Reflective Entry #3. Cultural responsiveness.

I have a vege garden.... my coriander grows better as it is on the side.  It has the sun, the warmth, it isn’t pecked by the chickens.  It is fenced off in great growing conditions. My broccoli, however is hen pecked.  It is withered it is worn. 

As being culturally responsive is what we pay attention to and what to stay away from.  The analogy of planting seeds, is that with diversity  we weed, water, watch and let grow.  Just like my fence from the chickens, community is ‘companion planting’ based on a rich connectivity in public and private space and to orchestrate activities in both.  That in this there is strength in relationships in both. Edtalks also mentions; Communities have multigenerational structures and a vibrant community is not invented or forced, but grown. 

For culturally responsive pedagogy I position myself as a learner to support diverse ways to develop, express and strive. 

Community need(s)

Living in Tai Tokerau, it has been identified as a larger Maori population NZ wide.  An aspect as picked up by the Education CoL and the achievement aim of raising Maori achievement in literacy, particularly in Maori Boys.  This is the wider aim of my inquiry also. Our school vision has 'enhancing mana' as seen by the community as being the most important for our students.  This links to - mauri ora life force of student engagement success in kapa haka just as important, to feel safe valued and ako - learning styles kinesteheitc  Maori boys part of uplifting his identity and hapu iwi contribute through formal and informal means of chat.   Tai tokerau as a whole needs to uplift Maori learners and create situations for tino rangatiratanga.  However, under Dr Anne's critical thinking, I need to ask, is this perception coming from a place of expectation from me to be more pakeha or embrace Maori as Maori?  Reading the Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard prompts me to make changes, awareness is key. 

Personally; what resonates with me is the Mauri model from Pohatu, as it links with well-being of the teacher in relation to energy, to be in a state.  It reflects on 3 states

1.  

Mauri moe = to be asleep, you have potential yet you still haven't moved forward and improved your own practice.  

Mauri oho - waking up from a sleep - starting to participate in discussions and meeting with whanau, learn wiaata, 

mauri ora - to be really alive and thriving in an active state, whanau engagement and commitment as a whole group.   In reflecting on my own practice  I can the kapa haka and incorporating matariki in our energy coding concept.  I am aware of pedagogies that engage Maori students, yet this can grow. 

I have participated and contributed to others study on these concepts. I use te reo as much as possible as doing the inquiry, as I am interacting with the students.  I would like to engage in speaking more te reo to whanau in correspondence on their results

I believe, I am in between Mauri moe and Mauri oho.  I am learning also to recognise these states more as it relates to my culturally responsive pedagogy as I teach. 

Therefore, the community can be continuous and organic and an ongoing journey.  I am in the purple zone yet no 'colonisational' hen pecking, as Dr Anne suggests, yet an awareness as educators we are all planting the seeds, creating environments for a community of responsiveness.

tihei mauri ora

References

Cowie, B., Otrel-Cass, K., Glynn, T., & Kara, H., et al.(2011). Culturally responsive pedagogy and assessment in primary science classrooms: Whakamana tamariki. Wellington: Teaching Learning Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/sites/default/files/projects/9268_cowie-summaryreport.pdf

CORE Education.(2017, 17 October). Dr Ann Milne, Colouring in the white spaces: Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTvi5qxqp4&feature=em-subs_digest

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Milne, A.(2017).Coloring in the white spaces: reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.

NYU Metro Center. (2019). Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard. Retrieved from https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/media/users/atn293/ejroc/CRE-Rubric-2018-190211.pdf.

Pohatu, T. W. (2011). Mauri - Rethinking human wellbeing. MAI Review, 3, 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/v...