Embracing te reo Māori in Schools with Mel and Emma

In this heartwarming and insightful episode, I am joined by two passionate champions of te reo Māori—Mel, a secondary school Te Reo teacher, and Emma, a Māori Media student at AUT and kapa haka tutor. Together, they share their personal journeys with the language, the cultural richness it brings to students’ lives, and the important role it plays in shaping our national identity. 

Mel and Emma discuss the challenges of fitting te reo Māori into busy school timetables and shifting perceptions around its value, especially among whānau and in mainstream education settings. They share practical strategies for introducing te reo Māori into classrooms, including simple greetings, school haka, and translating school songs, while highlighting the power of small steps in creating meaningful change. 

This kōrero is a reminder of the power of language to connect, uplift, and instill pride. Whether you're a seasoned kaiako or just beginning your reo journey, this episode will leave you inspired to embrace Te reo Māori in your own way, mistakes and all. 

Hosted by Debbie Ross
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or to chat, please email: nurturingeducators@gmail.com or visit  www.nurturingeducators.co.nz

Thanks for listening! 

Transcript

Debbie: Today I have the privilege of welcoming not one, but two guests on the show. We've got Mel, hello, Mel. 

Mel: Kia ora. 

Debbie: And hello, Emma. 

Emma: Kia ora. 

Debbie: So lovely to have you both here. To kick things off, would you like to just tell us a little bit about yourselves? 

Mel: Yeah, sure. I teach Te Reo Māori and I've done that for probably about 10 or 11 years. I didn’t start off as a Te Reo Māori teacher, I started off as a Drama and English teacher, which apparently people say they can see in me. But I pivoted into Te Reo Māori kind of by accident, which I’ll explain a bit more later. 

Emma: I’m currently a student at AUT studying Māori Media and I also tutor the kapa haka group. I started last year, I think. Yeah. 

Debbie: Why do we reckon Te Reo Māori is so important in our schools these days? 

Mel: Oh, I don’t know where to start with that one. 

Debbie: It’s a big question. 

Mel: It’s huge. I think it’s really important that we recognise and uphold it and the mana that comes with it. It’s really vital and crucial that we spread the love and the way of the language—because it’s a beautiful language. 

Emma: Especially in schools, high schools—this one in particular. Definitely in kura kaupapa, which is our main stream of schooling, part of what we do is uphold the reo and teach our kids that it’s okay not to know it. 

Debbie: How does learning te reo connect students to our national culture and identity? 

Mel: For a lot of my students, it’s innate, and learning the language brings it to the forefront a little bit more. But for some students, they don’t have much identity with their Māori side. So by doing it, it’s got a tendency to bring it out. And it’s great, they can hear it on television and media, and immerse themselves in it. I think that’s really special. 

Debbie: What are some of the challenges you’ve seen in attitudes towards Te Reo Māori? 

Mel: I think the biggest challenge I’ve faced is parental perception. Because different generations have different views on the value of learning Te Reo. It’s definitely changed over time, but because we’re a mainstream and religious school, some parents don’t see value in learning our language. They want their children to succeed academically, and they think languages don’t fit into that equation—when actually, it’s the opposite. 

Mel: All of the law schools in New Zealand now make every student do papers in Tikanga Māori. Even in medicine,  at you learn about the tikanga of a Māori person. And of course, the Treaty of Waitangi underpins everything at university. So it’s crucial that if students get a kickstart in school, they’ll have a better understanding. 

Debbie: And what about you, Emma, being at university at the moment, how do you find things? 

Emma: Well, I’m lucky, because my whole degree is Māori. I know for a lot of others it’s the opposite, they don’t feel like they belong. Sometimes the girls feel like they’re not good enough because they don’t know. It’s more about being whakamā or shy to learn because you already don’t know. 

Debbie: What are some of the challenges we face with promoting Te Reo Māori in schools? 

Mel: Like anything in school, fitting it into the timetable. Students have so much to do, so many subjects and extracurriculars. It’s hard to fit everything in. But if it’s not in class, then it should be outside, that it is in assemblies, kapa haka, cultural aspects. There are ways they can still be immersed even if they’re not taking the language. 

Debbie: How can non-Māori teachers support Te Reo Māori in schools? 

Mel: It’s really important that non-Māori teachers understand and appreciate that Te Reo belongs to everyone. It’s not just “for Māori, by Māori.” I’m a prime example—I’m not Māori. I came to it later, went through the whānau system, married someone who is Māori, and our children are Māori. Anyone can embrace it. 

Mel:  Adding little bits in your classroom, even just greetings and farewells. That initiative we started here with little greetings on our daily sheet, something all teachers could use to practice every day. 

Mel: My main piece of advice—just try. If you make a mistake, don’t worry. The students are forgiving and some will even help you. Just give it a go. That’s very Kiwi, just try. Trying is better than not trying. 

