Teach NSW Podcast

From mentorship and leadership to project-based learning and building billy carts, in this week’s episode, we are joined by Matt, a school principal with over 34 years of experience in NSW public schools.  On the couch, Matt shares key memories and insights from teaching in over 7 school contexts on his journey to becoming a school principal. You can truly feel Matt's enthusiasm as he discusses everything from sports carnivals and before-school duties to school improvement and being a visible leader. His passion for teaching shines through as he shares his commitment to creating a vibrant school community by making the school experience special for every student and staff member. After reflecting on his career, Matt raises the importance of effective mentorship and leadership and how becoming a ‘lifelong learner’ has enabled him to continue to grow and find passion in his role as a teacher and school leader. He takes pride in supporting and inspiring beginning teachers to build their confidence and find enjoyment in the honourable profession that is teaching.  Did we mention making billy carts? Yes you heard correctly, if you are seeking inspiration for project-based learning activities, look no further as Matt shares his passion for creating memorable experiences for his students by engaging in projects such as ‘The Dark Sky Project’ and build-a-billy-cart competitions. We hope you leave this episode feeling inspired as Matt reminds us to always have fun, lead with heart and empower others. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachcast@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links: Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Dark Sky Project - discover project-based learning units on light pollution and preserving the night sky for the future. A resource aligning to the NSW and Australian curriculum, available to Stage 3 & 4 teachers.  The Principal’s Office - listen to Matt’s vodcast on the inner workings of a school and best practices to achieve outcomes for students and staff. 

Have you considered training to become an inclusive/special education teacher? If so, this episode is a must-listen.  Join us on the couch this week with Mel, a trained primary and inclusive/special education teacher as she shares her experience working with students with additional learning needs. Mel reflects on her early career, where she had the opportunity to teach in a school for specific purposes (SSP) and quickly realised that it was the school context she aspired to work in.  In this episode, you will gain insight into what a typical day in the life of an inclusive/special educator looks like within an SSP and the strategies Mel uses to identify and support her students’ diverse learning needs.  Mel highlights the exciting technologies and resources available at her school including sensory equipment, tactile materials and communication tools such as EyeGaze for non-verbal students. Mel also emphasises the strong sense of community she has gained throughout her career as a teacher and the rewarding nature of providing a quality education to every student.  We explore the key skills required for success in an SSP setting and Mel offers advice for teachers interested in retraining in inclusive/special education (HINT: You can never go wrong with a costume box). We also discuss opportunities to enhance your career with the NSW Department of Education. Tune in to discover how inclusive/special education could be the next rewarding chapter in your teaching journey. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachcast@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Enhance your career - register your interest to receive information on program opportunities available to enhance your career with the NSW Department of Education. 

Multiplicative and mental computation strategies. Concrete tools and manipulatives. You can count on all the mathematics metalanguage this week, as Juliana, Numeracy Adviser K - 6 and Primary School Teacher, joins us on the couch to discuss improving student outcomes in numeracy. Before diving into practical strategies, we first talk about the importance of building a culture of curiosity in the classroom and the power of asking effective questions to develop students’ numeracy skills. Juliana backs this up with valuable references to evidence-based resources and advice guides for teachers on the topic of questioning. We take you through various ways to guide students in building their capacity in communication, reasoning, problem-solving, understanding and fluency, enabling them to work mathematically in an interconnected way. In the spirit of numeracy being everyone’s business, we sum up by delving into cross-curricular teaching opportunities. From dates and timelines in history to applying a data lens to writing tasks in English, get ready to be inspired by ideas that can help you promote mathematical thinking in the classroom.  By our calculations, this episode is one not to be missed. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to TeachCast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachcast@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the TeachCast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Statewide Staffrooms - join the numeracy Statewide Staffroom to connect and share advice, resources and learnings with other teachers in NSW public schools. Universal Resources Hub - NSW Department of Education teachers can access the Questioning in numeracy lesson advice guide which provides recommendations, information and practical tools and strategies for using questioning within lessons.  Big Ideas to Start Strong across K - 6 - learn about some of the big ideas and core concepts that underpin much of the NSW mathematics syllabus. reSolve - access innovative curriculum-aligned teaching resources and professional learning for teachers from the Australian Academy of Science’s mathematics education program.  Interview for Student Reasoning (IfSR) - explore a suite of teacher-led optional online numeracy assessments for K-10 students.

