<p>Education in resettlement contexts offers a pathway to employment, civic integration and a sense of normalcy for former refugees. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), resettlement policy prioritises education as a pathway to participation and belonging, but educational support for resettled refugees is limited. For students from refugee backgrounds, educational access and outcomes are often dependent on the will and expertise of teachers and school leaders, as well as students’ own self-sufficiency. In this paper, we outline the findings of an “appreciative inquiry” with primary and secondary teachers and school leaders who were identified as effective and inclusive by young people, families, and educational support staff from migrant and refugee backgrounds. We sought to identify the everyday ways in which teachers and schools fostered learning and belonging for students from refugee backgrounds. We found that effective teachers and school leaders had an affirming mindset and engaged in everyday practices that can be grouped in relation to five pillars or pou: focusing on relationships, fostering connections with home, building a sense of community, making learning happen, and promoting a sense of future. We also found that, in some schools, resources were utilised strategically to strengthen these pou. Drawing on “world-travelling” to theorise what it means to be an effective and inclusive teacher, we highlight implications for educational policy and practice in NZ, and in other resettlement contexts.</p>