Janelle Riki-Waaka |

So… you’re the teacher now? Tips and strategies for whānau navigating learning at home

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Janelle Riki-Waaka

By Janelle Riki-Waaka

Last week my Facebook feed was inundated with whānau who have recently found themselves teaching from home. Lots of questions about what offences constitute giving out detentions, what’s the magic tonic to make my kids listen, and desperate pleas for Suzy Cato’s phone number. It’s given me lots of giggles, however I have sensed the subtle yelps for help in between the banter. A recent post on Facebook from a friend resulted in a flurry of comments from parents who are all asking the same question in many different ways. “How am I supposed to be my kids’ teacher?”

So here’s the answer you are so desperately seeking – it’s all good, you’re not. At least you’re not expected to be a ‘teacher’ in the sense of the profession. You have always been your child’s teacher in life though and that’s the lifelong gig you signed up for. Despite the fact that our tamariki are now engaging in school work from home, your job is unchanged. You’re still their life coach, cheerleader and chief snack engineer. Put simply, you’ve got this learning at home lark in the bag, you’ve been holding this down since ages ago!

So I’m going to bust some myths and answer some FAQs for all the whānau out there navigating these new waters, and I’ll also suggest some tips and strategies that might help. My hope is that your kids’ teachers have stumbled across this blog and decided that it’s worth sharing with their community. If you find some ‘real talk’ in this blog that helps, please feel free to share it with your mates over those virtual coffee dates you’re having to maintain sanity.

Myth: I need to teach my kids from home during lockdown

No you don’t. You need to parent during lockdown. Parenting will include a tonne of different things that will undoubtedly include teaching your kids some stuff about some stuff. But please be clear, you do not have to sit down at night and teach yourself the correct terms for each part of a plant so you can on-teach this to your kids the next day. That’s why we were blessed with YouTube!

Learning happens all day, everyday and as parents you are already well-versed in the art of ‘teaching.’ All children have self-regulated skills, and they vary according to their age and abilities. As a parent your approach to this period of learning from home might be to identify those self-regulated skills and support your tamariki to strengthen them and develop new ones. This is the perfect time to support your kids to tie their own shoes, make a cake, build a bridge from straws, learn how to budget, or change the tyre on your bike.

“As for the position or expectations our school is taking, it is all about empowering our parents and guardians to make the best decision for their children during this time. You can pick and choose from the learning tasks our teachers have prepared. You can decide how much time they spend online or offline and ultimately, the priority for us all should be ensuring the wellbeing of tamariki during these uncertain times. Please don’t feel pressured in any way to do set tasks or set hours – our teachers are here to help if needed but you decide what is possible and what works best for you and your children in your own home.” Tamara Bell – Principal of Southbridge School (source)

FAQ 1 – Does my child behave like this in class?

The answer to this varies but generally, no. I had my son in my class for a year once, and I can honestly say it was the hardest year of my teaching career. During the very silent car rides home each day I would be constantly asking myself that very question.

In a classroom teachers have the advantage of being able to create opportunities for social influence to engage students in learning. Put simply, if we can get a good number of students engaged in a task, others often get swept up in the momentum. We’ve all seen that video of the lone guy dancing and how slowly but surely others join him until everyone is dancing. That same practice can be an effective teaching strategy but it’s near impossible to employ this at home where your own kids can simply choose not to dance with you!

My (unburdened by research) theory on this stems back to when our kids are babies and one of their first words is often no. As parents we laugh at this mostly because they’re so cute when they shake their little heads and say no to us. Could this be the root cause for our kids non-conforming behaviour? They’re simply trying to be cute! Truth exposed: it’s 100x harder to teach your own kids than it is to teach others, so go easy on yourself.

FAQ 2 – How do I get my child to do their school work when they don’t want to?

If your child’s teacher has set work for them to engage in at home then some kids will be over the moon about it and will work through each task methodically and eagerly. Others will react like you’ve just asked them to chew off their own arm and eat it for breakfast. For those kids, school work belongs at school and home is where I get to engage in the things I love doing – combining the two worlds is simply unthinkable.

Deploying a learning by stealth strategy is going to be necessary here, and I’ll share some ideas for this soon. The most important thing to remember is that nothing is worth risking the wellbeing and happiness in your home, especially at this time. If your kids don’t want to do any school work at all despite your constant best efforts, then just don’t make them do it. Trust me, learning will happen everyday and you can make sure of this while deploying some learning by stealth strategies.

