Teaching Excellence Program

Adriana Tavares-Green and Stephanie Matters have graduated from the Teaching Excellence Program!

Our school values the learning and development of our staff, and the positive impact this has on student outcomes and school improvement.

We are proud to share that Adriana and Stephanie recently graduated from the Teaching Excellence Program at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership.

This program enables skilled teachers to advance their capabilities and excellence in teaching.

Through the program, Adriana and Stephanie grew their knowledge of teaching practices by engaging with contemporary educational research and inquiring into two areas of their practice.

We look forward to Adriana and Stephanie sharing their skills and knowledge from the program to continue to support student learning and wellbeing outcomes at our school.

Participating in the Teacher Excellence Programme was an incredibly affirming and transformative experience that deepened my understanding of instructional leadership, reflective practice and the power of collaboration. I was honoured to be selected by the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership as one of the 2025 Ambassadors, a recognition that I hold with great pride. 

During the programme, I undertook inquiry projects exploring the importance of communication between school and home, alongside strategies to authentically embed Indigenous perspectives in the Design Technologies Textiles curriculum. These projects affirmed that, as educators, we are also first-hand researchers, with the unique opportunity to translate evidence-based research directly into our classrooms. 

Presenting at the conference on my journey into education, my growth throughout TEP, and my next steps as an educator allowed me to reflect on how intentional, research-informed practice can positively impact students’ academic success and overall wellbeing, reinforcing my commitment to leading with purpose, empathy and care in every aspect of my teaching.

-Adriana Tavares-Green

Participating in the Teacher Excellence Program was a significant and enriching professional learning experience that broadened my understanding of effective pedagogy and strengthened my ability to engage in disciplined, evidence-based inquiry. The program provided a structured environment for critical analysis, professional dialogue and the thoughtful application of research, enabling me to refine and enhance my classroom practice in collaboration with colleagues from a diverse range of schools.

Throughout the program, I undertook two inquiry projects centred on English instruction. The first investigated the impact of explicit teaching of prefixes and suffixes on students’ spelling accuracy and morphological knowledge. The second examined strategies to support senior students in developing more sophisticated analytical writing, with a particular focus on strengthening their articulation of authorial intent and their capacity to unpack and evaluate the ideas constructed within texts. Both inquiries highlighted the importance of intentional, explicit instruction and demonstrated how targeted pedagogical approaches can produce measurable improvements in students’ clarity, precision and academic confidence.

Engagement in this program further strengthened my commitment to continuous professional growth and to the sustained integration of research-informed strategies within my teaching practice. It also provided valuable opportunities to build professional networks, exchange insights and engage in meaningful collegial discourse. The experience reaffirmed my belief that deliberate, responsive teaching practices are instrumental in enhancing student achievement and promoting deeper intellectual engagement.

-Stephanie Matters