CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Presenters: Rose Blackett & Phil Prendergas

WORKING WITH PARENTS - KEI A RATOU TE MANA

As practitioners we should acknowledge the mana of the parent, the child, their whanau and their iwi and as educators we must recognise that we are part of a wider team whose primary goal should be setting up the individual student for success at their level within our education system.

A question we will consider is “How do we actively build strong relationships with parents and whanau?” An aspect of this will be the building of our own cultural confidence. This includes such things as the pronunciation of student and family names and, in the case of Maori students, understanding the student’s place in the wider Maori world. We will also discuss the role of such things as manaakitanga in building and maintaining positive relationships.

Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success is the Ministry of Education’s priority for the next four years. We will consider how this policy impacts on our role as gifted and talented practitioners and how we as professionals can rise to meet its challenge.

This paper will provide some practical strategies on how to recognise and value the mana and expertise of the parent and will include practical examples and stories that illustrate these strategies in action.