MIT 2025: The Journey Comes to a Close...

Kia ora! Today marks our final hui at KPMG for the 2025 Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher cohort, and I’m feeling a mix of gratitude, deep appreciation for every kindness and support shown along the way, and quiet pride. It’s surreal to think we’re standing at the end of this chapter. It feels like we only began last week, yet our journey truly started back in 2024 with nothing more than an idea sketched on paper—an idea we shared with Matt and Dorothy, followed by an interview that nudged it into motion.

I applied with a simple hope - to make life a little easier for kaiako in kura Māori who work tirelessly to craft meaningful literacy experiences for our ākonga. What unfolded became so much more than a project. It was a year of deep learning, stretched thinking, courageous conversations, new friendships, and a growing circle of people who reminded me why this mahi matters.

To Matt, Dorothy, Jenny, and Justine Todd (from KPMG) - if you ever come across my blog, please know how grateful I am. Your encouragement, your belief, and your willingness to walk me through the MIT process (and nudge me in the right direction when needed) have shaped this experience in ways I’m still processing. You have each helped make the MIT journey something truly special. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.

To the rest of my 2025 MIT peers—what a privilege it has been to walk alongside you this year. Each of you carries something truly special, and you’ve brought so much insight, experience, and passion to our collective journey. I’ve loved getting to know you all and witnessing your projects grow from seed to fruition. I wish you all the best for 2026!

Please click on the links in the image below to follow my journey and to explore more about the MIT process and how it unfolds. I’ve included the most meaningful moments from this year—milestones that challenged, inspired, and strengthened me. I hope they offer a spark of inspiration for you too, wherever you are in your own journey.

2025 MIT - Prinicpals' Wānanga

Today was a big day — the annual Manaiakalani Principals Wānanga! It was a great opportunity to gain insight into what happens behind the scenes and contribute to planning for 2026.

The day began with our MIT group presenting in the Banquet Room at the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre. Despite a few nerves, my presentation went well, and I was really pleased with how my project was received by others. Afterwards, several people approached me to share how much they resonated with my point that there aren’t enough rauemi available in kura Māori, and that we don’t receive enough resources, professional development, or support. Many were also excited by the idea of having a central hub where they could easily access rauemi for te reo matatini.

Even more inspiring were my MIT peers and their incredible presentations — the effort and dedication they’ve poured into their projects was evident. It was amazing to see their ideas come to life and make such a meaningful impact within their communities.

Next, we listened to presentations from the Manaiakalani research team, followed by time in our cluster groups. As part of Te Purapura Ngātahi o Manaiakalani, it was a great opportunity to connect with others in our cluster, review and analyse our 2025 Reading Questionnaire Survey results on EdPotential, and take part in collaborative planning for 2026 — setting our collective goals and identifying the key actions needed to achieve them.

As always with ManaiaKalani & Waipuna, we were well looked after. We wanted for nothing and left with a full hinengaro and full bellies!

Below, is a copy of the Google Slides I used for the Pecha Kucha presentation made into a video. Please feel free to check it out. If it resonataes with you, please utilise the QR codes at the end and USE the site, SHARE the site and CONTRIBUTE to the site!

Ngā mihi!

2025 MIT - ON THE ROAD

Auē, auē!

Right at the last minute, I couldn't make the MIT On The Road Tour due to whānau circumstances. Although I couldn't make the Roadshow, I did intently follow my collegues journey as they travelled down South and presented their projects using Pecha Kucha (with some envy!).

Despite not being able to make the tour with my MIT peers, I was able to make a video to showcase my presentation that was shown on the tour slotted inbetween my cohorts presentations. Please feel free to watch the video to get a sneak peek of my project - Te Kete Kaiako.

I look forward to catching up with my MIT peers at the Principals' Wānanga at the end of October and sharing my presentation and project with you all.

If you have any pātai about the project and / or  the site - Te Kete Kaiako, please feel free to leave a comment and ask!

2025 MIT - ONLINE CONNECT HUI #4

Today we had a quick online catch-up with Matt and the MIT cohort.
The focus was to run through our Pecha Kucha presentations. Although mine isn’t final yet, it was a great opportunity to share my progress and receive feedback on what’s working well and what could be improved.

