School structures, role expectations and culture vary, so the staff you work with may differ from one setting to another. Whanaungatanga sits at the centre of these working relationships and should guide how you begin and sustain them, even where it is not explicitly named below.

3.2 Whanaungatanga

This is a core Māori concept that refers to the relationship between people. The aim is a deep, reciprocal kinship-style relationship that is focused on mutual care. This is multi-faceted and can look different in your specific setting, but is actively constructed over time. To do this, you must engage in whakawhanaungatanga (activities that build whanaungatanga).

Here is some further information on whakawhanaungatanga that can help you in this process.

3.3 Who might I work with, and what challenges might there be?

Experienced teachers who have requested support: these teachers may need additional kindness and support at this time. If a teacher is asking for support in their practice, they may also be experiencing increased and complex emotions about needing support. While you can help with their practice, you should ensure that you are also putting them in touch with other support if they need it. Please see the further discussion here (link to ‘setting boundaries section below).

3.3.2 PCTs (Provisionally Certified Teachers)

You may be working directly with PCTs to help ensure effective practice. You should not be their only support system but should be part of a team which includes a PCT coordinator. Your school should have a broad framework for their progress over their time as a PCT, which can be tailored or scaffolded after you have built whanaungatanga and understand a bit more about them.

3.3.3 OTTs (Overseas Trained Teachers)

While their teaching status may be similar to PCTs, OTTs are not usually familiar with New Zealand society, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the New Zealand education system and our strongly relational pedagogies, in particular Culturally Sustaining and Relational Pedagogies (CSRP). Talk through their understanding of the classroom and give them plenty of opportunities to observe effective teaching practices. You should also make sure their mentor and manager are engaging in whakawhanaungatanga and checking in on their wellbeing - they are likely dealing with a number of challenges as they settle in to New Zealand. Here are some more resources on working with OTTs and the challenges this can present. It is also very important to help them become educated on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and their obligations. Here are some more resources which can help.

3.3.4 LATs (Limited Authority to Teach)

These teachers may not be trained in teaching, may be currently undergoing teacher training, or may have training overseas that is not recognised in New Zealand. This means they may have a complex set of needs and there should be a robust structure in place to support them. You may be part of this support system, but should not be the main support.

3.3.5 PST/ITE (Pre-service teachers or teachers engaging in Initial Teacher Education)

Each ITE provider has its own requirements for their students, so your school needs to check carefully as to what is required to support these staff. While your school should have robust structures in place to support PSTs, they may also be LAT and therefore may require some support from you. As above, you should only form part of their support system. Engaging their subject area colleagues to support them with planning and assessment is an excellent way to help, as it also models effective practice and professional relationships.

3.3.6 Mentor teachers

You may be working with a group of teachers who mentor other staff. It is important to be clear about the expectations and boundaries for this group and your interactions with them. Training for effective mentoring practices (either by you or an outside provider), resources to engage with and a clear framework for their mentoring are crucial for success. You should also ensure that you have regular meetings with mentors you work with to check in on their work and find out what support they need. Here is a link to the mentoring guidelines, to help you.

3.3.7 Leaders

Schools have different staff structures, so the names of your professional leaders might differ. This category can include your own leader (which may be different from the leader for your teaching role), the direct leader for a teacher or the Senior Leadership team. It is important to remember the scope of your role when you are working with leaders. You must always remain a trustworthy figure for teaching staff and ensure that you are not breaching confidentiality for the staff you work with.

3.3.8 Support staff

There could be many reasons to interact with support staff, such as engaging outside providers or helping to induct new staff. Support staff can often have quite different management structures than teaching staff, so it is useful to check what those are so that you can ensure you are speaking to the right person. Remember to take into account their workload as well - what we want and need is not always able to be at the top of their list!

3.3.9 Outside providers

If you are facilitating professional learning (PL) at your school, you may work with outside providers to help support you. Utilising outside providers can increase the scope of the PL you can provide without making your workload unsustainable. Remember to keep a good log of which services you use and some reflection on the PL provided so that you can use this again in future, pass on this information to others, or recommend services to other SCT/STs.

3.4 Setting boundaries for working relationships

A key part of the SCT/ST role is that you are still a teacher. Your SCT/ST responsibilities should not undermine your classroom teaching. If they do, seek guidance from your leader, local cluster group or the SCT/ST Association. These conversations may lead to changes in the scope of your role, which is normal as the work often evolves over time.

SCT/ST relationships can also be emotionally demanding, so clear boundaries matter. While you may offer a supportive ear, you should not be the only source of support for a teacher who is struggling. Here is further discussion about referring teachers to other support pathways. You can also seek support yourself through your local cluster group or the SCT/ST Association Facebook page.

Be clear about what your role does and does not include. It is easy to become overloaded, even with work you value. Review your role regularly with your leader and stay connected with other SCT/STs for support.

3.5 Relationship breakdowns

There could be a variety of reasons that relationships break down within a school. You may be part of the relationship that has broken down, or you could be supporting someone in this situation. It is important to remember that you should not be operating alone here, in either case.

If you are supporting someone going through a relationship breakdown, you should remember to stay impartial and simply refer the staff member to the appropriate channels to solve the issue. You can be a source of support, but your involvement in the situation should be carefully managed depending on the situation. While you might be the right person to be referred to in some situations, in many situations you are not responsible for solving the problem.

If you are the person going through a relationship breakdown, you should equally ensure that you are engaging in the processes your school has. This could include reflective meetings, restorative meetings and so on. You should also contact your PPTA Te Wehengarua Branch Chair if you are concerned, and they can help guide you through the situation.

Please see here for a discussion around challenging conversations in schools.

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Last modified on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 15:18