Emma: Te Reo is everywhere. You don’t have to pay for classes, it’s online, it’s on TikTok, it’s free. Just look up a word and use a word in class. Just speaking and submersing yourself in it will benefit students and the whānau. 

Debbie: Good advice. What are some initiatives you’ve introduced at our school? 

Mel: The main one that comes to mind is House Haka, which is an interesting kind of concept. When I arrived here about 11 years ago, there was a school haka that had been written, but no one knew about it. I discovered it and thought, right we need to honour and use this. Just like we have a school song. It was created by the original Māori teacher, who was Irish, Brendan O’Flaherty. He set up OKEA, the classroom I’m in now. We’ve embraced the haka now and use it every Māori Language Week. 

Mel: We also translated the school song into Te Reo Māori. We’re getting there, one verse at a time. It’s lovely to hear in assemblies. 

Emma: Even fun things, House Haka is fun! Students talk about it all the time. It’s the things they look forward to. 

Debbie:  It’s important to see Te Reo Māori in real-life situations. 

Mel: Yes! The liturgy this morning, it’s become a really prominent part of our calendar. It’s a beautiful way to start the day and celebrate the Māori New Year. 

Debbie: What would be some easy steps other schools could incorperate? 

Mel: One step at a time. Maybe start with a song. Even just one verse translated. If you’re a school of faith, start with a morning or closing karakia. It’s something small, but it builds. 

Emma: Definitely start with something small. Sometimes schools aim too high too fast and get overwhelmed. Little steps are best. 

Debbie: These days primary school kids get a good base in Te Reo, but it often drops off at secondary school. How do we keep that up? 

Mel: Yes! Lots of teachers say their kids come home using Te Reo and the parents don’t even understand. But it’s great. The challenge is maintaining that momentum in secondary school. Kapahaka helps, lots of our girls have done it in primary school and they’re very proud of it. 

Debbie: How do you keep the whānau and community engaged or included in the different programs we do here? 

Mel: We have a whānau evening once a year. The consensus is they want more of those, which is great. We share progress, academic outcomes, scholarships. We don’t have an official whānau committee, but we have lots of support, for example, they helped with breakfast for the liturgy and came to support students. There are very supportive of us. For Polyfest, they were in the kitchen making kai while we focused on the girls. 

Mel: They came away buzzing from that noho marae. It was amazing. They bonded, ate together, sang together, shared together. It made a huge difference. 

Debbie: How do students respond emotionally to learning Te Reo? 

Emma: It’s a mix, especially with kapa haka. A new song and then there’s frustration with pronunciation, feeling whakamā. But it opens them up to learning. We encourage them to do their best, be open, and see it’s okay if it’s not perfect. 

Mel: We’ve worked hard to make the Māori classroom a welcoming and safe space. We are very lucky to have it. It’s not just a classroom, it’s a space to feel comfortable and be themselves. 

Emma: Yes, you can really see the difference when they’re in there. They can be themselves. It’s their whānau. 

Debbie: Where would you like to see Te Reo Māori in five years? 

Mel: I think it’s heading in a great direction. It’s everywhere, on social media, TV. It’s going to keep growing. 

Emma: Its even the one off events. Like the Haka, Guinness world record. That was people from across the world. Just exposing it in the biggest way possible. Even small things, like an Instagram caption. Using Te Reo in any way builds pride. 

Mel: It’s our taonga, it’s a treasure and it makes us special. 

Debbie: So many more opportunities out there these days. My dad got me on to a 12-week course at Unitec just to learn some of the basics. 

Mel: And primary students are coming in with such good tikanga already, they know not to sit on tables, to take hats off. That’s growing exponentially. The next generation will have it as second nature. 

Debbie: How could school leaders better support Te Reo Māori? 

Mel: Every school is different. I’ve been fortunate to have supportive management. It’s about valuing it and recognising that support is needed. 

Emma: Support teachers in their journey to start the journey for the whole school. 

Debbie: Emma, you went to a full immersion school? 

Emma: I actually started at a Māori Catholic school, then moved to a mainstream school. Massive culture shock. But I found my people there, and now I want to be that person for our girls here. What got me through is Whanau. 

Debbie: So we just have a few more questions and then we will wrap things up. Any advice for new teachers wanting to incorporate a bit of Te Reo into their classrooms? 

Emma: Find what works for you, whether it’s writing, speaking, or singing. Everyone teaches differently. Finding your own way to teach te reo. 

Mel: Do what feels comfortable, and don’t be afraid. If you make a mistake, keep going. We all make them. 

Debbie: And so to wrap up, what gives you hope for the future of Te Reo Māori? 

Emma: Everything lies with our youth. They’re the leaders of tomorrow. We have to prepare them. 

Mel: They’re living in such an exciting time. They’re seeing reflections of themselves in Parliament, on TV, they know they can do it. It’s so exciting. 

Debbie: It is going to be fun to see what comes. And they’re lucky to have people like you to support and guide them. Thank you both so much for coming in today. 

Mel: Thank you for having us. 

Emma: Kia ora. Thank you.