Understanding Pacific Cultural Safety: A Guide for Educators - Part 1

Check out this video with Pale Sauni and Saylene Ulberg

This is part of a series on Pacific Cultural Centredness:

Tips for Fostering Pacific Cultural Safety in the Classroom

Here’s a summary of this short talanoa with Pale and Saylene which is part of our short series on Pacific Cultural Centredness

Welcome to the first part of our three-part talanoa, where we’ll be discussing Pacific cultural centeredness and cultural safety in teaching. In this segment, we’ll be exploring the insights shared by Pale on this topic.

Pale emphasizes that as educators, it’s essential to keep the end goal in mind while teaching. This means understanding the values and beliefs that Pacific people embrace and ensuring that our teaching approach is aligned with these principles. It’s also crucial to manage safety and challenges by creating a learning environment that is culturally safe and responsive to the needs of Pacific learners.

Building relationships and trust with Pacific learners is an essential aspect of creating a culturally safe learning environment. One way to achieve this is by creating a socialized and inclusive classroom environment. This can be done by using appropriate language, incorporating cultural elements into the teaching approach, and showing a genuine interest in learners as individuals.

By taking these steps, educators can foster a sense of belonging and validation for Pacific learners. This, in turn, can lead to a more fulfilling learning experience and deeper connections with the community.

In summary, Pale highlights the importance of cultural centeredness and cultural safety in teaching. By keeping the end goal in mind, building relationships with Pacific learners, and creating an inclusive classroom environment, educators can enhance the learning experience and promote a stronger connection with the Pacific community.

If you’re interested, there’s more here with our friends at Ako Aotearoa.