Welcome to the May edition of TA Talk.
Last week we attended the ACEL National Inclusion and Disability Conference. It was our first outing since COVID and we are sure many who attended will agree, it was simply exhilarating to meet face to face at last!
As a conference sponsor, we were busy listening to speakers and chatting to delegates. It was extra exciting to meet with some of our members, including the team from the Dioceses of Wagga Wagga, and to have conversations with representatives from education departments in the public, catholic and independent sectors. The conference was an opportunity to learn how schools can help all students be included and develop a sense of belonging. We have shared what we learned about the Multi-Tiered System of Support framework, in this month's news story.
With just 5 weeks until nominations close for the 2022 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year awards, it is a timely reminder for schools to get their submissions in. Nominations don't need to be lengthy, just succinct and relevant to the criteria listed on our Awards web page.
Yesterday, we met with our Industry Reference Group to ratify the seven Australian Standards for Paraprofessional Educators in Schools. This project is a huge undertaking for ATA, and we are grateful to the many educators who dedicate some of their valuable time to collaborate with us on this groundbreaking project.
All in all, another busy and productive month at ATA headquarters!
Warm regards
Mandy and Stella
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AWARDS UPDATE - Nominations close in 5 weeks
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With just 5 weeks until nominations close, we are hoping that your school is on track to send us your nomination for Australian Teacher Aide of the Year or Australian Teacher Aide Team of the Year. We want to hear from every school in Australia. Yes, we really do!
Last week, we received an encouraging letter from the Education Minister for Victoria, the Hon James Merlino MP. We thought we would share what Minister Merlino wrote:
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I would like to acknowledge the importance of the work of all education support employees in helping to make Victoria the Education State and the valuable contribution that education support employees make to the lives and interests of children.
I have been advised that the Department of Education and Training will promote the awards and Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week internally to all staff.
I certainly agree that many worthy nominations will be submitted for your consideration. I hope the Australian Teacher Aide awards and Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week are a success for your organisation and I would like to thank you for your commitment to playing a part in the promotion of the important work of these individuals.
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7 Draft Australian Standards for Paraprofessional Educators in Schools
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A major milestone was reached this week when the national Industry Reference Group (IRG) met to ratify the following 7 Draft Australian Standards for Paraprofessional Educators in Schools:
- Professional Knowledge Standard 1: Know students and how they learn
- Professional Knowledge Standard 2: Know how to support teaching and learning
- Professional Practice Standard 3: Collaborate with teachers to implement effective teaching and learning
- Professional Practice Standard 4: Contribute to, and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
- Professional Practice Standard 5: Contribute to assessment and provide feedback on student learning
- Professional Engagement Standard 6: Engage in professional learning
- Professional Engagement Standard 7: Engage and communicate professionally with colleagues and the school community
We will be consulting widely with schools for the next stage, which is to write the descriptors for the four career stages.
If you would like to be part of this exciting work, please send us your expression of interest.
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A Strengths-Based Approach to Help Students Thrive
Tuesday 14th June 2022 @ 3:30 PM AEST
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Next month, Jo Opie is joining us to present the webinar, A Strengths-Based Approach to Help Students Thrive.
When Jo joined us last, she was part of the leadership team at Oak Flats High School in NSW. Jo has since followed another passion outside of the school environment, building the capacity of youth with autism through her organisation PosAbilities.
We would love you to join us at this upcoming event to learn more about the strengths-based approach, and how to apply it when working with students.
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Strategies To Support Students Who Have Experienced Adversity and Trauma
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Michelle Murray, Speech Language Pathologist and Senior Manager with Life Without Barriers, has extensive experience working with communities across the country, to establish schools with a focus on children and young people disenfranchised from education.
In this video, Michelle explores evidence-based strategies that can be used to support students who have experienced significant adversity and trauma, to help them break down barriers and engage in learning.
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ACEL INCLUSION AND DISABILITY CONFERENCE
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The theme of the 2022 ACEL National Inclusion and Disability Conference was “If I belong, I Succeed”.
As the leading professional learning organisation for education support staff in Australian schools, and a conference sponsor, we were very interested to learn more about the ways in which educators can ensure that all students access and engage in learning.
In the first of a series of short articles, we look at a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework and the implications for education support staff.
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TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING AN IMPACT
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Our member community is driving positive change in more ways than you can imagine! Together, we are:
- providing sick children with resources to continue their learning in Australian hospitals
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helping indigenous students access digital technologies
- giving access to vocational education to disadvantaged students
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supporting families of hospitalised children in Australia
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supplying education and clean water for children in third world countries
These are just some of the reasons why we love what we do! Our members automatically become part of our giving stories, whilst reaping the professional learning benefits of belonging to ATA.
Wouldn't your school be proud to belong, too?
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WHAT'S TRENDING ON THE ATA FACEBOOK PAGE
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33,806 views 2,453 reactions, comments and shares
This was our most viewed post for the month, and there were lots of comments, and people tagged as a token of appreciation.
Julie commented: We cannot do without teacher aides. They are our right arm. They are amazing. Thank you.
Nanette commented: You do a fabulous job. God Bless teacher aides.
Joy commented: Very valuable within the school community
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Leaders in Professional Learning for Schools
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