KAITIAKI
MORE ABOUT THE TEAM
DEB HACK
Practice Leader
Far North RTLB Cluster (1)
Kaitiaki · Leadership · Māori & Pasifika · Science of Learning
deborahh@farnorthrtlb.co.nz
I te taha o toku Pāpā
Ko Te Ramaroa te maunga
Ko Tūwhātero te wairere Ko Whirinaki te awa me te whenua
Ko Hokianga nui ā Kupe te moana
Ko Moria te marae
Ko Te Hikutū te hapū
Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi
I te taha o toku Māmā
Ko Huruiki te maunga
Ko Whakapara te awa me te whenua
Ko Ngātokimatawhāorua te waka
Ko Te Ihi o Nehua te marae
Ko Ngāti Hau te hapū
Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi Ko Deb Thompson ahau
E noho ana au me toku whanau ki Hokianga
Tēnā koutou,
My journey with RTLB service began in 2018. I am part of the cluster 1 team in Te Taitokerau , Far North. I work alongside Te Roopū Poutakitini. He roopū tēnei e mahi ana ki roto i ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, Kura-ā-Iwi, o Te Taitokerau. I also share and feedback to ngā Pouwhirinaki o Aotearoa, about kaupapa that are happening within our rohe.
The opportunity to be part of the Professional Learning Network, is a tribute to its purpose of connecting people and sharing knowledge. A wonderful group of dedicated individuals committed to working together on this kaupapa. Mīharo!
Mauri ora ki a koutou
FIONA HARKNESS
Practice Leader
Tai Tokerau South RTLB Cluster (2)
Kaiarahi · Kaitiaki · Te Whare Whakaruruhau · Leadership · Rural Schools · Click Rōpū: Website, Media· CPS
fiona.harkness@rtlb.school.nz
Ko Te Anakanihi
Ko Manaia ngā maunga e rū nei i taku ngākau
Ko Waitangi, ko Kaiikanui ngā awa e māhea nei i aku māharahara
E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o nehe, o Opuawhanga e noho nei au
He uri ahau nō Īnia, nō Kōtirana
He uri nō te whānau o Cadell
Nō Pēwhairangi ahau
I tupu ake ahau ki reira
Ko Te Tii te marae whakahirahira ki au
Ko Craig tōku hoa tāne
Ko Adam, rātou ko Alex, ko Brad, ko Emma ā māua tamariki
Ko Fiona Harkness tōku ingoa
Kia ora koutou,
I live on a small beef and forestry block in the hills just north of Whangārei with my husband, Craig (who I’m quite fond of), 4 spoilt ponies, 2 adored border collies and an assortment of chickens. I have lived and worked in Tai Tokerau for more than 50 years so while not born here, Tai Tokerau has my heart. I have been an RTLB since 2005 and became a Practice Leader in the Tai Tokerau South Cluster (2) at the beginning of 2012 (the year we transformed to 40 clusters).
I have had an abiding interest in Trauma Informed Practice since being given Perry’s seminal work “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog” by an MOE colleague in 2008. My current focus is on developing ways of working with school staff which support foundational shifts in their perspectives, language and approach which allows for co-regulation to occur, promotes a felt sense of safety and develops sustainable practices allowing for social and emotional growth and wellbeing for Tumuaki, Kaiako, ākonga and whānau.
I feel incredibly privileged to be involved with the development of this network and believe strongly in the power of the peer. RTLB are an amazing group of professionals who, in all of my experience, go above and beyond to support their colleagues and our most vulnerable ākonga.
Mā te whakātu, ka mohio, mā te mohio ka marama, mā te marama ka matau, mā te matau ka ora.
With discussion comes knowledge, with knowledge comes light and understanding,
with light and understanding comes wisdom, with wisdom comes wellness.
MICHELLE WISHART
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Kōtirana te whakapaparanga mai, engari
Ko Warkworth me Maungawhau ngā whenua tupu
Kei Kumeū au e noho ana
Ko Ken McCardle tāku koro
Ko Connie tāku kuia
Ko Guy Wishart tāku tāne
Ko Michelle Wishart tōku ingoa
Tēnā tātou katoa
Tēnā koutou,
Michelle has been in education for over 30 years. She has taught four year olds to 15 year olds in low decile and high decile schools. She has taught in London, Bangalore and Bangkok. Her last teaching post was at Westbridge Residential School which ignited her passion for Trauma Informed Practice. Having an understanding of how the brain works when under toxic stress and the impact that it can have on learning and behaviour has transformed her pedagogy.