Tune in to this special edition of the Teach NSW Podcast as we celebrate and recognise World Teachers' Day. Established by UNESCO in 1994, World Teachers' Day honours all teachers and the profound impact they have on the lives of their students. This year, NSW public schools will be celebrating teachers on Friday 25 October 2024. In this episode, our co-hosts, Shannon and Siobhan, share their personal journeys into the profession and give us insight into their ‘why’ on becoming a teacher. Take a trip down memory lane with us as they pay tribute to the educators who shaped their own schooling experiences and reflect on their early experiences as pre-service teachers. Then make sure you have tissues on hand as we read moving testimonials from Shannon and Siobhan's students, a tribute to the lasting impression teachers can have on students’ lives.  Get ready for tears, laughs, and a whole lot of appreciation for the teaching profession. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the podcast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. World Teachers’ Day - learn more about UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day and the celebrations occurring in 2024.

On the couch, we chat with Alessandra, Literacy Adviser 7 - 12, Secondary English and EAL/D teacher, and self-confessed bookworm.  Alessandra fell in love with language and has dedicated her career to literacy, and more recently, helping to guide teaching practice in this area. Her key message: literacy is everyone’s business. We talk about strategies for embedding literacy across various subjects and curriculum areas, especially when it comes to the critical tasks of reading, comprehension and building a student’s vocabulary. Looking for practical tools and resources? We have you covered. You’ll hear about key strategies including the gradual release of responsibility when teaching literacy, strategies for building confidence in writing and the power of teacher talk when modelling fluency in reading. We bust the myth that learning to read is a silent activity and explore how you can bring reading to life in the classroom, from dramatising texts to using props and gamification to help build student engagement. In the words of Alessandra, in the big, wide world of literacy, making incremental changes in teaching practice is the best place to start. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Statewide Staffrooms - join the literacy Statewide Staffroom to connect and share advice, resources and learnings with other teachers in NSW public schools. Literacy resources for schools - professional learning and resources for NSW public school teachers for explicit teaching of reading and writing through the secondary curriculum. National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions - developed by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the NSW Department of Education, the progressions can be used to identify the literacy and numeracy development of students and the development that should follow.

If you’re a teacher with leadership in your sights, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. This week, we speak to Chris, a primary-trained teacher who transitioned into assistant principal and deputy principal roles, and now has 6 years of experience under his belt as a school principal in a NSW public school. On the couch, Chris reflects on navigating the mindset shift that comes with springboarding from teaching in the classroom to leading in a whole-school context. He shares his top advice for teachers at all stages of their career journeys, from early career teachers who want to build their future leadership capabilities to those ready to step into their first executive role. We tackle some of the critical questions that aspiring leaders face today including: when is the right time to move into leadership, how do you balance an assistant principal role with a classroom teacher role and what strategies can you implement to build capacity in the staff you lead. For Chris, being a great leader is all about interpersonal connections, building trust and helping your staff and students to reach their potential. From his open-door office policy to his dedication to the all-staff Ice Cream Club (ICC), in Chris’ experience, teamwork really does make the dream work. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. School Leadership Institute - find out about the School Leadership Institute’s programs and resources for current and future school leaders.