Myth: My kids will fall behind if they don’t do their school work at home

Not engaging in the school work set for your kids will not have an irreversible and hugely detrimental impact on the rest of their lives. Plenty of kids miss school and formal education for long periods of time perhaps to go travelling with their whānau where they learn heaps about life, people culture and relationships.

Each child’s learning song is unique. Each has its own genre, lyrics, beat and rhythm. It takes a lifetime to craft your own song and no songs are the same. If your kids do absolutely no formal learning during lockdown, they’ll be just fine in the big scheme of life. So take a deep breath, kick back and just enjoy the latest rendition of your child’s song and find joy in how they rock out!

Dear Parents,

Don’t stress about schoolwork. In September, I will get your children back on track. I am a teacher and that’s my superpower. What I can’t fix is social-emotional trauma that prevents the brain from learning. So right now, I just need you to share your calm, share your strength, and share your laughter with your children. No kids are ahead. No kids are behind. Your children are exactly where they need to be.

With love,
All the teachers on planet Earth

Written by Maria Karaiskos (source)

Teaching and learning in stealth mode

It might surprise you to know this but you already do this, daily. In essence this requires your tamariki to be engaging in the things they would normally engage in at home, and you slipping in some learning by stealth! Sort of like how you hide the veges in their dinner! Here’s how:

Give them a challenge that relates to their interests and passions.
Ask them to: plan, problem solve, do some learning or research, create, test, reflect, modify.
Ask them to share their learning in creative and engaging ways: discussion, presentation for the whānau, powerpoint, video clip, interview.
Ask questions to deepen their understanding and help them to reflect on their learning:
- Why did you decide to… What would happen if…. How did you learn about….
- How could you modify this to work for someone that was physically impaired?
- What would you do differently next time? Are there any improvements you’d like to make?
- Did you encounter any challenges or problems?

Here are some examples of learning activities by stealth. The idea is to create your own based on your child’s strengths and interests as well as what can be done practically in your home.

Activities	Some learning by stealth suggestions
Lego	Construct something that will send out free Wifi to everyone in our neighbourhood Make a machine that will hang out and fold the washing Create a new machine for Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory Create some new training equipment for the All Black’s who are training from home at the moment.
Cooking	Make a video to teach others how to make the recipe. Include a downloadable recipe with step by step photos Design a menu for a whānau date night dinner then plan the dinner and give members of the whānau roles Create a new recipe using only these ingredients Cook something from another country and share with us what you learned about this dish and the local culture Invent a new baby food flavour
Outside play	The floor is lava! Get from point A to point B using only what you can find around the house and without touching the ground Create a treasure map that will lead a whānau member to a secret hidden treasure Design a tree fort or an amazing new outdoor home for a whānau pet
Physical Activity	Create a tik-tok and challenge friends and whānau to a tik-tok challenge Create a work out routine for the whānau to do each day Reenact your favourite movie scene Write, film and edit your own movie Create a Ninja Warrior course for members of your whānau

“Remember too that you are not expected to replicate the classroom in the home. Your teachers cannot possibly achieve that, and parents and caregivers are not trained teachers. The number one goal of schooling currently is to nurture wellbeing. Just as we know the value of strong relationships for successful learning and teaching, use this opportunity to help families nurture productive and supportive relationships in the home. Try to make learning opportunities creative and based on the experience of being in the home.” Perry Rush – President of the New Zealand Principals Federation (source)

Tips and strategies that might help

Some kids will be struggling with this learning at home routine. They may even be quite disgruntled by the whole thing, and resist any kind of learning. My son found it challenging to engage in learning at school so I know I would’ve had an uphill battle getting him to do schoolwork at home during a lockdown period!

There are some strategies that teachers employ that help to ensure no one gets left out of learning. If you’re finding your learning at home routine is not going as well as you’d hoped, here are some things to try:

Choices: some kids just want to be master and commander of their own lives and so choices might work well here. Perhaps showing them a list of five tasks and asking them which two they’d like to do today. Asking them to write their own daily timetable that must include 1 to 2 tasks from the list but can also include snack time, TV time, device time etc.
Go with what you know they love. If they’re into rugby then rugby theme everything! Whatever their strengths and passions are, create learning opportunities around them.
For the energiser bunnies, the more physical activity you can engage them in on a daily basis, the better their temperament will be so create some physical challenges for them to complete.
Just don’t sweat it. If your tamariki are open and willing to learn then great, if they’re not, that’s fine too. The happiness in your home and your relationship with your child is the most important thing. Nothing is worth fighting with your child over. Negotiate what they’re happy to do and what you’re happy to live with.

