Women's Coordinator Siobhan Callan (right) joins beginning teachers on a mine tour at Lightning Ridge.

Conferences for beginners are great opportunity

ALEX GLASGOW explains what you can expect from a Beginning Teachers Conference.

In mid 2003, myself and some 20 other young teachers were asked by Federation Trade Union Training Officer David Wynne to comprise a committee called the New Educators Network. The essence of this committee would be to show the positive aspects of the profession to beginning teachers, as beginning teachers have one of the highest drop out rates in the profession and yet they are crucial to maintaining the high standard of teachers.

The New Educators Network was split into four groups. The group I was assigned to had the task of helping to plan and run a course in the Southern Highlands town of Bundanoon on March 27-28. The participants primarily came from the Sydney metropolitan area, although some were from as far a field as Jindabyne.

Participants were broken up into groups based on whether they taught in a primary or high school. This allowed appropriate material to be given to each group. Some of the topics covered in the conference sessions included the probationary year, programming, department requirements and equity issues.

The presenters included Federation Officers such as Organisers Henry Rajendra and Kathy Deacon and TUT Officer David Wynne, members of the Teacher Mentoring Program and principals from both high and primary schools.

The conference allowed teachers from a variety of schools in many different areas, both geographic and socio-economic, to discuss the issues that affected them in an honest and frank manner. Experiences were shared on a variety of issues. Many of the participants had similar experiences and found benefit from talking through and hearing how other people handled similar situations. From here, participants worked together to come up with strategies that could assist all. Many felt the isolation they had experienced breaking as they found their peers were having the same experiences as they were.

The conference also aided the beginning teachers by giving them a chance to discuss programming ideas and requirements. In many cases resources were swapped, emails addresses were taken and networks were developed which have the potential to develop more programming ideas and strategies in a friendly, informal atmosphere.

The weekend was an invaluable tool in helping and shaping the teaching profession in NSW. More than 100 teachers left Bundanoon with greater confidence, knowledge of their profession and more importantly better practitioners of the art of teaching.

There are more conferences coming up -- again at Bundanoon (June 19-20) and Griffith (July 31 and August 1). If you are a beginning teacher and you are interested in attending one of the conferences you should contact David Wynne at Teachers Federation House.

Alex Glasgow teaches at Elizabeth Macarthur HS.

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May 2004 contents