Looking to level-up your tech game in the classroom? In this episode, you’ll meet Alice, Head Teacher - Secondary Studies in a NSW public school, who shares how she integrates technology into her lessons to further engage students and support their learning. As a Year 12 student, Alice knew she was passionate about becoming a science teacher (don’t we all love a Bunsen burner experiment). Now, looking back on 16 years of teaching, Alice shares with us the benefits of being a Teacher Education Scholarship recipient and the various career opportunities she was able to pursue within public education. Teaching across different school contexts in an ever-changing digital landscape, Alice became passionate about the value of technology to create a more interactive and dynamic learning environment. In a new segment we like to call ‘Tech Time with Alice’, we share our favourite tech resources and tools that can support teachers in classroom management, differentiation and facilitating impactful lessons for students. From advanced features of Google Classroom, OneNote and Canva for Education to noise-management tools, Minecraft and robotics, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to build up your own tech toolkit. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. NSW Department of Education resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Get paid to study - register your interest to receive information on scholarship and program opportunities available with the NSW Department of Education.  stem.T4L Learning Library - teachers in NSW public schools can access STEM resources and lesson kits via the stem.T4L Learning Library. The Student Podcaster - access a beginner podcast course for teachers and students to understand how to create their own podcast.  Staff Portal - department employees can access free resources and applications to support their teaching and student learning, including Canva for Education, Minecraft for Education, Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace. External resources and useful links Blooket - engage your students in lessons through educational trivia games. Bouncy Balls - access a free classroom noise management tool. Classroomscreen -  a free classroom management resource for teachers to engage students.  Kahoot! - engage your class with a customisable quiz game. Microsoft OneNote - a digital notepad application for note-taking, lesson planning and classroom resources.  Quizlet - a digital flashcard tool.

Have you ever considered what it would be like to live and teach in rural NSW? If so, this episode is for you. Tune in as we speak to Daniel, a science teacher in a NSW public school about his experiences of living and working in a rural town and the benefits he has gained in both his professional and personal life. After completing a Bachelor of Science, Daniel made the decision to pivot to a career in teaching and applied for the NSW Department of Education’s teach.Rural Scholarship. As a successful scholarship recipient, Daniel received financial support whilst he completed his Master of Teaching, and a guaranteed position in a NSW public school.  Daniel shares how his family came to the decision to move to rural NSW, their positive experience of being welcomed into the community (including becoming an avid squash player) and the professional opportunities he has received to build his teaching career. By working in a smaller school setting, Daniel has been able to expand his experience outside of the science faculty and work towards accreditation in other subject areas whilst also creating meaningful connections with his students. If you are interested in seeking a tree-change, don’t miss out on Daniel’s wise advice and how he overcame common misconceptions associated with moving to a rural town. We also discuss the department’s programs on offer and the benefits and incentives available for future and current teachers.  We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Get paid to study - register your interest to receive information on scholarship and program opportunities available with the NSW Department of Education.  Rural Professional Experience Program - learn how you could be supported by the department to complete your professional experience placement in a rural NSW public school. Beyond the Line Program - learn about the Beyond the Line Program where the department takes eligible pre-service teachers on an expense-paid five-day study tour to experience teaching in regional, rural and remote NSW public schools. Teacher subsidies, allowances and bonuses - find out more about the financial support and incentives available to teachers who teach in a rural NSW public school.

Prepare to be inspired as we are joined on the couch by Halle, a proud Dharawal woman and primary school teacher in a NSW public school. In this episode, Halle discusses how she celebrates her Aboriginal culture within the school community and encourages students to develop a rich understanding of who they are and where they come from. She shares how she is able to naturally integrate cultural activities into her lessons and the powerful impact that can have on a student’s sense of belonging and confidence in the classroom.  With previous experience as a Student Learning Support Officer (SLSO) and teaching assistant, Halle explains how the practical insights she gained became invaluable as a beginning teacher. Pre-service teachers, get ready to hear some great tips around the importance of creating strong routines, setting learning expectations and implementing behaviour management strategies to best support student learning. Halle also speaks to how critical it is for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students to have strong role models and representation across staff and the community. She takes pride in seeing Aboriginal education embedded at a school-wide level through her involvement in her school’s Aboriginal Education Committee and sharing culture through music and dance. As a woman of many talents, Halle taught her school community to sing the song ‘I am Australian’ in the Dharawal language to perform during NAIDOC week. Tune in to hear a sneak peek!  Already inspired? We certainly are. Listen in to hear Halle’s teaching advice and let it spark cultural curiosity in your own classroom.  We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) - discover who the AECG members are in your local area and find resources to support Aboriginal education.  Aboriginal education in NSW public schools - access resources to increase your knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture to best support the learning of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. Statewide Staffrooms - connect and share advice, resources and learnings with other teachers in NSW public schools.

