2022 Te Whatu Kairangi Awardees

Ako Aotearoa is delighted to share with you the nine awardees for Te Whatu Kairangi 2022 – the Aotearoa Tertiary Educator Awards.

Te Whatu Kairangi Awardee Profiles 2022

Carolyn Gates

Prime Minister’s Educator of the Year Award 2022

Talented and passionate about her discipline and her students, Carolyn describes how “considerable self-reflection on the many challenges faced during [her] first few years in clinical practice” has also shaped her approach.

A legend guiding great vets of the future.

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Rachel Hinekiwi Keziah Dibble

Te Whatu Kairangi Award | Kaupapa Māori

Rachel’s teaching philosophy is to ‘create spaces’ for tauira Māori and tangata Tiriti to experience ‘seeing themselves’, and by doing so, they see and experience opportunities to learn and grow.

“A personal and professional tenacity resounding in teaching excellence.” 

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Jamie Smiler

Te Whatu Kairangi Award | Kaupapa Māori

Inspired by the work of some of Aotearoa’s strongest kaupapa Māori academics, there is no doubt that Jamie is passionate about ākonga Māori success.

“One ākonga at a time.”

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Dr Marcia Leenen-Young

Te Whatu Kairangi Award and Pacific Endorsement

Marcia is not just a great teacher, she is also a great leader whose words match her actions in authentic ways that are believable for her students.

“Pacific values guide this ‘special kind of teacher'.”

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Patrick Vakaoti

Te Whatu Kairangi Award and Pacific Endorsement

Patrick's praxis emphasises how when humility and Pacific values are at the heart of fostering student relationships, learner success and transferable skills naturally flow. 

“Humility at the heart of fostering student relationships.” 

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Eileen Britt

Te Whatu Kairangi Award

Eileen exemplifies working collaboratively and in meaningful partnerships. The vehicle she uses to achieve this is Motivational Interviewing (MI), a strengths-based guided conversation technique.

“Crossing boundaries and building strong partnerships.”

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David Cox

Te Whatu Kairangi Award

David's success is evidenced by increasing pass rates, better results for Māori and Pacific learners, and the testimonies of his learners, their whānau, and his peers.

Excelling at the teaching job he loves. 

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Richard Easther

Te Whatu Kairangi Award

Richard’s creativity and innovation have fundamentally changed the student learning experience, including creating a new Studio teaching space that is now “at the heart of the programme.” 

“Helping others to aim for the stars.” 

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Christian Schott

Te Whatu Kairangi Award

Christian’s teaching and learning approach is centred on student needs with a passionate emphasis on experiential forms of learning that bridge theory and practice. 

“Leading the VR experience in tourism teaching and learning.”

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