Starting Out Strong

Beginning Teachers Conference

This conference marks the Department of Education and Communities commitment to your professional learning journey as beginning teachers.
Our aim is to support you in these first years of your teaching career by providing you with multiple experiences that will strengthen your role as teacher.
Beyond these two days together we will build a range of learning experiences to help you feel connected to your school and the education community.

Customise
After this conference, we will be offering
at least 10 optional modules throughout
the year to support your ongoing
professional learning

Connections
We hope that you will find many
opportunities to connect with more
experienced teachers and other beginning
teachers

Context
Workshops have been developed to strengthen
knowledge, understanding and practices relating to
your personal and school context

Curriculum

Classroom

Workshops and modules have been developed to

strengthen knowledge, understanding and
practices relating to the curriculum

Workshops have been developed to extend your

knowledge, understanding and practices relating to
the classroom

Day 1
Narrandera Ex-Services Club, 41 Bolton Street, Narrandera NSW, 7th May 2015

Time

Agenda

Standards Addressed

Presenter

9:00-9:30am

Registration
Informal meet and greet.
Tea & Coffee

7.4.2 Participate in professional and

community networks and forums to
broaden knowledge and improve
practice.

All
Shopfronts
Teachers Mutual Bank - Complimentary dinner drink
Pauline Kessell
Naomi Crane
NSW Teachers Health - Lucky Door Prize
Brian Jones
Gateway Book Shop

6.3.2 Contribute to collegial discussions

and apply constructive feedback from
colleagues to improve professional
knowledge and practice.

Jen Hoy
Teacher Mentor
Kooringal High School
Wagga Wagga

7.3.2 Establish and maintain respectful

collaborative relationships with parents/
carers regarding their children's
learning and wellbeing.

Melanie Brown
Head Teacher (REL) English
Mount Austin High School
Wagga Wagga

7.3.2 Establish and maintain respectful

collaborative relationships with parents/
carers regarding their children's
learning and wellbeing.

Jeff Walster
Head Teacher, Student Welfare
Tumut High School
Tumut

2.5.2 Apply knowledge and

understanding of effective teaching
strategies to support students' literacy
and numeracy achievement.

Literacy Anne Cowell Best Start Officer, Wagga Wagga

NSW Department Education and Communities

1.5.2 Develop teaching activities that

incorporate differentiated strategies to
meet the specific learning needs of

Tim Roberts
Science Teacher
Wade High school

9:30-9:40am
9:40-9:55am
9:55-10:40am
(45 min)

Welcome to Country
Directors Conference Welcome
Mindsets For Learning- Reflective Practice
Your teaching. Your impact.
Feeling on top of things? Stagnating or do you have a sinking feeling?
Where did your natural teaching talent go?
Try pairing a growth mindset with reflection.
Take charge of your professional growth.
Learn about yourself and how to adopt a reflective and positive mindset.
Be a high impact teacher.
10:40 11.00am Sponsers
11.00am - 11:20am Morning Tea look book reflection
11:20
Building Positive Relationships
12:05pm
Through both instruction and practical activities, this presentation will cover
(45 min)
the importance of building and maintaining relationships with students,
parents and other staff.
12:05-12:50pm
(45 min)

Connecting with the Disconnect

In this workshop participants will engage with practical examples of how to
build positive relationships with those students/parents who may be particularly
disconnected with school life. This exploration of the what and how of
connectnedness will equip young teachers with a critical dimension of
successful classroom management.
12:50-1:35pm
Literacy is everyones
Numeracy: MoneySmart Teaching
Workshop one
business
Secondary
(45 mins)
Primary
1.35-2:00pm Lunch look book reflection
2:00-2:45pm
Numeracy: MoneySmart
Literacy is everyones business
Workshop two
Teaching
Secondary
(45 mins)
Primary
2:45pm
Programming and Assessment for authentic learning
-3:30pm
In this workshop Tim Robers will share his experiences in using the quality
(45 mins)
teaching framework and formative assessment to help make informed

Numeracy Colleen Blancato Project Officer: Financial literacy

decisions about programming to meet the needs of students.

students across the full range of

abilities.

Griffith

Afternoon Tea 3:30-3:50pm

3.50pm-4:35pm

Through The Lens

In this session Leanne Archer will demonstrating how she has put theory into
practice to promote engagement and learning. Topics including presentation,
dress, room organisation and tone will be discussed to support early career
teachers at the beginning of their journey as a professional.

4.35 7.00pm

Networking
Fill in your look book
Organisation for accommodation
Pre-dinner drinks
Conference dinner
The conference dinner is a key component of our conference providing crucial
opportunities for networking.

7.00pm

Customis
e

Connections

Context

Leanne Archer
HT History/HSIE
Mount Austin High School
Wagga Wagga

7.4.2 Participate in professional and

community networks and forums to
broaden knowledge and improve
practice.
6.3.2 Contribute to collegial discussions
and apply constructive feedback from
colleagues to improve professional
knowledge and practice.

Dinner Speaker Tim Roberts

Curriculum

Classroom

Day 2
Narrandera Ex-Services Club, 41 Bolton Street, Narrandera NSW, 8th May 2015
Time

Agenda

8:00-8:30

Registration and sign on

All

8:30-9:25am

A-Z of the BOSTES Website- An orientation for classroom support

David Gault
BOSTES

Please be ready
to start by
8:20am
9:25 10:10am
(45 mins)

10:10 10.55
(45 mins)

What Makes a Great Teacher Great?

In this presentation Mary Casey will be sharing research, and initaitng
discussion with participants to recognise the qualities of outstanding
practitioners. The content of the presentation is linked to accreditation and
effective induction.
Starting With Me
Understanding what it takes to build a Local Context for Aboriginal Education

Standards Addressed

Presenter

6.3.2 Contribute to collegial discussions

and apply constructive feedback from
colleagues to improve professional
knowledge and practice.

Mary Casey
Wade High School
Home Economics Teacher
Teacher Mentor

1.4.2 Design and implement effective

teaching strategies that are responsive
to the local community and cultural
setting, linguistic background and
histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students

Aboriginal Education and Engagement Advisor

Thelmerie Rudd & Alison Lester

7.4.2 Participate in professional and

community networks and forums to
broaden knowledge and improve
practice.

Brendan Barr
Highlands School
Behaviour Focus Website Manager

10:55 11:25am Morning tea

11:25-12.45pm
(1hr 25)

12.45 1:00pm

Super Helpful Strategies and Mistakes to Avoid Behaviour

Management
The Highlands School Behaviour Focus Website is a prominent DEC resource
that focuses entirely on behaviour management of students at all levels of
education. Developed within the confines of a departmental behaviour school
the website has identified relevant resources, content and theory from around
the globe that impact positively on teacher skills relating to behaviour strategies
at departmental, regional, whole school, faculty/stage groupings, classroom and
specific students. The presentation will provide recipients with the skills to log
on and navigate their way around the site.
Conference Close & Takeaway lunch for travel

Ross Bowey
Principal
Highlands School