Whānau ako—Professional learning community

Student teachers will be in a Whānau Ako or a professional learning community, led by a Kaiārahi and will closely involve their associate teacher.

A key feature of Te Waharoa, particularly Ngā Maihi, is student teachers’ involvement in two overlapping communities of expertise: Kainga Akopai/Host Schools and Victoria University of Wellington/Te Herenga Waka.

A Venn diagram with Kāinga Akopai communities of expertise, e.g. parents, whānau, specialist staff, teaching teams, Associate Teachers on the left, Te Herenga Waka communities of expertise e.g. course coordinators, lecturers, research seminars, Kaiārahi, Visiting Lecturers on the right and Whānau Ako in the middle where the two circles overlap. — A Venn diagram of two circles overlapping in the middle with Kāinga Akopai communites of expertise on the left, which is parents, whānau and community expertise, specialist staff and services, teaching teams, Kāhui Ako, professional associations, and associate teachers. In the middle is Whānau Ako. On the right is Te Herenga Waka communities of expertise which is course coordinators and lecturers, research seminars, learning support kaiārahi, and visiting lecturers.

Whānau Ako, or professional learning communities, exist at the intersection of these two communities of expertise and closely involve the triad of the student teacher, their associate teacher, and their kaiārahi. Kaiārahi lead Whānau Ako of up to 15 student teachers in regular face-to-face and zoom meetings throughout the year, including during full-time professional practice.

In the one-year graduate programmes, whānau ako groups are etablished at the beginning of the year and hui occur throughout the year.

In the 3-year Bachelor of Education (Tchg) ECE, whānau ako develop over the three years, and take a different form each year. In Year 1, the focus is primarily on student teachers’ transition to the university context, rather than on wider professional learning communities. The first year experience (FYE) programme, built around the principles of Te Whāriki, establishes student teachers’ academic and professional identities. At Ngā Mihi, student teachers are introduced to the underpinning principles of the programme and begin community building within the cohort. A one-hour session takes place each week alongside timetabled classes, with other FYE activities integrated within classes as part of planned learning activities.

Through the FYE programme, students are supported to:

see themselves, and engage as, life-long learners.
be comfortable in seeking advice and support from others so they can be better teachers.
recognise that to support others they need to take care of their own wellbeing.
be committed to becoming the best teachers that they can be.

In Years 2 and 3, professional learning communities will form part of the Ako programme strand.

Whānau Ako support Te Ara Hāpai, student teachers’ growing professional identities and capabilities of reflexivity, adaptive expertise, and ethical sensitivity through:

Exploring the challenges and opportunities in teaching and learning to teach.
Encouraging the de-privatisation of teaching practices and providing a safe and supportive environment to reflect on progress towards, and set goals for, meeting the teaching standards.
Cross-contextualising course themes and enabling understanding and integration of the theoretical and pedagogical underpinnings of teaching practices.
Comparing and evaluating different learning environments and pedagogical approaches they experience in their learning contexts.
Providing mentoring and regular cycles of reflection and goal setting to personalise professional practices.

Kaiārahi are a lead point of contact for student teachers for matters related to teaching advice, supported by the programme director and Education Professional Practice and Partnerships Office (EPPPO).

Members of Whānau Ako collaborate via professional practice visits, regular email contact, reflection and goal-setting meetings between the student teacher, associate teacher and kaiārahi, and associate teacher hui.