Rolling out the Welcome Mat for Teachers
After three decades in classrooms, Fitzroy School teacher Elg Anderson is now pouring her experience into a new mentorship programme designed to roll out the welcome mat for beginning teachers - helping them feel supported, confident, and nurtured from day one.
Elg’s career journey has never followed a straight line. What she did know early on was that she wanted to embrace new opportunities and help other kaiako thrive.
“I’m passionate about growing and caring for our profession. There’s a horrible statistic that something like 53% of beginning teachers leave within seven years. And I thought that this was an opportunity for me to lead in a different space.”
For many years, Elg assumed she was heading toward a principal or deputy principal role. But stepping out of full‑time classroom teaching to spend a few days a week teaching te reo Māori at her school reignited something unexpected.
“That experience really sparked my love of learning again. Watching my colleagues learn a new skill made me want to do even more to support others.”
From there, her path widened. She began working with the University of Waikato, assessing student teachers on placements across Taranaki.
“I saw that the theories of the course and the realities of the real world of teaching - there was a big difference and some gaps. While I was there, I completed both the NZSTA principal appraisal course and the Teaching Council principal appraisal course. I ended up doing quite a few principal appraisals while still teaching two days a week.”
Elg went on to spend five years on the Teaching Council’s registration panel before joining the Governing Council as a council member. Somewhere along the way, a conversation with a friend planted a seed - a small idea that eventually grew into a mentoring programme.
Supported by Fitzroy School, she launched the mentoring programme initiative and completed educational coaching accreditation. Knowing how stretched schools can be, Elg wanted to offer something many simply don’t have the capacity to provide.
“I know schools have the best of intentions, but they don’t always have the valuable resource of time. So I thought if I was an independent person and this was my focus, I could give them that time and focus back. ”
“And because I was still in the classroom - and still am - I was current. I always say I’m still at the coalface, and I think that’s been a big success of the programme.
What she developed is a relationship‑based mentoring programme where beginning teachers can ask questions, be vulnerable and build confidence.
“I brought lots of different lenses that enabled me to create a programme because I’d observed what was done with the University of Waikato visiting students on placement… seeing some were successful and some weren’t.
“And then because I’d been a mentor in schools and had student teachers, and then I’d worked with principals, I’d seen how different schools valued them. They all valued them, but their resourcing to support them varied.”
Elg believes the programme’s strength lies in its face‑to‑face nature.
“It’s very practical and real‑world - no modules, no assignments. There’s strong whanaungatanga and a huge focus on Hauora and wellbeing. They go away with resources they can instantly use in their classroom. And they see me as one of them too, because I’m still teaching.”
Elg hopes to broaden perceptions of leadership for teachers.
“There are so many people in education doing great things. It’s neat to capture the non‑traditional leaders rather than just teacher, team leader, DP, AP, principal. There are lots of different ways to lead.”
One teacher described the programme as “laying out the welcome mat to teachers.” For Elg, that sums it up perfectly: to help beginning teachers set a foundation and keep spirits high.
“Teaching is about relationship. Between teachers, with learners. It’s about being face‑to‑face. We need to stay connected to the grassroots of the profession.”
Written by Jenni Guzman.