me ū ki te reo o nāianei tonu, me mārama tana reo ki a rātou, me whai rautaki hoki ia e manawareka atu ai ngā tama ki te kōrero Māori hoki rātou ki a rātou, ki te hapori arero Māori. Hei tā i te pikitia, i kōrero ia mō te hararei ā-whānau ki Tahuna, ki ngā waka reti raima (luge) mahi ngahau ai i te taha o ngā tamariki. Tae rawa atu ki reira, ka raru katoa ia i te korenga o tana mōhio ki ētahi rerenga kounga nei kia Māori te whakaahua i ngā rerenga Pākehā nei:

  • Son, don’t use your foot as a break. 
  • Did you see how I slid around the corner?
  • Son, your big head won’t fit in the helmet, go ask for another one.

Ka pātai tana pōtiki, “Māmā, he aha tēnei mea te Gondola?” I whakautua tana pātai engari, kāore i a ia ngā kupu i hāngai ki ngā taputapu gondola, ngā kupu hei whakaahua i te hanga me ngā oro. I raru anō hoki ia i te taenga mai o te iwi Pokemon. Nā reira, ko tāna i ako ai, me āta whakarite rautaki e whakawhāiti ai i aua tū reo i mua noa atu i te haerenga.

Ko te Kahoot (kēmu 248488) te huarahi i ako ai ngā apataki o tēnei wānanga i ngā auheke me ngā aupiki o te reo Māori mai i te taenga o Ngāi Kiritea ki Aotearoa. He ā

ta titiro ki te heke o te kōrerotanga o te reo Māori. I matapakihia he aha ngā āhuatanga i tāmi ai i te kōrerotanga o te reo? I kōrerohia:

  • Te heke haere o te taupori Māori i te whawhai, i te māuiui, i te aha, i te aha
  • Te heke haere o te rahinga o ngā tamariki i kōrero Māori i roto i ngā tau, ināhea hoki i tīmata anō ai ki te piki
  • Te whakakoretanga o te reo i ngā kura
  • Te hua o te nuku ki ngā tāone nui o te motu
  • Ngā pūrongo kāwanatanga i mea “Kāore ōna take” o te reo Māori ki te ao hou. The Hunn Report – me Pākehā te Māori. I whakamahia e ngā tari kāwanatanga katoa
  • Te tau i takatū a Māori kia whai mana te reo Māori – 1975
  • 1975 – Te wiki o te reo Māori (hei whakatenatena i te pai o te reo Māori)
  • Te whakatū i ngā kura reorua hou (Ruātoki )
  • Ngā iwi me ngā rautaki – Ko Raukawa te tuatahi – Whakatipu Rua Mano
  • 1953 – 56% ngā tamariki kōrero Māori
  • 1975 – 5% ngā tamariki whai reo Māori
  • 1985 – Ko Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi te kura kaupapa Māori tuatahi.

Charisma presenting

I whakatūria ngā apataki 10 o te katoa o te rūma kia kite ā-kanohi, kia rongo ā-tinana, ā-whatumanawa anō hoki i ngā raraunga e hāngai ana ki te oranga o te reo o Māori, ka matapakihia ai ngā pānga o ngā raraunga.

Charisma Rangipunga

  • E 3 o te 10 e noho ana ki Tāmaki. 1 o te 10 e noho ana ki Ōtautahi. He aha ngā rautaki whakarauora i ēnei wāhi? E whaitake ana? Ka pēhea?
  • 15% kāore i te mōhio nō hea rātou.
  • E 3 o te 10 e mōhio ana ki te katoa o ā rātou pepeha.

Mena ko te marae te wāhi ka rangona te reo Māori, he aha te pānga o ēnei ki te oranga o te reo?

  • E 6 o te 10 – kua tae atu ki tōna marae i tētahi wā nuku atu rānei – 4/10 kāore anō kia tae atu.
  • E 3 o te 10 – te rahi kua tae atu i tēnei tau kua hori
  • 15% kua tae atu ki tōna marae i tēnei 12 marama nui ake i te wā kotahi.

