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Kris Tajima

  • Island: Oahu
  • District: Central
  • Class: EL Coordinator
  • Years of Teaching: 29
  • Field/Office: Kauluwela Elementary
  • Complex Area: Kaimukī-McKinley-Roosevelt (KMR)
  • Home Town: Honolulu, Hawaii

What do you love about teaching in Hawaiʻi?

I love the weather, I do not like the cold, but Hawaii does have subtle changes in weather. I also love working with our local students as well as our staff, we all share that sense of ALOHA. Lastly, I love working under one large department, where I can exchange ideas with other educators, and having the ability to transfer to different schools and not have it affect my benefits.

What do you value as a strength of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education?

I truly value the Hawaiʻi Department of Education because our entire staff is deeply committed to our students. Our islands are a beautiful melting pot of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds, and despite these differences, we unite for the sake of our keiki. We believe in the saying that “it takes a village to raise a child,” requiring a collaborative effort from families, communities, and leadership to build a strong system. Throughout my career across various schools, the ultimate goal has always been providing the best possible education. While educators may disagree on specific issues, we consistently find common ground in supporting our students and focusing on shared objectives.

What do you value as a strength of your particular school or office? What is your complex area known for?

What I value in working in the Kaimuki, McKinley, and Roosevelt Complex area is the support that our complex area provides for our EL learners. Our complex area has the most EL students, but at the same time the complex area provides so many professional development opportunities, many of which are FREE! The guidance that the complex area provides for EL teachers and non EL teachers is very supportive and has clear goals and objectives.

What is unique/special about your school and/or community? What do you enjoy most about teaching there?

What I love most about teaching in my community is how grateful the students and families are. They truly appreciate everything you do for them. Our students have such big hearts, are caring toward others, and for the most part, are very respectful. It makes being part of this community really special.

What are 2 main challenges you face (or you feel teachers face) as an educator in Hawaiʻi?

I think that one challenge that teachers face living in Hawaii is the cost of living. If you are local to the islands and can live with your parents when you first start teaching then it is okay, but if you need to pay rent and other expenses with a teacher’s starting salary, it is difficult.

What are the qualities that make a Hawaiʻi Department of Education educator successful? Explain.

The qualities that make a Hawaii Department of Education educator successful is to be open minded. Being open minded will allow the educator to be constantly learning. There are so many methods, researched materials, strategies, and theories, which are all so very great, but to think that this one is the best and you will not be open to other ways of doing things will be difficult for an educator to grow.

What words would you use to describe your students? Explain.

Kauluwela Elementary School serves approximately 380 to 450 public school students in grades Pre-K through 5. Race & Ethnicity: Minority enrollment is 99%. The student body is predominantly composed of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students (around 62%) and Asian students (around 15%). Socioeconomic Status: Roughly 88% to 89% of the student body comes from low-income families, qualifying Kauluwela as a high-poverty Title I school.

Free time: What are some fun activities that people can enjoy doing outside school hours on the island that you work at?

Some fun activities that you can do is a lot of ocean activities such as swimming, surfing, kayaking. A growing sport is pickleball, there are indoor and outdoor courts. Another fun activity that you can do is line dancing at a couple of venues in town.

Free time: What are some fun activities that you personally enjoy doing on the island or complex area/neighborhood you work in?

Some fun activities that I enjoy are working out at the YMCA, as well as going Line Dancing. There are a couple of great hiking trails you can do, like Koko Head or Makapuu Lighthouse.

What’s your favorite local food on your island? -OR- Where’s your favorite place to eat on the island? Describe the food!

Some of my favorite places to eat are Old Spaghetti Factory, Rainbow Drive Inn, and pizza.

What are some housing tips that you could recommend for teachers relocating to Hawaiʻi?

Although the island is very small in comparison to other states, the traffic is very heavy and could take a person 1 – 2 hours to drive 20 miles. Try to find a roommate or other educators that you could share a place with and do not enter in a lease in case you transfer schools.

What advice would you give to a new teacher who wants to work in your complex area or for the Hawaiʻi DOE in general?

If you would like to work in the Kaimuki McKinley Roosevelt Complex, be ready to teach a lot of students who have English as a Second Language.