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Mā te mahi tahi ko te eke panuku, ko te ako panuku.
Ahakoa te rawe o te pouako, me tautoko ia ka tika.
Whanaungatanga - the value of being connected.
Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu - Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly.
He kai kei aku ringa - There is food at the end of my hands.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini.
Even our greatest teachers need support.
Ngā mihi nui mō te Tau Hou.
Ako - to teach is to learn.
He oranga ngākau, he pikinga wairua.
Mā te whakaaro nui e hanga te whare; mā te mātauranga e whakaū.
Great teachers don't accept failure.
Whāia te pae tawhiti kia tata. Whakamaua te pae tata kia tina.
Being a great teacher is being a great learner.
Māori teachers have a unique contribution to make to the achievement of Māori learners.
Whāia te iti kahurangi. Ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei.
Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa.
Ko tōku nui, tōku wehi, tōku whakatiketike, tōku reo.
To 'know' is to 'be able to do'.
A teacher thinks about learning.
All teachers are potential leaders.
Identifying My Passions and Strengths
Being passionate in our work can sometimes seem a far off, unattainable dream. Especially with deadlines, lesson planning, assessments, staff meetings and administration tasks that need to be completed all competing for our attention and energy.
Connecting our passions into our work is a way to stay fulfilled and engaged in our career. However, sometimes it is hard to identify exactly what our passions actually are to do this. It can be a bit daunting especially when some people seem to have this all figured out!
The word passion originally meant ‘to suffer’ and this could be a clue to finding what our true passions really are. What are you willing to suffer for? (so dramatic!) What would you choose to do even if you were not getting paid to do it? What are the things that when you are busy doing them time, worries and the world melt away?
Some people think that they need to start hunting for their passions by going out into the world and doing new things, but this is a bit misleading as our passions are unique to us, so the place to find them is inside of us, inside of you.
Your passions are not ‘one thing’ but a unique blend of your own special talents, strengths, beliefs and values. This means that saying “I am passionate about art” (as an example) is not specific enough to nail down your true passions.
This activity is designed to help you delve a little deeper and find out exactly what they are.
Identifying my true passions
Make a list of all the activities you enjoy doing. Use the following prompts to avoid the ‘one thing’ trap.
I enjoy...
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making...
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fixing...
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listening to...
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teaching...
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learning...
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helping...
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discussing...
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playing...
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creating...
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talking to...
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leading...
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thinking about...
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What is it specifically about that activity you enjoy?
Once you have a good number of statements about what you enjoy doing, think about what exactly makes them so enjoyable for you.
For example I enjoy painting but when I ask myself that question, it is actually the pleasure of being able to create something beautiful (hopefully). That is the thing about painting that really spins my wheels. Or as another example I enjoy singing. The specific reason I enjoy singing is being able to express myself in a free and (hopefully) beautiful way with others. Now I am starting to see that the activities allow me to express myself and that beauty is important to me. I am starting to build a picture of the elements that are my true passions.
- I enjoy painting because it allows me to express myself creatively and to make something beautiful
- I enjoy singing because it allows me to express myself in a free and (hopefully) beautiful way with others
Now it’s your turn. Complete each statement as I have done trying to really pin-point the specific thing or things about the activity that you love.
As you work down the list there should start to emerge a set of common elements. These are your true passions. The activities that you enjoy are just the vehicles for these.
Record your true passions in this box
Strengths
Strengths are innate and closely tied to our passions or the things we love to do. Often it is hard for us to identify our strengths as they are so easy for us that we can be doing ‘it’ without even realising it. It often feels like playing.
Record your strengths in this box
Check that you haven't inadvertently listed skills amongst your strengths
What is the difference between strengths and skills?
Skills are things you are good at but don’t neccessarily enjoy. You have practiced and honed these skills as a way of improving your execution of tasks and perhaps future employability. Skills are important but are not the criteria one should use when developing a strong sense of who you are, who you want to be. Skills are the feathers on the bird but today we are focussed on the bird itself.
2. If you are finding it difficult to identify your strengths try identifying your weaknesses and then flipping them.
Remember weaknesses are strengths in the wrong environment.
Example
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Weakness
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I am not very good with detail
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Turned around
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Strength
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I am great at big picture thinking
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3. If you are still struggling to identify your strengths ask some people who know you well. They will probably be able to help out in identifying your strengths...they have probably benefitted from them many times in the past.
Now you will have a list of your values, passions and strengths. Keep these with you as you develop your mission statement.