Mena ka riro mā ngā kura te reo e whakarauora, ka pēhea ēnei raraunga?

  •  E 2,500 ngā kura o te motu. Tōna 60 ngā kura rumaki (KKM+) taumata 1-2.
  • 1 o te 10 ngā tamariki Māori e kuraina ana ki ngā kura taumata 1-2.

Mena kāore a Māori e tae atu ana ki te marae, ruarua noa iho ngā Māori e kuraina ana ki ngā kura arareo Māori, ki hea kē whakarauora ai, kōrero ai i te reo?

Tokohia ngā Māori e kōrero Māori ana?

  • E 2 o te 10 ngā Māori e mea ana he āheinga reo Māori mai i te reo tapepe, kupu ruarua nei, tae noa ki a Tīmoti Kāretū.
  • E 2% o te katoa o ngā kaikōrero Māori e kōrero Māori ana i te kāinga.
  • E 4% e ruarua ana.

E hika mā, ko te nuinga o Ngāi Māori e kōrero Pākehā ana ki te kāinga. Ahakoa ngā kura, ngā whare wānanga, ngā reo irirangi, ngā pukapuka, te pouaka whakaata Māori, ko tātou katoa he kōrero Māori. Kei te kapunga o ngā ringa te oranga rānei?  Ki te kore koutou e whakahoki i tō koutou reo ki ō koutou kāinga ake, ki ō tamariki, he aha te hua o tō koutou reo? Kaiako mā, he aua noa te mahi i te kura arareo Māori. E kai ngā mata i te rā!

audience

 

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time-to-shine-feature

Time to shine

Posted on October 5, 2016 by James Hopkins

SHINEDo you remember this sort of acronym? Watching the ‘well-behaved’ students being rewarded and praised for their listening, or being praised yourself for not making any noise? It very much reminds me of the quiet assembly line, industrialised education with a one-size-fits-all product at the end of a process, led by teacher instruction. Seeing this in a classroom recently made me begin to wonder… Do we sometimes confuse good manners as good learning?

Of course, both remain integral to successful participation in modern society. Understanding where a colleague’s boundaries lie and showing appropriate levels of respect are important when developing positive working relationships and shared understanding. But, are they an indicator of a strong learner? We strive to create confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners, providing opportunities for all to succeed, explore, and embrace their curiosity. And yet, as a teacher of many years has said to me earlier today, “So, based on the image, 90% of our girls and only 20% of our boys are shining.”

Perhaps it’s a case of unpacking the meaning behind what it is to shine at school. Our very purpose is to educate our students. Whether this is providing them with the fine motor skills and phonics to access learning, or to unpack advanced pure maths at NCEA level, we have a duty to engage and enable our students. So, does this mean that sitting nicely is shining? Or perhaps, making no noise is an example of a shining learner? I am, of course, being facetious. As we baulk the trends of the industrialised education model in favour of innovative learning and opportunity, it seems strange that this mantra can still exist today. Can it not now be said that a shining student is one who ‘thinks things that have never been thought, to solve problems we do not know exist?’ A true shining student is one who innovates, one who evolves, and one who shows resilience in the face of failure. Risk taking is hard, it promotes failure and learning from it. It creates hindsight and powerful short and long-term memories from which our personalities grow. Sitting nicely with folded hands is, in my opinion, not indicative of a risk taker, nor an innovative student.

Shining now often means learning through experiences. Creating and failing in order to inform learning and create again. These processes are, at best, a little (and, at times, a lot) noisy! Sitting quietly with folded hands reminds me of an old expression my grandmother once used: “Children should be seen and not heard”. And, within her generation, as a product of a regimented system of education ruled by the teacher and fear, she was correct. But times have changed.