These are unprecedented times and the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of our tamariki is more important now than ever before. Many of us will be operating simply on survival mode and just getting through each day. Planning and delivering formal educational programmes for our kids may just not be high on the priority list right now and that’s o.k. Just know that what you do each and every day as parents is more than enough.

You taught them to walk and talk and tie their shoes – you know how to be their teacher. What they need right now is reassurance, love and security. We’ve been blessed with an opportunity to be with our kids 24/7 at the moment. Despite the challenges that come with that, it will be something we will come to cherish in years to come. Do what you can do and most of all prioritise a happy home, time to laugh, time to play and time to be together.

“You are that painter. You make the judgement about how the brush strokes land as you sweep them across the paper; you decide the colours; and you build your creation in a unique way because it is your work.” Perry Rush – President of the New Zealand Principals Federation (source)

*My beautiful nieces and nephew on day 1 of ‘home-school’. Ages 11, 9 and 6*
9am
Later that same day…

“Each child’s learning song is unique. Each has its own genre, lyrics, beat and rhythm. It takes a lifetime to craft your own song and no song is the same. Kick back and just enjoy the latest rendition of your child’s song and find joy in how they rock out!” – Janelle Riki-Waaka

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Why do Māori get their own hui again?

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Janelle Riki-Waaka

One of the more common questions I get asked by teachers and leaders in English-medium schools is, “How should we respond when questioned about why we are having a Māori whānau hui or a Māori celebration?” The question I assume, arises out of concern for the ‘Māori-only’ part and not for the hui or celebration part. Equally I have heard this question asked in relation to cultural sports teams, Māori seats on boards or councils, in fact pretty much anything related to Māori being Māori in traditionally non-Māori spaces and places. There’s no doubt that this is a question worthy of a well considered and confident response, so this post will share some possible responses. I encourage anyone who is grappling with this to take these into consideration and then formulate your own response – a response appropriate for your community, your whānau and tamariki, and that aligns to the vision and values of your school.

Before I share these responses though, I can’t help but pose my own questions. Like, why might Māori wanting to have their own hui or celebration be perceived as some kind of preferential treatment? Would the same be considered of say a group of people who shared the same religious beliefs or sexual orientation? What is really beneath a question like this? How do societal norms and cultural bias influence a person’s beliefs and motivation to ask this question? Lastly, why is a group of people, simply wanting to live as who they are, perceived to be a threat to others? Is it just that anything outside of the ‘norm’ and dominant culture is a threat?

By contrast, a ‘Pākehā-only hui’ is probably not going to be received well in today’s climate. However, what about when there are hui that happen to have no Māori in attendance? Does its relevance get questioned? Does it get called off until Māori can attend? No. It’s more likely that very few people even notice and that it continues as ‘normal’. Why? Because the dominant culture of Aotearoa is Pākehā so hui without Māori representation happen on a regular basis. Hui where, I might add, often decisions get made that will impact and influence Māori. Perhaps a more positive way to spend our time would be to begin to question those hui more often so that we ensure we are being fair and equitable to everyone. So maybe the first response to the question “Why do Māori get their own whānau hui or celebration?” needs to be “Why do you feel Māori shouldn’t have them?” Let’s explore some more reasons why it’s important for schools to empower Māori to have their own hui and celebrations.

Whanaungatanga

Many Māori whānau live away from their ancestral homes – their tūrangawaewae. It can be difficult to be away from whānau, and it can be even more difficult to live as Māori in communities of very few Māori people. Schools have an opportunity to create spaces for Māori to connect with each other and to support each other in Māori ways. I was at a Māori whānau hui once where someone spoke about growing up and not being proud of their Māori heritage, but then meeting other whānau through whānau hui had a positive impact on their own cultural confidence. I’ve heard of other whānau hui where new initiatives have been established such as whānau Te Reo Māori classes for the wider school community. Some of my closest friends I met at a school whānau hui. Schools have a powerful opportunity to provide a platform for connecting Māori with each other, where they can share their aspirations, fears, knowledge, tikanga and Te Reo with each other for the betterment of all. Why wouldn’t schools want to create such amazing opportunities?

