Lincoln Savage

Teacher in Charge and Dean of Māori students
Tuwharetoa Te Arawa Te Rarawa

Lincoln is the face of Teach NZ’s television advertisements for Māori Medium scholarships.  In 2007 he moved from an Auckland Kura Kaupapa to become Dean of Māori students and teacher of te reo Māori at Kelston Boys High School.

“The dual role has its difficulties but I’m really enjoying the professional challenge,” says Lincoln.

Lincoln’s first priority in his new role is to try and raise the achievement standards of boys taking te reo Māori.  His next priority is to try and increase the success of Māori students school wide. 

“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.” 

One method Lincoln employs to be the best Te Reo teacher is to constantly remind himself of what his teachers did at school to make his learning experience the best that it could be.

“One on one contact with the students has to be good as success for them in the classroom leads to greater success further down the track,” Lincoln feels.
 
“You’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing and always be honest with the students. You’ve also got to make sure you set boundaries with your students. Any misinterpretations can lead to a lack of trust and respect.”

In his pastoral role, Lincoln believes that the extra curricular activities he’s involved in such as Kapa Haka and tutoring the boys for Manu Korero competitions, has had very positive effects.  “Your rapport develops but you also build better relationships with their families and the wider community.”

Lincoln has already received very positive feedback about how the boys are more readily involved in wider school activities and puts this down to their increased confidence and being more comfortable in their environment.

“As a Māori teacher, I have the opportunity to use Tikanga Māori as a vehicle for controlling the atmosphere of the classroom.”