“If all classroom activities were interesting and fun, students would engage in them naturally. But, students face many tasks they do not like, or in which they are not interested, or do not feel competent. Teachers thus need to be aware of how to adapt the curriculum and their teaching so that students find the classroom activities more interesting, purposeful, and enjoyable…” (OECD 2010)

SHINE 2Changing teaching practice to meet the needs of the learner has been well researched in recent years. Our role is to educate the child, not force the child to fit the curriculum. How many learners show excitement and wonder quietly? How many of us would be disappointed if we tried to engage our students only to be greeted with an assembly line of identically sat children, hands folded, in their learning place on the mat, making no noise and staring forward? Personally, I find the thought of it rather eerie.

We have a duty to make the learning fit the needs of our students, not the other way around. So, why do the expectations of some, when thinking about student behaviour, still reflect this? Perhaps a new acronym is needed — Shine 2.0.

Some days, it can be hard not to confuse good manners with good learning. But, perhaps you should stop and just watch your students for a moment. Question whether those who are sitting beautifully really understand what they are being asked to complete. Or, is their behaviour a learned ‘coping-mechanism’, and one that more often than not brings them reward. A good friend and incredible teacher I once worked with said, ‘Learning is messy.’ And, do you know something?… She was right.

 


References

OECD (2010), The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, OECD publishing

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uLearn

Preparing for uLearn 2016

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Anne Kenneally

uLearn

Today, we want to focus on attending uLearn for the first time. But, don’t think this post is just for newbies. This post is your opportunity to comment and share your experiences, to help make this experience the best it can possibly be! You might want to check out TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE,

  1. Get organised! Get ready to get out of your comfort zone, and connect and engage!
  1. Come prepared to work hard and play hard!
  1. Use the ShowGizmo app, and update your profile.
  1. Join Twitterand follow the hashtags #Ulearn16 and #CENZ16
  1. Choose your breakouts strategically, and remember JOMO! There is always JOY in missing out on something, as it allows you to experience something else. Do you want to attend sessions by certain presenters? Or, by theme? Choose sessions that fit your Learning Style! Don’t forget to check out where your breakouts are, and allow yourself enough time to get there!

ulearn map

  1. Find out about the keynotes: Larry Rosenstock, John Couch, Karen Spencer, and Michael Fullan. What do you know about them already? What do you wonder? Have you followed them on Twitter? Larry, John, Karen, Michael.
  2. Check out the spotlight sessions (more info in link) You can search for and book Spotlight sessions as part of the wider programme, as well as search by presenter.
  3. Think now about how you are going to capture your new learning. Are you going to blog it, tweet it, capture it on Evernote, set up a group/school google doc for collective gathering of insights? How are you going to reflect on it, share it, revisit it, in a way that works for you and colleagues you want to share with? Don’t wait till you get home to start reflecting on your sessions. Share your thoughts with others. Begin to unpack your thoughts and possible impact on your practice while you are surrounded by people in the same ‘hype’.
  4. Find your tribe. Take the time to meet new people. The friendly tribe you’ll meet at uLearn16 can be your support network going forward. Follow them on Twitter, find and follow their blogs, share and connect beyond the face-to-face event.
  5. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Layers work well, as you can peel then off as you move between venues! You are going to chalk up some steps at uLearn. Have you got your personal fitness wearable charged and ready to go? Have you got a suitable backpack to carry all you need for the day? And, don’t forget to label your belongings — just like camp!
  6. Slow down to speed up: Take time to soak up the atmosphere. Allow yourself time to just ‘BE at uLearn’. Remember, there are people tweeting from sessions and sharing links, that will all be available asynchronously. Maybe catching up on shared notes and links later; it frees you up to really focus on the session you are in.
  7. Be charged! Pack the ‘right’, fully charged, device for you. Can you capture all you need on your iPad, tablet, or phone? Do you need to bring your laptop or chromebook? Make sure you have all your charging cords with you, but travel as light as possible! You can pop by the Connected Educator station during the day to use the charging station, and connect with the friendly Connected Crusaders who are there to help you.
  8. On your own? It’s okay to hang out at the Connected Educator Station, ask questions, and, hopefully, meet up with other singles, or suggest other places to connect with people e.g. coffee cart! Also, when in workshops, join someone else who looks like they are on their own and introduce yourself. If you are alone, choose workshops that are interactive, because then you get to talk to people.
  9. Don’t forget to allow time to visit the Trade’s Hall and talk to the vendors. The Hall can be very busy in break times, so maybe visit during a session, and take time to talk and to interact with what is on offer. Don’t forget, various competitions and prizes being offered there as an incentive. You need to stay to the end for the draws.

