Dr Anne-Marie Jackson
Award for Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching – Kaupapa Māori category
Associate Professor, Māori Physical Education and Health, Co-Director of Te Koronga School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Otago
He mea tino whakaharahara ki a Ahorangi Tūhono Anne-Marie Jackson āna mahi whakaako. Ko ia tētahi o te hunga i whakatū i Te Koronga, arā, ko te tari o te hiranga o te mahi rangahau mā ngā akonga Māori o te paetahi me te mātauranga pūtaiao o te iwi taketake. Ko ia tētahi o ngā kaihautū e rua o te kaupapa.
He tiketike te pae e whakatūria ana e Anne-Marie hei whai mā āna akonga. Ānō nei he “āhuru mōwai” tōna pae whakaako, arā, he wāhi ako, he wāhi haumaru, e kitea ai ngā hapa, heoi, ka poipoiā te akonga, kia puāwai āna mahi. Hei tā Anne-Marie ki āna akonga, “Pērā i ōku tīpuna i whakawhiti i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, me whai koutou i ngā taumata tiketike – mā koutou tonu tō koutou ake ara e para, e whakatutuki”.
Ko te whānau te pūtake o āna mahi whakaako. Ka whakapau ia i tōna kaha ki te whāngai i ngā akonga ki ngā momo wheako rerekē i waenga i te hapori. Kua whakamihia e ngā akonga tāna pepa e whakatū ana i ngā tūranga mō ngā akonga i roto tonu i te hapori, hei tā tētahi, “Tino pai ki a au, he hōnore nui anō, taku mahi i te taha o taku rōpū ā-hapori...”.
Hei tā Anne-Marie, ko te kaupapa matua o āna mahi whakaako, ko ngā mahi rangahau whai kounga e hāpai ana i ngā tūmanako me ngā wawata o ngā hapori Māori. Whai muri mai i tana whakawhiwhinga ki te huhua o ngā tohu tara ā-whare, ka whakawhiwhia ia ki te University of Otago Kaupapa Māori Teaching Award i te tau 2019 me te Royal Society Te Apārangi Te Kōpūnui Māori Research Award hei whakamihi i te rangatira o āna mahi whakaako mā ngā akonga paetahi.
“The kaupapa matua is the central purpose of why we’re here – in this class, and in the world, and that is mauri ora. Mauri ora is flourishing wellness.”
Associate Professor Anne-Marie Jackson is a phenomenally passionate teacher. She helped establish and co-leads Te Koronga, the centre of excellence for Māori graduate research and indigenous science.
Anne-Marie sets a standard of excellence for all her students and provides an “āhuru mōwai” (safe harbour) where they can learn, feel safe to make mistakes, be nurtured and flourish. “Like my ancestors who intentionally navigated here across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the vast Pacific Ocean, I expect you to be great, and to navigate your own pathway and destiny”, she tells them.
She places whānau at the centre of teaching and learning and works tirelessly to provide students with a range of community-based experiences. Her new paper offering community internships received very positive feedback from students, “I have loved and valued working with my community group ...”.
Anne-Marie states that her purpose as a scholar is focusing on Māori research excellence that uplifts the hopes and aspirations of Māori communities. Following numerous internal awards, she received the University of Otago Kaupapa Māori Teaching Award in 2019 and the Royal Society Te Apārangi Te Kōpūnui Māori Research Award, in part for her leadership in graduate student excellence.