In this episode, Casey, Head Teacher - Teaching and Learning in a NSW public school, joins us on the couch to talk about differentiated teaching strategies. This episode tackles some important questions. As teachers, how do we account for the various learning styles and preferences of students? And what can we do to build motivation and engagement in the classroom? Working in a comprehensive high school, Casey shares his views on how teaching requires flexibility and creativity in adapting the curriculum to match the needs of diverse learners. We delve into the various types of differentiation strategies that can be used to engage and support students, from those requiring additional support to high potential and gifted students who may benefit from being extended and challenged. From rap and hip hop to Shakespeare hooks, and genius Lord of the Flies and Minecraft examples, get ready to be inspired with ideas that you can take back into your own classroom. Other topics not to be missed: the value of explicit teaching, what a Head Teacher - Teaching and Learning role involves and a sneak peek into what it’s like to work at a creative and performing arts school (spoiler alert: expect acrobatics). We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Differentiation learning for beginning teachers - download this resource for an introduction to effective differentiation in the classroom. Differentiated learning - learn about effective differentiation including how to establish a differentiated classroom and effective strategies that can be implemented. High potential and gifted education - access resources to support school leaders and teachers to ensure that learning experiences meet the needs of these students. Explicit teaching - learn more about the powerful, evidence-based practice of explicit teaching.

Ever considered a career change to teaching? If so, this episode is for you. We speak to Devinda, a former police officer who decided to study a Master of Teaching (Primary) at Western Sydney University and become a teacher in a NSW public school.  On the couch, Devinda shares his touching story of what sparked his desire to become a teacher and how he was able to tackle the ‘unknowns’ of pursuing a teaching career. As a career changer, it’s not back to square one. Devinda talks about the number of transferable skills that can be applied within a school environment from prior experience in a different industry or field. He shares some of the key skills he feels he has been able to bring into the classroom from his years of policing. One thing’s certain, he’s the MVP of playground duty.  We also delve into Devinda’s passion for building critical thinking skills in students that go beyond the curriculum, his most memorable school experiences so far and favourite extracurriculars. Cue beep test story to give everyone a flashback to their schooling days. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Get Paid to Study - explore scholarship opportunities available for future teachers (including career changers). Approval to teach - follow this guide to learn how to gain your approval to teach and become a teacher in a NSW public school. Interim approval to teach -  read the guide to applying for interim approval to teach and teach on a casual basis in your final year of study as an initial teacher education student. Proficient Teacher accreditation - find out everything you need to know about applying for your Proficient Teacher accreditation. Proficient Teacher Evidence Guide - use the evidence guide to assist with selecting effective documentary evidence that demonstrates your practice at the Proficient Teacher level.

