This NESA-accredited course has been specifically designed for teachers in their early years as a science teacher. The intensive course covers a range of interactive and engaging presentations from experienced practitioners to provide the tools and skills needed to survive and thrive in the early years of being a science educator.

Focusing on the development of sustainable, professional practice in early career 7-12 science teachers, the topics covered include:

Day 1: Teaching Science Effectively
Monday 11th September 2023
Full Day: 8.30 AM - 4:00 PM

• Unpacking the science syllabus with Robin Gordon & Margaret Shepherd
Standards Addressed: 3.2.2 

This session will unpack the demands and extent of the NSW Science syllabuses. It will help you to engage with the essence of the syllabus and understand its complexity to design and implement effective programs for teaching and learning in Science. The session will address designing a context, conceptual knowledge and understanding, integrating skills and Learning Across the Curriculum.

• Mapping a skills continuum to content with Grace Mamo
Standards Addressed: 3.2.2 

Participants will have an opportunity to consider how the Working Scientifically skills link to areas of Knowledge and Understanding in a continuum from Years 7 to 10 and into Stage 6. A programming activity will facilitate the identification of skills that match with specific content and the use of age-appropriate pedagogies.

• Learning across the curriculum with Robin Gordon
Standards Addressed: 2.1.2

Participants will focus on addressing the cross-curriculum priorities, general capabilities and other learning across the curriculum areas in this session. You will be given ideas and resources to effectively implement these requirements into teaching programs.

• Risk assessment and safety with Olivia Belshaw
Standards Addressed: 3.3.2

This session will outline the need for compliance with risk and safety measures within the Science classroom. This will enable participants to teach practical lessons safely, competently meet the Working Scientifically outcomes and confidently maintain the wellbeing of their students.

• Reflection Forum

Day 2: Establishing Sustainable Practice
Wednesday 13th September 2023
Full Day: 8.30 AM - 4:00 PM

• Classroom management with Olivia Belshaw
Standards Addressed: 4.2.2, 4.3.2 

This session will outline strategies to help establish expectations and routines to manage behaviour in the classroom day to day. Strategies will also be presented to enable you to address more challenging student behaviours respectfully and confidently. Strategies will be drawn from the wisdom of an experienced teacher practitioner.

• Assessment As, Of and For Learning – AOL, AFL, AAS with Genevieve Firmer
Standards Addressed: 5.1.2 

This session will clarify terms such as informal/ formal assessment, and categories of assessment, as, of and for learning. It will assist participants to develop, select and use appropriate assessment strategies for different purposes, pre-, during and post- delivery of teaching.

• Assessment moderation and feedback with Robin Gordon
Standards Addressed: 5.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.3.2

This session will provide practise for participants in the process of assessment moderation to improve consistency of teacher judgement when assessing student work. This will also assist participants to interpret common grade scales and to construct basic marking rubrics. The features of effective feedback to students will also be addressed in this session.

• Understanding the teaching standards; Achieving and maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation with Robin Gordon
Standards Addressed: 6.1.2, 6.2.2 

All teachers are required to address the descriptors of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in order to achieve initial accreditation or to maintain their accreditation. This session will facilitate the unpacking of the teaching standards to enable participants, whether graduate or proficient teachers, to identify evidence from their practice that meets descriptors and to plan professional learning needs.

• Reflection Forum

Twilight Session 3: Nurturing Professional Engagement
Wednesday 14th September 2023
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

• Engaging with parents with Genevieve Firmer
Standards Addressed: 7.3.2 

This session will be facilitated to assist participants to successfully interact with parents, particularly in interviews, and to professionally navigate difficult conversations.

• Goal setting with Robin Gordon
Standards Addressed: 6.1.2

This session will facilitate the development of professional learning goals based on identified areas for professional development. This will encourage participants to have agency over their own professional pathway within their school community.

Twilight Session 4: Curating a Teacher Toolbox
Monday 18th September 2023
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

• Managing your wellbeing with Dylan Harmer and Robin Gordon
Standards Addressed:  3.6.2

This session will be facilitated by an experienced teacher to provide tips for planning effectively to sustainably manage workloads. Participants will have an opportunity to personally reflect and evaluate their planning processes to identify strategies that will lead to effective practices and a healthy work-life balance.

• A smorgasbord of strategies for your toolbox with Robin Gordon, Dylan Harmer and Genevieve Firmer
Standards Addressed 2.1.2

This session will identify the features of a learning strategy and assist participants to be purposeful in the design of activities to use in their classrooms. It will be an opportunity for participants to both contribute and gather ideas for Science classroom activities. Participants can discuss how these activities could be adapted to be strategic for learning and formative assessment.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for early career 7-12 teachers in their first 5 years of teaching and teachers who are new to teaching science.

A single day option (11 September) is available to experienced teachers (5 years+) who are new to teaching science.

Please note: NESA accreditation is only available to teachers completing the full course. The single day option can only be claimed as Elective PD.

Registration close Monday 28th August 2023

Event Registration & Delegate Policy

NESA Accredited PD

Completing Mentoring: Early Careers Teachers will contribute 6 hours and 30 minutes of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Accredited PD in the priority area of Delivery and Assessment of NSW Curriculum/EYLF addressing standard descriptors 2.1.2, 3.2.2, 5.1.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

A teacher’s completion of any NESA Accredited PD course will count towards their NESA Accredited PD requirements. Teachers must participate in the whole course in order to receive accredited hours. If a teacher is absent for any part of the course, the number of hours attended may be recorded as Elective PD.

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