Māori success

In essence, Māori achieving success as Māori means Māori students being successful in ways that are unique and important to being Māori. It’s about our tamariki being empowered to be who they are, by learning in, through, and about their language culture and identity. If Māori students are empowered to have such success, it deserves to be celebrated and acknowledged in a Māori way. These tamariki are Māori and in many cases they have succeeded as Māori inside the ‘white spaces’ and in a system that is not always conducive to or reflective of who they are. Māori students deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated in a Māori way because it’s their right – to be Māori, act as Māori, achieve as Māori and succeed as Māori.

“New Zealand’s education system has been largely silent on the topic of whiteness and the Eurocentric nature of our schooling policy and practice. However, when I talk to senior Māori and Pasifika ‘warrior-scholars” in Te Whānau o Tupuranga and Clover Park Middle School about “white spaces” they have encountered in their schooling experience they can identify them all too easily. “White spaces,” they explain, are anything you accept as “normal” for Māori – when it’s really not, any situation that prevents, or works against you “being Māori” or who you are, and that requires you to “be” someone else and leave your beliefs behind. White spaces are spaces that allow you to require less of yourself and that reinforce stereotypes and negative ideas about Māori. Most telling of all was the comment from a Māori student that goes straight to the root of the problem, “White spaces are everywhere,” she said, “even in your head.” (Milne, 2013)

It’s our right as Māori

Article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is Rangatiratanga. In essence, article 2 is an agreement between the Crown and Māori as Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa, that Māori would be empowered to be and live as Māori. Furthermore, Māori would have the power to act and the power to make decisions for themselves as a people – Māori will have self determination. To assert one’s rangatiratanga; is the act of being Māori in all that it encompasses, and to have decisions made by Māori for Māori and in the best interest of Māori. “It is about Māori acting with authority and independence over our own affairs. Tino rangatiratanga is a practice: living according to our tikanga, and striving wherever possible to ensure that the homes, land, and resources guaranteed to us under Te Tiriti o Waitangi are protected for the use and enjoyment of future generations.” (Hitchcock, 2018).

Māori whānau hui in schools, or Māori celebrations such as a graduation perhaps, is a right afforded to Māori under the partnership agreement, Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Let’s be explicit here, it’s a right, not a privilege. As teachers and leaders in state-funded schools are representative of the Crown, they are obligated to uphold the assertions from the Crown to Māori and their responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. For school leaders or teachers to decide not to create these opportunities or even worse, disallow Māori this right, they would quite simply be in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Māori whānau hui allow our Māori whānau an opportunity to contribute to the decisions that impact the education of their tamariki. It’s so important that our whānau are empowered to assert their rangatiratanga in our school communities.

“Māori are tangata whenua, one of the Treaty partners, though some people still want to dispute that. That partnership gives Māori mana whenua rights and responsibilities. We are not just another member of our multi-cultural society. For Māori, this is our homeland, the only place we can speak our language — an official language — since 1986. The only place we can live our cultural beliefs, to just be Māori. Other cultures can return to their homeland to speak their language, to live within their culture.” (Wano, 2016).

Tikanga Māori

Māori have their own tikanga – ways of doing things, customs and values. Tikanga plays a vital part in the act of rangatiratanga – being and living as Māori. For our Māori whānau to come together for a hui, to discuss an important kaupapa (topic) such as education for their tamariki, it is vital that these hui are grounded in tikanga Māori. This would mean that the meeting or celebration follows similar processes to those our ancestors would have engaged in during wānanga (debate, discussion). A hui steeped in tikanga Māori and Te Reo Māori may not be inclusive to non-Māori and nor should it be, it’s intended to empower Māori to be Māori.

Many Māori parents and whānau attend many school-related meetings, celebrations and events that are not steeped in tikanga and Te Reo Māori, and so creating opportunities for this to occur for Māori is vital to ensuring that our whānau and tamariki feel connected to our schools. It’s important that Māori see themselves reflected in the way things are done in our schools, and that being Māori is considered an asset and something that is worthy of celebrating.

