“Instead of telling people, I’ll find opportunities to ask for input. That’s the key for me going forward.”
My role is to improve the cervical screening rates for Māori, Pasifika and Asian women. I enrolled in the Adult and Teritary Teaching Level 4 course to make my delivery more engaging. I visit hapū wānanga (Kaupapa Māori ante-natal classes) and only have a short time to talk about cervical screening.
The course emphasised building rapport. By connecting with the group, I break down barriers and the women are more comfortable to discuss screening.
I also learnt that people learn in different ways. Now I bring along actual smear test items for them to see and touch. The women are fully informed and empowered. They know what they can do to make the experience better.
I also understood the importance of drawing on the expertise of the group. So, instead of just telling the people or giving a lecture, I’ll find opportunities to ask for input. In the short sessions we share the tricks the women have found to make their smear experience better. Using the group’s experiences creates a more inclusive learning environment and builds the mana of the participants.
What I learnt was phenomenal! It’s completely changed my perspective of my role as a teacher. By utilising all opportunities to increase people’s mana, they will come away feeling like a better person.
In the past, I focussed on filling people’s minds with information, not realising the colonising potential of that approach. So, the key for me is to reflect on my role, and instead of seeing myself as a teacher with all of the answers, learn how to facilitate learning experiences.
My goal is to create outstanding learning experiences. The course gave me fantastic information on how to plan and structure sessions, reflect on and evaluate learning sessions and continually improve. Learning is an ongoing process, and this course has given me the insight, tools and processes to develop my sessions.