Being a release teacher this year, working across one team (5 class groups, 27-30 children per group) has allowed me to improve my skills in behaviour management and student engagement. I have found the following are key requirements for a successful and happy day for the ākonga: Clear expectations, focused on school values and explicitly naming and praising these when shown by students Following through with expectations and set tasks Communicating actively with colleagues e.g. to share great progress so that a colleague can give further praise, share with parents etc ("doubling the impact"), to share next learning steps or support needs etc, what work was / wasn't done Building rapport with students and providing for student voice e.g. using games, explorify.com, open ended questions etc Giving choices wherever possible - the more students can control how they learn (e.g. using an Ipad, through construction, independent or in pairs, using paper/pen etc), the more eng...