Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour
Information about specialist teachers who provide advice and guidance within schools for students with learning and behaviour needs.
Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour or "RTLB" as they are usually called, work within schools around the country to provide advice and guidance to teachers of students who are at risk of low achievement due to learning and/or behaviour difficulties. This may include direct teaching, demonstrating practice, and providing teaching strategies so that students receive appropriate learning programmes and behaviour management on an ongoing basis.
Individual students and groups of students can be referred to the RTLB service in a variety of ways through the school. You should talk to someone at the school if you think a student needs some assistance.
RTLBs are based at a particular school and may work across a group of schools depending on student needs. The RTLB service is managed by a cluster of schools who make decisions based on the priority needs of students within the cluster.
RTLB (Māori)
Some of the RTLB positions are dedicated to focus on the learning needs of Māori students. In some clusters an RTLB (Māori) may work entirely with Kura Kaupapa Māori or Te Reo immersion classes. Some are employed within a cluster and others work across more than one cluster.
Decisions about where RTLB (Māori) work are decided by the cluster committee. There should be agreed and clear expectations about how the caseload of each RTLB (Māori) will be generated. It is not expected that RTLB (Māori) will pick up all Māori student referrals, but that they will meet the learning and behaviour needs of Māori students in all school settings, and work with the family, whanau.
This initiative recognises the high number of Māori students experiencing learning and behaviour difficulties in regular schools. Their work complements the Government's policy to improve the wellbeing of families, whanau in culturally effective and appropriate ways.
RTLB National Executive
The RTLBs have their own national executive to provide information and support to each other. They meet regularly throughout the year, publish a newsletter, and they also have a national conference. For more information:
Who to contact
For more information, please ring contact your Ministry of Education local office, your nearest Special Education District Office or the Special Education Information Line 0800 622 222, or you can email special.education@minedu.govt.nz.