Week 28: Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice.
Gay(2001, p.106) defines Culturally responsive pedagogy as “using the cultural characteristics, experiences and perspectives as conduits for effective teaching”. For us to be effective teachers and be able to teach a range of cultural backgrounds we must firstly acknowledge the cultural diversity of the learners as well as have knowledge of their cultures and customs. For there to be acceleration in students learning and achievement we must also provide a culturally responsive curriculum and integrate this into our classrooms.
In terms of looking at how my School caters for Maori and Pasifika students shows in our latest ERO report 2015.
Clendon Park School serves a largely Māori and Pacific community in Manurewa. The school is committed to the principle of providing education for children in bilingual settings. Bilingual classes cater for students in Years 0 to 8.
There are seven bilingual classes in Te Whānau Awhina. The kaupapa of Te Whānau Awhina is underpinned by tikanga Māori, and expressed in the whakataukī, Ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, Ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea. A carved waharoa leads to Te Whānau Awhina classes, alongside a whare nui, whare kai and mahau covered outdoor meeting space. The bilingual classes are funded to provide Level 2 te reo Māori. In addition, five Te Puawai classes have been established as part of the mainstream to enrich students’ knowledge of te reo Māori at Level 4.
Four Samoan bilingual classes in Tautua o Tupulaga Samoa provide an opportunity for children to learn through gagana and fa’a Samoa. The malu outdoor area is a gathering place for Pasifika students in the school.
Nine classes are classified as ‘mainstream’ and cater for children up to Year 6. They include children from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this part of the school approximately 30 percent of students are Māori, and 56 percent are of Samoan, Tongan or Cook Island descent. These mainstream classes are also expected to integrate te reo Māori in everyday instruction.
The school is underpinned by the principle of respect. There is a clearly articulated kawa that contributes to a strong sense of wairua, manaaki and whānaungatanga. Students affirm that they feel their diverse cultures and languages are valued. Positive, caring relationships across the school promote students’ sense of belonging, connection and community.
The school is committed to an inclusive and collaborative approach for promoting the wellbeing of students and their whānau/aiga. This commitment is captured in the school's whakatauaki "He aha mea nui he tangata he tangata, he tangata. Every effort is made to include and support students who have learning challenges, and to work with their whānau. The high number of student experiencing residential transience are well supported by the school. There is approximately a forty five percent turnover of students each year.
- We celebrate many different language weeks at our school also. Some are: Maori language week, Matariki, Cook Island Language week, Samoan Language week, Fijian Language week. This is where students come dressed up in cultural clothes and a huge assembly is done with performances, where parents and whanau also come to participate.
- The School culture is reflected in surrounding artwork around the school that represents the different cultures at our school.
- We also have a specialized Maths programme called "Bobby Maths". Where we have Maths mentors that come in to assist and support us in providing a culturally responsive Maths programme for our Pasifika and Maori Children.
I have included a video on what Bobby maths is and how it is used throughout our school.
References
Gay,G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2),106-116.
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