grand hall

  1. Take some time out. Find a quietish space, or come and find us in the Connected Educator station and chill out. Your brain will be buzzing, and you might need some time to reflect and recharge. You don’t have to go to every session — you need time to breathe and think too — in fact, it’s probably more important than dashing to the next session and then forgetting everything you heard.
  2. Don’t forget to pack your Kiwiana-themed costume. No matter how small, almost everyone dresses and parties in theme… so pop in your Kiwiana kit.
  3. Take some time to enjoy the culture and arts around Rotorua in your evenings or early mornings. There are lots of places to walk and explore.

Looking forward to connecting at uLearn.

Now that you’ve read this, come along to the Connected Educator station at uLearn, and share the ‘secret message’, which is, ‘connections that make a difference’’, and receive the first free gift on offer. (And find out how to work towards the set…)

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kia-pai-mai-feature

Kia pai mai

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Anahera McGregor

kia pai mai
I have finally caught my breath. It has been a particularly busy time for us of late as we put ourselves forward to become accredited facilitators. I was tempted to decline the offer to the write this blog, but it really was a welcomed distraction. If anyone is a journal writer, they will understand the solace of putting words to paper — somehow it alleviates the stresses of life. I have pondered about a potential theme to engage you all — some radically inspiring, deep and meaningful, innovative, next-level guru post — but maybe ‘simple’ does it best. Perhaps something light might bring a smile to your face in the busyness of your work life too.

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata” is a well-known adage. It has become so common, it’s almost a cliché. It does, however, make me think. If people are indeed the most important thing in this world, is this manifested in my life? In our lives as facilitators and educators? To what extent do we truly honour those we work with? Perhaps we have slipped into a default mode of going through the motions of our ‘work’ — meeting criteria; educating; and trying to inspire others because it is our job. A wise man once said, (well actually he was my husband), “People before programme”. I often get hōhā with him talking for ages with everyone he knows down the street. He takes the time to have quality conversations with everyone he knows, regardless of where he really should be — like picking me up from the supermarket! I am once again confronted by this concept of ‘tangata’ being the most important thing in this world. People before programme.

Hubby’s manaakitanga of others is not contextualised. He is always consistently caring for others. He has an acute awareness of the power of positivity, and he shines. I don’t want to bore you with stories about the love of my life, but I have learnt a valuable life lesson from him that is worthy of sharing. In all we do, we really can make others feel good. We can show them they are valued. From every person who gets on your nerves, to someone you actually do like, taking a few minutes to engage with them authentically can make a difference to their day. Be the rainbow in someone else’s cloud (random internet quote that I found when I was bored).

To sum up, I learnt from Oprah a few years ago to “be mindful of the energy we bring to a place”. She has it written on the wall of her studio, to remind her staff that one’s energy truly affects others. Self-awareness of the energy we bring to our work can be more impacting than frameworks, theory, intelligence and programme. There is value in the adage — our forefathers were wise when they instilled in us that people are the most important thing in the world.

Okay, that about does it. Going to sign off with Aunty’s top Make-other-people-feel-good tips:

  1. Smile, all the time.
  2. Say thank you often, sincerely.
  3. Make the time to talk to people, genuinely.
  4. Be kind, every day.
  5. Choose to do good.
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