To represent my personal philosophy of teaching and learning, I have drawn inspiration from Māori beliefs and the native forests of New Zealand, in particular of the deployment of the koru and the symbolism it represents. and the guardianship of Tane Mahuta. For me, using this context provides an authentic and relevant framework upon which to build my personal metaphor for teaching and learning. The koru is an iconic emblem of New Zealand; with its spiral shape slowly unfolding to become the majestic silver fern and Punga. Symbolizing a new life, the koru represents perpetual growth and movement while retaining its inner shell as a point of origin (Te Awa, 2014), to me this embodies a learner and their educational journey. When a student begins their schooling, they are like a tightly coiled koru, and as they develop through their years of study, they gain the tools and knowledge to become powerful Punga trees. The perpetual growth and movement symbolized by the koru is for me the perfect metaphor to represent the key New Zealand curriculum skill of lifelong learning (Ministry of Education 2007). Lifelong learning is particularly important to me and this comes from a young age where I benefited from a family and school environment where I was encouraged to follow my passions and areas of interest. This support created in me a thirst for knowledge that continues today as I complete my graduate studies. During my teaching experience, this belief was reinforced when students were given the opportunity to follow their own passions. Students then leveraged these opportunities to evolve what was a “simple” lunchtime experiment into a larger student construct...... middle of article...... Excerpt from http://www.kaitiakitanga.net/stories/ origins%20research.htm.Ministry of Education. (2007). New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. New Zealand Teachers' Council. (2004) Code of Ethics for Registered Teachers. Retrieved March 17, 2014 from http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/required/ethics/codeofethics.stmRoyal-Tangaere, A. (1997). Māori human development learning theory. In P. Te Whaiti, M. McCarthy & A. Durie (Eds.), Mai I Rangiatea: Māori wellbeing and development (pp. 46–59). Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University Press. Smith, C. (2005). Demonstrate positive values. In M. Cole (Ed.) Professional Attributes and Practice (pp. 48-63) Oxford: RoutledgeTe Awa. (2014) Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, History: Māori Creation Traditions. Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/2422/the-koru.