Date
08 August 2025

Make cultural links between ākonga Māori stories and experiences to new ideas and concepts

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Building an inclusive, culturally responsive classroom environment’

On this page:

Develop a culturally responsive approach

Develop a culturally responsive approach

Russell Bishop explains how ākonga must be able to bring their own experiences to the classroom and see that their experiences are accepted and valued. Then, Māori will be part of the learning process as Māori.

Use authentic learning contexts

Use authentic learning contexts

To learn Māori words for kai, learners are making pizza. They are supported with text and visual cues in this cooperative activity. 

Connect culture to learning

Connect culture to learning

At Tologa Bay Area School, teacher Julie McLaughlin brings cultural context into learning. In this example of ako, everyone in the classroom, including the teacher, is a learner.

Connect to personal experiences

Connect to personal experiences

Support learners to make connections within relevant contexts, such as sharing a mihi.

They’d feel a lot more confident talking about something that they were certain about, like their heritage, rather than something that they had gone and taken out of, say, library books, to present to the class.

Linda Sweeny, Associate Principal, Te Kura o Tiori Burnham School

Support self-advocacy

Support self-advocacy

Deaf rangatahi share what is important to them and how it has inspired their learning. Create opportunities for learners to share their needs and aspirations in ways that work for them.

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

Tātaiako: cultural competencies for teachers of Māori learners

Tātaiako is a resource to support teachers to develop cultural competence to successfully teach Māori learners.

Publisher: Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Co-design a culturally sustaining environment”:

Return to the guide “Supporting ākonga Māori”

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