The state government is encouraging teachers, including those in Wyndham, to apply for the 2023 intake of the Teaching Excellence Program, to upskill, excel and become leaders in their schools.
Education Minister Natalie Hutchins invited teachers from government, independent and Catholic schools to get involved with the training at the government’s Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership.
“I’m encouraging all our teachers from every school in Victoria to apply for the Teaching Excellence Program – just one year in, we’re already seeing results as teachers take what they have learned back to their classrooms to improve student engagement and outcomes,” Ms Hutchins said.
The Australian-first program builds the expertise of classroom teachers with at least three years’ experience, using pedagogy and teaching experts from across Australia and the world to develop teachers’ skills in their specialist subjects, the government said.
“Teachers take their new expertise back to their schools, sharing new ways of working not just with students, but with their colleagues – building capacity right across the school system,” the government said.
“This year alone, more than 220 high-performing teachers have already taken advantage of the inspiring offering to become more effective in the classroom – and the 2023 intake will extend to support 500 teachers to take the 12-month program.”
By completing the Teaching Excellence Program, teachers gain alumni status from the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership and are eligible to apply to engage in fellowships to take learning further.
“The program is underpinned by the latest research and gives participants the chance to test new and emerging practices, as well as develop new ways of teaching. As a cross-sector program, it is uniquely positioned to impact the outcomes of every student in every classroom across Victoria,” the government said.
The academy opened in Melbourne’s Treasury Precinct this year, with campuses to be opened in Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Moe and Shepparton, “ensuring rural and regional teachers can access quality professional development close to their schools”.
Applications for the 2023 intake are now open.
Details: academy.vic.gov.au/professional-learning/teaching-excellence-program.
