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What do Māori teachers say?

Māori teachers are now in real demand. Whether or not you're a speaker of te reo Māori, young Māori need Māori role models to teach and guide them. No matter what subject or level you choose, there are great opportunities for you in teaching. Many of these positions exist in rural areas throughout the country.

As a Māori or secondary teacher, you'll have the chance to make a difference to the future of young Māori.  You'll also be able to extend your own skills. Teaching is one of the few careers that sets you up for life - whatever you decide to do in the future.

There are a wide variety of teacher education options available for you, with many teacher education providers across the country, offering a huge range of study options to suit your lifestyle and interests.

Some of these programmes of study focus on teacher education for Māori teachers and have set up whanau and study groups to help support Māori students.

These profiles highlight a number of Māori teachers and describe their experience of teaching in New Zealand classrooms and early childhood services.

Morgan Rangi
Morgan Rangi
“Quite often we get embarrassed to admit we are smart at a subject that’s not the favourite of others. When I was younger, I was a bit ashamed to be smart at maths. But if you have a talent or gift for it, then make the most of it. For me it opened up opportunities which I wouldn’t have had, if I’d decided not to pursue those things. Use it and make the most of it.”
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Shirlene Murphy
Shirlene Murphy
“There are many opportunities to advance in the early childhood sector,” Shirlene maintains. “I am passionate about promoting leadership within centres and helping to manage our own professional development instead of relying on outside people to do it.”
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Carol Ruskin
Carol Ruskin
“I value children and what life can hold for them. The whole world in early childhood education is magic. Their discovery of life through natural things makes it a pleasure to come into work every day.”
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Renae Maxwell
Renae Maxwell
"The support for us as teachers from parents is awesome," she says. "They are fully involved in the activities of the Kura and we all share the same goals and aspirations for our tamariki."
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Keri Tataurangi-Ruru
Keri Tataurangi-Ruru
"I absolutely love primary teaching. The kids are wonderful, they’re like little sponges – we see them make so much progress.”
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Lincoln Savage
Lincoln Savage
“Making the boys happy, having them wanting to learn and be part of what we’re doing in the whanau environment is incredibly important to me” says Lincoln. “Respect, trust and commitment are fundamentals in building a great whanau environment.”
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