Career Start

Use of time release

Time release is provided to graduate teachers and their mentors to engage in induction supports, including:

• practice-focused mentoring
• learning alliances
• professional learning.

Practice-focused mentoring

Graduates and mentors observe each others’ teaching, engage in conversations about professional practice, and design and moderate assessment tasks to develop effective teaching practices. Practice-focused mentoring also includes engaging in conversations about wellbeing, professional identity, and work-life balance to help graduate teachers thrive.

Learning alliances

Graduates and mentors are part of local learning alliances, led by a dedicated area-based learning alliance leader. The learning alliance leader provides support to graduate teachers and their mentors, including:

• meeting regularly with mentor teachers to provide coaching support for effective graduate teacher induction
• delivering professional learning
• facilitating learning alliance meetings each term, to build graduates’ professional networks and connect graduate teachers.

Professional learning

Graduate and mentor teachers are supported through a comprehensive professional learning program.

Workshops

Graduate teachers will participate in 1 day of professional learning per term delivered by learning alliance leaders. This suite of professional learning will support graduate teachers to build their practice, strengthen their professional identity, develop strategies to improve their wellbeing and orientate themselves as early-career teachers. Mentor teachers attend the afternoon sessions in Term 1 (focusing on effective mentoring relationships) and Term 4 (to celebrate graduate and mentor achievements).

Online materials

Online content is released throughout the year for both graduate teachers and mentors. This provides opportunities to dive into topics of particular interest on an as-needs basis.

Targeted support for teachers at rural and regional schools

Participating teachers will be provided with targeted professional learning content that recognises the unique knowledge and skills required for teaching in rural and regional school communities.