First Year PCT Programme
(for Teachers who Teach 4-8 Year Students)

Course Programme

All sessions (excluding Zoom Meetings) will run between 9.30am and 2.30pm.

The structure of each session will follow this daily format:

9.30am – 10.15am Mentoring Time – burning issues, reflection, inquiry, next steps, goal setting, networking, collegial collaboration

10.15am – 10.30am Morning Tea

10.30am – 12.30pm Content Facilitation

12.30pm – 1.00pm Lunch

1.00pm – 2.30pm Content Facilitation, reflection.

Session 1: Getting Started!

Thursday 12 February 2026 9.30am – 2.30pm
Session 1 - Getting Started with beginning teachers

Teacher Hauora/Wellbeing;
Information about the Induction and Mentoring Programme and working towards full certification in alignment with the current Teaching Council criteria and your own school's procedures;
Creating safe and effective classroom/learning environments and management/organisation;
Student engagement and developing connected, positive relationships – some 'starter off' behaviour management strategies;
Promoting/embedding a growth mindset, wellbeing and mindfulness approach;
Student emotional regulation;
Teachers to participate in circle time training and drama activities to develop empathy, cohesiveness, cooperation and collaboration with their own students.

Presented by Jo Williams

Session 2: Guidance and Practical Ideas around your Reading/Literacy Programme

Thursday 05 March 2026 9.30am – 2.30pm
Session 2 - Reading session

Current information around the literacy curriculum;
Discussions around the science of reading/structured literacy;
Exploring teaching approaches in schools;
Being explicit and systematic in the teaching of reading;
Integrating literacy across the curriculum;
Purposeful reading responses and activities for students;
Strategies, skills and reading tips;
Resources and useful websites.

Presented by Saga Vaisagote-Frost

Session 3: Developing Positive and Meaningful Relationships: A Continual Work in Progress

Thursday 26 March 2026 10.30am – 12.30pm Zoom Meeting
Teachers starting back - classroom setup and organisation

How are you going?

This session is a debrief, reflection and review of your previous two sessions. We recognise that in Term 1 the Getting Started session and the Reading session for first year beginning teachers is a lot of information to take on board.

This zoom meeting allows teachers to discuss their practice so far and provides an opportunity to ask questions, gain clarification, add and enhance ideas already shared.

We will return to some behaviour management strategies and reflect on how developing positive, meaningful student relationships is a continual progression.

Presented by Jo Williams

Session 4: Developing a Structured, Balanced, Highly Effective and Engaging Mathematics Programme

Thursday 14 May 2026 9.30am – 2.30pm

Unpack the learning progressions within the Refreshed New Zealand Curriculum;
Focus on developing a balanced programme that incorporates and compliments explicit teaching with a real life, authentic problem solving approach in mathematics;
Explore how to develop students' collaboration skills, mathematical stamina and resilience when working as mathematicians;
Focus on developing students' mathematical communication skills.

Presented by Lucie Cheeseman

Session 4 - Maths session with Lucie Cheeseman

Session 5: Essential Elements of a Well Balanced and Engaging Writing Programme

Thursday 11 June 2026 9.30am – 2.30pm

What an effective writing teacher does;
Practical tools and strategies to build teacher confidence;
Assessment for Learning techniques to ensure student progress in writing;
How to put it together into a cohesive plan.

Presented by Nicky Fleming

Session 5 - Writing Programme

Session 6: Integrating More Te Reo and Aotearoa New Zealand's Histories (ANZH) in the Mainstream Classroom

Thursday 06 August 2026 9.30am – 2.30pm

Developing teacher confidence and knowledge around Māori language and pronunciation;
Knowing the expectation that Māori histories are part of the local curriculum/marau ā-kura in every school and kura; giving new teachers an opportunity to explore the Aotearoa New Zealand's Histories (ANZH) content using the Understand, Know, Do elements and the progressions model;
Understand that content is integrated into the refreshed te ao tangata/ social sciences learning area in Te Mātaiaho/the refreshed New Zealand curriculum and how this translates in the classroom and wider school;
Introducing te reo Māori activities, waiata, resources and the best websites.

Presented by Raewyn Flynn

Session 6 - Te Reo Māori session

Session 7: Delving into Science (STEM): Student Engagement Through Science and an Integrated Curriculum

Thursday 03 September 2026 9.30am – 2.30pm
Session 7 - Science (STEM) session

This session will demonstrate fun, hands-on exploration and investigation activities that teachers can implement in their own learning settings. By looking through a science lens, we are able to harness children's innate curiosity leading to their engagement.

We will explore how we can foster a student's sense of wonder and develop early inquiry, questioning and thinking skills. We also know that science is an ideal platform for oral language and writing experiences. There will be opportunities in the day to explore ideas for STEM through websites, resources and further readings and to make links with other curriculum areas.

Presented by Graham Cox

Session 8: Nature in Education – Sensory and Mindfulness Activities to Explore the Outdoors with Links to Te Ao Māori

Thursday 29 October 2026 9.30am – 2.30pm
Session 8 - Outdoors education

This practical and hands on session will affirm the value of education outside the classroom. It will emphasize the importance of nature from a Māori perspective, through eco-systems, conservation and nature, whilst providing teachers with a range of activities linked to science, literacy and art.

This session will add practical sensory experiences to your kete, offering mindfulness and well-being opportunities.

Presented by Virginia Best

Session 9: Dyslexia – A Guide to Recognising and Understanding the Dyslexic Students in Your Class / Programme Conclusion

Wednesday 18 November 2026 (please note change of day to Wednesday) 10.30am – 12.30pm Final Zoom Meeting
Jo Williams - Lead Facilitator

What have you observed this year about your students and their various learning styles?

What have you noticed about your students' thinking and questioning tendencies?

What have you noticed about the processing abilities of individual students?

Have you recognised that there have been dyslexic students in your learning environment this year? You may have sought advice from colleagues/RTLB members to help you put certain strategies into place. Or you may have taken it upon yourself to follow your own line of research.

This zoom workshop endeavours to clarify some of the questions you may have around dyslexia. It will be a practical, straight-talking and illuminating session providing a succinct and holistic insight into the dyslexic student, and give teachers some common indicators of what to look out for and how best to meet the learning and emotional needs of dyslexic students.

Teachers who have recognised and understood dyslexic students in their class are able to pass on valuable information to the student's next teacher so that their learning and emotional needs continue to be met rather than the possibility of them 'flying under the radar' or giving up on school altogether.

Presented by Jo Williams

Enrol & Contact

If you are interested in a programme, are wanting to enrol, or have more questions
please call Alison Miller 027 544 2924 or Jo Williams 021 178 1672, or use this form to contact us.

If you are 'the' person registering 'on' behalf of a teacher please add your name, role and email address