A new model for teacher training: St Cuthbert’s welcomes the University of Waikato School-Based Teacher Trainee Programme Rob Griffiths, Head of Faculty: Languages is the mentor managing our four trainee teachers. He explains what the SchoolBased Teacher Trainee Programme is all about.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Briar Lawry, Tom Rutledge, Elly Wang, Rob Griffiths.
I am thrilled to be a part of the School-Based Teacher Trainee Programme, which was devised by a group of 12 Auckland Principals in partnership with the University of Waikato with our College Principal Justine, a key driver of this with her previous experience as a senior lecturer at the former Auckland College of Education. The programme, conceived in Level 4 Lockdown last year, was born out of a desire to attract high quality individuals into the teaching profession while supporting them through their training and ultimately retaining them at their school. The Trainee Programme is also predicated on quite a different model to traditional teacher training which is based primarily at a university for theoretical learning and then in schools for short blocks of professional experience. This programme essentially reverses the model so that the trainees are based primarily within a school for the entire year, experiencing the classroom and working alongside a teacher from the first day. It is essentially like an apprenticeship model, based on the belief that the best learning happens within the teaching and classroom environment. During the year, the trainees complete
online work through the University of Waikato, which provides a theoretical basis to underpin their practical experiences within the classroom. They are considered to be a staff member and so attend meetings, participate in co-curricular activities, accompany students on trips, and so on. Most importantly, they can develop a more profound relationship with a few classes over an entire year which is not possible in the practicum block placements of the traditional teacher training programme. There was huge interest in the programme from a wide range of people from all different backgrounds and rich life experiences. Within the programme across the Auckland schools, there is a former Air New Zealand aircraft engineer, someone who served in the Swiss Army, someone with a background in the New Zealand media industry and others with fascinating subject combinations such as Te Reo M ori, Modern Dance, Music and Chemistry, among others. There was a shortlisting process followed by interviews and final selection. This again, completely different from regular teacher training programmes whereby trainees are allocated to schools at random. We were particularly impressed by our trainees’ motivation for entering the profession, especially when it might have involved a courageous career change. We were also impressed by their life experiences and professional backgrounds before choosing to pursue a career in secondary school teaching. We feel that this will give an added perspective to their teaching and provide another dimension to their classroom as well as enrichening the lives of our own students. The trainees will initially shadow a teacher and observe their classes while being involved behind the scenes with lesson planning and conversations about effective pedagogy. St Cuthbert’s has four trainees this year: Louise Fisher, Briar Lawry, Elly Wang and Tom Rutledge. We are very excited to have them as a part of our school community. Let’s meet them…
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