Michelle and her husband adopted their now adult daughter 25 years ago and have lived experience of the impacts of complex developmental trauma but also the power of healing through positive relationships and a strengths based approach.
Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive
TIM THOMSON
Tuawhitu o Akarana Cluster (7)
Podcasts · Click Rōpū: Website, Media · Māori & Pacific Peoples
timt@rtlb7.school.nz
Ko Tapuae Uenuku te maunga,
Ko Raukawakawa te moana,
Ko Wairau te awa,
Ko Te Huataki te whare tūpuna,
Ko Tuamātene te marae,
Ko Kurahaupō te waka,
Ko Ngāti Huataki te hapū
Ko Rangatāne o Wairau te iwi
Ko Tim Thomson ahau
Kia ora koutou,
I live in Tāmaki with my partner, our energetic two-year-old, and our cat, Patupaiarehe. I love staying active—whether it’s going to the gym, catching waves out surfing, or squeezing in a round of golf when I can. I also enjoy winding down by cooking, reading British spy and crime thrillers, and playing Magic: The Gathering.
I’ve been working in education for over 12 years, and for the past four years, I’ve been fortunate to serve as a Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). This role has opened up a wide range of opportunities for me and allowed me to collaborate with an incredible variety of kaiako, ākonga, and whānau.
Currently, I’m based in a kura kaupapa Māori, and I feel privileged to be part of that unique and rich learning environment. My postgraduate study has deepened my understanding of takiwātanga (autism) and shaped the way I approach inclusive practice and support in schools.
I’m also part of a group currently exploring the science of learning, which has been both fascinating and practically useful. I’m enjoying the opportunity to connect theory with practice and reflect on how it can strengthen the work we do in classrooms every day.
He Moana Pukepuke e Ekengia e te Waka
A choppy sea can be navigated by a canoe
LEONIE PHILBURN
Practice Leader
Taumarunui Cluster (17)
Kaitaki · Inclusive Design for Neurodiverse Learners · Rural Schools · Leadership
Ko Pureora te maunga
Ko Waimiha te awa
Ko te Rohe Potae o Maniapoto toku Turangawaewae
Engari, i tae mai taku whanau ki Aotearoa i runga i te tau 1904
Ko Ngati Pakeha toku iwi
Ko Philburn te hapuu
Ko Leonie taku ingoa
E noho ana ahau ki Mangakino
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra tatou katoa
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Kia ora koutou katoa,
I’m Leonie Philburn - I live on a lifestyle block just outside Mangakino with my partner and our grandson. We have two children (a daughter and a son) who both reside in Australia. We have six grandchildren. Inspired mainly by my oldest grandson, I’ve been an RTLB for five years. Prior to becoming an RTLB I taught from New Entrants to Year 12.
I’ve worked in two clusters and am currently a proud member of Cluster 17. I became interested in UDL as an RTLB, and was fortunate to be able to attend a two day hui in Wellington , facilitated by Jon Mundorf. From there a UDL-focused Community of Practice was formed in our cluster.
I am really interested in how UDL can support all kaiako and akonga to achieve their best. UDL encompasses all aspects of the RTLB practice sequence so I believe it is a natural umbrella under which we work. Through the work with this group, I look forward to being able to share the potential of UDL with RTLB and teaching colleagues across the motu.
CORINNE DEVITT
Practice Leader
Tauranga Moana Cluster 18
Podcasts · Kaitaki · Science of Learning
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Mournes tōku maunga
Ko Lagan tōku awa
Ko Armstrong tōku iwi
Nō Northen Ireland ahau
Kei Tauranga tōku kāinga ināianei
Ko Devitt tōku whānau
Ko Corrinne tōku ingoa
No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa
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Kia ora koutou,
Ko Corrinne Devitt toku ingoa. I live in Tauranga in the beautiful Bay of Plenty. While I originate from Northern Ireland, I have called Aotearoa ‘home’ for the past twenty-two years. I have been married for thirty-two years, have three amazing grown up kids and three adorable dogs. I have been with the RTLB service for 6 years and have been Practice Leader for 3.
