The Board’s Induction & Mentoring Early Careers Award* recognises teachers who engage with, support and encourage educators new to the teaching profession. Introduced in 2016, it is presented each year at the Educators SA World Teachers Day Awards. The inaugural winner was Robyn Carmody from the Visual Arts Educators Association followed by Tricia Richman in 2017, Principal at Whyalla High School. In 2018, Kate Dilger from the SA Science Teachers Association (SASTA) was the deserving recipient of the award (pictured here with Dr Peter Lind).

SASTA works with teachers from all education sectors and across all year levels to support and foster the professional development of science teachers throughout South Australia.

As Education Officer, Kate has spent the past five years running professional learning for SASTA which includes organising and presenting science and STEM-based professional learning workshops. The role also sees her visiting schools to determine their science learning needs and then tailoring the professional learning to what is required. She may work with individual teachers or with the entire teaching staff to develop a whole of school approach to science and STEM teaching and learning. The professional learning provided is specifically designed to help teachers develop greater confidence and competence in both pedagogy and content knowledge.

While Kate works with educators from reception through to year 12 her passion lies in supporting early career teachers.

“The early years of teaching are rewarding but hard,” Kate says. “It’s important that we keep enthusiastic teachers in the profession and make them feel they are contributing, learning and growing.”

In support of this Kate is also responsible for the annual SASTA early career teacher’s conference that offers a range of fun and informative workshops and presentations for teachers in the first five years of teaching science/STEM or those new to a specialist science or STEM role.

During her career spent teaching at Thomas More College in Salisbury, Kate was lucky enough to spend two years living in New York while she worked as a consultant for the New York Board of Education. On her return to Thomas More she worked as Head of Science and in her final year in 2010, Kate won the award for teaching at the Department for Industry & Skills prestigious SA Science Excellence Awards.

Kate has recently been appointed to the role of SASTA Executive Officer.

To find out more about Educators SA and the benefits of joining a professional teacher association click here.

*The TRB Induction and Mentoring Early Careers Award is given to an individual who has made a significant difference to early career teachers and aims to highlight the importance of educators working with early career teachers.