Māori whānau have their own educational aspirations for their tamariki that are unique to being Māori. These aspirations deserve the mana of their very own forum. These hui could also have school leaders and teachers present as invited and supportive guests, who are there to listen and to learn – not to lead or make decisions on behalf of Māori. In his blog post 4 March 2017, Challenge of Biculturalism Lies With Pākehā, Maurie Abraham, principal of Hobsonville Point Secondary School talks about, his experiences as a Pākehā in Te Ao Māori where, “At no stage was I asked or required to relinquish any important aspects of my Pākehā world. I truly hope I operated in a way that did not ask or require the same of the Māori I was working with.”

Adding some colour

Māori celebrations, Māori hui and in fact any enactment of tikanga Māori and kawa (protocols) in schools is an huge improvement on mono-cultural ways of doing and being. Put simply, want to add some colour to your school practices? Then add some bicultural colour and watch your tamariki bloom! Article 3 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is Ōritetanga / Equity. The enactment of Ōritetanga in schools, should look like the equitable representation of things Māori and things Pākehā, our bicultural heritage. In other words, 50-50 representation of things Māori and Pākehā in our physical environments, our learning programmes, our language, our resources – in everything. We are certainly not there yet, and to be honest we may not get to 50-50 in my lifetime, but I would like to think that we are always working towards improving equitable outcomes for Māori in schools. Perhaps creating opportunities for Māori whānau hui and Māori celebrations or events during the school year is one way schools can truly value and celebrate our unique bicultural heritage.

I hope there are some words of wisdom in this post for many of you who may have been on the fence about Māori hui or celebrations. Māori students walk in their mostly non-Māori schools every single day. Any opportunity schools have for ensuring the language, culture and identity of Māori is protected and revitalised, is one they should take. This is for the betterment of all of us in Aotearoa. Our bicultural history and beautiful indigenous culture is what makes Aotearoa the very best place in the world. Let’s ensure we are putting forth into the future the very best tamariki the world has ever seen!

He tina ki runga, he tāmore ki raro

‘Contentment above, firmly rooted below.’ Those with a good family foundation and proper grounding in their own culture and heritage will find satisfaction and contentment in life.

Related Resources

Hitchcock, J. (2018). The Treaty of Waitangi granted us tino rangatiratanga – but what is it?. Retrieved from https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/06-02-2018/the-treaty-of-waitangi-granted-us-tino-rangatiratanga-but-what-is-it/

Mead, H., & Grove, N. (2003). Ngā Pēpeha a ngā Tīpuna / The sayings of the ancestors. Wellington, New Zealand: Victoria University Press.

Milne, B. A. (2013). Colouring in the White Spaces: Reclaiming Cultural Identity in Whitestream Schools (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/7868

Wano, W. (2016). Is Māori representation Māori privilege?. Retrieved from http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2016/04/is-maori-representation-maori-privilege.html

Wilson, J. (2016). The three articles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Retrieved from https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/4216/the-three-articles-of-the-treaty-of-waitangi

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TBH – Māori boys’ writing may not be your target!

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Janelle Riki-Waaka

Setting the targets

It’s the time of year when many schools are considering their achievement targets for the coming year — analysing data; having discussions with staff — and thinking about how they can improve educational outcomes for all students. To be honest, we know that Māori students, in particular Māori boys, are sadly often overrepresented in the tail end of our educational achievement curve. As such, we often find them in starring roles in many school’s achievement targets. It appears that many of our Māori boys are underachieving across the board, and most notably in writing. More importantly, they appear to be achieving at a substantially lower standard than their female classmates, and most certainly in comparison to Pākehā/European students of their same age, and in the same learning environments. So, it stands to reason that we must have achievement targets aimed at improving the achievement of Māori boys in writing, doesn’t it? Or…is there more to this story?

All tables retrieved from: https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/schooling/national-standards/National_Standards

TBH — To be honest

You may not have heard of the acronym, TBH, before, and you might be wondering why it is relevant here. You also may not have heard what those clever little Gen Z teens have been spending their time doing on social media — the TBH game! Gen Z teens for the past year or so have been plumping each other’s feathers, inflating each other’s egos, and generally just passing around the warm fuzzies! One person posts something like this:
[IMAGE Mail-tbh] which roughly translates to — ‘If you like this post, I will send you (via Facebook private message) a list of the honest things I think about you’. In short — warm fuzzies. Well, perhaps not always warm, but they appear to be mostly positive affirmations in typical Gen Z lingo.