We are a large cluster with 40 practitioners working in a diverse range of schools. The aspect that I enjoy most about my role is supporting the collaborative team to identify possible barriers and then plan a range of useful strategies and tools so each ākonga can access the curriculum.
By considering the strengths and difficulties of all learners, UDL is a flexible framework that guides the design of optimal learning experiences. Using the framework encourages the team to assume that barriers to learning are within the environment and not in the student. The principles from our practice framework ‘he pikorua’ are beautifully aligned with UDL and when combined, they can have a positive, sustained impact.
Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama
Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened
ANTHONY SANDFORD
RTLB
North Canterbury Cluster (33)
Te Whare Whakaruruhau · CPS · Leadership
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Aoraki te maunga
Ko Ōtākaro te awa
Ko Robert tōku pāpā
Ko Jennifer tōku māmā
Ko Isla tāku tamāhine
Ko Emmy tāku tamāhine
Ko William tāku tama
Ko Sandford tōku ingoa whānau
Ko Anthony tōku ingoa
Nō Ōtautahi ahau
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa
Kia ora koutou katoa,
I have been a RTLB since national RTLB Transformation, in 2012. Prior to this role, I worked as a primary school teacher and also as a Guidance School Counsellor. It was in this latter role, during the Canterbury Earthquakes, that trauma-informed mahi, became a significant focus and challenge.
Within my RTLB role, I work in the primary and secondary setting. I have skills and experience with neurodiversity, primary to secondary kura transitions, coaching and mentoring, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and trauma-informed practice. I have also delivered PLD programs to kaiako and kaiawhina on a range of inclusive-based topics. I enjoy the professional challenges that the RTLB role encompasses.
I was very privileged to attend Bruce Perry's Neurosequential Model of Education Conference in Term 4, 2023. This was a very powerful conference with many learnings-e.g. The appropriate response needs to be "Regulate-Relate-Reason". It re-ignited my interest in trauma-informed practice. I have also delved into other trauma-informed PLD opportunities, including Grow Waitahi networking opportunities in Christchurch.
I am very excited to be part of the NZ RTLB Trauma Professional Learning Network Kairaranga and promoting exciting PLD opportunities within the trauma space to all RTLBs across the motu. When I am not delving into RTLB mahi, I am usually transporting my 12, 14 and 17 year old to either football, dance or their friends or telling them to tidy up!
Ā te whakātu, ka mōhio
Mā te mōhio, ka mārama
Mā te mārama, ka mātau
Mā te mātau, ka ora
By discussion comes understanding
By understanding comes light
By light comes wisdom
By wisdom comes wellbeing
MICHELLE MAULE
Cluster Manager
Te Paeroa Cluster (34)
Kaitiaki · Leadership · Māori & Pasifika clustermanager@rtlb34.school.nz
E Michelle pozaqu
Sa qua Butu Butu si Kazukuru, Sorezaru meke Zambana
Nō Taranaki ahau
I whānau mai au i Ōtautahi
Ko te Ahu Patiki e tāwharau ana i au
Ko moana nui a kiwa te wai e rere ana te waiora
Ko whakaraupō te whanga i mau te rongo
Nō Ingarangi, no Solomon Islands ōku tipuna
Ko Simon tōku tane
Ko Ruben tōku tamaiti
Ko au te Kaihautū o te kāhui o Te Paeroa
Kei te mihi au ki te Tangata Whenua
No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa
Kia ora koutou,
I awkwardly straddle two cultures, English & Solomon Islands. As a little person, I remember not knowing when we were eating rice with a fork or our hands. I am still on this journey and without my mother beside me, I find this challenging and emotional.
I became the Cluster Manager of Te Paeroa, Cluster 34 in 2019. Prior to this, I was a Deputy Principal/SENCo in a primary school in Christchurch. Through my experience of parenting a teenager and teaching across Years 1-8, my passion grew in ensuring an inclusive environment for those mokopuna who were not experiencing success in our education system.
I am passionate about addressing the inequities in our schooling system and ensuring our kaiako and mokopuna have access to the right supports at the right time and in the right place.
Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive
JO COOK-BONNEY
Coastal Otago Cluster 39 ~ Co-Leader in Trauma-Informed Practice
Click Rōpū: Website, Media · Inclusive Design for Neurodiverse Learners · CPS
jcookbonney@cortlb.school.nz
Ko Te Hereweka te maunga e rū nei i taku ngākau
Ko te moana o Whakaari te wai e māhea nei i aku māharahara
Nō te Ōtepoti ahau
E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o nehe, o Ngāi Tahu e noho nei au
Ko Jo Cook-Bonney taku ingoa
Kia ora koutou,
Ko Jo Cook-Bonney taku ingoa, Nō te Ōtepoti ahau. One of the many things I love about living in Ōtepoti is having such easy access to the moana and natural world. Walking in the bush and by the sea is one of the ways I nurture my wellbeing.
I’m married to my best friend, and together we have two wonderful grown-up children who continually shape my perspective on life. I’ve been privileged to have worked in the education system for over 30 years, and for the past 7.5 years, I’ve been an RTLB. I have always been interested in the mahi of inclusive education, universal design for learning, and trauma-informed practice. I enjoy supporting kaiako, nga ākonga and whānau in their journeys. I currently co-lead trauma-informed practice across the Coastal Otago Cluster 39.
Between 2020 and 2024, I completed four years of study, starting with the completion of my BTchg and then progressing to postgraduate study at Massey. Sustaining that learning journey taught me resilience, deepened my knowledge, and reaffirmed my commitment to creating inclusive, strengths-based spaces where all ākonga can thrive. In addition to my educational pursuits, I am passionate about photography and design. I’m excited to be part of this kaupapa and to support the mahi ahead.
Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai
Nuture the seed and it will grow
ANNA LADBROOK
Murihiku Cluster (40)
Te Whare Whakaruruhau· Rural Schools
Ko Motupōhue te maunga
Ko Te Ara a Kiwa te moana
Ko Birman te waka
Ko Ingarangi te iwi
Ko Ladbrook te hapū
Ko Anna tōku ingoa
I whanaū mai au i Waihopai
Kei te noho au ki Te Anau
Ko Natana tōku hoa tane
Toko rua aku tamariki
Ko Ella, rātou ko Charlotte aku tamariki
Kia ora koutou katoa,
Anna is a former Secondary School English & Media Studies teacher who has been part of Cluster 40 as an RTLB since 2012. She currently services rural Northern Southland and is based in Te Anau. This gives Anna a unique insight into rural scope of practice.
Anna is passionate about interventions which support kaiako in the ‘now’ but those which also build capacity (and capability) for their future classrooms. This includes (but is not limited to) relational neuroscience, trauma informed practice, the social thinking curriculum and supporting executive function in our akonga.
When Anna isn’t working, she’s busy being a mum to two primary aged children and can often be found water skiing or wake boarding on Lake Wanaka.
Kaua e hoki i te waewae tūtuki, ā, āpā anō hei te ūpoko pakaru
Do not turn back because of minor obstacles but press ahead to the desired goal
VIKKI GRANT_LAWLOR
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Dutchess te maunga
Ko Burnett te awa
No Te Pāpaka-a-Māui ahau
Ko Peter Grant rāua
Ko Margaret Grant ōku mātua
Ko Te Whanganui-a-Tara tōku kāinga ināianei
Ko V Grant-Lawlor tōku ingoa
No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa
Tēnā koutou,
My teaching experience began when I was 8, swimming behind family and friends as I supported them in their first forays into waterskiing. Growing up, I never felt like I was particularly smart, and school was just a place where I could play sport. After doing 50 jobs that I knew I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life, I realised that teaching had long called me. Thankfully, I’ve outgrown those initial self-limiting beliefs and now constantly look for the possibilities in any situation.
As someone with more than a couple of ADHD traits, the UDL approach sits as a natural way of working for me. This has helped when building my teaching experience spanning both Australia and New Zealand, public and private schools, and all sectors of learning - primary, intermediate, college, and adult education, in person and online.
I accidentally became an RTLB at the end of 2019 (that’s a story for another time) and I now work in the Te Awa Kairangi (Lower Hutt) Cluster. I’m in a privileged position, where I work with my Therapy Dog, TomTom, alongside me in all my work. I am excited to be able to contribute to this UDL team and look forward to helping us connect to our colleagues around the country to share and grow our UDL practice.
Ma te huruhuru ka rere te manu
Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly
