Kaiako privileged to be guiding the next generation of social workers
Tracey Hall, kaiako of Ngā Poutoko Whakarara Oranga – Bachelor of Bicultural Social Work (BBSW) in Tauranga, is reflective following her decision to help others learn at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Of Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa, Ngai Tahu descent, her professional career has been in the field of social work, which guided the way into teaching.
“Teaching was never on my radar, but I love my job. I love that I’m helping to shape our future social workers from a te ao Māori lens. I get to see the ‘a-ha moments’ with my tauira, where I can see they’ve ‘got it’, they understand what I’m trying to teach.”
Tracey fell in love with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa while completing Kaitiakitanga - Postgraduate Diploma in Bicultural Professional Supervision in 2020 and Te Whainga o te ao Tikanga Level 3 in 2022 and always thought it would be great to work here.
An unexpected approach by another kaiako led the way to her current role. The timing seemed right, as she was beginning to feel ready for a new challenge.
During her first year of teaching, she realised what it truly means to be a kaiako – nurturing the success of her tauira through flexible and adaptable methods.Her dedication to understanding the 4 values of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa - Te Aroha, Te Whakapono, Ngā Ture, and Kotahitanga - and underpinning every action back to them helps her be a better teacher.
“It gives me a fire in my puku to be the best I can to support and nurture tauira to succeed. I see where I can improve, engage, and create a class environment that attempts to meet everyone’s needs.”
The BBSW programme offered by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is unique in Aotearoa and aims to provide future social workers with skills and knowledge needed to create social and societal change for whānau and communities and gain equitable outcomes for all.
To prospective tauira she encourages them to figure out and understand their why.
“When you understand your why, it becomes your driving force to continue. If you are ready to create change for others from a te ao Māori perspective, a bicultural lens, then this is the programme for you.”
Pūrongo whakahirahira
Featured stories
From the classroom to the world stage for toi kaiako
From the classrooms of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to the bright lights of New York City, toi kaiako Shawnee Tekii and Jordyn Daniels (Ngāi Tahu) took their creativity to the world stage earlier this year, showcasing their mahi toi across one of the world's most iconic cities.
From full-time māmā to future social worker
Like many māmā, Nickola Savage (Ngāti Rangitihi) has dedicated much of her time to her whānau, ensuring her 3 tamariki are cared for and supported. But alongside her role as a full-time māmā, Nickola felt ready to do something for herself.
Te Reo Kairangi – kia tika, kia rere, kia Māori, kia ora!
Ehara kē i te mea ko te angitu haeretanga o Te Reo Kairangi e mātāmua ana i ō Leon Blake whakaaro, engari ko ngā hua ka whakahokia e ngā tauira ki ō rātou iwi, ki ō rātou hapori, ki ngā uri whakaheke anō hoki.
Vote at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in the 2026 General Election
Selected Te Wānanga o Aotearoa campuses will be open as voting places during the 2026 General Election, making it easier for tauira, kaimahi, whānau and our wider communities to have their say.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new reo Māori programmes to help te reo thrive for generations to come
For over four decades, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has created pathways for generations of tauira to learn, speak, teach and live te reo Māori. That legacy has supported the return of te reo Māori to everyday life, from whānau learning their first kupu, to tauira carrying reo onto marae, and into workplaces, classrooms and homes.
Turning a passion for rongoā into community healing
Rongoā Māori has always been part of Patricia Tangira-Falwasser's life, but it was her studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that deepened her knowledge and inspired her to start a business that now serves her wider community.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi claims gold at Waka Ama World Championship
Ken Henry (Te Whakatōhea, Waikato-Tainui) is a Tauira Support Advisor at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Whakatāne campus who took home gold at the Waka Ama World Championships in Singapore in August.
A passion for taonga Māori takes Chanel to Oxford
What started as a desire to strengthen her reo Māori has taken Chanel Coromandel (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Whanaunga) on an unexpected path, leading to an opportunity to contribute to the care and preservation of taonga Māori at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
