Teaching and learning through Wananga and noho stylez...

Early hour morning stroll in the Wananga

My noho classes have started again for the year and I have 8 weekend sleep overs throughout the year that begins with dinner on Friday nights and ends on Sunday after lunch.

This is an interesting way of delivering teaching / learning in the classroom whereby tauira (students) and kaiako (teacher/tutor) share a meal together, go on fieldtrips together and get to know one another real well especially when sleeping Marae style on campus in the noho space or at different Marae around Auckland.

It is a marked difference between conventional classroom settings whereby a student will come to class in the morning and leave in the afternoon, when having noho, there are uninterrupted times of teaching/learning which can be quite fluid and as I am now in my third year of this style of teaching, I must say that I have learnt a lot and it is quite a unique way of delivering and encouraging learning.

As I understand it, Wananga (deep discussions of teaching and learning) for many Maori iwi (tribes) in the past often started at night and continued to the early hours of the morning which was seen as an auspicious time of talking/teaching and learning. At these times, whanau (extended family) would come together and share a meal, sleep under the same roof in a Marae and share chores, singing, talking together. Somethings that are shared in our noho classes.

I've even picked up the guitar again after many years of neglect, since my husband plays beautifully and even our children but in teaching this new course, singing waita (Maori songs) is one of many important learning tools as is getting up early at 4 am to start my day in preparation and considering tasks during the noho. Never a dull moment...