Chris Grage - Assistant principal

“After 20 years as a high school teacher, I wanted to spend some time reconnecting with research around education. I felt that I would be best doing this through a structured masters programme.

“The University of Auckland offered specific courses on Communities of Learning that I wanted to complete and learn from. The Master of Education Practice was flexible enough to allow me to complete a masters degree comprised of these papers alongside interest-driven educational research.

“The admissions staff were very helpful and made sure the qualification was made up of courses that were of interest to me, rather than a one-size-fits-all model. I was able to choose courses that were delivered completely online or allowed me to attend seminars and meetings via Skype and Zoom, which meant I was able to complete my work and assignments from my home. Working from home allowed me the flexibility to complete my work when I needed to; I could fit it in around my family and day-to-day life.

“The lecturers were excellent and the courses and assignments, engaging and varied. Above all, they challenged me to think deeply about aspects of my job that were really important to me.

“New research into teaching and learning is created every day and as busy teachers we don’t always find the time to engage with that research as much as we would like to. Completing this degree allowed me to focus on this.

“Furthermore I was able to personalise my learning to aspects of teaching that I am most interested in — e-learning, teacher collaboration and teacher inquiry. I have been able to update my understanding of current thinking and incorporate that into my day-to-day work at school.”