In my eyes, this phenomenon is truly amazing and it really does warm my heart. What other generation has ever done this? My own Gen Z teen has allowed me to share with you all a couple of the many hundreds he has in his inbox. All of them kept, and all of them special to him.

(Of course, you need a Masters’ degree in Gen Z lingo and emoticons to interpret them, but I can assure you, they are all warm fuzzies!)

So, please bear with me for a moment while I propose a few TBH statements that may be born from teachers’ perceptions, and which are sitting beneath the targets relating to improving the writing achievement of our Māori boys:

TBH Māori boys are disengaged in learning
TBH Māori boys misbehave and distract others
TBH Māori boys find writing too hard
TBH Māori boys have a bad attitude and/or a closed mind set
TBH Māori boys have a poor work ethic
TBH Māori boys get little or no support at home
TBH Māori boys don’t like writing

Now, it might be that some, all, or none of these statements are true for our Māori boys. BUT, my wondering is this: How do you know? What’s the story behind your data?

Uncovering the story behind your data

Analysing achievement data is a no mean feat. It takes perseverance, tenacity, and, most of all, determination to uncover your story behind your data. Each school will have their own version of events with determining factors and influences. How can we discover what our data is revealing to us? I would advocate for an inquiry into your data that includes everyone’s voices — especially the voices of the stars of the show — our students. More information on inquiry may be found here.

If we really want to know what’s going on for our Māori boys in class, we need to ask them. Not just once, but repeatedly. In open, safe, and respectful environments. Most importantly, we need them to know we will hear them and we will act on their ideas, opinions, and honest reflections. Just like how they know when their mate has read their TBH statements, our kids know the difference between when they have been listened to and when they have been truly heard. Ask the tough questions when analysing your data. What assumptions are we making? Whose voices are included or not included? What don’t we collect data on? TBH you might feel slightly uncomfortable on the journey to discovering your story, but it’ll be worth it! All the very best views can be seen from the top of the mountain!

What’s the data really revealing?

If non-Māori students in your school are achieving comparatively better than Māori students in writing, and they are all sitting in the same classes exposed to the same teaching practices, what might be the real reason our Māori boys are struggling with writing?

Russell Bishop’s work in the Te Kotahitanga project developed the Effective Teaching Profile. In his research, Russell discovered that the largest positive impact we can have on Māori student achievement lies in the hearts and minds of their educators. High expectations; a genuine ethos of care; effective personalised teaching strategies; and supporting the success of our Māori students as Māori, are all essential ingredients to raising achievement for Māori students.

Retrieved from: http://slideplayer.com/slide/8454123/

With this in mind, when considering the professional development needs for your school in order to meet your target of raising achievement for Māori boys in writing, perhaps we need to look past the data and consider the story behind it. It might be that the answer doesn’t exclusively lie in developing our writing programmes. Could it, in fact, be that the more pressing need is to develop the Culturally Responsive practices of our teachers and schools, and further affirm our status as treaty partners.

What works for Māori works for everyone

This is the mantra of the He Kākano programme. Put simply, I think this means that if we create learning environments that are conducive to Māori students, they will be conducive to everyone. Why? Because we are really just talking about great relationships with students that will inform the way we teach and support each and every one of them — responsive practices. Furthermore, if we are wanting to meet the needs of all of our students in a holistic way, then culture, language, and identity must be at the forefront.

So, what’s your story?

As you embark on your next data-crunching expedition, I encourage you to explore and discover your story. Critically analysing data is of the utmost importance, particularly when considering the professional learning needs for your school, and, more importantly, when considering what is best for the students in your school. Discover your story and set the right targets for your students. Focus on the things that will really make the difference for them. TBH they’re worth it.

Conversations with a Gen Z teen

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Janelle Riki-Waaka

I live with a Generation Z teenage boy. Aged 16 and in year 12 at secondary school in New Zealand. He is Māori, ko Tainui, ko Ngāti Hauiti ōna iwi. He loves sport, food, music, and socialising (on repeat!) Like many teens, my Gen Z has struggled, and continues to struggle through the school system. On the occasion that I am able to entice him into conversing with me (in real time and face-to-face), I always find that he has lots of really inspired ideas and thoughts to share. About life, school, the future, and the world in which we live. So, with his permission, over four blog posts, I will share with you some of my Gen Z teen’s pearls of wisdom.