In this episode, you’ll meet Sarah, an assistant principal in a NSW public school, who you may know on Instagram as @teacherishappy. Sarah dives into her love of being a primary school teacher, her leadership journey and how the teaching profession has allowed her to express her passion for creativity and the creative arts. For Sarah, this has been through becoming involved in extracurricular activities, the ability to be flexible in creating engaging resources and content for the classroom, and the opportunity to tap into an even wider teacher audience via social media. Not having close teacher friends or family throughout university, Instagram became a platform for Sarah to make professional connections, discuss all things teaching and brainstorm ideas. As her audience grew, Sarah moved to YouTube to create longer-form videos and lifestyle content, showcasing more of how she works on achieving work/life balance. We explore with Sarah the important concept of teacher identity. She shares her advice for how beginning teachers can achieve a healthy and sustainable distinction between their professional and personal identities while navigating life inside and outside of the classroom.We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Resources and useful links Teach NSW - Become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Supervising teachers - learn more about how you can support pre-service teachers undertaking their professional experience placements as a supervising teacher. Performance and Development Plan (PDP) - learn more about the PDP, an internal NSW Department of Education resource for current teachers to build on foundation skills and develop a pathway for career growth. Statewide Staffrooms - connect and share advice, resources and learnings with other teachers in NSW public schools.

In this episode, we jump into the shoes of an early career teacher and explore what support is available to help beginning teachers find their feet in the classroom. Clare, a trained English teacher and beginning teacher mentor extraordinaire, joins us on the couch to answer common questions asked by pre-service and early career teachers, including: What’s involved in the accreditation process?  How do I build effective strategies for classroom management?  What connections should I be making as a beginning teacher? What can mentoring look like? We also talk about personal development planning, goal setting and the skill of being able to reflect on your practice (both the good and the bad). If it’s practical hands-on tools and resources you’re after, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll learn about the Beginning Teacher Information Hub, various internal department support groups available (specific to early career teachers), induction checklists and much more. Other themes covered that you don’t want to miss - what self care can look like for a beginning teacher, overcoming imposter syndrome, techniques and ideas for building rapport with your students and the power of observation for professional development. Phew. Big topic, big episode. But, in the words of Shannon’s beginning teacher mentor, it’s important to remember as an early career teacher that you don’t have to have it all figured out. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Resources and useful links Teach NSW - Become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Beginning teacher support Beginning Teacher Information Hub -  visit the hub for support as you commence your teaching career with the NSW Department of Education. Beginning Teachers Learning Pathway - designed to assist early career teachers when navigating learning and development opportunities. Beginning Teachers Viva Engage Page - join the Beginning Teachers Support Network Viva Engage group. Statewide Staffrooms - connect and share advice, resources and learnings with other teachers in NSW public schools. Teacher accreditation and professional development and planning Accreditation for teachers - learn more about achieving and maintaining Proficient Teacher accreditation with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). Q+ platform - access the accreditation and professional planning tool for teachers with an active NESA ID. Performance and Development Plan (PDP) - learn more about the PDP, an internal NSW Department of Education resource for current teachers to build on foundation skills and develop a pathway for career growth. My PL - manage your professional learning and development. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

In Episode 6, you’ll meet Aaron, an assistant principal, curriculum & instruction (AP, C&I), in a NSW public school. From being a public school student himself to 16 years of teaching experience in the public education system, Aaron has a deep-seated passion for making a positive impact on every student he interacts with. Over the last 10 years of his career, Aaron has taken on various leadership positions, and he shares with us how he navigated the transition into leadership and what a day in the life of an AP, C&I looks like. We cover various aspects of Aaron’s role including: how he supports teachers through curriculum reform and in implementing evidence-informed literacy and numeracy practices in the classroom creative ideas for delivering effective (and engaging) cross-curriculum lessons  benefits of team-teaching and modelling reflective practice Aaron also delves into how his Instagram platform (@Mr.J.Learning.Space) has allowed him to share advice and ideas around collaborative teaching environments, grow connections and support teachers beyond his own school environment to rural and remote NSW teaching communities. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Resources and useful links Statewide Staffrooms - connect and share advice, resources and learnings with other teachers in NSW public schools. Universal Resource Hub - find evidence-informed, quality resources that support both the teaching and learning cycle.  Digital Learning Selector -  discover teaching and learning activities that integrate information and communications technology (ICT) in your teaching practice.  Video making and sharing apps - learn more about widely used video sharing applications that may be useful for your classroom. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

