Carly's Tips:
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“The HAT/Lead certification process encourages teachers to stay in the classroom — in primary schools there are limited opportunities for teachers to become HODS and HOCS and this allows the recognition for those that lead across their schools. In a high school, there are more opportunities to lead through HOC and HOD roles, but many classroom teachers lead processes and teams in their departments and across the school, and this certification acknowledges this work.” She says the application process also highlights the need for teachers to work more collaboratively, instead of working in isolation, as the standards focus significantly on working in teams both within the school context but also externally. Currently, as a Master Teacher she has a Year 9 English class, but has taught across all year levels in English as well as in a multitude of curriculum areas through team-teaching. She’s also the co-founder and co-coordinator of the regional Cluster Collaboration Network, alongside Tracey Peden, a fellow Lead Teacher. The collegial network has existed for two years and provides opportunities for teachers across both primary and secondary sectors to share pedagogical practices and build relationships. “I love working in education, being able to engage students in learning is really rewarding. I have four teenage daughters and can see the impact teachers have on their ways of thinking about the world. I am also really passionate about working with adult learners -- teachers embody that whole concept of a lifelong learner — that desire to learn new ways of teaching and learning never stops,” Carly says. |