Since 12th May, I have been involved in the weekly Te Reo Māori Course organised by Literacy Taupō. What an incredibly journey this has been! Experiencing the customs of another culture, is a wonderful opportunity.
I've learned to write my Pepehā and Kupu Mihimihi and am just beginning to memorize my Pepehā for future use.
I have practiced saying some sentences using rākau, nga tatai (numbers) and nga tae (colours). This was quite challenging at times, but the support from the tutor and others were amazing. Never have I felt that I could not do it and best of all, we had fun while learning.
Beginning to learn some whakatauki (proverbs) was an eye-opener. I could find so much wisdom in each and every one of them. My favourite so far is, He harore rangi tahi, which can be interpreted as: a mushroom lives for one day, so don't waste time...
Having some knowledge of Te Reo Māori, enables me to build relationships with ākonga and whānau and [in my opinion] shows that I respect their language, culture and heritage.
I am definitely looking forward to continue my learning next term.
~ Embracing diversity is one adventure after another, opening new paths of discovery that connect an understanding to caring, listening, and sharing with others who are different than ourselves. - April Holland ~
Great to see that you are continuing to learn and extend yourself. Probably the most valuable contribution to the schools that I have worked in to me professionally has been the contribution to my wider knowledge from the experience. It will be awesome Marnel to see how you will use this in your classroom!
ReplyDeleteMyles/NZWaikato