Powhiri

Yesterday I went up to the school for the first time to meet my cooperating teacher and some of the other staff.  Since I've gotten here it finally hit me that this is teacher time.  While I am incredibly excited to explore and get to know another place, I also have the challenge of teaching for the first time in a system that I had better get familiar with quick.  So I've been doing a lot of research and talking to people and trying to fit a massive amount of information into my brain.  I think it is going to be really interesting to see the differences and similarities between the two systems.

My first day started off with a Powhiri (pronounced pofori), a Maori welcome ceremony.  Each year the school puts on Powhiri for new staff and students, and invites local Maori leadership to come and speak.  It was really really awesome to get to be a part of it, and I am glad I arrived early enough to do it.  The ceremony started with a haka performed my Maori students at the school.  If you have time you should take a look at some youtube videos of what a haka is.  I was really impressed that the students were willing to put themselves forward like that.  They were incredibly expressive and did a fantastic job.  I do not know many teenagers in the states that would do it.  Then two Maori elders got up and spoke to welcome us into the school.  I couldn't understand a bit of what was been said, but I really enjoyed listening to the new language.  I sat with the international students (behind the boys because they were forming a "protective cloak" around the women) and with other new staff.  Our principal also spoke at the ceremony as well, mostly in English, but a bit in Maori too.  Apparently learning Maori is an important component of teacher education programs in New Zealand.  At the end of the ceremony there is a Hongi.  A Hongi is a line of people that you grasp hands with and then touch noses and foreheads together.  On my first day of school I touched noses with my principal and most of the male staff, very different.

After the Powhiri I went to the English wing with Emily, my cooperating teacher.  The school is amazing, but I think I will save that for another post when I have time and pictures.  I spent most of the day trying to get my head around the NZ education system and get myself ready for Thursday.  We will have five different classes, one at each grade level actually.  I will also do a form class, which I think is similar to advisory that we do in the states.  So far it seems like all of the things Woodring teaches us to strive for in the states are already happening here.  It is going to be wonderful to work in a school where teachers are making an effort to create cooperative learning opportunities, and really make education work for students.

After school Emily and I went to discus, shot-put, and javelin throwing practice.  There is a sports day coming up at the school and she usually judges the discus.  We thought they were going to tell us the rules and how to measure out throws, and they did, but we also spent two hours learning to throw properly.  It was actually really really fun.  I've never done any of that before, and I feel like I learned a lot.  Our coach was a Samoan Olympian in 2000 who now runs a program to teach kids.  Pretty crazy right!  It was mostly us and the PE department, but it was pretty fun and I am glad I went.

I caught the train back home without any issues.  On the train I thought about how comfortable I felt traveling on my own now.  I am a very different girl now than the one that could hardly ride the subway in 2008.

Today is Waitangi Day and tomorrow is the first day of school.