New Zealand Graduate School of Education

Practice to employment ✨

For NZGSE alumna Sammy McDonnell, teaching practice was an opportunity to build relationships, gain confidence in the classroom and show schools what she could bring as a future kaiako.

After completing placements across four Christchurch schools, Sammy secured her first teaching role at Burnside High School before graduating, and has since continued her journey as a music and maths kaiako at Nelson College for Girls. 🎼

Read her story and discover how the time spent in classrooms with NZGSE's can open the door to your teaching career.

We were proud to see the inspiring work of NZGSE alumna Harriet Bremner (P30) featured on Sunday’s episode of Country Calendar.

Harriet’s journey shows the many ways a teacher’s influence can extend beyond the walls of a classroom. Alongside her work as a Southland farmer, she uses writing, education and community engagement to encourage important conversations around rural life, resilience, health and safety.

After experiencing personal loss, Harriet has dedicated herself to creating positive change within farming communities. Through her children’s books and the Think Safe Brain campaign, she helps rural schools explore practical lessons around wellbeing and safety while celebrating the unique experiences and strengths of rural communities.

Find out more about Harriet’s work here:
https://www.harrietbremner.com/

Watch the Country Calendar episode here (20 mins):
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/player/tvepisode/country-calendar-s2026-e16-in-safe-hands

Image credits: Hyundai Country Calendar/TVNZ

Teaching allows Kate to combine her love of the arts with the opportunity to inspire the next generation, and two years in, she's already directing school productions and getting her students on 1News. 🎬

Got a story you want to tell?
We would love to hear more about where our graduates are taking their classrooms.

This week, we spoke with alumna Ruby Watts (Wood) from S55 about how her experience at Grad School prepared her for her first teaching role at Catholic Cathedral College.

Did you know at NZGSE, our teacher interns spend about two-thirds of their time working in schools? It's one of the reasons that over 97% of NZGSE graduates go on to work as teachers

Keen to share your alum story or find out more about our programme?

We would love to hear from you via email or message.

Every day, teachers get into character at the front of classrooms.
Today just looked a little different 📚

Evie and Ali from intakes S58 and S59 joined in with Dress Up as Your Favourite Book Character Day at Hillmorton High School, appearing as a goddess/healer and a hobbit.

Want to know what tutor feedback actually looks like in today’s classrooms?

Welcome to Feedback Focus, a series sharing snippets of real feedback given by our tutors to interns while they are out on practice in schools across the city. At Grad School (NZGSE), regular teaching practice and consistent feedback are key to how we prepare the next generation of teachers.

Our feedback model gives interns the chance to recognise what they are doing well, while also identifying where they can keep making improvements. It is also an opportunity for tutors to encourage hardworking interns and guide them towards effective classroom practice.

You may notice some Grad School-specific lingo, such as FA, which stands for Full Attention. These terms are part of our specialist teaching processes, developed by co-founder Kevin Knight and taught over the past 30 years to help manage behaviour and create successful classroom environments.

Have any tips or tricks of your own for running a successful lesson? Share them below.

Applications for our mid-year intake are now open ✨

Thinking about becoming a teacher? You may not have to wait until next year to begin.

Our July intake gives you the chance to start your teaching journey sooner and build momentum now.

Whether you are changing careers, returning to study, or ready for a new direction, mid-year can be the perfect time to begin.

Start your teaching journey this July by requesting an application form via our link in bio.

Term 2 is in full swing 🏫
This week marks the end of centre block, and next week our interns head into their seven-week teaching practice in primary and secondary schools across Ōtautahi.

Want to know how much time NZGSE interns spend in the classroom? Visit the link below
https://www.nzgse.ac.nz/

The centre is filled with the sounds of interns' academic presentations and furious typing as they tackle this term's centre block