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Span, 42-43(April-October), 1529. http://www.nzepc.auckland.ac.nz/ authors/wendt/tatauing.asp Maria Cooper, is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education and Social Work. She researches and teaches on educational leadership, early years curriculum, Pasifika learners, and infant-toddler pedagogies. She has a Samoan/Czechoslovakian heritage, enjoys spending time with her three teenage children, and was born and raised in Auckland. Louise Gorst is a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education and Social Work. She teaches on a range of courses, and researches leadership and teacher leader identity in ECE. Louise is an experienced, fully certificated teacher and mentor, and enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two children. About the authors provides an important cultural insight into what motivates Samoan (or other Pasifika) leader identity in educational settings. Ongoing reflections The themes of leadership in Pasifika-led ECE settings based on mafutaga (relationships), teu le va (nurturing the space between), and tautua (service) derive from ideas gifted to us by our participants. At the beginning of the project, we embraced the idea of leadership as a relational and spiritual place of engagement (Ahnee-Beham & Napier, 2002). This is a place in which people think and work collectively towards their shared goals and navigate their way through complex situations. As the project has progressed, this understanding of leadership has been strengthened by our participants’ acknowledgements of their past, present and future. Importantly, links to their geneology (gafa) and life with family (‘aiga) have been identified early on as important sources of wisdom and thought for their leadership in professional practice. As data analysis continues, we anticipate identifying a strong link between leadership and the primacy of spirituality in the Samoan identity. We were touched by participants’ honouring of spirituality during talanoa when several spoke about drawing strength from their Christian religion, having a strong faith, and nurturing their spiritual wellbeing. Wisdom gleaned from our talanoa with mama Teuila also gave us insights into the significance of spirituality in Pasifika leadership. When asked what qualities make a good Pasifika leader in education in Aotearoa, she shared several things, including someone who “loves the Lord” and “demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit”. As we continue to think deeply about these ideas, we remain open to what else our data will prompt us to consider in terms of leadership in Pasifika-led multicultural services and what this might mean for Pasifika children’s success in ECE and beyond. Two questions we are reflecting on, which may be helpful for teams in other educational settings with Pasifika communities to contemplate, follow: How do you and your colleagues understand and practise leadership in your service, and what consideration is given to ‘culture’ in those understandings and practices? How does your own upbringing and life with your family inform your leadership practice? What does this mean for others you work with, and for the Pasifika children and families you serve? Acknowledgements Fa’afetai tele lava ia te outou uma. Thank you to our participants who so willingly gave up their valuable time and shared their wisdom with us during turbulent times. We also thank PEL (AoKids) directors for believing in the project and for their ongoing support. A special fa’afetai to Joyce Toleafoa who assisted with Samoan translation/ transcription and deepened our malamalama (understanding) in the process. Finally, we thank our institution, the University of Auckland, for funding and approving the study (UAHPEC3390). December 2021 { 22 }
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