Some were disappointed it wasn’t their sibling’s class, some were super excited they got to work with “the cute little kids”, others were worried they had to work with 5-year-olds.
Room 15 came in for their first visit to get to know their buddy and check out our class. Room 7 seemed more scared than our little buddies were. The senior students were very cautious and a bit standoffish. Room 7 students quickly discovered that 5-year-olds are neither of those.
Room 7’s job was to help Room 15 complete a self-portrait, reminding them to use the correct pencil grip and help them to draw a realistic face shape. While working on a piece of art, I heard encouraging comments around the room, “good work, you’re doing awesome”, “you’re so good at art!” and even when drawing the self-portraits became challenging, I heard Oscar say “wow! We’ve got a Picasso over here!”, making sure he encouraged his buddy.
Throughout this time spent together - the tuakana (the elder) was teaching the younger throughout reading, teaching them new games, and teaching them how we learn at Wairakei by using POWER values. In turn, the teina (younger) were also teaching the tuakana skills such as patience and without knowing, the power of confidence. As the students worked together, Room 7 students' confidence improved as they were being heard and had the chance to be leaders.
My buddy threw a book on the floor. I told him we don’t do that with our library books. He picked it up and put it back. I was teaching him Respect.
This showed at our assembly when Rooms 7 and 15 were the hosts. There were a few nerves from both sides, although our Room 7 students were focused on making sure their buddies felt comfortable and confident up on the stage, which made standing in front of the school a lot easier. You could see the looks of pride from both classes when the final art projects were shown to the school.
When we first got on stage with our buddies, they were really scared. After a bit of encouragement they believed in themselves. We showed POWER by encouraging them and using Whānau to support them.
Having initially begun my career in education as a teacher aide in 2016, I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside students to build their confidence and develop pride in their identity. I’m passionate about te reo Māori and kapa haka, as I firmly believe this is an important part of students finding their identity and sense of belonging as a student in Aotearoa.
With a particular focus on building students’ mana, I have developed a strength for building connections and relationships with my students. In my daily practice, I seek to achieve this by encouraging students to step out of their comfort zone, and show opportunity by giving everything a go.
Outside of the classroom, you can find me getting lost in my kindle or spending time with friends and whānau at the lake.
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