Tēnā koe taku hoa tata. E ora tonu pai ana hoki. Ko Hemara Tōku Whānau. Ko Soli Tōku Ingoa. I was born and raised in central North Island Ohākune (Ngāti Rangi, Whanganui dialect), fluent te reo. College education at Hato Paora, Fielding and had to learn to read and write te Reo Māori, (Ngāti Porou dialect). Moved to Whangārei and had to learn Ngāpuhi dialect. Gained teachers training in dual language to teach in mainstream or kura schools. Attended Waikato University to learn Whakapiki te Reo.
As a Head of Māori faculty at all schools I’ve taught, TWOTRM is very important to us and our students… it’s where some of us find out about each other through our marae and whānau. Preparations are of utmost importance for our Māori facility to teach to the rest of staff during our PD session on the weekend before the week of TWOTRM. Focal points are:
1. Pronunciations of vowels, dipthongs, and dialect.
2. Staff and students names pronounced correctly.
3. Simple daily commands, prayer, himene, mihimihi, tautoko, and appropriate waiata.
4. Teach teachers their ‘pepeha’ (where they come from), and their ‘whakapapa’ (family tree from their parents, themselves, siblings and their own children) first.
5. Teach simple Kapa Haka waiata, poi, and haka.
6. Keep all work on the classroom walls and have music (waiata) playing all the time.
7. Most of all have fun. I’ve been doing this for 40 years now and never tire it.
Illustration: Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.