Early childhood teacher Zuzana Haladej has been working at Montessori Manor preschool for the past decade. After arriving in Australia in 1996 from the Czech Republic, Zuzana was employed as a swimming instructor and discovered she enjoyed working with children. She commenced work as an early childhood educator at Keithcott Farm Children’s Centre in Golden Grove and then moved to Montessori Manor at Para Hills.

In 2010, Zuzanna began studying a two-year Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care at TAFE fulltime while working part-time at the centre and on completion in 2012 immediately commenced a four year Bachelor of Early Childhood at UniSA.

“I studied the first semester full time,” Zuzana said. “After the first semester, I reduced my study hours to part-time and worked part-time as I found it all very challenging.”

In 2011, the introduction of the Education and Early Childhood Services (Registration and Standards) Act 2011(SA) saw changes to the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004. These changes required early childhood teachers employed in approved early childhood education and care services to be registered with the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia.

These changes affected many early childhood workers and long day care education sites across South Australia as teachers had not previously been required at these sites. To assist the transition to these new requirements the Teachers Registration Board offered early childhood educators the opportunity to apply for a Special Authority to Teach. This allowed them to work as an early childhood teacher while studying toward an approved early childhood teaching qualification.

“I was halfway through my degree when the changes came in, so I applied for a Special Authority and my director employed me as an early childhood teacher,” Zuzana said. “It was hard work, studying, working and raising children but in 2019 I completed my degree and became a provisionally registered teacher!”

Zuzana is not alone in the hard work and commitment she demonstrated in completing her four-year bachelor degree while working. Since 2017, 48 early childhood teachers in similar situations to Zuzana have moved from holding a Special Authority to Teach to gaining provisional registration as a teacher. During this period 10 of these teachers have also transitioned to full registration.

The TRB would like to acknowledge this cohort of teachers and commend them on their achievement.

Did you know there is a school catering for students from preschool to senior school within the Women’s and Children’s Hospital?

In fact, the Hospital School which is part of the Department for Education also has campuses at Flinders Medical Centre and the Lyell McEwan Hospital as well as providing teaching for children of family members from rural areas in hospital at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Students don’t have to be onsite in the hospital either. The school caters to siblings and outpatients in programs that deliver one on one teaching in the ward, face-to-face teaching in the classroom, and learning online and learning@home for those students who return home but are not well enough to attend school. The school also works collaboratively with MissingSchool who offer See Be the Robot Service which involves Telepresence robots being placed in willing schools to ensure a continuous, two-way connection between children requiring health care support and their classrooms. There is also a Book Buddies program run by a team of retired teachers who visit wards and outpatient areas in the hospitals and read to children.

The school has 22 staff and is headed up by Principal, Matthew McCurry who was appointed in 2019. One of his first jobs was to freshen up the site and with community support and a lot of hard work, the team managed an extensive upgrade without spending a cent.

In 2019, the school taught approximately 1400 public and private school students from around South Australian and the Northern Territory as well as students from interstate and overseas who were accessing specialist services such as the WCH Burns and Craniofacial Units.

In November 2019, Behind the News visited the school. You can watch the video here.

Opened in 1930, the school will celebrate 90 years this year.

Visit the Hospital School SA website for more information.

On 28 February 2020, Dr Peter Lind completed his distinguished five-year tenure as Registrar of the Teachers Registration Board.

During his tenure, Dr Lind was involved with and oversaw, a number of initiatives and developments in the education sector including:

• amendments to the Teachers Registration and Standards Act (2004)
• the introduction of mandatory professional learning for all teachers
• the introduction of the Literacy and Numeracy Test for initial teacher education graduates
• the introduction of the Working with Children Check for teachers
• the Board being given the power to suspend a teacher’s registration in the event of a teacher being charged with a proscribed offence.
• the National Review of Teacher Registration
• the initial collection of data for the Teacher Workforce Data Strategy that aims to build a nationwide picture of the teaching workforce.

Dr Lind also represented the TRB as a key member of the International Forum of Teacher Regulatory Authorities (IFTRA), was a non-executive director with AITSL and worked as an adviser to the UNESCO International Task Force on Teachers for Education.

The Board will continue to support and promote the work of teachers under the guidance of our new Registrar, Leonie Paulson. 

Earlier this month the TRB received a visit from the Minister for Education the Hon John Gardner.

The Minister spent time chatting with staff as he toured the office and he was very interested to hear about the work going on in the initial teacher education space.

The Registration team even had time to stop for a catch up now that the busy renewal period is over. He commended them on their effort processing over 9,500 renewal applications and taking over 6,000 phone calls during renewal.

He also spent time with the Investigations Unit who amongst other things conduct Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks and disciplinary hearings to ensure the ongoing safety of children.

The visit lasted for 45 minutes as the Minister visited all areas of the TRB and spent time speaking with every staff member.

The Queensland College of Teachers has kindly provided access to a suite of videos featuring Rachel Drew a partner at law firm Holding Redlich. Rachel spoke to the QCT last June about the risks to teachers who engage in student counselling saying, “teachers who engage in counselling beyond the expected role of a teacher are at a high risk of a complaint being made about their conduct.”

Watch the videos that provide practical advice on how to engage with students here.

Registration for 2020 training is open now.

Full-day training is required prior to delivering the curriculum to children and young people.

Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum – 2020 Training

The Department for Education’s Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC) is a comprehensive child safety and respectful relationships program for children and young people age 3 to year 12.

The KS:CPC is recognised locally, nationally and internationally as a world-class curriculum.

In South Australia, the KS:CPC is mandated in all department and Catholic Education sites and used in independent schools.

Educators that deliver the KS:CPC to children and young people must attend a full-day training course which is available to the following approved organisations:

• Department for Education
• Catholic Education SA
• Association of Independent Schools of SA
• Community Children’s Centres SA
• Goodstart Early Learning Centres SA
• Green Leaves Early Learning Centres SA
• Wendy’s Early Learning Centres SA
• Lutheran Education SNW SA
• Pre-service teachers from Flinders University, University of Adelaide, University of South Australia or Tabor College.

Courses available include general, regional and site-based for educators and pre-service teachers.

For details and to register for training in 2020 visit the KS:CPC training webpage. 

Evidence for Learning is focused on supporting evidence-informed decision making through building, sharing and encouraging the use of evidence.

Their free webinars are designed to help education professionals learn how to turn evidence into practice in schools and how to use evidence to measure the impact of their teaching and leadership. Join various members of the Evidence for Learning team as they discuss different topics in evidence-informed practice.

TERM 2

Effective student collaboration

Tuesday 14 April 

REGISTER

Improving literacy

Tuesday 12 May 

REGISTER

Fostering student wellbeing

Tuesday 16 June 

REGISTER

TERM 3  

Improving student behaviour

Tuesday 21 July 

REGISTER 

Feedback to increase student learning

Tuesday 18 August 

REGISTER 

Unpacking the effective use of Teaching Assistants 

Tuesday 15 September

REGISTER

As it may be difficult to access face-to-face professional learning during the school holidays we have listed some online learning below. For a more comprehensive list visit our website. 

• Future Learn
• Natural Maths eCourses
• University of Adelaide - CSER Digital Technologies Education
• Relief Teacher Association - professional learning
• Open Learning University - Understanding Autism
• Safe Schools Hub
• Cool Australia - Learn for Life
• Difference Differently 

The Commissioner’s Digital Challenge has been developed specifically for children and young people in South Australia because digital skills are life skills – critical for future jobs, social inclusion and a more equitable world.

The Challenge is free, no special equipment is required, and no prior experience is necessary.

It’s estimated that more than 19,000 students around South Australia took part in the Challenge in 2019. Make sure children and young people you work with are among the participants in 2020 – explore this year’s challenges below:

What is Space to Dream? 

A Mars-themed design thinking challenge featuring a former astronaut’s authentic experience of outer space. Designs can be hand-drawn or built using free 3D design tools from Makers Empire. Selected designs will be showcased at MOD (Museum of Discovery). Optional resource pack for teachers including lesson plan adaptable for F-10, curriculum links and rubrics. This challenge is open to students of all ages. Access the Space to Dream Challenge here.

Register your school for Space to Dream here before 3 July 2020.

What is Learn to Speak Robot? 

A coding and computational thinking challenge. Children can complete any four activities to complete the challenge. Curriculum aligned options / device-free options / activities from Code.org™ featuring popular character-themes such as Star Wars®, NBA® and Disney®. This challenge is open to students of all ages. There’s something for everyone. Access the Learn to Speak Robot Challenge here.

Register your school for Learn to Speak Robot here before 3 July 2020.

What is Early Learning Unplugged? 

A device-free challenge suitable for Reception-aged children (recommended for 3-5 years). Teaches patterns and algorithmic and sequential thinking through an interactive paper-based game of hide & seek and a robot dance routine.

Download the free Early Learning Unplugged pack here.

Commissioner’s Digital Challenge Timeline

Children of all ages can take part at registered schools, at home with family, at their local library, or through participating Scouts, Guides or other community groups they belong to.

Learn more about the Commissioner's Digital Challenge 

Your school can help Australian Rotary Health Lift the Lid on Mental Illness by hosting a Hat Day event at any time up until Mental Health Month in October. 

100% of the money raised during this year's Hat Day campaign goes directly to research helping the one in five Australians affected by depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and many other illnesses.

The school’s program is simple – once you register you will be provided the fun Lift The Lid on Mental Illness kit to display and you have until the end of Mental Health Awareness Month in October to participate. 

Simple steps to participate and Lift the Lid on Mental Illness:

1. Click here to register your school.
2. A campaign kit including posters and vouchers will be sent out to you
3. Hold your fundraising day anytime between now and October 31st, 2020.
4. For every $2 coin collected each student will receive a $2 voucher redeemable from QBD Books to get them reading.

Throughout the year you will be kept up to date with new information and incentives, including great prizes such as book packs for your library and the chance to have some of Australia’s best children’s authors visit your school.

ReachOut Schools provides free educational resources, digital tools and practical tips to encourage the development of positive mental health and wellbeing across schools, and extend the impact of existing programs.

The service features easy-to-understand information on a full range of mental health and wellbeing issues. School resources include innovative digital apps and online games to help students learn to take control of their mental health.

Staff and parents can use ReachOut to better understand the issues young people face and as a safe place they can recommend and refer students to.

School professionals can also access a range of professional development webinars and information, with resources added throughout the year.

Register for school updates on their website.