Dr Sophie Nock is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Waikato. In 2012 she received an award for Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching in a Kaupapa Māori context.
Sophie says, 'A language cannot survive in a vacuum – it needs to be spoken.' It was passion for te Reo Māori that first got Sophie into teaching. As a ‘guardian of language and culture’ she has successfully ignited that same passion in the New Zealand and international students she has taught over the past 12 years. Her teaching is grounded in Kaupapa Māori and students are at the centre of her teaching. She creates a 'community' of learning, encouraging a culture of sharing. Her teaching style is one of 'encouragement, challenging, but never overwhelming' and her students speak highly of her and trust her as an educator.
As a 'good role model' she actively engages in research to enhance her teaching and sets high standards for herself and her students. Sophie ignites in her students a passion for learning and they leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation for te Reo Māori and a sense that the learning experience has been a koha or a gift.
Biographical sources
- https://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/ako-aotearoa/ako-aotearoa/resources/pages/sophie-nock-ttea-citation-2012 18 October 2016
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https://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/community/ako-aotearoa-academy-tertiary-teaching-excellence/resources/pages/sophie-nock-%E2%80%93-tertiary-teaching-excellence-teaching- 18 October 2016
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http://www.waikato.ac.nz/fmis/about/staff/sophnock 18 October 2016
Non-fiction
- "The teaching and learning of te reo Māori in a higher education context: Intensive fast track immersion versus gradual progressive language exposure." He Puna Kōrero - Journal of Māori & Pacific Development 7.1 (2006): 48-62.
- "Exploring synergies between Māori pedagogy and communicative language teaching." He Puna Kōrero - Journal of Māori & Pacific Development 10.1 (2009): 17-28.
- Co-author W. Crombie.
- "Te reo Māori - Māori language revitalization." Endangered Austronesian and Australian Aboriginal languages: essays on language documentation, archiving and revitalization. Ed. G. Senft. Pacific Linguistics, the Australian National University, 2010, pp. 183-194.
- "Participant responses to a tertiary-level Māori language immersion programme: Reporting on a questionnaire-based survey." He Puna Kōrero - Journal of Māori & Pacific Development 11.2 (2010): 53-76.
- "Ngā āhuatanga o ngā momo tohu ki te Māori." Te Kōtihitihi - Ngā Tuhinga Reo Māori 2 (2012): 57-65.
- "Using the curriculum guidelines for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in years 1-13 of New Zealand schools to create lessons for young learners." He Puna Kōrero - Journal of Māori & Pacific Development 10.2 (2009): 32-46.
- Co-author D. Johnson.
Theses
- "Te whakaako i te reo Māori i te kura auraki tuarua i Aotearoa nei: Kei tua o te awe mapere/ The teaching of te reo Māori in English-medium secondary schools in New Zealand: Beyond the mask." PhD Thesis, University of Waikato, 2014.