So, who are Generation Z you ask? “They are your sons and daughters. They populate your neighbourhoods, their thumbs spastically banging out two-way conversations composed entirely of over-punctuated and under-constructed sentences. They may even work for you. Eventually, you will work for them.”¹ Gen Z are the generation after the Millennials. Born anywhere from the 1990s through the 2010s or from the early 2000s to around 2025. ² They are also referred to as iGen, eGen, Net-gen, and the Digitarians.

Characteristics of Gen Z

Have never known a world without the Internet or cell phones.
Tend to text instead of talk face to face.
Require constant and immediate feedback.
Are globally aware.
Are independent learners and self directed.
Have a sense of entitlement.
Are collaborative.
Are tech savvy.
Expect flexibility.
Make instantaneous plans and commitments.
Smart! Able to process massive amounts of information and new knowledge quickly.
Know that learning and new knowledge can be found ‘everywhere’, and so, may question the traditional hierarchical role of ‘knowledge holder’.

Great infographic about Gen Z here

Image sourced from: https://stocksnap.io/

Knowing and understanding our learners is foundational to supporting their educational success. With this in mind, it’s important to acknowledge that many of our Gen Z learners are currently being taught by Generation X teachers. As a Gen X mother, I have discovered the impact that life experience and possibly the generation gap has had on my ability to communicate effectively with my Gen Z teen. Regardless of our generation gap, sometimes I wonder if my teen and I are speaking different languages and live on different planets!

Characteristics of Gen X

(born between early 60’s and early 90’s)³

Cynical, world weary and sceptical.
Entrepreneurial.
Educated.
Ethnically diverse.
Pragmatic, practical, and independent.
Tech savvy.
Flexible.
Knowledge seeking and sharing.
Self sufficient, do things for themselves, handle problems on their own.

So, with our similarities and differences in mind, it’s important to understand and acknowledge the impact this might have on a reciprocal learning relationship.

The table below shares some general, (but not necessarily universal), characteristics of Gen X teachers and Gen Z learners, and also shares the possible implications those differences might have on learning.

Gen X (Teachers)	Gen Z (Learners)	Implications for Learning
Believe that “if you want something done well, do it yourself”. If you broke it, fix it!	Believe in problem solving through collaboration	Collaborative learning experiences & problem solving
Are highly educated and see education as the necessary key to success	Believe that knowledge is power but don’t always place the same value on what Gen X deem to be the ‘stuff you need to know and be able to do’	Learning made meaningful to the learner. Realising potential and celebrating all success and progress
Flexible but not as resilient or embracing of change	Very resilient to change as live in a world where change comes fast and furious	Learners directing own learning & using technology as an enabler
Like to plan ahead, sometimes a whole year in advance and will often make plans for others	Often reluctant to commit to what they are doing tomorrow because things change and can be resistant to plans that are made for them	Studying for a test or exam 3+ weeks out might be a challenge for some Gen Z’s. Pre-determined learning VS spontaneous learning experiences.
Well versed in learning and memorising information that we might need one day. Used to learning ‘just in case’	Do not rely on any learnt information being correct for a sustained period of time. Like to learn ‘just in time’	Technology gives access to the most up to date knowledge. Could be a challenge to engage in content that is not contextualised or considered to be for an immediate purpose.

Check out this great clip – How to Communicate with Gen Z

Gen Z teen’s pearls of wisdom (unedited)

What do you think future jobs will be like?
“Futuristic jobs will be based around technology. You will be able to do interviews on your phone or laptop wherever you are around the world. People from around the world will apply for jobs anywhere. I think there will be robots doing a lot more things like build houses coz someone will invent robots that can do all that stuff. I think people from all around the world will apply for jobs anywhere coz they will have the same skills, and they will be able to just face time people here in NZ whenever they have to.”

What do you think it will be like to be Māori in the future?
“People might not know if they are Māori coz our language is dying. People might just think we are just another brown person who doesn’t know their language or heritage.”

What do you hope it will be like?
“That we all get our land back, and we could rebuild the old Pa sites, and then our old people could go back there to live without having to buy houses that are all separate from each other. Like a Māori retirement village! I wish our culture would be cherished in the future like a taonga. I wish we would hear our language more, and that all New Zealanders could speak Māori. It would be real cool if there were heaps of jobs in the future where it was compulsory to speak Māori. Then people would need to go and learn it.”

