Rauhuia Presentation Review
In October 2025 Dr Rachel Denee and Sarah Ryan, contributed to The Rauhuia Terenga Huihuinga | Symposia Series : Leading reflective practice – Cultivating innovation in teaching, presenting “Daisies Professional Growth Cycle: Reflective Learning through Group Inquiries,” sharing the story of how Daisies Early Education & Care Centre has built a sustainable, teacher-led professional learning model grounded in distributed leadership, inquiry, and reflective practice. The Professional Growth Cycle (PGC) framework encourages kaiako to identify shared priorities, form small inquiry groups, and collaboratively explore areas of pedagogical development through the four phases of: Idea, Innovation, Implementation, and Impact. Each cycle is anchored in Aotearoa New Zealand’s professional standards (Ngā Paerewa) and Te Whāriki, while drawing on current research into professional learning communities and teacher inquiry. Over four years, this process has evolved into an embedded, dynamic culture of professional reflection and improvement.
The presentation highlights how distributed leadership and collaboration empower teachers to take ownership of their learning, fostering motivation, self-efficacy, and strong team culture. Sarah presents a story of one PGC focused on Tangata Moana Values, illustrating how a small group of teachers created meaningful change by weaving Pacific values, language, and celebrations into everyday practice. Through regular hui, shared decision-making, and collective evaluation, kaiako link theory to action—trialling new approaches, observing their effects on children’s learning and wellbeing, and refining practice together.
For teachers, this presentation offers both inspiration and practical structure. It demonstrates how professional growth can be authentic, relational, and context-driven rather than compliance-based. Viewers will gain insight into how to design sustainable professional learning systems that honour teacher agency and cultural responsiveness, while remaining aligned with curriculum and leadership frameworks. Whether you’re a team leader, mentor, or kaiako, this presentation provides a roadmap for nurturing a thriving professional learning culture that directly enriches children’s learning experiences.
The Rauhuia Terenga Huihuinga | Symposia Series is an online webinar series hosted by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on educational leadership. The series includes a diverse range of academics and practicing teachers and leaders from across the education sector.
Further Learning…
You can explore the Rauhuia Terenga Huihuinga | Symposia Series here: https://teachingcouncil.nz/professional-practice/rauhuia-leadership-space-home/rauhuia-leadership-space/symposia-series/
Head directly to the Leading reflective practice – Cultivating innovation in teaching video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owsTrr4wafQ&list=PLr1oeMo7WRlfUH5k_wdtSHus4O4YkoH0W&index=2
- By Rachel Denee