I recently attended the Te Kotahitanga Voices Conference 2008. It was the best professional development I have had in my entire teaching career, I am still on a learning high from it. The conference "awakened the giant within" to quote Anthony Robbins, to the absolute gift I have as an agent of proactive change in a Mainstream New Zealand Secondary School with a predominantly maori population and with strong need to raise the achievement levels of maori students to an equitable standard. When what needs to be done is on the tip of the tongue, turn to books such as culture speaks, listen to the voices of the students and you will be empowered by the conversations from all stakeholders, especially the rangatahi. I found this an easy read as I am the maori learner within it's pages, both engaged and disengaged, a parent, a learning leader and a teacher, I have taken on each one of these roles over the years. I found it extremely useful as a teacher to read and absorb the rich written descriptions told by the tamariki of "the ideal teacher". Well done Russell Bishop, Mere Berryman and the Te Kotahitanga team. We look to your fold with the envy of the Martians in War of the Worlds and ask the universe to hasten the day when Lytton High School is a Te Kotahitanga school and Tairawhiti a Te Kotahitanga region. Thank you for having the vision to open up your conference to approving onlookers such as myself and having fantastic books like this one available to purchase. ( )