Teacher Supply gets High Priority

A stream of work ready young teachers is essential and through its Teacher Trainee Program, ACC provides aspiring educators with hands-on classroom experience within their first year and one-on-one mentoring while they complete their teaching degrees.

The initiative is designed to inspire people to get amongst education, from school leavers to career changers, and become confident, classroom-ready teachers.

Take Mason Witenden now at ACC Moreton, Qld. Mason never planned to become a teacher. But after working at a youth camp, he discovered how rewarding it was to connect with young people and help them grow. That spark led him to the classroom.

Now teaching PE at ACC Moreton while studying through Christian Heritage College, Mason says the program’s mentorship has been “life-changing.” He’s found purpose in helping students discover their potential, just as mentors once did for him.

Trainees are granted essential exposure to the world of teaching, bridging the gap between theory and practice within a safe, supportive and activating school community.

He says, “Having a mentor within the trainee teacher program has made all the difference. I have had the opportunity to journey alongside an experienced teacher who can speak into my development, enabling me to make accelerated progress along the path of teaching. Additionally, the collaboration of resources, pedagogies, and experiences has meant that I’m drawing from a well that can sustain when those dry seasons arise.

“I believe it’s fair to say that not every teacher is going to get it perfect straight away. By having numerous teachers in the same classroom, there is a greater opportunity and freedom for growth. Having the liberty to implement everything you’ve learnt into an authentic setting where learning is the goal for both the student and teacher allows for greater growth and confidence.

“For me, it’s meant attempting different strategies, establishing new routines and refining my skills in a way that best meets the needs of every student within my classroom. Having a mentor who supports the students' learning while simultaneously providing feedback on my own teaching is the catalyst for greater growth and assurance in most effectively teaching any class.”

Gabriella Anway at Brightwaters Christian School, NSW who is completing an undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Education Primary was probably destined for some kind of involvement in education.

She grew up in a small Christian school where her mum was the principal. “School was home and life,” she says. Though she briefly explored other paths, she ultimately felt called back to the classroom.

Balancing university study with two days a week at ACC Brightwaters, Gabby says the trainee program has given her the confidence and practical experience that university alone can’t provide.

“Having hands-on classroom experience is invaluable! It allows us the opportunity to directly apply all teaching strategies and techniques we learn in our university classrooms into a real-life classroom with children! This has a huge impact on our future teaching because we can walk into any classroom knowing, with personal experience, what works best and for children with a variety of needs,” she says.

“The mentorship has majorly shaped my teaching through the shared conversations as my mentor would share constructive and encouraging feedback on specific areas of teaching I should focus on mastering or changing. They also guide my reflective thinking to help me shape and craft the techniques I want to embed into my personal pedagogy. They also become the voice of encouragement to step beyond our comfort zone and try new and different ways of teaching that we otherwise would be too afraid to experiment with.

“Being placed in a school and treated as a colleague amongst other teachers during the everyday teaching moments supports confidence growth. As a trainee, you get to experience real school life and practice managing and equipping yourself with the skills to handle a range of situations.

“For example, the value of sitting with my mentor teaching during parent-teacher meetings was so insightful; having playground duties allows us to practice managing children; attending staff meetings gave us an accurate insight into what the ‘behind the scenes’ of teaching is truly like. Each of these little areas are small examples of the practical skills that we are equipped with throughout the teacher training school.”

Teaching is a regional area regional area brings its own set of challenges and the teacher training the new teachers receive prepares them to teach in every context.

“I have seen small schools with stage classrooms (K-2) and witnessed how teachers manage many levels of learning in one space. I have also seen multi stream classrooms and how teachers work in Year Group teams to be a united Year level. These experiences ensure I have a wide range of experiences and knowledge to support my future teaching. I feel confident walking into many schools because I know I have been in classrooms similar,” Gabby says.