5 W’s and 1H: A reflection on educational leadership through my Pasifika lens

There is a need for greater implementation of culturally aligned leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand. Classrooms in Aotearoa New Zealand have a range of students from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds; therefore, principles of leadership need to be culturally responsive. School charters need to reflect their diverse community and needs, in particular the needs of Tangata Whenua. As educators leading inquiry in our classrooms, we often use the structural framework of what, why, when, where, who and how to explore a topic and gain knowledge. In this manuscript I employ this same framework as a means of inquiring into my own practice as an educator and the experiences that have shaped my own journey to where I am now, as a tumuaki (principal) in Aotearoa, or a Pasifika school principal. Through the process of self-reflection, this article shares my journey as I navigated the space as a tumuaki in Aotearoa, outlining my own experience of culturally aligned leadership and how this influences my leadership as a Pacific principal.