New from Teaching Central...

Professional development by distance learning

Teaching Central Ltd introduces a new concept in professional development. This is customised PD, delivered through interactive media to suit your needs. This is the ultimate flexible learning option, where you can select to use online, CD, or post. We are now offering all our major topic workshops in this way. The benefits to early childhood services are that the PD can be run over four, six or eight weeks, for which you can choose the start and finish dates. This means that you can make real progress and long-term changes to practice that will strengthen and enhance your programmes. Also, with the financial constraints frecently placed on early childhood, a major benefit is the cost of this professional development. No expensive staff meetings, no relievers, yet the whole team is involved and learning together whilst undertaking their routine duties for a cost that is similar to that of engaging a facilitator for one workshop., and less than the cost of sending one teacher to a workshop.

We are able to offer a 4 week programme for your whole team for $250; 6 weeks for $350 or 8 weeks for $400. Certificates and transcripts are provided on completion, for each participant. (All prices are quoted exclusive of GST)

Topics include:

Assessment: Inspirational teaching – a dramatic connection with learning.

Create magic with your learning and teaching stories using Kei Tua o Te Pae. To make assessment meaningful, relevant and visible, the focus should be on the learning, rather than the area of activity. You will use practical experiences, such as music and drama, to find the real learning that could occur. We also deconstruct existing assessments, using a sociocultural approach to identify children’s knowledge, skills and dispositions, to make documentation meaningful and powerful. Throughout this, we consider strategies to support children to become active assessors of their own achievements.

Self-review – through the looking glass: Your journey to best practice

In the busy world of teaching, we need to work smarter – not harder! Teaching Central has developed a tool to assist the self review process and make it relevant, useful and robust, ensuring that all the required documentation has been completed. This workshop will help to ensure that self review provides outcomes that will guide effective and positive changes in your team’s practice and we’ll work with your own current areas of interest.

Leadership: Follow the leader..? How to create effective teams by using empowering leadership strategies.

Learn strategies that will give your team zing and put the WOW factor into your service! We highlight team potential so that each teacher can use their knowledge, skills and strengths to create a dynamic and progressive learning environment for your community. This workshop can be delivered with whole teams or with leaders. We explore different strategies, including distributed and transformational leadership models and think about how these could strengthen your team practice. We will also consider sociocultural leadership practice and explore ways to enhance performance through providing effective feedback and strengthening relationships.

Stop it! I don’t like it when I’m feeling out of control...Social and emotional competency

Building social and emotional competency is one of the most important areas of learning in the early childhood years. We’ll engage in some practical exercises that will assist you to guide children through learning life skills that will strengthen their self system and understand their feelings. We’ll explore strategies to help children to learn how to manage their emotions and develop a positive sense of self.

We will focus teachers’ thinking to gain an in-depth understanding of how and why children demonstrate specific behaviours. We can look at some issues that you are currently experiencing and identify some strategies that could help you to solve the “right” problem, through building children’s thinking skills and self efficacy.

Learning to learn. Exploring problem-solving, literacy and maths.

Research has shown the importance of children learning how to become effective learners. Higher order thinking and problem-solving skills have been found to be integral aspects of achievement.

We will work with learning experiences that will highlight fundamental learning areas that link to the New Zealand curriculum and explore ways to interweave maths and literacy concepts and positive learning dispositions within the free play environment. In particular, we will work with strategies to incorporate thinking, metacognitive and problem-solving concepts into teacher interactions, to create dynamic, empowering and exciting teaching and learning!

Scheming schema

Teaching through children’s schema can create exciting and meaningful learning opportunities – and satisfying teaching! We will explore ways to identify when children are demonstrating specific schema, then engage in learning opportunities, resources and teaching strategies that will support cognitive development and learning.

To find out more, or to arrange a programme, contact Janet Moles at:

 teachingcentral@clear.net.nz  or phone (06) 364 6681 or 207 758 7700

In centre major topic sessions

These focus on key aspects of practice, including pedagogy and leadership. All workshops include practical exercises and fun, with lots of  opportunities to work with your interests and concerns.

Assessment: Inspirational teaching – a dramatic connection with learning.

Create magic with your learning and teaching stories using Kei Tua o Te Pae. To make assessment meaningful, relevant and visible, the focus should be on the learning, rather than the area of activity. We engage in some practical experiences, such as music and drama, to find the real learning that could occur. We also deconstruct existing assessments, using a sociocultural approach to identify children’s knowledge, skills and dispositions, to make documentation meaningful and powerful. Throughout this, we consider strategies to support children to become active assessors of their own achievements.

Self-review – through the looking glass: Your journey to best practice

In the busy world of teaching, we need to work smarter – not harder! Teaching Central has developed a tool to assist the self review process and make it relevant, useful, robust and that all the required documentation has been completed. This workshop will help to ensure that self review provides outcomes that will guide effective and positive changes in your team’s practice and we’ll work with your own current areas of interest.

Leadership: Follow the leader..? How to create effective teams by using empowering leadership strategies.

Stop it! I don’t like it when I’m feeling out of control...Social and emotional competency

This workshop includes role-play, drama and opportunities to engage in experiences that can focus the teacher’s thinking on gaining an in-depth understanding of how and why children demonstrate specific behaviours. We can look at some issues that you are currently experiencing and identify some strategies that could help you to solve the “right” problem, through building children’s thinking skills and self efficacy.

Learning to learn. A two part workshop exploring problem-solving, literacy and maths.

Research has shown the importance of children learning how to become effective learners. Higher order thinking and problem-solving skills have been found to be integral aspects of achievement.

We will engage in learning experiences that will highlight fundamental learning areas that link to the New Zealand curriculum and explore how to weave maths and literacy concepts and positive learning dispositions within the free play environment. In particular, we will work with strategies to incorporate thinking, metacognitive and problem-solving concepts into teacher interactions, to create dynamic, empowering and exciting teaching and learning!

2 * 2 hour sessions

Scheming schema.

Teaching through children’s schema can create exciting and meaningful learning opportunities – and satisfying teaching! We will explore ways to identify when children are demonstrating specific schema, then engage in learning opportunities, resources and teaching strategies that will support cognitive development and learning. Be prepared to be engaged in lots of fun, drama, storytelling, music and movement!

Costs for the major topic workshops

6 hours                 $465.00

3 hours                 $275.00

2 hours                 $210.00

All prices are quoted net of GST.