Week 7 Term 3: English Department: Teacher Connections: The Importance of Collegiality (PLD) (August 25 - August 29)

Collegiality: Companionship and cooperation between colleagues who share responsibility.

Tamaki College English Department 2025

The English Department's led the Staff PLD session in Week 4 of Term 3. Our PLD session focused on the importance of collegiality and how teachers relate to each other. Building on previous sessions about teacher-student relationships, this session emphasizes teacher-to-teacher connections, especially as the year approaches its busy end. We were inspired by the English Language Department and the Social Science Department and their PLD sessions on the importance of Teacher and Student relationships. We took a different approach, where we wanted to focus on and highlight the importance of teacher to teacher relationships, collegiality. 

The aim of our PLD was to encourage self-reflection and prioritize colleagues, recognizing that strong teacher relationships are as vital as teacher-student relationships, and that connectedness among teachers can positively impact student achievement. The session involved checking in and reflecting on relationships within subject areas. We had two areas that we looked at specifically which were 'How relationships matter' and 'How to cultivate strong relationships.' Both sessions were led by Mr Jeremy Spruyt and Ms Anahina Latu. I led the opening remarks, ice breaker and closing reflection.  

As we approach the busy end of the year, navigating internal assessments and junior school tasks, it's crucial to pause and prioritize each other. While teacher-student relationships are undeniably important, I believe the collegiality and relationships among teachers are equally vital. In our people-focused profession, we can become so absorbed with student needs and data that we overlook our colleagues, forgetting that behind the data are the teachers driving learning and curriculum. We educators know that 'students are at the heart of the matter,' and so are we. Research indicates that a barrier to student achievement is a lack of belonging; similarly, if we as teachers feel connected and aligned in our relationships, it can profoundly impact our students.

Please find the link to our presentation below: 

Tamaki College English Department: The Importance of Collegiality PLD Slide deck