Role

Rotu is a Pouako Matua at the Rotorua Takiwā ako. The main courses she delivers are Teaching and Learning stage one, two, and three of the Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) papers. She works with and alongside Rotorua hoa mahi and others in the organisation to ensure te ao Māori epistemology is followed. Whakapapa is strongly embedded in her teaching and learning. This demonstrates how students, hoa mahi and herself observe our past, present, and future together.

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Education Background

Rotu’s early childhood teaching journey started 47 years ago as a mother in Playcentre. She has taught as a kaiako in Te Kōhanga Reo, as an early intervention teacher with the Ministry of Education, as Pouako with Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa (now known as Te Rito Maioha) and Senior Pouako with Te Rito Maioha. The highlight of her journey is intergenerational teaching and learning – the whanaungatanga built over the years and the manaakitanga shared.

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Research Background

Rotu is interested giving back to her hapū and iwi what she has learned from her koeke (elders) matua (parents/aunts/uncles) tuakana and teina (older and younger siblings). Her Doctorate research focuses on waiata mōteatea (traditional waiata). Waiata mōteatea have history, place names te reo Māori and poetry embedded.

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Teaching Interests

Rotu’s teaching philosophy is: “Although the past is behind, I learned from it. The future is ahead I have prepared for it. The present is here, so I teach.” As a mother and kaiako, it’s about teaching young tamariki routines and the facts of life. As a kapa haka tutor: imparting mātauranga Māori through waiata and haka. As a Senior Pouako, guiding tauira in ECE on their journey to become a bicultural teacher in Aotearoa.

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Recent Publications

Mihaka, R. (2020). Growing up learning te reo Māori pedagogy. In A. Card & J. Carroll-Lind (Eds.), Tōku anō reo Māori: My very own language. Occasional Paper Series 3 (pp. 39-41). Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand.

Mihaka, R., & Koopu, G. (2020). Taura whiri a whanaungatanga Manaakitanga me kotahitanga kia awhi te tamaiti. In S. Hemphill & P. Towl (Eds.). Safe, supportive and inclusive settings for children and young people in crisis and trauma: Plaiting the rope (pp. 97-108). Routledge.

Mihaka, R. (2015). Waiata oriori in early childhood centres. In N. Williams, J. Carroll-Lind, & L. Smith (Eds.). Tōku anō ao Māori: My very own world. (pp. 79-83). Wellington, New Zealand: Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand.

Rotu Mihaka (2008). Te Reo Māori Can Be Easily Learned Through Waiata Tamariki. Ako Aotearoa