Teacher Development Aotearoa
The Teachers’ Refresher Course Committee (T.R.C.C.) ran its inaugural refresher course on the North Island in Feilding and the South Island in Christchurch in January of 1945.
It was partially funded by the Education Department and was organised by departmental inspectors, training college representatives, and a committee of dedicated teachers. Its aim was to make registration available to any teacher, ensure the course was practical and meaningful, and allow time for informal discussions amongst peers, as noted in the programme:
The best specialists, lecturers, discussion leaders, and teachers available are being invited to introduce discussions on various topics, and there will, in addition, be ample opportunity for teachers in general to pool their ideas and experience.
The fostering of community and collaboration with specialist and expert teachers supporting their peers. So were the foundations of T.R.C.C., a ‘for teachers, by teachers’ Social Studies course for post-primary teachers with history, geography, civics and economics on the agenda.
In 2021, as we celebrate 75 years of operation (with 2020 celebrations deferred due to Covid-19) and mark the milestone with a rebrand, it seems rather fitting to have supported the Aotearoa Social Studies Educators’ Network’s Middle Leadership course and the New Zealand History Teachers’ Association Conference this year. It also seems timely in our new role as the Network Hub, to see these two associations, alongside Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Art Educators, receive NEX funding to support the implementation of the new Aotearoa New Zealand's Histories curriculum.
Looking back on our own history, we see traditions embedded in our work and new ones taking hold as we look to the future. We continue to stay grounded in our thinking as an organisation, which is shaped by our founder Dr Clarence Beeby's vision of fair and equitable education for all, and responsive, inclusive lifelong professional development for all kaiako and teachers.
Despite the changes that have occurred since we began: to the education system, to governmental shifts in priorities and to funding of PLD, we have continued to work in partnership with the Ministry of Education, teacher unions, and expert kaiako and teachers and remain committed to our origins in the 'for teachers, by teachers' model.
This year we have embarked on a rebranding project, which has taken us on a journey of discovery sessions aimed at understanding where we come from, who we are and what we value, what we do for kaiako and teachers and how it is we wish to be represented.
Throughout this process, we have grounded our thinking in our history, our bicultural approach, and our uara/values which guide and focus our efforts as an organisation.
What has remained unchanged is our connection to our roots and the 'for kaiako, by kaiako' approach that has shaped the entire rebranding process.
That all kaiako and teachers matter.
That those on the ground understand how to meet the needs of their community.
That cross-sector partnership and collaboration builds a stronger and more resilient community of educators.
That we put our faith in expert kaiako and teachers.
That we value teacher autonomy in determining their own professional learning and development journey.
That we remain committed to lifelong learning 'for kaiako, by kaiako'.
As a not-for-profit organisation that has been around since 1945, we want to continue being part of the PLD system and we want to continually evolve to meet the needs of those kaiako and teachers we have the privilege of working around.
We are for kaiako, by kaiako and proudly introduce ourselves as Teacher Development Aotearoa!
