Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour
Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) are experienced kaiako/teachers trained to support the needs of students whose achievement in learning and behaviour is not fully being realised and to support their kura/school and kaiako/teacher.
RTLB might provide a classroom teacher with special teaching strategies, they might introduce class or school-wide programme, or they might work directly with a child or small groups of children.
RTLB practitioners are full-time itinerant - they work across a number of schools within a geographical region.
Recent transformation of the RTLB service
- The transformation of the RTLB service is intended to improve the impact of the service so that students across New Zealand consistently receive a high quality service, irrespective of where they attend schools.
- At the core of the transformation are two significant ideas: That RTLB can work more effectively to help all students with learning and behaviour needs to participate fully; and the service has exemplary management of people and funds.
- This has been done by creating 40 ‘clusters’ (geographical zones), each of which is managed by a Cluster Manager who is employed by a Lead school
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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: