Book excerpt: This book provides scholars, teacher educators, as well as reflective school leaders and teachers with valuable insights into what it is to be a teacher in the 21st century. It does so by presenting original research based on a study of several New Zealand schools between 2013 and 2015, and in particular, a focussed study of four of those schools in 2015. The book draws on the findings to take stock of some of the central manifestations of 21st-century learning, especially digital pedagogies and the collaborative practices associated with teaching and learning in modern learning environments. It reflects on the mental shifts and sometimes-painful transitions teachers and leaders are making and experiencing as they enter uncharted waters, moving from traditional classroom practices to ones that emphasise collaboration, teamwork and the radical de-centring of their personal roles. It outlines a blueprint for understanding how to navigate these changes, and describes and explains the nature of pedagogical shifts apparent in digital classrooms and modern learning environments.