The annual audit of professional learning undertaken by the Teachers Registration Board after renewal of registration was completed in June. A total of 280 teachers (i.e., 2.7%) were selected randomly for inclusion in the audit this year. Teachers were given four weeks to ensure their records were complete before commencement of the audit.

The majority of records were submitted through the Teachers Portal although a proportion of teachers submitted hardcopies. Records entered electronically tended to move through the process more quickly because the portal provides the key components required by the TRB. Hardcopies often did not provide all the required information with teachers having to submit additional information to complete the process.

Overall, teachers demonstrated an array of professional learning opportunities including:

• individual readings
• formal study towards a high degree
• podcasts, webinars, and other electronically available resources
• site-based projects
• targeted professional learning provided by individual sites

The Teachers Registration Board recognizes the importance of all these different types of professional learning experiences and does not expect teachers attend face-to-face workshops to meet the learning requirement. This point is crucial to ensure that those teachers who are working part-time or as Temporary Relief Teachers are not disadvantaged.

The majority of teachers met the Teachers Registration Board’s requirements around professional learning although some activities are still being included that are not accepted. Examples include:

• career evenings or open days provided for parents and students
• attendance at staff meetings (which are generally administrative). The exception would be if an invited expert attended to provide a presentation on a particular educational aspect (i.e., developing tasks to assess critical thinking).

Activities like these are considered part of the roles and responsibilities of teachers i.e., a teacher’s professional practice.

For clarification regarding what constitutes professional learning and how to record various types of professional learning access Professional learning | Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (trb.sa.edu.au) or contact the helpful staff on 08 8253 9700.