Never stop learning

Because life never stops teaching

During Week 2, early career teachers were given the fantastic opportunity to attend the 2019 Cecil Hills High School Beginning Teachers Conference, organised by Belinda Ward (Beginning Teacher Mentor) and Bernadette Adams (Relieving Beginning Teacher Mentor). The purpose of the conference was to enhance partnerships, as part of an ongoing network, to support teachers in the early stages of their career journey, whilst also delivering targeted professional learning in areas requested by the Beginning Teachers Team.

The beginning teachers engaged in valuable sessions aligned with the school plan, particularly with:

Strategic Direction 1: Respectful, responsible and successful learners and

Strategic Direction 2: Flexible, future-focused and innovative teaching practices.

Denise James, Deputy Principal of Year 7 and 10, commenced the conference by addressing the diverse perspectives of welfare in the classroom, and answering burning questions prepared by the Beginning Teachers Team through a Q&A session.

This was supplemented further by a workshop led by Kate Piromalli and Marina Zuzic from NSW School-Link, specialists in child and adolescent mental health services. This workshop allowed us to discuss the importance of addressing mental health issues in open dialogue as well as the impact that these issues have on student wellbeing and learning. Participants were provided with a range of practical and useful strategies to support student welfare in the classroom and foster engagement.

Principal, Mark Sutton, also delivered a highly informative and beneficial workshop detailing school procedures, CV writing and interview skills to support the career journeys of beginning teachers.

Lastly, Dr Richard Schiliro (Teacher Mentor and Head Teacher Teaching & Learning at Glenwood High School) guided the participants through the process of Accreditation in which teachers provide evidence of how their teaching practice meets the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. This was a great way to end the conference as participants were provided with tips and strategies to unpack the (now less daunting) accreditation process. 

Overall, the Beginning Teacher Conference was an insightful and informative experience and all participants were grateful for the time and efforts of the knowledgeable presenters and, of course, our Beginning Teacher Mentors for organising this wonderful day.

Ms Priya Kumar and Ms Ninowy Tiary 

 Beginning Teachers Team