TA TALK

Issue 36

October 2018

What an exciting month it has been!

There was a buzz in the air this week, as we announced the 2018 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards, and teacher aides from schools across Australia learned about their successful nominations. We wish to congratulate the following teacher aides:

• 2018 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year: Lyn Corradi, Clare State School, Queensland
• Northern Territory Finalist, and winner of the Excellence Award for Making a Difference: Catharine Mauboy, Malak Primary School
• New South Wales Finalist, Helen Michael, Glendale Technology High School
• Victoria Finalist, Leigh Simpson, Drouin Secondary College
• Western Australia Finalist, Karen Masters, North Balga Primary School

Our congratulations also go to the following Highly Commended teacher aides:

• Michele Hobden, Gunnedah South Public School, New South Wales
• Rod McKay, Henbury School, Northern Territory
• Rebecca McMaster, Coomera State School, Queensland
• Beverley Wilson, Elliott School, Northern Territory
• Danielle Woolard, Silkwood High School, Queensland

Thank you, also, to the school staff who showed how much their teacher aides are valued, by submitting a nomination. The calibre was simply outstanding, and highlights the important contribution of teacher aides to student learning and well-being.

We know that there are teacher aides across Australia who make a positive impact on students, schools and the wider community every day, and we encourage even more schools to nominate teacher aides for the awards next year!

You can read about each of the successful teacher aides on our website.

Wishing everyone a wonderful last term of school.

Warm regards

Mandy and Stella

We have been inundated with inquiries regarding how to access our new Effective Teacher Aide Practices for Schools (eTAPS) series. Well, it's simple. eTAPS is included in membership. So all you need to do is become a member!

MEMBER WEBINAR: Left Brain Right Brain - Using Both Sides of the Brain

Learning to cross the mid-line is an important aspect of children’s development, and learning how to do it can be lots of fun! In this webinar, we show you some cross–body integration activities to help students build pathways in their brain that can improve academic skills, coordination, movement and creativity.

COMMUNITY WEBINAR: Understanding Mental Health in Students with Autism

In this webinar, Lydia Meem, clinical psychologist and founder of Autism Understanding, talks about mental health and the issues experienced by students with autism spectrum disorder. You will gain a better understanding of mental health, its impact on student wellbeing, and learn some practical strategies that you can use at school to support students.

MEMBER WEBINAR: Will the New Education Support Qualifications Match Your Job Role?

- Tuesday 13 November 2018 @ 4:15pm AEST

The current Certificate III and IV in Education Support qualifications are under review. Draft one saw some major proposed changes, the most significant being a shift in focus from supporting students in the classroom, to before and after school care and early childhood environments. Draft two review is scheduled for November 2018. Join us to hear all about the proposed changes and have your suggestions included in our feedback to Skills IQ next month.

COMMUNITY WEBINAR: Building Resilience in School Communities

- Tuesday 27 November 2018 @ 4:15pm AEST

Professor Paula Barrett has been published widely in the area of prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression and the promotion of resilience through the evidence-based Friends Resilience Programs. During this webinar, Paula joins us to cover a summary of risk and protective factors for emotional development. She will also provide an overview of Resilience strategies that can be used across age groups.

MOST POPULAR POST - Drum Roll Please!

12,494 views

1,206 reactions, comments and shares

Not surprisingly our most viewed post this month was on Monday 22 October when we announced our 2018 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year, Lyn Corradi from Clare State School in Queensland. We are delighted by the warm and congratulatory messages that keep flowing in for Lyn. Keep it up:)

POST 2 And the Finalists for 2018 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards are ...

11,354 views
785 reactions, comments and shares

Our next most popular post was when we announced the Finalists in the 2018 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards on Friday 18 October. Over 3,000 followers went straight to the ATA website to read all about the winner, finalists, and highly commended teacher aides. Have you had a look yet?

Planning 2019 PD? Give your TA team the edge with eTAPS

Teacher aides like learning at their own pace, and using the easy to follow workbook. Teachers find the Facilitator’s Guide useful for planning and delivering the modules.  

This is what teacher aides are saying about eTAPS:

Module 1 Prepare for student learning:

It was useful to have a better understanding of how prior knowledge needs to be activated for students to be able to connect new information. - Valarie

Learning what other visual charts are available, like KWL charts and gaining an understanding of learning intentions. - Kerrie

Module 2 Support student learning:

I actually got so much out of this whole module.

Everything was so insightful and helpful. - Julie

It was awesome! Everything related to my role as a TA. - Shawn

Scaffolding the lesson to make it understood by low ability students. - Rabecca

Module 3 Give Feedback to students:

Learning to use different feedback language and about the mindsets was most useful. - Beverley