Early Career Teachers

Towards sustainable, professional practice

The Early Career Teachers Course will offer a range of interactive presentations from experienced practitioners to help you survive and thrive in your first years as a Science teacher.

Over whole day and twilight sessions, topics addressed will include risk assessment reporting, running safe practical lessons, classroom management, parent teacher interviews, becoming a Proficient Teacher and NESA requirements, reading the syllabus and assessment. The course focuses on the development of sustainable, professional practice in early career science teachers 7-12.

The course program has been developed in such a way that reflects the principles of effective PD by:

• Being content focused through links to syllabus and pedagogical content knowledge.
• Being sustained in duration with the course delivered in a series of segments with a requirement for teachers to record evidence of implementation of their learning.
• Recognising the experience and prior knowledge of learners by providing an opportunity for participants to contribute in multiple sessions e.g. Learning across the curriculum, PT interviews.
• Demonstrating coherence by referring to teaching standards in multiple sessions.
• Being job embedded by requiring teachers to record a reflection on implementation of practices presented through guiding questions and sharing.
• Modelling effective practice in multiple sessions eg classroom management, planning and managing workloads, risk assessments and safety.
• Involving active collaboration by supporting early career teachers and providing an opportunity for mentorship.
• Providing opportunities for feedback and reflection in multiple sessions eg PT interviews, planning and managing workloads.

Comments from 2021 participants:

“Previously the idea of developing curriculum and assessments was very daunting and while it is still challenging, I have learned techniques to cope (and I think the most comforting thing I learned as well is that all teachers screw things up sometimes and remember what things were like as a first year teacher, so don’t be afraid to pester people). The encouragement to give it a go and the gentle helpful feedback was useful to develop confidence.”

“I have enjoyed having discussions with new and experienced teachers from all over NSW with a variety of experiences but the common background in teaching Science. My professional goal was to increase the number of practical activities that I do with my students and through discussions I have been given some ideas to work towards over the next few years.”

2022 ONLINE COURSE DATES:

Term 1: Monday 28 March,  8:30 – 3:30pm
Term 2: Wednesday 25 May, 4:00 – 6:00pm
Term 3: Thursday 28 July, 8:30 – 3:15pm
Term 4: Thursday 27 October- Mentoring opportunity, 4:00 – 6:00pm