What’s the hardest thing about learning and why?
“It depends. There are some things I like learning. Some things you are just not interested in learning, and so it’s harder. Sometimes, it just takes too much effort to try and understand. It would be awesome if we all just had USB ports in our heads and we could just download what we want to know.”

What’s the hardest thing about learning at school?
“It depends sometimes on the teacher that you have and if they like you or not. Also sometimes I think the teachers feed off negative energy — if they know that you don’t like them or you are not really interested in the subject, then some just don’t really care if you learn or not. The teachers that really help you and get to know you are the best, and that’s when I can learn, and then I send them positive energy back. The best teachers don’t just talk to you about school stuff. They are interested in your life and who you are.”

What do you wish your school and teachers knew/understood about you as a learner?
“That I don’t just automatically know or understand everything they teach me. I need someone to come up to me and ask me if I need help. I wish they knew that I like to learn by watching videos, or listening to people explaining things. I like to be shown how to do things, telling me things don’t always work for me. I’d like them to make learning fun, and be excited and pumped up about what they are teaching. If they teach like they don’t love it, or are interested in it, how are we supposed to get engaged in it? It’s always really good when teachers help us learn stuff by connecting it to things we are into, and that kids our age like doing. It’s also great when teachers let us use technology to our advantage. We’re used to using it everywhere else, and we already know how to use it help us learn.”

Unpacking these Gen Z pearls

What my Gen Z teen has articulated to me in his unique way is:

He sees his place in the future job market in a global sense.
He’s concerned about the future of his language, culture, and identity, and sees it as everyone’s responsibility to revitalise and normalise Te Reo Māori.
He knows learning is hard at times, but he has clear ideas about how he learns best, and what will help him to learn.
His perception is everything. Whether his teachers like him or not is not necessarily the issue. What he perceives about those learning relationships absolutely is. What he believes about his relationships has a direct bearing on how he learns, and, in turn, his academic success.
He really just wants to feel that his teachers like him, believe in him, want him to achieve, and will help him to do so.
He wants to be inspired by teachers and he believes his engagement in new learning is directly linked to the way in which content is delivered, assessed, and how he engages with it.
He sees technology as an essential enabler to his learning — simply a ‘given’.

Image sourced from: http://gratisography.com/

Implications for teaching and learning

Taking all of this into consideration, I pose some provocations for us, as educators, and parents to consider.

How are we preparing our kids for a global job market?
What are we all doing to ensure the survival of our indigenous languages, cultures, and identities?
How do we gather student voice and use it to inform our teaching practice and learning programmes?
How are we empowering our kids to direct their own learning?
How can we inspire our kids to learn and to make school content relevant in the minds of our tamariki of all ages?
How can we continue to strengthen our relationships with kids? Between school and whānau/the community?
What opportunities are we offering our kids to use technology to aid their learning?

I know I’m biased but in my opinion, my Gen Z Teen is a genius! I share his wisdom with you all in the hopes that we might gain insight from the generation that will lead us all into the new millennium.

References:

Footnotes:

¹ Retrieved on 2/2/16 from: http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/generation-gaps/generation-z.htm

² https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z

³ Compiled from: http://www.jenx67.com/who-is-generation-x and http://rocg.com/?post=who%E2%80%99s-your-daddy-marketing-to-different-generations

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CORE Blog

CORE Blog

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Myth: I need to teach my kids from home during lockdown

FAQ 1 – Does my child behave like this in class?

FAQ 2 – How do I get my child to do their school work when they don’t want to?

Myth: My kids will fall behind if they don’t do their school work at home

Teaching and learning in stealth mode

Tips and strategies that might help

Why do Māori get their own hui again?

Whanaungatanga

Māori success

It’s our right as Māori

Tikanga Māori

Adding some colour

He tina ki runga, he tāmore ki raro

Related Resources

EDtalks

Blog Posts

References

TBH – Māori boys’ writing may not be your target!

Setting the targets

TBH — To be honest

Uncovering the story behind your data

What’s the data really revealing?

What works for Māori works for everyone

So, what’s your story?

Further reading:

Conversations with a Gen Z teen

Characteristics of Gen Z

Characteristics of Gen X

Gen Z teen’s pearls of wisdom (unedited)

Unpacking these Gen Z pearls

Implications for teaching and learning