Teaching philosophy statement
Answer five short prompts and get a 250-word draft in your own voice. Free, no sign-in.
Which Standards apply right now
The Teaching Council is moving from the 2017 Standards to the 2026 Standards for the Teaching Profession. According to the Teaching Council:
- Ngā Paerewa | Standards for the Teaching Profession 2017 (six standards) remain in force for most purposes, including certification endorsements, until the end of 2026.
- 2026 is a transition year. Schools use the 2026 Standards for the Professional Growth Cycle.
- From 1 January 2027, the 2026 Standards are in force for endorsement, renewal and initial teacher education.
If you are part-way through induction, your records may cover both sets. The Council's Move to the 2026 Standards page has the details and a comparison document. Check it, and ask your professional leader which set your school is recording against.
The 2026 Standards and everyday evidence
The 2026 Standards have eight standards across three domains: professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement. Each standard has focus areas (33 in total) that explain it in more detail. The names below are the Teaching Council's own.
| Standard | Everyday evidence you can collect |
|---|---|
| 1. Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership | A unit built on local iwi or hapū history; correct pronunciation and use of te reo Māori in routines; a plan showing how you affirm Māori learners' identity, language and culture; notes from learning with local kaumātua or Māori whānau. |
| 2. Know the content and how to teach it | Unit plans clearly linked to the curriculum; notes on the misconceptions you planned for; how you teach oral language, literacy and numeracy within your learning area. |
| 3. Know the learner and the learning process | Learner profiles (kept privately); adaptations for neurodivergent students or students learning English; a reflection on how your own assumptions affected a decision. |
| 4. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning | Annotated plans showing changes made during the lesson; observation feedback from your mentor; examples of extension and extra support. |
| 5. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments | Your class routines and expectations; a restorative conversation record; a student voice survey about how safe students feel to take part. |
| 6. Assess, provide feedback, and report on learning | Assessment data with your next-step groupings; samples of written feedback; reports or notes from learning conversations with whānau. |
| 7. Engage in professional learning | Your inquiry or goal records; notes from professional learning with what you changed; observations of colleagues and your reflections. |
| 8. Engage in productive professional relationships | Collaborative planning with your team; emails or meeting notes with whānau; work with learning support staff or outside agencies. |
Read the full standards and focus areas on the Teaching Council website rather than relying on a summary. The focus areas are what your professional leader will look for.
If your school still records against the 2017 Standards
The six 2017 standards are: Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership; Professional learning; Professional relationships; Learning-focused culture; Design for learning; and Teaching. The same kinds of evidence apply. The Council's comparison notes that Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership, planning and teaching, professional learning and professional relationships are substantially the same in both sets, so evidence you gather now will still be useful from 2027.
How to record evidence
- Keep one folder (digital is easiest) with a sub-folder per standard.
- Date everything. The Council suggests documentation from the beginning, middle and end of each year of your programme.
- Add two or three lines to each artefact: what it is, what you did, what changed for learners.
- Note the standard and focus area it shows. One piece can show several.
- Review the folder with your mentor each term and fill gaps deliberately.
Your teaching philosophy is a useful thread through your evidence. The free teaching philosophy statement tool helps you put it into words.
Your mentor and induction programme
Newly graduated teachers complete an induction and mentoring programme of at least two years, provided by their employer, with a mentor who holds a Tūturu | Full Practising Certificate. With your mentor and professional leader you set goals, reflect on progress, keep records and show how you are meeting the Standards. At the end, your professional leader makes an evidence-based decision about whether you are ready for a Tūturu | Full (Category One) Practising Certificate. See the Council's induction and mentoring page and our guide to provisional to full certification.
- Ask for regular, timetabled meetings and formal observations, and keep the notes.
- Make sure both your voice and your mentor's appear in the records: the Council says it wants to ‘hear’ both.
- If you change schools, take your records with you.
Our Code
Alongside the Standards sits Ngā Tikanga Matatika | Code of Professional Responsibility, which sets out the behaviour and integrity expected of every teacher. It applies to all registered and certificated teachers and holders of a Limited Authority to Teach, and it is binding under the Education and Training Act 2020. You declare your commitment to it when you apply for and renew a practising certificate. Read it and the examples in practice on the Teaching Council's Code page.
Rules and dates in this area change. If anything here differs from what the Teaching Council says, follow the Council's current guidance.