Responding effectively to students’ learning needs in your classroom

There are various methods how teachers can respond effectively to student learning needs in the classroom, one is applying the concept of Ako Tuakana Teina which helps create a positive learning community in your classroom. While on my practicum experience at Rotorua Boys High School “RBHS” I taught a Year nine main stream Te Reo Maori class a Unit in discovering new information about the school Pepeha. There was one individual that was much more experienced in Maori cultural knowledge, because of his experience he was always able to complete the work much faster, and would not learn as much as he was all ready knowledgable. I had to think how can I make him learn more. I decided that I would get him to  help teach everyone, this was giving him the role of Tuakana in the classroom setting, where I would take roles as student. I done this so he would learn how to take a leadership role. 

Ako is a pedagogy where the power sharing role changes between student and teacher, where the student can be both the teacher and able to share their own cultural knowledge to the class (Bishop & Glynn , 1999). In this community students take on a new range of roles such as being the teacher, they learn a new way of learning and how to communicate to others (Sewell, 2016). 

This is the creation of a community in the classroom through shared learning, students and teacher take turns being the educator.

In this case I planned to create an environment in my class where students will participate through knowledge sharing between each other. Here students could participate and contribute by researching in groups to find information, creating a community that work towards the main learning intension gaining history behind different aspects.  An experienced teacher can create a climate where students have a common relationship through participation in gaining information, where it is welcome to be right or wrong, where it is accepted that learning is what everyone should be doing. Teachers can do this by forming trust between student to student, student to teacher, where both teacher and student take part in the learning process. In this climate there are ups and downs via learning that are accepted by everyone, where making error is accepted (Hattie, 2012).

Here this knowledgable student is able to grow his skills as a competent teacher without been criticised, with no judgement of being right or wrong, where all students not just this individual can step to the challenge and take turns as Tuakana and Teina as it is welcome in this community. After creating this situation for the specific students I saw various students step to the challenge and also become Tuakana, by the end our time going over this unit plan, I had other students feel just as confident to stand and teach the class.

Bishop, R., & Glynn, T. (1999). Culture counts: Changing power relations in education. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Dunmore Press.

Ministry of Education. (2011). Tātaiako: Cultural competencies for teachers of Māori learners. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media 

Sewell,A.,St George, A. (2016). Developing a community of learners. In Frazer, D., & Hill, M. (Eds.), (pp240 – 257). The professional practice of teaching in New Zealand (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers. Maximizing impact on learning. Abingdon, England: Routledge.