Information for those teachers who support our student teachers' learning in centres and schools
Interested in becoming an Associate Teacher or Mentor Teacher?
Speak to your principal/head teacher - the College of Education approaches schools at the beginning of each year to gauge interest in hosting a student for various times during the year. You must be a fully registered teacher to be an associate or mentor teacher. If you would like more information about this role, please contact education@otago.ac.nz.
Interested in advancing your own education?
Read about our postgraduate programmes in education.
Professional Experience Information and Reporting
Selection Process
Please refer to the UOCE Selection Process - Teacher Education flowchart.
Safety checking of student teachers under the requirements of the Children's Act 2014
Please refer to the Safety Check Letter and also to the Children's Act 2014 (Reprint as at 7 August 2020).
SONIA online placement management portal
All course books and handbooks relevant to a particular professional experience can be found by logging into the online placement management portal SONIA and looking under 'documents'. Professional experience reports are also completed using the SONIA portal. If you do not have login details please send a request to the relevant Professional Experience Administrator - email addresses are listed below.
Professional Experience Handbooks
Bachelor of Teaching (BTchg)
- Early Childhood Education
- Primary Education
- Te Pōkai Mātauranga o te Ao Rua (Primary Bicultural Education)
Master of Teaching and Learning (MTchgLn)
- Early Childhood Education
- Primary Education – semester 1
- Primary Education – semester 2
- Secondary Education
Other Information
Contact us
Professional Experience Administrators
If you have any questions relating to professional experience, please email:
| Early Childhood Education | eceadmin@otago.ac.nz |
| Primary Education | primaryadmin@otago.ac.nz |
| Te Pōkai Mātauranga o te Ao Rua (Primary Bicultural Education) | jolene.dunn@otago.ac.nz |
| Secondary Education | secondaryadmin@otago.ac.nz |