How my centre implements Tikanga Maori.

STOP

In my centre, Tikanga Maori protocols are followed in some instances, but during my time there I have noticed that not everything is adhered to. My centre ensures that children do not sit on tables and the children are aware this is bad manners. The children also know that they cannot run inside the rooms, and must only run if they are outside. However, I have noticed that my centre does not make children take off their shoes before entering the room and there are often children wearing shoes inside. Also, if a child happens to be lying on the floor, for instance in our small mat time area, I have seen on multiple occasions that teachers will step over the children instead of going around them. I am now aware that this is against Maori protocol.

THINK

Since learning about Tikanga Maori, I have realised that my centre is not fully successful in implementing it. Although some protocols are followed, others are not. And although I am only in the centre for a few hours a week, I wonder if the other staff members even know all of the Maori protocols because I have not heard them being mentioned to children. I don't think it is a negative attitude from the staff that has made them not teach protocols, but simply a lack of knowledge or understanding of how to implement them. In our centre, we currently have no Maori children or staff members, and so the other children of the centre are not really aware that their are Maori protocols to follow.

CHANGE

"Staff should support Tikanga Maori and the use of the Maori language." (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.55)
Upon reflection of my centre, I have realised that changes need to be made in regards to the implementation of Tikanga Maori. Now that I have learnt about Tikanga Maori practices, I will definitely be introducing them to my staff members and the children. To make sure I do not overstep my position as a student, I will first talk to my manager and staff members about introducing protocols and make sure we are all on the same page. Then we can work together to make strategies for teaching children about Tikanga Maori.


References

Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Reflection Two - Relationships with Children.

STOP

I feel as though I have established and maintained very positive relationships with the children at my centre. From my past experiences with children, I knew that they prefer friendly adults who smile and seem interested in them. So right from the first day in the centre I made an effort to be welcoming and whenever I would talk to the children I would get down to their level so we were equals instead of me overpowering them. When I first introduced myself to the children, I said "Hi I'm Rebekah, can I watch you play your game/activity?" and if they accepted I would sit and watch or if not I would move to the next group of children. If the children said they wanted me to sit with them, I would watch them play for awhile and eventually ask them little questions about what they were doing, leading up to introducing myself again and asking for their names. I found this to be a very effective strategy because I did not just intrude on the children's game, I asked and they let me in. The children would also ask me questions and this helped the initial building of our relationships. To maintain my relationships with children I always make an effort to be enthusiastic and take special time to understand the interests of each child. This is very important in maintaining successful relationships because I can provide activities and observations that I know the children will really enjoy and they get a sense of belonging because I know what matters most to them.

THINK

I believe that I have been very successful in establishing and maintaining relationships with the children at my centre. I can say this because whenever I am at the centre, the children are happy to see me and are enthusiastic about trying the activities I put out for them. Because I know that the children trust me and like me being a part of their centre, it has given me a sense of belonging because they are welcoming me into what is essentially their territory. The children open up to me and I know that if they didn't do that, I would not feel very comfortable in my centre because no one would trust me. I have learnt so much from the children, and in relation to relationships, I have learnt that children are very kind and trusting human beings. They do not judge you and they make relationships so exciting and loving. With children you can definately form close relationships in a short space of time.

CHANGE

I would not change any of the above strategies when establishing and maintaining relationships with children in the future, because I believe they were successful. However, in Te Whariki it states "There should be plenty of opportunities for one-to-one communication between adults and children". (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.73) Most of my strategies for establishing relationships occur in a group setting, so in future, I may try introducing myself to children individually. This could be beneficial because I would get to learn more about one child at a time, and so they will feel appreciated because I am taking the time to get to know them on closer terms.

References
Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Reflection One - Relationships with Staff

STOP

I feel as though I have established strong relationships with staff at my centre. I have done this by interacting with staff right from when I started. I introduced myself when I first arrived so the staff knew who I was and why I am there. I feel this helped the other staff feel more comfortable with me being there because I explained to them. At first I was a bit shy, as this was a whole new experience for me, but I knew that to be happy in my new environment I would need to make an effort with the staff. After a few visits with just greetings and politeness, I began to maintain these new relationships with staff by having regular conversations with them about the children and also things such as “how was your weekend?” I.e. having professional and personal conversations. I also maintained these positive relationships with the staff members by proving to them that I am capable at looking after children myself and that I can have the initiative to lead my own activities.

THINK

I feel that I have been successful in establishing and maintaining relationships with staff because I feel very welcome and I know that the staff are comfortable with me. I feel like I belong in the centre because the other staff members take the time to interact with me and they also help me with my course assignments. I believe that if I had not been successful at making relationships with the staff, then they would not offer to help me with assignments. According to Te Whāriki "Adults working in Early Childhood education need to be... well supported by Management." (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.27) Because of how comfortable I am in my environment, I feel very supported by the management team. I’ve learnt that communication is the key to maintaining relationships because if staff do no talk to one another then they cannot get to know each other and be able to feel comfortable in the same environment.

CHANGE

In order to establish and maintain relationships with staff in the future, I would not change much of how I interacted in this scenario. However, as I said before, this was a completely new experience for me and so I was a bit shy in the beginning stages. I know that next time I enter into a new centre, I will not be so shy because I  know I have already done this before, and the way in which I approached making relationships with the staff last time was very successful.

References

Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.