(L-R: Acting Registrar, Nigel Laity & Mike Chartres)

Mike Chartres from the Primary Mathematics Association (PMA) was this year’s winner of the TRB’s Induction and Mentoring Award.

Mike trained as a generalist primary teacher at Salisbury Teachers College in the early 1970s. His keen interest in mathematics saw his training include four years of discipline study in mathematics and three years in the sciences. Mike recalls how quickly people dropped studying mathematics even at an undergraduate level.  “My first semester was calculus with some 120 other student teachers, many of them doing the secondary program. By my eighth semester, the algebra class consisted of four students”.

A busy career followed working in the public sector as a classroom teacher, school leader, curriculum advisor and writer, and project officer. In 1991, Mike left the sector to work as a lecturer in primary mathematics and science education at UniSA and then left academia in late 2013. Now semi-retired, he continues to work part-time in R-7 mathematics education and STEM for the PMA, and as an independent consultant.

“I first became involved with the PMA as a classroom teacher in the early 80s attending some professional development workshops,” he says. “This introduced me to colleagues with a similar interest to teach mathematics in creative and innovative ways.”

Mike currently holds the position of Country Coordinator but, as with most small professional associations, pitches in and does a bit of everything to support members. Together with his PMA colleagues Mike’s key role is co-designing and presenting professional learning and resources for members with a particular focus on early career teachers.

“PMA offers numerous opportunities to work with colleagues who have a similar passion to become the best teacher of mathematics one can. It offers numerous opportunities to encourage and support our current and new generation of primary teachers to make a significant difference to their students’ lives with respect to learning mathematics.”

The PMA is also quite active in providing classroom teacher perspectives and feedback to State and Federal groups about primary mathematics policy and curriculum initiatives.

In 1996 Mike was honoured with life membership of PMA.

Find out more about Educators SA and the benefits of joining a professional teacher association.

Renewal applications are now available on the portal.

This year is the first time you are required to hold a Working with Children Check (WWCC).

Please apply for a Working with Children Check through the Department of Human Services as soon as possible. You will need this check when you apply for your renewal and this will prevent delays in the processing of your application.

If you hold a current DHS Child-related Screening Clearance (DCSI check) you are deemed to hold a WWCC for the period the DCSI check is valid and can apply for renewal of registration with this check.

If you have any questions about the Working with Children Check please contact the Department of Human Services online or call 1300 321 592.

Our World Teachers Day competition winners braved windy conditions and slight rain to experience the Adelaide Oval RoofClimb on Friday 25 October.

Fourteen teachers went on the climb which included a quick peek behind-the-scenes at the oval, a fascinating history of the oval and surrounds and some breathtaking views.

The lucky teachers were:

• Jill Selby - Cabra Dominican College
• Mandi Brown & Tammy Schinckel - Naracoorte High School
• Bobbie Taylor & Joanna Falkland - Mannum Community College
• Matthew McCurry & Ben Clohesy - Hospital School SA
• Ken Thompson & David Monaghan - Playford International College
• Erik Ma, Caitlin Nicolle & Kerry Cornelius - Plympton International College
• Ebony Drake & Bethany Hubmayer - Flagstaff Hill Primary School

Cabinet has approved the drafting of a Bill to amend the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004 (the Act). A discussion paper ‘Enhancing Teacher Registration in South Australia’ was released by the Minister on 18 April 2019. The paper was promoted by the Board and on the YourSAy website. The consultation period closed on 31 May 2019 with written submissions received from 11 stakeholders.

The Board conducted a survey as part of the consultation process with 2,338 respondents. Nearly 89% of respondents identified as teachers with the remainder being parents, community members and other education sector employees. Read more about the survey here.

Consultation sessions were held across 14 regional and metropolitan locations with approximately 400 attendees representing a broad range of stakeholders and all teaching genres. A paper has been prepared for the Minister for approval of drafting instructions for Parliamentary Counsel to prepare draft amendments to the Act.

Since these consultations, the Act has gone through initial amendments and the Board held four stakeholder consultations meetings in late October to discuss these.

The 2019 teacher registration renewal period (registration expired 31 January 2019) resulted in 1 264 teachers (i.e. 11% of the renewal cohort) opting not to continue their registration. To gain feedback for making this choice, teachers were invited to complete an anonymous survey capturing their reasons for non-renewal.

The survey also captured data not collected by the Teachers Registration Board including years of teaching experience, employment status (i.e., permanent, contract, temporary relief teacher), and employment setting (early years, primary or secondary settings). These data allowed the reasons selected to be compared across these various groupings of teachers to identify similarities and differences.

