Lilli (Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Tūwharetoa), a former te reo Māori teacher, is now teaching te reo from her room at Te Hopai Home and Hospital in Newtown, Wellington. She finds this environment better than the classroom, teaching one-on-one with no specific structure.

The rest home's diversional therapist, Marianne Kerridge is one of her students.   Marianne had found learning te reo Māori a hard thing to do but Lilli has taught her to have the courage to say words and feel its okay if you don't know something, as long as you go out there and give it a go.

Lilli does not use a whiteboard or make presentations for her classes, she does use printed cards and posters called Kiko Reo created by her daughter, Lana and granddaughter, Roma.  Kiko Reo is still in the works and would likely be available for people and schools next year.

Preparing for her one-to-one lessons keeps her on her toes and keeps her mind active.  Once a teacher, always a teacher.

By Mandy Te, 21 September 2021, Stuff online news