Edition 4, September 2010
This is the fourth edition of the TRB Update for 2010. If you know of a teacher who has not received an email from the Board, please encourage them to advise the Board of their current contact details.
Registrations
Currently there are 5939 teachers registered to teach in the Northern Territory, an increase of 107 teachers since the last Update.
Commencement of new Act
The amended Teacher Registration (Northern Territory) Act (the Act) and the Regulations commenced on 1 September 2010. The categories of Provisional Registration and Full Registration are now in effect and the Board is currently receiving applications under the new Act.
Deeming letter – Full Registration
In the next few weeks, teachers registered with the TRB prior to 1 September will receive a letter from the Director deeming them to hold Full Registration. This is an important document as it is evidence that you hold Full Registration in the NT and the Board strongly encourages you to read the letter as it outlines critical information to do with issuing your new registration certificate (card). The letter is accompanied by a factsheet, Full Registration in the Northern Territory, and sets out your professional responsibilities over the next five years. As there are changes to the registration card, a special edition Update will be published early next term on how to read your registration card.
Registration: information for teachers who do not have the four year teacher education qualifications
An Information Sheet has been prepared concerning the transition provision for teachers who do not hold the prescribed four-year qualification for registration. This sheet has been published in response to a number of queries the Board has received from teachers who fall into this category.
Form A: application process for teacher registration
Teachers applying for registration after 1 September 2010 apply under the new Act and the application form has been revised accordingly, to include evidence of currency of practice and competence to teach for those applying for Full Registration.
Consultation
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) has released a consultation paper on a national system for the accreditation of pre-service teacher education programs. The paper details the key elements of a proposed national system to accredit teacher preparation courses. A consultation forum was held in Darwin on 14 September at which key stakeholders had an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed system. The consultation paper can be viewed online and downloaded from www.aitsl.edu.au.
National Professional Standards for Teachers
Back in May, the Board submitted to MCEECDYA its response to The Draft National Standards for Teachers (the Standards). The validation of the Standards is about to commence across Australia with a target of 10,000 or more teachers participating in two online surveys. The validation exercise is being carried out by the National Centre for Science, Information and Communication Technology and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR) which is located at the University of New England. Focus group workshops involving teachers, teacher educators and subject associations will also take place in each state and territory. Some members of the Board’s Standards and Professional Learning Committee will be participating in the workshop to be held in the NT. If you are interested in contributing to the validation process, you can do so by going to www.une.edu.au/simerr between 8 October and 29 October to complete the survey.
Inside Teaching and Research Digest
The latest editions of Inside Teaching and the Research Digest can be found on the TRB website. The third edition of Inside Teaching has an insightful article on collaborative school-based action research investigating the efficacy of online professional learning. Well know Australian chef, Stephanie Alexander, provides readers with an account of her best teacher and discusses the success of her Kitchen Garden Foundation program.
Civics and Citizenship Education is the focus of the third edition of the Research Digest and contains useful information about how civics and citizenship has been incorporated into teaching and learning programs.
Copies of past editions for both publications can be found on the website.
In the next TRB update
- An introduction to new Board members
- Introducing the Initial Teacher Education Committee and its work
- Support for provisionally registered teachers