Faced with the challenge of teaching compulsory courses with high enrolments, Toni Collins draws on a wide range of techniques to engage her students and prepare them for their future legal careers.
One of the greatest strengths of Toni’s teaching is her attentiveness to effective course design. Drawing on her professional background as a barrister and solicitor, Toni strives to bring active learning opportunities and authentic assessment into the classroom in order to engage students and prepare them for their future legal careers. These opportunities range from discussion and small group work through to guest speakers and authentic assessments in which ākonga are given the chance to practice skills such as interviewing clients, drafting legal opinions, and writing submissions to real entities (such as a Parliamentary Select Committee). Student comments emphasise how much they value these opportunities; one student notes that these assessments are “more engaging and gave me a better more genuine understanding of the content,” going on to say: “It was far more pleasing to know that I could submit my research submission [to a Parliamentary Select Committee/Waitangi Tribunal] and it could perhaps do some good in decision-making! With essays or tests I usually just throw them out after!”
Toni’s philosophy of teaching is built on a humanist theory of learning supported by the values of whanaungatanga, tiakitanga and manaakitanga, endeavouring to create an environment in which ākonga feel welcome and at ease in the classroom. She herself was the first in her family to attend university, and she is attentive to the needs of students at each level of the Bachelor of Laws programme. As one peer reviewer writes: “Toni’s responses to the student queries/ideas were both enthusiastic and encouraging. This created a very positive vibe within the lecture room.”
Moreover, Toni also has a positive impact on teaching beyond her classroom by coordinating and participating in a community of practice teaching circle, mentoring postgraduate students and her colleagues, and joining the Faculty of Law Learning and Teaching Committee. In the words of her nominator, Debra Wilson, “Toni is a true teaching leader in our faculty, and her approaches to teaching inspire us all.”
