He ‘aʻaliʻi kū makani mai au; ʻaʻohe makani nana e kulaʻi: Caring for our ʻaʻaliʻi--The critical role of teacher climate in community schools

• In Event: I ulu no ka lālā i ke kumu: Grounded histories, growing thriving communities, schools and families.

Abstract

Purpose and Framework. For a community school to flourish, the trunk must be strong. Teachers are a vital part of that trunk, steadying the whole as the branches of programs, partnerships, and ʻohana extend outward. As the ʻōlelo noʻeau reminds us, He ‘aʻaliʻi kū makani mai au; ʻaʻohe makani nana e kulaʻi, they must also be like the resilient ʻaʻaliʻi—withstanding the fiercest winds while rooted in ʻāina. Teachers buffer the traumas of their communities, absorbing hardship while striving to protect and nurture students. Their resilience is not automatic; it must be cultivated through supportive climates, belonging, and culturally grounded practices.
Theoretical Framework. Grounded in Hawaiʻi Indigenous values and ʻike kūpuna, this study examines how teacher climate and belonging contribute to community school success. Guided by pilina, aloha, Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ), and Ecological Systems Theory, we consider how teachers function as both part of the trunk and resilient ʻaʻaliʻi: anchoring stability while bending without breaking.
Methods. This mixed methods, longitudinal study draws on repeated teacher dispositional surveys during and after the COVID 19 pandemic, complemented by focus groups and interviews across five rural schools in a Hawaiʻi culture based community school initiative. Surveys measured burnout, flourishing, belonging, and knowledge of community resources, alongside readiness for community school practices. Analyses included correlations, paired t tests, and ANOVA to examine change over time and across schools, with further modeling anticipated as the dataset expands. Qualitative insights deepened understanding of how trauma informed, culture based professional development shaped teachers’ capacity to connect ʻohana to resources and sustain community school work.
Findings. Schools consistently implementing culture based trauma informed practices and schools committed to embodying HĀ reported decreased burnout, stronger belonging, and increased flourishing among teachers. These educators also showed greater readiness for community school programming and capacity to connect ʻohana with supports. Outcomes were strongest in schools with sustained participation, underscoring the importance of stability and consistency in place based practice. Qualitative findings shed light on how culture and place based professional development enhanced these outcomes, illuminating the connection between teacher climate, belonging, and the strengthening of community school initiatives. Together, the findings suggest that when teachers are supported as part of the trunk, they embody the resilience of the ʻaʻaliʻi—withstanding the strongest winds while anchoring the growth of thriving, abundant community schools.
Scholarly Significance. This paper affirms that thriving community schools depend on a strong trunk, within which teachers embody the resilience of the ʻaʻaliʻi. When educators are supported through culturally grounded, trauma informed practices, they become anchors of flourishing for students, ʻohana, and communities—holding steady while withstanding the strongest winds.

Author

• Margary Martin, University of Hawai'i at Hilo