Causing Learning, Not Just Covering Classes

What is a Classroom Release Time teacher’s role?

Classroom Release Time (CRT)  teachers are employed to ensure classroom teachers receive their allocated time out of the classroom. NZEI describes and allocates this time “to plan, assess student work, engage in professional development, and manage other administrative tasks - ultimately to improve student learning”.

These timetables are planned; this differs from relievers. Relievers are booked when staff are away due to illness or planned leave

From my experience as a classroom teacher, it’s helpful to have time to pause, reflect, and adjust my practice. Questions you might ask yourself include:

• How can I modify my interactions to ensure the best outcomes for my learners?

• What assessment - both informal and formal - will help me understand my class’s current needs?

• Is learning time being used effectively in each block? Why or why not?

A common feeling among teachers is not wanting to be away from their class at “that time”. It may have been a messy week with changes to the usual routine, and it can be tricky to hand over the reins to someone who doesn’t know your class the way you do. A confident class teacher can scan their rooms and instantly recognise needs because they know their learners best. For example, those two sitting together could mean a productive learning conversation, although it could equally mean chatting about their weekend, a new toy, or what happened at playtime. All important conversations when you’re a child, just not always appropriate during learning time.

What have I learnt this year?

Working with a refreshed curriculum across all year groups at Wairakei has required me to have a deep knowledge of the progressions in literacy and maths.  I previously worked with Years 5 and 6, and although my classes required differentiated planning to meet students’ varied levels, I was able to use more sophisticated language. Communicating with five-year-olds requires simple language, planned scaffolding, visual aids and materials. Feedback is verbal and timely and often “on the spot”, with immediate repetition of a concept. Their independence is limited, so routines and a well-managed learning environment are essential.  This has been new learning for me in order to meet the needs of these learners.

Working with classes regularly has meant I’ve become familiar with classroom routines and the high expectations teachers have for learners. For example, the New Zealand Curriculum now includes Structured Literacy taught daily across Years 0–6.  This explicit, systematic and cumulative learning has two phases during primary years:

• In Phase 1 (Years 0–3), students learn to read, with a focus on building foundational skills through explicit teaching of reading and writing, paired with exposure to rich oral language.

In Phase 2 (Years 4–6), students are reading to learn.  Having previously used School Journals, daily literacy reviews, spelling programmes, and locally relevant texts, my kete (basket) of knowledge is now full thanks to the high-quality collaborative planning of the Tuhuatahi (Years 3–5) and Karapiti (Years 5–6) teams.

• Observing teachers differentiate to meet their learners’ needs. This might be a desk moved further away to reduce sensory overload, a carefully selected learning buddy, or a polite “not yet” when a student asks to go to the toilet during their least favourite subject.
  
  

• Learning from high-quality kaiako/teachers.  Those who have recently graduated and bring current research and digital expertise, and those with twenty years of experience, mastery of routines, and a wealth of practical wisdom.
  
  

• Seeing ākonga/students’ interpersonal skills grow. When I return to a classroom space, I often notice real change - students who have come out of their shells, formed new friendships, stepped up as leaders, and taken pride in their learning. The tuakana–teina concept is a natural part of everyday life at Wairakei Primary School.
  
  

• Getting to know the Wairakei rohe/area, including local pūrākau (stories), the long history of Wairakei Primary School whānau, and their connections to this wonderful kura.
  
  

• Using high-quality planning by teachers. Opening a plan and thinking, “Wow — what an appropriate, engaging, and practical way to approach that learning!” Teachers are collaborators, each with their own approach and style.

Where to next?

According to Russell Bishop, effective teachers are those who demonstrate both high-quality relationships with their learners and strong teaching skills:

“Effective teachers are positioned and sustained by creating family-like contexts, interacting within these contexts, and then modifying these practices by monitoring their impact on learners’ progress.”

In simple terms, teachers are responsible for continually reflecting on the learning environment, classroom culture, and their own professional practice to ensure the best outcomes for learners.

Heading into 2026, this will remain front of mind: How can a CRT kaiako/teacher contribute to the success of Wairakei Primary School ākonga (students)?