MY STORY
Lynn Rupe
Lynn Rupe
Founder | Kaiārahi | Professional Marveller
I am a daughter, a māmā, a nana, a friend, a photographer, a collector of ideas and someone who has spent much of her life curious about people, learning and what becomes possible when we see things a little differently.
I grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara and am Pākehā, with Scottish ancestry woven through my whakapapa. My parents, Rod Ross and Elspeth Hutcheson, and the generations who came before them have shaped much of who I am. I often think of myself as the product of generations of love, and I carry with me the kindness, courage, resilience and curiosity that I saw in those who came before me.
My sons and mokopuna are an important part of my world and have also influenced the way I think about education. They remind me that tamariki arrive with histories, identities, relationships, strengths and possibilities already with them. Our role is not to decide who they should become, but to create the conditions that allow them to flourish as themselves.
Lynn’s Journey
My mahi
I have worked alongside kaiako and leaders in early childhood education for more than 20 years, as a facilitator, mentor and thinking partner.
Over those years I have become increasingly interested not simply in what we do as educators, but in why we do it.
What do we notice? What assumptions sit beneath our decisions? Whose perspective might we be missing? What happens when we become curious rather than certain? And what might become possible if we look again?
These are the kinds of questions that sit at the heart of my work.
I don't believe professional learning is about someone arriving with all the answers. I believe it begins with relationships and with creating space to reflect on practice, get curious, explore possibilities and grow.
Sometimes that means affirming what is already working. Sometimes it means noticing something we hadn't noticed before. And sometimes it means being open to learning that there may be another way.Why Educating Hearts and Minds
I founded Educating Hearts and Minds because I wanted to create professional learning that connected, relational and authentic.
Learning that begins with people rather than programmes.
Learning that makes room for conversation, curiosity, uncertainty, reflection and possibility.
Learning that recognises that kaiako and leaders bring knowledge, experience and wisdom with them — and that meaningful change is more likely to grow through thinking with people than telling them what to do.
That philosophy continues to shape the way I mentor, facilitate wānanga and work alongside teaching teams today.
I am still endlessly fascinated by this mahi. I love the moment when a conversation opens up a new possibility, when someone pauses and says, “I hadn't thought about it like that before,” or when something we have been pondering together begins to show up differently in practice.
I notice. I wonder. I ask questions. I get curious.
And after all these years, I am still learning too.
A whakataukī I carry with me
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
My strength is not mine alone, but comes from the collective.
For me, that captures much of what Educating Hearts and Minds is about. None of us grows practice alone. We grow through relationships, through conversation, through the perspectives of others, and through the people who walk alongside us.
Lynn’s contact email - Lynn@educatingheartsandminds.com
Ehara taku toa,i te toa takitahi,engari he toa takitini.
My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success, but success of a collective. Cooperation of many can bring best results.