“Where I’m Headed”

By: Kaluhi Kaʻapana

I am headed towards ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and ʻōiwi

education
From ma ka hana ka ʻike and huli ka lima i lalo
I am headed to our future aloha ʻāina warriors
and
Students who are bringing the ʻike from their
ʻohana and truly showing what it means to aloha
kekahi i kekahi
I hope to include a culturally responsive
classrooms that brings open-mindedness
I am a kumu kaiapuni who is committed to
raising our keiki through our language, to know
who they are and where they come from.

My students are headed towards a kumu who is grounded in the culture, holds tightly to the
kuleana of a kaiapuni teacher, and passionately shares the kuleana that all kānaka Hawaiʻi hold.
I wish for them to feel empowered, safe, and piha.
I want to learn from my students about their view on the world, the kuleana that they carry, and
their roots to this ʻāina.

I know I may not have all the answers,

But I can share the ʻike that I have and build on it
I will try to always remember my “why,”
But also be sure to build pilina with each and every ʻohana that I meet.
I have decided to be a kaiapuni teacher,
and that means instilling value of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, aloha ʻāina, and kuleana in the keiki who are
the future of Hawaiʻi.
 Philosophy of Education

I ulu no ka lālā i ke kumu (#1261, Pukuʻi). The branches grow because of the trunk. In

hearing this ʻōlelo noʻeau I think of how my students’ knowledge is a reflection of their teachers.

Learning is an expansion of knowledge, which shapes who we are and the action we take in

society. I conceptualize learning into three different topics: life-long learning, building pilina,

and developing a worldview. Learning should be life-long and as a teacher, my own learning

should also be infinite or a continuous process. Life-long learning involves having a growth

mindset and an open-mindedness that allows the student to makawalu or to be able to look at a

concept or situation from multiple perspectives. When I think of my students’ learning, I hope

that their learning would be a life-long journey. Secondly, a student is not able to learn from

someone who they don’t have pilina (relationship) with, as learning is a student to teacher,

teacher to student interaction that sparks ideas, questions, and discussion. It is the teacherʻs

responsibility to establish a relationship with the student and create a positive learning

environment. Finally, learning is shaping and refining one’s worldview. As an aspiring kaiapuni

teacher, my students’ worldview will be shaped through their cultural identity and their

engagement with ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. In combining cultural identity, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and ʻike kūpuna

through modern practices, my students would develop a worldview that would allow them to

take informed action.

E kuhikuhi pono i nā au iki a me nā au nui o ka ʻike (#325, Pukuʻi). Instruct well in the

little and the large currents of knowledge. Teaching, as a kaiapuni teacher, is being able to

combine ʻike kūpuna into modern practice, to give our students the tools to succeed, and to serve

our lāhui. Teaching facilitates the students’ learning process through meaningful and engaging

experiences that grounds them in their culture and integrates content knowledge. The kumu is the
students’ source of knowledge. However, it is one thing to teach and another to have student

learning. In teaching, it is important to challenge the students intellectually, while supporting

different learning styles and abilities. I believe that this can be facilitated through creating

learning profiles that give the teacher insight to how a student learns in order to integrate

multiple intelligences into the learning experience. As a teacher, I value goals that my students

create for themselves, so that I can scaffold learning and give tools of success to each of my

students. I value a culturally responsive classroom that encourages the students to play a role in

their community and serve their lāhui.

Aia nō ka pono--ʻo ka hoʻohuli i ka lima i lalo, ʻaʻole ʻo ka hoʻohuli i luna (#71, Pukuʻi).

That is what it should be--to turn the hands palms down, not palms up. It is important for me as a

teacher, to instill values in my students. Especially as kaiapuni students, some of the most

important values I can teach them are aloha and ʻauamo kuleana (carrying their responsibilities

as kānaka Hawaiʻi). For my students, I would like to be able to teach content through culture and

language, which establishes a foundation for each student to build their worldview. I also value

critical thinking and problem solving, in terms of student learning. These are the tools I would

give them to succeed through a culturally responsive classroom that prepares my students to take

informed action and contribute to our lāhui. My goal for my students is that they become life-

long learners that want to make a difference in their communities. Through establishing pilina,

creating life-long learners, and allowing my students to develop their own worldview, I believe

that my students demonstrate what it means to be agents of social change.

 Reference

Pukuʻi, M. K. (1983). ʻŌlelo noeʻau: hawaiian proverbs and poetical sayings. Honolulu , HI:

Bishop Museum Press.