Keynote speaker Dr Mere Berryman addresses the 320-strong crowd of Cambridge education staff.
Friday, June 15 saw 320 members of staff from 10 local schools gather at Cambridge High School for a professional development day.
Held during a teacher only day, it was the first time that almost all of the members of the Cambridge Community of Learning have been able to meet together since the initiative began in 2016.
Those in attendance included colleagues from Roto-o-rangi, Kaipaki, Horahora, Leamington, Cambridge Middle, Cambridge East, Cambridge High, St Peter’s Catholic, Hautapu, Goodwood and Te Miro schools, as well as Grow Early Education, Bunnies, Elim, RTLB, the Ministry of Education, Te Marāe o Ngā Hau e Wha, and Maungatautari Marāe.
Ten experts from both New Zealand and Australia worked with the teachers, leaders and support staff, exploring ways that schools could boost outcomes for all students, improving relational and emotional connections between students and teachers. A key message for those attending was to shift the focus of schooling away from “have I taught it?” to “have the students learnt it in a way that best suits them?”.
Cambridge is one of several Communities of Learning in the Waikato, developed and funded by the Ministry of Education with leading educational researcher Michael Fullan to bring together education providers – early learning through to secondary school – to work together and help learners achieve their full potential.
