Developing early career teachers
Catholic Education Tasmania supports teachers through all levels of career progression from early career teacher through to positions of leadership. Our Early Career Teachers program is the foundation program of the suite of leadership development programs offered within CET.
During their first three years of teaching in CET, early career teachers are provided with support and professional development opportunities both at their school and from the Catholic education system as part of the ECT program.
What the program provides
Our ECT program provides a formal structure that sits alongside essential in-school induction, orientation, support, and mentoring.
The program develops partnerships between early career teachers, school leadership, a practice focused mentor and the Catholic education system. This process aims to:
- build teaching excellence,
- improve student outcomes,
- improve teacher well-being and resilience,
- inspire teachers to remain engaged as Catholic school educators, and
- support teachers to meet the requirements of teacher registration and system accreditation.
Christ centred learning for life
One way we carry out our mission to support schools so that they may flourish in Christ’s teaching mission is by supporting our early career teachers to flourish in this same mission.
With Christ as the centre of our work, the ECT program approaches the four focus areas with Catholic identity at the fore. These focus areas include:
- Professional Practice including quality teaching, evidence-based practice, and learning environment.
- Well-being including emotional well-being, resilience, and professional connections
- Orientation including formal ways of operating such as policies, practices, procedures, and compliance demand.
- Professional Identity including professional relationships, professional responsibility, and Catholic belief and practice.
Not only is it part of our mission to support our early career teachers, but induction is recognised as a valuable process for all early career teachers.
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) has published guidelines to support induction for early career teachers. The guidelines were endorsed by all Ministers of Education in July 2016 and set out a nationally consistent approach to ensure quality induction and support.
Support for early career teachers at remote schools
Our 38 Catholic schools are located across Tasmania, including areas along the west coast. Early career teachers at St Joseph’s Catholic Schools in Rosebery and Queenstown, and St Peter Chanel Catholic School in Smithton will follow the same timetable as teachers in Hobart, Launceston and Ulverstone.*
If this is not possible, early career teachers from these schools will have the opportunity to attend online sessions. Well-being session will also be organised by the Principal and the Well-being Education Officer.
Early career teachers will have an opportunity to engage in Teacher Registration Board sessions which will take place every second year and include a three-day visit for teachers in Rosebery and Queenstown and a two-day visit for teachers in Smithton.
*At the Principal’s discretion