Great teaching hinges not just on proficiency but also an ability to connect with learners.
That was the consensus of kaimahi who attended the annual Unitec & MIT Learning and Teaching Symposium in July.
Held at Mt Albert Campus, the symposium saw kaimahi from both providers explore ideas that will help build a shared framework of standards for Teaching Excellence before the two institutions are stood up as a single entity from 1 January, 2026.
They were joined by educators from across the motu who also brought their own experiences and perspectives to the discussions.
Together, they explored this year’s theme “Exploring Teaching Excellence” and what it means for us as kaiako, for our learners, our disciplines and region.
For those directly involved in teaching, leading teaching or support teams, or generally interested in innovations and shifts in learning and teaching, including the impact of AI, it was a rich opportunity to begin discussing and collaborating on a shared teaching excellence framework. All notes form the discussion tables at the end of the day’s programme were transcribed and analysed for themes on excellent teaching.
“Initial analysis of outputs from the symposium discussion groups reveals that great teaching is viewed as fundamentally relational, requiring both professional competence and deep human connection, an interesting finding from this group” says Associate Professor Jocelyn Williams, Manager of Te Puna Ako which co-organised the symposium with MIT.
Assoc Prof Williams says the symposium was a resounding success with positive feedback and robust discussions paving the way for the next important phase of engagement across MIT and Unitec in August.
This will take the form of an online survey of all teachers asking them to share their views on what excellent teaching looks like. Responses to this large-scale survey will be analysed for themes, compared to the data that came from the symposium and considered in relation to existing teaching excellence models.
At this point, drafting of a new Tāmaki Teaching Excellence Standards Framework TESF can begin, and feedback sought from key stakeholders.
Executive Director, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says developing and embedding a new standards framework is a priority for both Unitec and MIT this year. But the pending merger will not affect our mahi.
“We are still creating experiences for our ākonga. Delivering those things is our kaupapa,” he says.
“The agency returns to us. We can design and develop our programmes. Being able to own and shape that future – that’s exciting.”
But Peseta reiterated that whatever the framework looks like must be guided by our shared values – “our manaakitanga remains strong and we work together in mahi kotahitanga for a common purpose”.
“We were delighted at the level of interest shown in the theme and programme content, and the engagement in discussions,” Assoc Prof Williams adds.
“The next important phase of the TESF project is a survey of as many teachers as possible across both institutes. We aim to get this survey out to them by email in the first week of August. Then we’ll work to shape all input from the symposium and the survey with reference to other well-regarded models, into material that can be brought back to our key stakeholders for further development as we visualise and draft a Tāmaki-wide (MIT and Unitec) Teaching Excellence Standards Framework for 2026 and beyond.”
Some of the highlights of this year’s Exploring Teaching Excellence Symposium programme included reflections from high-level teaching award winners on teaching excellence during the panel sessions; presentations by Unitec and MIT teachers; discussions looking at what’s new in leading excellence; and a co-creating Teaching Excellence Standards group discussions session looking at what matters most.