Provisionally Registered Teachers Entitlements

When you are applying for a teaching position, ask about the learning centre's policy and procedures for supporting teachers towards full registration and what specific time will be available for your professional development. This will vary in each setting but your employer should ensure a formal induction programme is available to you.

When you begin your employment you need to:

  • ensure you have a job description that incorporates the Registered Teacher Criteria 
  • negotiate an induction programme with your mentor teacher that meets your own learning needs and that is appropriate and realistic for your setting.  This will include planning for use of any time allocated for your professional development and support.
  • review and renegotiate your programme as your needs change.
  • ask for help when you need it.
  • keep your own record of meetings and discussions with your supervising teacher, of goals set and followed up, your own reflections on your progress, observations of your teaching by your mentor teacher, and key areas of your professional development. If you change jobs before becoming fully registered, make sure you take these records with you, so your progress can be built on in your new teaching position.

Making use of professional development time

Time should be available specifically to support the professional development of the newly qualified teacher, for example through the staffing entitlement for year one and two teachers in state primary and secondary schools, or by the Ministry of Education Early Childhood Education (ECE) funding that enables non-contact time to be provided by the employer in ECE learning centres.

It is important that this time is regularly timetabled and available to you as an individual.  While meetings with other provisionally registered teachers are professionally helpful you are also entitled to personalised guidance and support tailored to your own interests and needs. 

The best use of this time should be discussed and negotiated between you, the provisionally registered teacher, your mentor teacher and Principal or Professional Leader.  It is best used for professional tasks and learning which take advantage of the presence of learners and colleagues.

Some examples of worthwhile professional development activities are:

  • Observing other teachers and learners in another learning centre
  • Discussions with other teachers such as guidance counsellors, senior staff or with advisers or specialist education services
  • Becoming familiar with the library, teaching resources and records of the learning centre
  • Finding out about the policies and procedures in your learning centre
  • Studying professional material, analysing your own professional needs and development, and planning for better teaching
  • Participating in courses and meetings, which require release from your teaching duties
  • For each of these opportunities reflecting on the activity and applying it to your work as a teacher, and for your learners