Message from the Association

The end of the year is near, I hope you can all see the finish line in sight and that you have planned a restful and rejuvenating break. The December-January break for teachers I'm sure is a well-deserved break each year but this year even more so. It has been an extraordinary time and you have all done an incredible job supporting your students through a tough year, maintaining your own passion and energy.  

Congratulations to those of you who are teaching Stage 6 for supporting your students through the HSC and to the Primary Teachers who are saying farewell to your year 6 students, we trust that the love of science that you have instilled in your students, the fun and the curiosity about the world will carry them through their high school years.  

Our planning for next year is well and truly in motion with our 2022 Membership now open for renewals and Meet the Markers now open for early bird registration. Next week we will be opening registration for our Early Careers Course and Leadership Course as well as our Head Teacher Network and Primary Teacher Network.  If you have any questions regarding our professional learning program for 2022 please contact [email protected]   

This will be my last email to you as Executive Officer for the Science Teachers Association NSW as I move to my new role in 2022 at the Climate Council. When talking to people about my new position a lot have people have said "you're going on to save the world" to which my response is "Scientists and Educators save the world too. Science Teachers lead the way, they inspire, they open eyes and minds and create a hunger for curiosity, without which we will not have the innovation nor the vision to solve some of the world's greatest challenges" for that I salute you all.   

It has been an honour and a privilege to have lead this Association over the past two years, we have a strong foundation and a clear vision to support a dynamic community of science educators inspiring future scientists and citizens. I look forward to continuing to watch the Association grow under the leadership of Council, Organising Committees and the incoming Executive Officer.  This position is currently open and details can be found here.

Wishing you all the very best for a peaceful and safe holiday season and continued happiness into the New Year.    

Yours in Science 

Jane Powles

Executive Officer 

Feature News

Teaching Indigenous Science edition of the SASTA Journal

The South Australian Science Teachers Association is proud to share with you their special Teaching Indigenous Science edition of the SASTA Journal.

 Joe Sambono (Program Lead-Embedding Indigenous Australian Perspectives, Queensland University of Technology) argues in this edition that “Through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority, the Australian Curriculum provides a tangible national response to the ongoing disparate education outcomes for our First Nations Australian students. It provides the curriculum foundation for education experiences that are more engaging, culturally relevant and culminate in improvements in academic achievement. As the Science content elaborations have shown it also provides a platform to showcase, tell truths, celebrate contributions, address First Nations Australians’ STEM pipeline concerns and develop 21st century intercultural skills.”

 SASTA believes the use of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority should be considered a critical education response, and this journal aims to better support those responsible for enacting it.

Each of the contributors to this edition of the Journal is a member of a vibrant networking community that seeks to share First Nations knowledges. The articles contributed to this edition speak of the science projects being undertaken across the country.

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Association News

2022 Membership is Now Open!

Membership for the forthcoming calendar year is now open. Check your membership status and get in early to make the most of your yearly membership benefits,  discounts and offers  
Not a member?  Consider joining up as an individual member for maximum event discounts.  

Head Teachers Network 2022

This network aims to allow Head Teachers to connect with other leaders in Science from across NSW, discussing the issues that face them as curriculum leaders and problem solving through ways to tackle them. It is an opportunity to build professional networks across school systems where expertise and knowledge is shared for the common goal of improving the quality of science education. Registration will open soon.

Registration for Meet the Markers is now Open!

Each year STANSW offers Meet the Markers as a professional development event where teachers who have not marked the previous year can increase their understanding of the marking and judging processes and further develop strategies to better prepare their students for these external tests and examinations. 

Primary Teachers Network 2022

The STA Primary Teachers Network will be an ongoing program to allow primary teachers to have a support network to share and gain ideas to improve the teaching of Science & Technology within the Primary school sector. All Primary Teachers are welcome, involvement is free and we look forward to seeing old faces and welcoming new. Come along and join us! 

Other News & Updates

Get Involved in your Association

We are calling out to all classroom teachers K-12 to get involved,  share your expertise,  ideas and classroom practice with the STA community.  We provide a supportive and collaborative space for teachers to come together, share , reflect and improve their classroom teaching.  You will be supported by our wonderful volunteer organising committee members, all passionate teachers and educators just like you.

If you are interested or would like to know more – please connect with us at [email protected] 

Mentoring: Early Career Teachers

The Early Career Teachers Course will offer a range of interactive presentations from experienced practitioners to help you survive and thrive in your first years as a Science teacher.  Over whole day and twilight sessions, topics addressed will include risk assessment reporting, running safe practical lessons, classroom management, parent teacher interviews, becoming a Proficient Teacher and NESA requirements, reading the syllabus and assessment. The course focuses on the development of sustainable, professional practice in early career teachers.

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Professional Learning Communities

All teachers and other professionals, need to continue to learn throughout their careers in order to stay current in their subject areas and to teach an increasingly challenging curriculum to a more diverse student group.

In our professional learning communities, we will collectively build evidence-based strategies to teach challenging ideas; assessing why we do the things that we do, why do we do it in specific ways, and which patterns of behavior do we benefit from. We will also determine how can we ensure personal mastery, disseminate our knowledge, areas that we have improved, and identify what works. 

The PLC model will be incorporated into all STA PL programs in 2022. Attendees will be encouraged to participate in the full program and PLC follow up sessions after the events take place,  which will be NESA  accredited for the hours attended. For more details, please email [email protected]

 Stage 6 Conference - Coming soon in 2022

The Stage 6 Conference aims to develop pedagogical content knowledge, broadening our existing teaching strategies and addressing some of the specific areas of content where teachers feel there is a lack of clarity in the Syllabus.  We will focus on continued improvement in teaching practices to support student and their performance.  

The focus in 2022 will look at some of the big ideas in science education research and the impacts we can enact on our teaching practice. 
Hear from key experts presenting current research then join the discussion with fellow teachers to workshop how this can be implemented into your discipline.  

Join a range of teachers from varying experience levels along with education experts as we explore novel and creative pedagogical approaches, appropriate and immersive assessment and to improve student preparedness, confidence, and capabilities.  

We are currently calling for workshop abstracts. Please contact us if you are interested in sharing with fellow colleagues, email [email protected]. Registration will open in the New Year.

Mentoring: Leadership in Science

 Leadership in science and beyond. This course focuses on identifying and developing the skills and knowledge to pursue a leadership pathway not only in science but beyond the faculty level. In this four-session course, teachers will reflect upon their practice, enhance their strengths and work on their personal skills for future leadership. A reflection journal will be maintained on an area of their choice. On the last day of the course, the teachers will engage with the Early Career Teachers workshop and inspire those participants with a short discussion about their journey as leaders.

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Resources & More

2021 NSW SCIENCE & RESEARCH BREAKFAST SEMINAR SERIES

The Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer invites you to the 2021 Science & Research Breakfast Seminar Series.
The Science & Research Breakfast Seminar Series showcases excellence in research and development which is generating economic, environmental, social and technological benefits for New South Wales. The series will again feature some of the state’s best and brightest, and highlight its tremendous research strength across a diverse range of disciplines.

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2021 Stage 6 Conference: Resources now Available!

Great news to all delegates of the 2021 Stage 6 Conference, resources are now available and you can access it here. If you have any trouble accessing the files, or you have any concern, please email [email protected]

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2021 Stage 6 Conference: Resources now Available!

Our Science Teaching Community has been contributing in our online learning tool, Padlet. We have collaborative resources such as recommended online teaching resources, information about platforms and useful blogs for online and blended teaching. 

If you haven't explored this in awhile there may be some new useful resources beneficial for you. 

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