A total of 259 teachers responded, with 33% of these having 0-9 years of teaching, 22% 10-20 years and 45% 20+ years.

Teachers could select multiple reasons for non-renewal, which aligned with three key themes:

1. Teacher wellbeing (53% of responses), included disenchantment with increasing levels of accountability around teaching; the impact of the workplace environment on teacher wellbeing; stress and anxiety within the workplace.
2. The profession (38% of responses), included the inability of teachers to complete 60 hours of professional learning, or not having completed 60 days of professional practice for those with (full) Registration. There was some confusion regarding this requirement. See Professional Practice for practice for Renewal of (full) Registration. 
3. Retirement (27%) of teachers.

Each year the NAPLAN paper writing tasks are assessed by a team of markers from around South Australia.

If you have a strong knowledge of English grammar you can apply to be a NAPLAN marker.

The closing date for applications is 21 Feb 2020 – apply using the online application form.

The Marking Centre is expected to operate 7 days per week over two sessions.

• Day session - 6 days per week (8.30 am-3.00 pm) Monday to Friday plus one nominated weekend session or;
• Evening session - 5 evenings per week (4.00 pm-8.45 pm) Monday to Friday. One weekend session 8.30 am-3.00 pm is optional.

Please direct any enquiries to the NAPLAN Marking Centre team on 1800 316 777 or education.markingcentre@sa.gov.au

Read the NAPLAN marking information sheet.

Marking the NAPLAN writing task.

How do teachers develop the social skills of students on the Autism Spectrum in mainstream secondary school?

The survey closes at 5pm on Friday the 13th of December 2019.

Take the survey here.

Effective Classroom Practice: Literacy for All

Educational leaders and teachers are invited to attend the next Literacy Guarantee Conference which will feature a range of leading experts in literacy to support leaders and teachers more effectively meet the needs of all students.

Keynote speaker Dr Tanya Serry, Senior Lecturer Speech Pathology La Trobe University, will describe the Dual-Route Model of word reading and how children can progress from not knowing a word at all, to being able to read it fluently, accurately and efficiently.

Thursday, 16 January 2020 at Morphettville Racecourse, 79 Morphett Road, Morphettville.

Cost: $50

Find out more and register here.

Email: Education.NumeracyandLiteracy@sa.gov.au  

Teachers' Big Days Out (TBDO) is a professional learning event for educators presented by South Australian cultural institutions including the Art Gallery of SA, South Australian Museum, State Library of SA, History Trust of SA, Parliament House and Adelaide Festival Centre, with the support of the Department for Education. The program includes over 90 sessions presented by 22 organisations across multiple learning areas and year levels, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum.

TBDO is a jam-packed 3 day conference-style event, starting with an official opening at the University of Adelaide on Wednesday 15 January. Teachers can tailor their TBDO experience to suit availability and interests, attending sessions at venues in the North Terrace precinct and beyond. The closing event celebration will be held at Adelaide Botanic High School on Friday 17 January.

Go to the TBDO webpage to find out more and to book.

Queensland College of Teachers webinars:

• Capturing Evidence - Digital Portfolios - 23 January 2020, 11.30 am - 12.30 am
• Reading and Spelling for Dyslexia - 24 January 2020, 11.30 am - 12.30 pm

Australian Catholic University - Keeping Kids Central
A free online course that develops knowledge and understanding of child-safe and child-centred practice.

ASIC Professional learning for teachers:

• Teach MoneySmart: Be MoneySmart
• Connect MoneySmart: Use MoneySmart
• MoneySmart Maths (Primary)
• MoneySmart Maths (Secondary)
• MoneySmart HASS (Primary)
• MoneySmart HASS (Secondary)
• Teaching young adults about money (Be MoneySmart)
• Teaching Indigenous students about money (Knowing Growing Showing)
• Financial Literacy 101

Ideal Learning offers online courses throughout the year.  Below is an updated list of courses. Visit their website for further information or email: connect@idealearning.com.au. 

