To me, technology education is about exploring what students are genuinely interested in. Students are not passive recipients of knowledge but active constructors of it, especially through moments of cognitive conflict. Teaching is not transmitting fixed knowledge, it's engaging with the world through doing, reflecting, and growing.

This plays out through an iterative cycle: inquiry, ideation, prototyping, evaluation. Iteration is the core lesson, it shows students a first attempt is meant to be imperfect, and the value lies in what they learn from it. It shifts their mindset from "did I get it right?" to "what do I improve next?", a habit that extends beyond the classroom. Each cycle also connects new learning to what students already know.

Teaching in Aotearoa carries a unique responsibility. As a migrant teacher, I stay attentive to cultural representation and to where it's been overlooked,recognising that some curriculum content is Western-centric by default, and critically examining the hidden curriculum that comes with it. I actively bring cultural elements into projects and assignments, creating space to celebrate different cultures rather than treat one as the default.