Tama’ita’i Toa - A Pacific Female Teachers’ Talanoa

1. Connection: an opportunity for Tama’ita’i Toa to connect with other Pacific staff across Ōtautahi. 
2. Provide a safe space to Talanoa: a chance to navigate the shared context of straddling Pacific, te ao Māori, and te ao Pākehā worlds in education.  
3. Stimulate learning: a vehicle for authentic communication, mentoring, self-reflection, and peer-coaching. 
4. Centre indigenous Pacific knowledge: a forum that centres, captures, shares, and recognises Pacific diversity and epistemological paradigms / inherent cultural knowledge and belief systems.

“We need to be kind to ourselves – filling our cups to overflowing means we can impart more for our students and their families – we can’t give our best if we are tired!”

Participant 

The impacts of the industrial action strikes, increasing workloads, reporting requirements, managing aiga/whānau engagement, student attendance, advocacy for Pacific students to recognise their external obligations, and high expectations for Pacific achievement were top of mind for many Tama’ita’i Toa. 

The Talanoa helped educators to connect and take note of these multiple stressors and recognise that their wider teams may also be experiencing stress and burnout. They affirmed the need to check in with each other in a Pacific village space like this and to pursue ‘wellness’ in a holistic sense from a Pacific worldview (spiritual, physical, mental, aiga, socioeconomic, gender and others as per the Fonofale model). This is important to achieve better outcomes for students. 

“We need a safe space to connect, to think about purpose and how to influence the environment we work in, and to dream about the future.” 

Participant 

The keynote speaker, Vicki-Lee Logopati-Campbell, an international athlete, social entrepreneur, and experienced youth worker, emphasised the importance of creating connections, building trust, and forming positive relationships with students in the context of their aiga and communities. She supported educators in thinking about purpose/calling, futures-shaping, and positive youth development through the Tohatoha approach. Tohatoha develops young people from their inherent potential to their emergent and realised best selves. 

Educators reflected on their learning, development and self-efficacy. These contribute positively to feeling supported and having a strong sense of belonging in their kura. 

Educators expressed a deep desire to develop more self-efficacy, especially on the subjects of curriculum and leadership development. 

“A mentor shares their knowledge with you, but a sponsor is someone who will use their power and influence to champion Pacific people and open doors for you”. 

Participant 

An SLT member shared her professional development journey of executive sponsorship. Her principal identified her leadership potential, elevated her, provided support and guidance, and served as a champion and advocate – especially behind closed doors. 

The Tama’ita’i Toa cohort shared how Pacific women often lead major projects in their local churches, communities and their extended families. They do so through a deep understanding of: 

• Vā (relational spaces between people, their environment and ‘divinities’)
• identity and belonging (Pacific peoples are fundamentally relational beings - leaders understand relationships through genealogical descent, duties and responsibilities which creates positive relationships and a sense of belonging)
• Feagaiga (relational covenants- understandings between family members which learners follow through to support educational success)
• Lotu (worship and spirituality- strong pillars for many Pacific learners) 
• reciprocity and Tautua – servant leadership by, with, and for the Pacific collective. 

Yet a Pacific worldview that prizes humility and service to the village/collective will often mean that the kumara will never speak of its own sweetness. This presents a significant challenge when navigating a te ao Pākehā way of recruiting and developing senior leaders. 

Schools face complex challenges in recruiting and retaining key talent. Executive sponsorship is an effective way for schools to recognise indigenous Pacific leadership and achieve greater diversity in their senior leadership. This benefits under-represented leaders and sponsors and more importantly creates better results for ākonga, aiga/whānau, and communities. 

There is so much positive energy to foster the Talanoa as a collective and keep growing the Tama’ita’i Toa community of practice to: 

1. have a safe space to critically reflect, share practice stories, ideate, and connect 
2. design leadership development opportunities and mentoring pathways for Pacific women 
3. develop more Pacific cultural intelligence content with an ‘as and by’ Pacific approach.

Fonofale Model Pacific Health & Wellbeing Ministry of Pacific Peoples 

Tohatoha