Tēnā koutou katoa 
Ko Ra Keelan tōku ingoa
Kei Turanga-Nui-a-Kiwa ahau e noho ana
Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa

Qualifications

  • Graduate Diploma in ECE
    NZ Tertiary College, 2010

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Business (Maori Development) 
    University of Auckland, 2006

Location

Tūranganui-a-kiwa  REC | Girborne REC   

 

Ra Keelan

Pouako

Biography

Role

As Pouako within Te Tairawhiti takiwa, my role is to support our tauira and team with Te Ao Maori; positive experiences and use of Te Reo Maori for our whanau; support with recognising, labelling and understanding tikanga; marae noho and networking; admin for Te Ahu o Te Reo, me wetahi atu mahi.

Education background

I joined Te Rito Maioha after working 17yrs for another PTE where I thoroughly enjoyed my primary roles as visiting lecturer.  Before this I worked 7yrs in various roles with The University of Auckland.  The highlights were as School Manager for Te Puna Wananga (Epsom) and Office Manager (Equity Office).  Prior to moving to Auckland, I was with The University of Waikato also for 7yrs where I worked in student support and the halls of residence.

Research background

My current research interest focuses on Maori narrative (i.e.: Maui) in relation to childrens learning dispositions.
I am also particularly interested and curious about mana wahine via Maori goddesses, and their role in shaping Te Ao Maori.
Hailing from Te Tairawhiti, I grew up in the heart of mana wahine and was privileged to have learned from so many amazing wahine Maori (Ngoi, Whaea, Hine Karaka, Hine Te Ariki, Waiohinga Raukura …).  What frustrates me is that the impact of western religions has all by removed the Maori goddesses from our narratives, and I would love to see their korero returned to tangata whenua, and tangata o Aotearoa.

Teaching interests

I value a passion for learning and believe that my heart as a teacher must impassion myself so that I may support tauira to embrace their own learning journey.  I value co-construction because it aligns well with how I was raised.  I thrill when ‘i taka te kapa’ and our tauira are able to lead learning more.
My approach is grounded within Te Ao Maori, Kaupapa Maori simply because ‘ko au he Maori, he Maori awau’. I also value elements of all the various curriculum approaches (including Steiner, Montessori, Reggio, Pikler, R.I.E., Kindergarten, Forest Kindy, Kohanga Reo and Puna Reo …) because they all have elements of the peace curriculum and healing curriculum.  This truth reminds me that we are educators, we are caregivers, and we are healers.

Recent publications

Seve-Williams, N., Rokx, R., Keelan, R., Keighron, C., & Whyte, M. (2017). He Kitenga Korowai: Honouring te reo Māori. He Kupu: The Word, 5 (2), 36-48. 

Thomas, T., Rokx, R., & Keelan, R. (2017). Engaging in the spirit of Māori traditions. Exchange, (234), 62-67. 

Keelan, R. (2017). He Taonga – a way forward with Te Reo Maori.  Proceedings of the World Forum Foundatoin. 170517. https://worldforumfoundation.org/highlights-2017/

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