Hoe Ngā Tahi Newsletter - July 2023: Supporting Māori learner success

Matariki has arrived and more than ever, Aotearoa is starting to connect with the traditions of our mātua tūpuna. It is a special time of the year; a time to celebrate and reflect the previous years’ highs and lows, a time to remember those who have passed on and a time to foresee the year ahead.

Matariki is a star constellation that our tūpuna used to navigate their way from Hawaiki to Aotearoa. Once they arrived, Matariki was used as a marker for the start of a new cycle of seasons, to give tohu (signs) on how to prepare and where to focus energy, in particular when it came to kai. This ancient connection to the stars has been observed for at least a millennium, most likely longer.

It gives space for us to wānanga on how we can become better versions of ourselves, on how we can collectively work together to bring abundance into our lives and the mauri (lifeforce) of our community. But also, that sometimes, we need to think about and acknowledge the bigger forces in our presence. Maybe we can link this to our dreams - to not forget the bigger picture or dreams, as we take the smaller steps in life.

Our journey is enhanced when we take time to prepare, reflect, check, celebrate and give attention to our physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing. So, in this Matariki season, perhaps it is a good time to contemplate the mana and wairua within each star and how that might enhance your journey as a Māori ākonga and kaimahi.

Here is the explanation of each:

Matariki is the star that signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment, and the gathering of people. Matariki is also connected to the health and wellbeing of people.
Waitī is associated with all fresh water bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those waters.
Waitā is associated with the ocean, and food sources within it.
Waipuna-ā-rangi is associated with the rain.
Tupu-ā-nuku is the star associated with everything that grows within the soil to be harvested or gathered for food.
Tupu-ā-rangi is associated with everything that grows up in the trees: fruits, berries, and birds.
Ururangi is the star associated with the winds.
Pōhutukawa is the star associated with those that have passed on.
Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the star associated with granting our wishes, and realising our aspirations for the coming year.

Star explanation from www.twoa.ac.nz

The significance of Matariki isn’t lost in the world of politics either, with it being made a public holiday (this year 14 July), the first official public holiday based on a Māori world view.

Tips for learning

Did you know that the Careerforce website has an area just to support you to learn to learn? It has all sorts of tips, guidance, and information that will help you on your journey. Why not check it out here?

Here are a few tips/ideas that might just work for you.

Starting a new unit standard or module
When you start a new unit standard or module, have a look at the questions in the assessment first and briefly reflect on what comes to mind in the context of your role. You might want to write the questions down.

Now work through the learning with the questions and your role in mind. You can write brief notes from the learning alongside the questions, especially if it reminds you of a situation you were a part of in your role.

When you complete the learning, you can reflect on your notes to write your answer.

Your answer must be in your own words or you need to acknowledge the source if, for example, you have copied information from your policies and procedures or quoted someone.

Remember to maintain confidentiality and protect a person’s information; don’t include any detail that might identify them, eg name, NHI, family members’ names etc.

What is an assessor looking for?
An assessor wants to know that you understand what you are learning and can apply it effectively and appropriately in your role. They want to know that you are safe to be working with clients and that you will follow your organisation’s policies and procedures.

So, sometimes, if you feel like you are struggling to get the right words for your answer, add an example from your experience. A recent example can illustrate what you are trying to express and will help your assessor understand how you put your learning into practice.

Remember there is no penalty for submitting more than once
If you think you have done your best, have the courage to submit - you won’t go wrong. If the answer needs a bit more information, your assessor will guide you. And if you are anxious, please don’t be whakamā to ask for help.

Is there something you would like us to add to the next issue to help you with your learning?

Feel free to let us know by emailing amio.mobile@careerforce.org.nz

Survivor of domestic violence and abuse, Adele Keefe now encourages and supports other wāhine to heal and grow while embracing her own new passion for learning.

Leaving school at 14 with poor reading and writing skills, Adele has conquered her literacy concerns, founded a charitable trust, and published a book. She is now completing her first qualification – the NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 3) Support Work, with Careerforce | Te Pūkenga.

Until recently, Adele’s training consisted of her life experiences. “Now, doing the Careerforce programme, this is the first time I have studied. The learning is about acknowledging what I know and do, building on that, and getting a formally recognised qualification for it.”

Much of Adele’s wisdom come from a brutal life journey. Twenty years in an abusive relationship and with a drug addiction, Adele fled from Hawke’s Bay to Nelson to start her new life.

“I knew in my heart that it wasn’t over. I decided to relearn, retrain, and recreate myself,” says Adele. “I wanted to create new habits and create a new lifestyle for my children, by healing my heart and my mind.”