Showcasing the Impact of ATAPS Workshops for School Leaders

Recently, I had the opportunity and privilege to lead ATA’s introductory event for school leaders on implementing the Australian Teaching Assistant Professional Standards (ATAPS) framework. It was so exciting and empowering to see keen school leaders, the first in Australia, take their initial steps toward using the ATAPS framework for their teaching assistant’s performance and professional growth.

These workshops are intentionally designed to provide school leaders across Australia with comprehensive knowledge, practical strategies, and a range of resources for supporting the development of teaching assistants (TAs) in their schools.  

Here’s what school leaders are saying: 

“I learnt much more than one thing. I have a clear picture of the standards and how to implement and a very clear picture of next steps.” – Kelly (Learning Enhancement Coordinator) 

"I feel that I am more equipped to introduce ATAPS to our Learning Enhancement staff and school leaders. Thank you so much for your work with developing the resources and materials.  They are fantastic!" – Sharon (Head of Learning Enhancement) 

“The course was highly informative and gave me a starting point to how to move forward with implementing the standards in my school.” – Laura (Director of Individual Needs) 

“I loved the step-by-step implementation suggestions and their varied approaches.” – Melissa (Learning Support Officer) 

A key highlight of the workshops was showcasing to participants the wide range of ATAPS resources available for them to use as ATAPS Partner School members. From planning professional development sessions, to setting clear expectations for TAs to engage in regular reflection and goal setting, we covered everything that school leaders may need to implement the framework successfully with their teams. 

At the end of the workshops, school leaders walked away with clear, actionable steps to launch ATAPS in their schools. I’m excited and interested to see how these school leaders will use the tools and strategies we outlined to ensure that teaching assistants have the support they need to thrive professionally, ultimately benefiting the students they work with every day. 

Participants shared their key take-aways from the workshops: 

“[I will be] getting TA's to work on the Companion Guide and plot themselves on the Professional Standards Framework so they can work out what their next step is. This will allow them to set ‘Smart’ Goals, do training to match their goal, and also record it on their APR [when] they are having professional conversations with Administration.” – Lyn (Teaching Assistant) 

“It was of an extremely high quality. Kim was exceptional, her energy and tone did not waver for the whole two days. The content was clearly presented verbally and beautifully aligned to the companion guide. You've made the implementation seem less overwhelming and have provided such excellent resources to assist us.” – Melissa (Learning Support Officer) 

 Our ATA team are looking forward the next event in May! If your school leaders haven’t heard about ATAPS yet – now is the time to tell them about the new ATAPS framework. Why not send them this blog article to get the ball rolling? Or register for the next ‘ATAPS Facilitator Training’ event in May.