In Episode 5, you’ll meet Sarah, an assistant principal in a NSW public school. You may know Sarah from social media as @giftedandtalentedteacher, where she has built a supportive teacher network beyond the classroom.  Sarah takes a deep dive into her leadership journey and talks with our co-hosts about the fear, success and learnings that can come from stepping out of your comfort zone. She reflects on her own start as a beginning teacher, from undertaking practicums as an initial teacher education degree student to the exceptional leadership she was inspired by at her first school. You’ll hear her thoughts about the immeasurable value of having a mentor in your corner as an early career teacher. Taking on her first leadership role felt bold, but Sarah truly believes that having the confidence to disrupt a linear path can open doors you never expected to appear before you. Opportunities breed opportunities, after all. Other leadership themes covered that you don’t want to miss - how not to be a people-pleaser, insider tips for writing a great job application and making the most of the department’s School Leadership Institute. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Resources and useful links Teach NSW - Become a teacher in a NSW public school and find out how a career in teaching can open doors for you. Leadership School Leadership Institute (SLI) - find out about SLI programs and resources for current and future school leaders. School Leadership Identification Framework (SLIF) - learn more about the SLIF, which was developed to help identify and develop future school leaders. Middle Leadership Programs - discover the range of opportunities and resources available for middle leaders. Performance and Development Plan (PDP) - learn more about the PDP, an internal NSW Department of Education resource for current teachers to build on foundation skills and develop a pathway for career growth. Beginning teacher support Beginning Teacher Information Hub - visit the hub for support as you commence your teaching career with the NSW Department of Education. Pre-service teacher resources Rural Professional Experience Program - complete your final-year placement in a rural or remote NSW public school with another pre-service teacher from your university. Develop a great application - learn how to develop a great application with the NSW Department of Education.  Addressing selection criteria - learn how to properly address the position criteria in your application for a position with the NSW Department of Education. Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

In this episode, all gloves are off as Shannon, a primary-trained teacher, and Siobhan, a secondary-trained teacher, go head-to-head in the great debate of primary versus secondary teaching. For listeners who are yet to enter the classroom, Shannon takes you through a day in the life of a primary teacher (and in her case, impromptu dance teacher) and Siobhan will let you jump into the shoes of a secondary English/society and culture teacher.  For those with leadership in their sights, they also cover the difference in leadership roles in primary and high school contexts. Finally, Shannon and Siobhan share their closing arguments for primary versus secondary teaching. From making Shakespeare relevant to teenagers today, to helping little ones make connections in the classroom to the real world (and, as a side perk, feeling like Angelina Jolie on the red carpet everytime you walk into your Kindergarten classroom), this is one showdown you’re not going to want to miss. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Resources and useful links Secondary teachers - learn more about the types of secondary teachers, roles and responsibilities and qualifications required. Primary teachers - learn more about the roles and responsibilities and qualifications required. Teaching service rates of pay - find out the rates of pay for teaching service employees in classroom and leadership positions. Teacher allowances - find out the current rates for allowances payable to eligible teaching service employees including year advisor and supervisor of female students allowances. Connect with usIf you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

In this episode we speak to Eddie Woo, mathematics expert, self-confessed geek and educational leader with the NSW Department of Education. Famous in teaching circles and beyond, Eddie has over one million YouTube subscribers to his channel @misterwootube. He currently splits his time between providing curriculum support for the mathematics team within the department and teaching at a NSW public school on Darug land. Despite his attraction to all things mathematics and logic, Eddie is the first to admit there was no strategic 5 or 10-year plan for his teaching career trajectory. Instead, he’s been driven by two main forces: firstly, the problems he’s encountered, and secondly, saying yes to opportunities that have presented themselves. To give evidence to the first, 12 years ago, Eddie was teaching a student who was unable to attend school regularly due to illness. It was in his quest to find an engaging way to help that student keep up with his learning beyond textbooks, that @misterwootube was born.  Eddie shares his progression into school leadership and answers some hard-hitting questions from our co-hosts - how do you keep the passion for a subject area alive after many years of teaching? And, what has most surprised you about a career in teaching? You’ll also hear his perspective on teaching a specific subject area and how it can be most impactful when it’s student-led.  Mostly in this episode, you will fall in love with Eddie’s passion for teaching and commitment to lifelong learning. For Eddie, teaching is so much more than love for your subject, it's about bringing in the world around us and making those connections to the syllabus in a way that’s meaningful for students. We hope you enjoy this episode (as much as Eddie loves Pythagoras' theorem). We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