Some key takeaways for me were:

• Pace yourself — nerves on the day can make you speak faster, so be mindful of your timing.

• Include a few slides with lighter content to pause, breathe, and regroup if needed.

• The audience enjoys seeing the project in action — include photos of students engaging with the content.

• Keep slides clear and simple — avoid videos, GIFs, or busy backgrounds, as these can distract from your key message.

Next steps include continuing to chip away at the Pecha Kucha presentation over the next couple of weeks. I’ll practise my timing to ensure each slide stays within the 20-second limit. I also think it would be beneficial to practise presenting in front of others — starting with a small group and gradually building up to a larger audience to help ease nerves around public speaking.

2025 MIT - KPMG HUI #3

I always look forward to our hui at KPMG — Justine welcomed us warmly and spent the day quietly guiding, encouraging, and challenging us with thoughtful feedback. As always, we were spoiled with delicious kai and an inspiring space designed for collaboration and creativity that is Rangiātea Infinity Room.

Another highlight was catching up with my MIT peers and being mentored by Matt and Dorothy as we worked on our projects bringing thiem to fruitition.

The kaupapa for today is to put together our our presentations to showcase our projects using the Pecha Kucha format.

A Pecha Kucha presentation is a fast-paced format where you present 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds, creating a concise and engaging six-minute-and-40-second talk.

We were fortunate to be able to watch the presentations of former MIT colleagues (and Matt!) for inspiration. Next, I made a start on my planning document and Pecha Kucha slides for the upcoming MIT On The Road Tour and the 2025 Principals' Wānanga.

To be honest the 20-second timer definitely added a bit of pressure! It has forced me to be concise with what I wanted to say, to cut out the 'waffle talk'.

My next steps are to go home, keep working on the Pecha Kucha presentation - working through each slide, making sure that I do justice in showcasing my project AND that I am on point and concise in getting my message across. 

2025 MIT - ONLINE CONNECT HUI #3

 

Yesterday afternoon, the MIT cohort meet online. It was decided that now is the time to make our sites go 'LIVE'. Although, not quite finished now its time to share my project with my peers and seek feedback and suggestions. 

I also invite you to have a look through the site. Click on the image above (Or click on the link here). If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to leave a post below and let me know what you think!

2025 MIT - KPMG HUI #2

Our second KPMG Hui was a chance for our cohort to pause, share progress, and refine our projects. The focus was on presenting prototypes, receiving constructive feedback, and developing our sites further.

We began by reflecting on what had emerged for us including any insights that have add clarity to our purpose or challenged our thinking. For me, the most powerful feedback came directly from those my project intends to help and support - other kaiako.

I have finished my prototype and have shared it with a few select people and have asked for their feedback on the content and layout.  I appreciated their comments and suggestions. 

E tono atu au ki aku hoa kaimahi.Tokomaha ngā tāngata e tautoko ana i te kaupapa. He nui te hiahia mō ngā rauemi reo matatini. He nui hoki te hiahia mō ngā rauemi e honohono ana ki te rangaranga reo ā-tā. The feedback received indicated lots of support from my peers and confirmed a considerable need for reo matatini resources, along with a growing demand for structured literacy materials in te reo Māori.

He nui te mahi. Kāore e au i te mōhio kei hea kia tīmata ai. E mea ana a Matt me tīmata ki tētahi kaupapa - whakaotia tēnā katahi ka nukuhia ki tētahi anō kaupapa. He rawe tōna whakaaro! He uaua mōku te whakatakatoranga o ngā mahi ki te paetukutuku. The workload is enormous. I'm not sure where to start. Matt suggested starting with one kaupapa - finish it and then start on another kaupapa.  I am struggling with how to present the mahi on the site.

One of the key parts of the hui was sharing our prototypes with each other. It felt great to finally talk through my project and hear others’ ideas. The feedback really made me pause and think about how I’d structured the site and how I was adding content. I’ll admit, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed — worried I wouldn’t get everything done. But I was reminded that my site is a sharing hub, something that will continue to grow and evolve over time. One simple but powerful suggestion stood out: focus on developing one area well before moving to the next. That advice helped me reset my thinking and feel more confident about my direction.