Director's welcome

A welcome message from our Director of Te Whai Toi Tangata, Sharleen Nathan.

Whaowhia te kete mātauranga
Fill the basket of knowledge

Tēnā koutou, Kia orana

Sharleen Nathan

Sharleen Nathan, Director, Te Whai Toi Tangata

I am privileged to have been recently appointed Director of Te Whai Toi Tangata. Te Whai Toi Tangata is part of the Division of Education at the University of Waikato. Here, our team of dedicated experts provides high quality, research informed professional learning and development to support school leaders, learners, communities and organisations to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Our point of difference as a PLD Provider is that we are research-based and are introducing micro-credentials to work towards a post-graduate qualification.

We work with New Zealand schools, kura, Kāhui Ako, early childhood centres,Sharleen Nathan tertiary institutions nationally and internationally. In addition, we seek to support corporate, government and NGA organisations with a focus on learning and continuous improvement.

Our team of English and Māori medium accredited facilitators and Expert Partners are available to work with you to ensure a bespoke professional learning experience that meets your needs in a mode that suits your preferred learning style and schedule.  We are able to provide support in all Ministry of Education PLD Priorities: cultural capability, digital fluency, local curriculum design, assessment for learning, mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori, marau ā-kura, aromatawai. We also have the capacity to assist you with Hybrid learning, curriculum refresh and NCEA changes including mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori, numeracy and literacy.

We bring effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by ensuring our plans and policies reflect tikanga Māori and te ao Māori. We also ensure that tikanga, te reo and mātauranga Māori are valued and visible in our ways of working. We are proud that most of our facilitators are attested to deliver cultural capability for regionally allocated professional learning.

We pride ourselves on supporting professional practice that makes a positive difference for individuals, organisations and society, creates and sustains social and economic wellbeing, and positions New Zealand as a global leader in innovation and change.  Let us support you with your professional learning plan to build capability and capacity within your staff to ensure you meet the needs of your ākonga, whānau and community. Please phone one of our team to see how we can support you in your on-going professional learning needs.

Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the mahi of school leaders and kaiako in these extremely challenging times as you navigate Covid, sickness, staff shortages, delivering in a hybrid learning environment, school closures and rostering, attendance and engagement.

Noho ora mai rā,

Sharleen Nathan
Director, Te Whai Toi Tangata