Are you a pre-service or beginning teacher, finding your feet in the classroom? You’re going to want to tune in. In this episode, we speak to pre-service teacher, Inara, who is in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Secondary) at the University of Sydney, specialising in modern history and business studies.  We first met (fan-girled over) Inara at a Future Teachers Club (FTC) conference and were inspired by her passion for teaching. More on the FTC later. For someone so committed to her career path, Inara didn’t always know she wanted to be a teacher. In fact, in primary and early high school, she struggled with reading and writing. It was her own teachers that changed the course of her life and shaped her teaching philosophy. But what really guided and supported Inara’s journey into teaching has been the FTC. This club was started at Macquarie Fields High School by the principal at the time, Jan Dolstra, and geography teacher, Perry Celestino. What is the FTC you ask? It’s a club for students from Year 9 to 12 that aims to introduce teaching as a profession to students who are still at school. Members become familiarised with concepts of lesson planning and review, have a chance to teach micro lessons and go on excursions to universities and various school environments in metro, regional and rural NSW. For Inara, it meant starting her teaching degree at university with a lot of practical experience already in her back pocket.  Inara draws on her experiences in the FTC, sharing advice for how students can best prepare for a practicum, the importance of being intentional and genuine in your teaching persona and the pitfalls of perfectionism. Other topics future teachers will not want to miss: tips for building rapport with your students (hint: a game of dodgeball goes a long way), using intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators in the classroom and the important concepts of reflection and finding your ‘teacher voice’. We hope you enjoy this episode. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

The microphones are on and the cameras are rolling. Tune in to Episode 1 of the Teach NSW Podcast to meet our dynamic teacher co-hosts, Shannon and Siobhan, as they share their own teaching journeys. Shannon is a primary school teacher with experience teaching high-potential and gifted students, who loves nothing more than design thinking and project-based learning. Siobhan brings the perspective of a high school teacher, trained in English and society and culture, and just wait until you hear her Sonic birthday story. Queue tears. Most importantly in this episode, you will find out more about the ‘why’ behind the Teach NSW Podcast. The podcast was designed to inspire listeners with stories of daily difference making in NSW public schools. If you’re a future teacher considering a career in teaching, a pre-service teacher studying an initial teacher education degree or an early career teacher still finding your feet in the classroom, this podcast is for you. We spill the tea on some of the topics and exceptional guests coming up in Season 1, spanning from pre-service teachers to those with over 20-years’ experience.  This season, we explore themes including support for beginning teachers, accreditation processes, classroom management, mentorship, career-enhancing opportunities and much more. Will we go beyond lesson and curriculum planning to talk about the heart of teaching, making genuine connections with students? Yes. Will it feel like a friendly lunch time chat with your colleagues in the staffroom? Absolutely. We hope you’ll enjoy coming on this journey with us. We acknowledge that this episode of the Teach NSW Podcast was recorded on the homelands of the Darug people. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to the Teach NSW Podcast today.  Connect with us If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for future episodes, please contact teachnsw@det.nsw.edu.au to get in touch with the Teach NSW Podcast team. Follow the Teach NSW team on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and YouTube to be the first to know when new episodes are released.

Welcome to TeachCast. Our dynamic teacher co-hosts, Shannon and Siobhan, are excited and (almost) ready to kick-off the first season. Stay tuned. Episodes releasing soon.