EPeeps Te Awe Davis | Bilingual Teaching Consultant

He āio nuku kia mauri tau
He āio rangi kia mauri hihiko
He āio tangata kia mauri ora.
Ka puta, ka ora
Tīhei Mauri ora! 

Ka nukunuku, ka nekeneke, ka nukunuku, ka nekeneke! Titiro ki ngā Tai o Tokerau nō Kawiti, e rere nei ki ngā Waimārama o Hinengatiira, o Rongomaipureora! E ko Ngāti Hine, e ko Ngāti Manu, e ko Ngāti Kurukuru, e kokoia, e ara e!  

Tēnā koutou, ko Te Awe Hineahuone Davis tōku ingoa. I’m a Bilingual Teaching Consultant within Team NZ at Education perfect and a Kaihāpai Kaupapa Māori within the Te Ao Māori team. I am deeply passionate about developing Te Ao Māori resources and content that support the growth and implementation of Te Reo and Tikanga Māori across schools, homes and professional spaces in Aotearoa. 

How did you find transitioning from your previous role into an EdTech role?

Transitioning from Teaching into EdTech has been both challenging and overwhelming, but incredibly exciting and empowering. Working in the EdTech and STEM spaces has allowed me to grow professionally & personally, giving new perspectives to the capabilities in today’s tech & how this can be cultivated to benefit te iwi Māori & Aotearoa, New Zealand as a whole, has since become a driving force behind a lot of my mahi (work).

Why become an EPeep?

After the first lockdown back in 2020, work/life balance became hugely important to me. I wanted to build a career that worked around my life & not have to work my life around my career. Joining Education Perfect & becoming an EPeep has given so much more meaning to my mahi, expanding my capabilities but also having the opportunity to work with passionate, innovative, like-minded people who strive to provide the best possible opportunities for learning & understanding, to every student.

Since becoming an EPeep, I’ve had the privilege of sharing in kōrero (discussion) and wānanga (deliberation) with many students, Kaiako and Professionals across the country. This has helped me to create an idea of what Cultural Capability could look like in a class, home or work setting and ultimately what it means to be a Bi-cultural Aotearoa. 

What advice would you pass on to a younger version of yourself?

The world really is your oyster and there are so many new avenues to explore, explore them! There are always new career paths, new hobbies and passions and your reo and tikanga will become the foundation for everything you do, hold on to it! 

Also- you don’t need the new iPhone.

What is your secret talent?

Not so much a talent, but I have a Black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. As a child my parents wanted me to be able to physically defend myself, also I’m a clutz and will drop anything, so they also wanted me  to be involved in a sport where that wouldn’t be a possibility. 

Any last words you would like to share?

Technology is a space of creativity & innovation. In my learnings so far with Education Perfect, I have found myself resonating with many kōrero tuku iho (sayings handed down) and reflecting on how they apply to my journey in this space. As I step more into my role, I am reminded of a whakatauāki from my tūpuna (ancestor) , Sir James Henare.

“Kua tawhiti kē tō haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu. He nui rawa ou mahi, kia kore e mahi tonu” 

You have come too far, not to go further. You have done too much, not to do more.  

Tā Hemi Henare, Ngāti Hine