Māori language has been a part of my upbringing, and I aspire to being fluent. It wasn't an option for me to learn at school and so I am attending a night class at the moment, and doing my own study as well, through the Korero Mai tv show and resources provided by the Ministry of Education. I would also like to use more te Reo in the classroom - I am always increasing my use, and would love to speak only te Reo with the children. I teach preschoolers and at this age they absorb languages and so it's a great time to bring more vocabulary in to their lives. This is the heritage of our land and it is so important to embrace both te Reo and tikanga as part of being a New Zealander.