Teaching in Samoa - Palagi styles

 

So today I had a bit of a change of scenery and spent a day with the lovely Elyse at Peace Chapel Christian school. A little back story. About six months ago, I happened upon an interview by a NZ teacher Instagrammer. He was talking to a NZ trained primary teacher who had been teaching in Samoa since 2019. Aside from the obvious similarities as a Palagi teacher in a beautiful Pasifika environment, our common love for being dog mamas helped us to build a friendly connection from across the Pacific. I’ve followed Elyse’s journey as a Year 7-8 teacher at Peace Chapel Christian school ever since. So, last week, I made contact and arranged for an observation day, and it was an awesome experience, even for a self professed ‘high school only’ teacher like myself. 

Here are some of my main reflections.  If you don’t like teacher speak, stop reading now. 

Kids need structure. Now this one seems simple enough, but hear me out. So before I came to Samoa, all the kids said to me; “Miss the kids will be so well behaved, cos you can fasi them.” (look it up) Now this was never going to be my chosen style of discipline, and nor, does it seem, is it all that common here. But here’s the reflection. As a Palagi, I’m never going to be able to have the immediate cultural mana and knowledge that grounds many of the teachers over here. It’s true, the students are respectful and understand the lines and boundaries. This - at it’s core- is steeped in a significant respect for education and the importance it holds for their futures and families. BUT I discovered it’s not as commonly enforced with ‘a fasi’  than I was led to believe (thanks kids) I know there are traditional teachers here who still believe that this is the only way to discipline a class into respecting a teacher and the eduction being offered, but what I witnessed today (and at SAMCO, for the most part) is the use of structure and routines to discipline the class into a learning state. Small things, like repeating important facts, sitting in allocated seats and simple, clear classroom boundaries showed me that what works here in Samoa is what we try to implement daily in NZ.  The students were engaged, disciplined and motivated and there wasn’t a metal ruler in sight!

Secondly, as a European teacher in a predominantly Maori and Pasifika environment, what did I take away from my time today with Elyse? I think overall, it’s the idea that relationships, not race, are of utmost importance. That love and care for the kids you are responsible for needs to be seen and felt, in order for the right environment for learning to occur. This was in abundance in Elyse’s classes. The vibe was fun, positive and focussed. For true connection to occur, the students need to feel genuinely liked, understood and cared for. As teachers we need to take time to understand the cultures and values these young people bring to the classroom, and see how these things impact their school experience. Now obviously none of this is new to me, but it was affirming to see it valued so highly here too. 

Finally - the blend of some aspects of Samoan traditional and the more liberal 21st century teaching styles created an environment of rich learning and (hopefully) better retention.  Repetition was paired with visual aides to assist depth of knowledge, copying notes was aligned with discussion and clever questioning of unfamiliar terms and formal worksheets were paired with lots of differentiated small group activity, based on student need. It was wonderful to watch. 

So, despite all the teacher speak (I’m sure Karen would be proud), this was a fantastically refreshing day that left me with so much to think about and consider for when I’m home. 

A final note, go give Elyse a follow for more - she’s awesome @lc_mihi