Maria Veronese

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I really enjoy getting out into Te Taiao, especially in the water. I find the water refreshing for my soul. In terms of hobbies… I tend to spend a lot of time doing DIY mahi around the whare, e.g. renovating or building something of use for the whānau (I’m lucky to have two brothers and a husband who help out with all the DIY projects).

What were you doing before you joined Ōtūmoetai College?

I have been a kaiako in many kura over the past 20 years. I started my teaching journey in South Auckland and moved to Tauranga about 10 years ago, where I have been teaching in Te Whānau o Te Maro, Tauranga Intermediate. Over the past 4 years, I worked 2 days per week as an Across School Leader (ASL) for the Tauranga Peninsula Kāhui Ako.

Why did you choose teaching as a career?

I chose teaching as a career because I believe that I have the ability to work alongside many different people and especially enjoy sharing my knowledge with others and learning from them as well. For me, being a kaiako is a reciprocal relationship, where we all have something to offer and something to learn. We really are lifelong learners.

What is your best experience as a teacher to date?

Being involved in Te Mana Kuratahi in 2019 with Te Whānau o Te Maro is definitely one of my highlights as a kaiako. The 12 week kapa haka campaign which involved working closely with whānau to bring the best out of their tamariki and mokopuna within the world of Te Ao Haka is an experience that I will forever cherish. I learned so much from that haka campaign, about what it truly means to set your own measures of success and reach the pinnacle of those measures. He tino rawe te mahi o tērā Kapa Haka.

What are you looking forward to this year?

I am looking forward to learning more about Ōtūmoetai College and the people who sit at the heart of our kura. I understand the importance of titiro me te whakarongo (looking and listening) in order to gain a better understanding of the environment.

As HOD of Te Whare Māori, my first goal is to whakawhanaungatanga - take time to connect with kaimahi (staff) and ākonga (students) with the aim to learn more about who they are as individuals and who we are as a collective.

What is a little known fact about you?

Back in te rā (the days), when I was in intermediate, I was awarded two gold medals as an Auckland Judo Champion. I really enjoyed that sport and had fun flipping people around the dojo - definitely a lifetime ago. Not sure if I would last more than 10 seconds in that space now…