• Addressing the Problem of Math Anxiety to Improve Student Learning - 2 hours - $49+GST
• Affective Neuroscience and the Classroom – Emotional Thought and Learning - 2 hours - $49+GST
• Broken Hearts - Identifying and Reporting Child Abuse - 6 hours - $89+GST
• Creating a Safe Class Environment for Teachers and Students - 4 hours - $69+GST
• Creativity and the Brain - Learning to Created - 2 hours $49+GST
• How Abuse & Trauma Affect Student Survival Instinct, Attachment and Cognition - 2 hours - $49+GST
• How Collegial Networks can make School more Inclusive for Students with Behavioural Needs - 2 hours $39+GST 
• How Positive Teacher-Student Relationships Help Angry Students Survive the School System - 2 hours $49+GST
• Learning to Learn: An Introduction to Brain Plasticity - 2 hours $49+GST 
• Learning to Love - How the Brain Learns to Love after Abuse and Trauma - 2 hours $49+GST
• Self Care for Teachers and Staff - 2 hours - FREE
• The Effect of Abuse and Trauma on Learning - 3 hours - $59+GST
• The Neuroeducation Series - 20 hours - $153+GST

The Student Wellbeing Hub has been developed by Education Services Australia for the Australian Government Department of Education. We work with experts, academics, teachers and leaders, professional associations and industry providers to support the education community in Australia. 

The Hub is the home of the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework, which is based on evidence of the clear links between safety, wellbeing and learning.

It is a space for educators, parents and students to build safe, inclusive and connected school communities that promote wellbeing and learning.

Find and share information, resources and support with other educators online by joining one of the many teacher Facebook groups.

Relief Teachers of Adelaide & South Australia

Need a relief teacher, are a relief teacher, have questions about being a relief teacher.

Teachers of Adelaide
A place for South Australian teachers to network, share/ request resources & discuss all things teacher-y.

Teachers of SA
Provides inspiration, resources and news to the South Australian education community. The page is maintained and moderated by Credit Union SA.

The SA Department for Education: Teacher Leaders

To provide a forum for networking and sharing, supporting the professional life and career development of teacher leaders and aspirants.

LTASA - Lead Teachers Association of SA

This is an association for Teacher Leaders and those aspiring, across all sectors of Education in South Australia.

The Importance of Leadership
This group is open to all educators with an interest in leadership, whether from the classroom, within a school or in a wider context.

Digital Technologies & Computational Thinking
Wondering what computational thinking looks like in the classroom? This group is for educators and others who recognise that learning to code is only part of the process.

Relief Teaching Ideas Community
A spin-off of the Relief Teaching Ideas Facebook Page. This is for ALL teachers - casual, permanent, contract, part-time, student teachers, specialists, tutors, teacher aides, homeschoolers, and anyone else interested in education

Australian Primary Ed Teachers

This group is purely for resource sharing, discounts, promotions, competitions and even resource requests! Exclusive to Australian Teachers.

Junior Primary/Primary Teachers of Adelaide

For Junior Primary/Primary Teachers to share Resources and National Curriculum Strategies.

TfEL Teachers' Companion

We are a community of teachers who using the Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework and TfEL Teachers' Companion to support our pedagogical practice.

Teach Meet Adelaide

This group is for all notices regarding teach meets in Adelaide.

Australian Prep Teachers

You will find loads of ideas and support for teaching in the Australian Prep and Foundation classroom. This group is open to Australian Teachers, Aides and Student Teachers only.

Digital Technologies and Computational Thinking

This group is for educators and others who recognise that learning to code is only part of the process. Purposeful tasks and computational thinking are essential future skills for every young person. The pedagogy we bring to digital technologies is crucial, and teachers need help to transform their practice and application of digital tools.

Novita offers an exciting range of professional development opportunities specialising in disability.

Our workshops are designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need, to confidently support the inclusion of kids and teens living with disabilities in your class or learning environment.

We offer workshops on a wide range of topics and we are also more than happy to work with you to design a workshop to meet your specific requirements or the specific needs of a child you work with.

Please visit novita.org.au/training-consulting for more information or to book a workshop.

We are also able to deliver these sessions at your site!

To find out more contact us at training@novita.org.au or on 1300 668 482.

Upcoming professional development opportunities:

Oral Eating and Drinking Support (OEDS)

When: Monday 20^th January 2020 9.30 am-12.30 pm
Where: Novita – 171 Days Road Regency Park
Cost: $190.00 per person (+ GST and booking fee)

Transfer and Positioning Support (TAPS)

When: Monday 20^th January 2020 1-3.30pm
Where: Novita – 171 Days Road Regency Park
Cost: $160.00 per person (+ GST and booking fee)

How to use a PODD

When: Tuesday 21^st January 2020 9.30 am-12.30 pm
Where: Novita – 171 Days Road Regency Park
Cost: $190.00 per person (+ GST and booking fee) Student Rate $140.00 per person (+ GST and booking fee)