Tell us about your journey to becoming a teacher with the NSW Department of Education

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a teacher. I recall sitting on the floor while my teacher was introducing a new concept or reading us a story and I would think, I want to do this as a career.

As I commenced high school, pursuing a teaching career was always at the back of my mind however, when the time came to apply for early entry through UAC, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to become a primary or secondary teacher. As a result, I selected primary and secondary teaching degrees at various universities across NSW.

I recieved a placement into a Bachelor of Arts (Pathway to Primary Teaching) at Western Sydney University through a Year 11 early entry scheme. After high school, I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree and then transitioned into a Master of Teaching (Primary).

When did you apply for your approval to teach with the NSW Department of Education?

I applied for my approval to teach with the department at the end of July in 2023. I applied for it at this particular point in my journey as I had just completed my first practicum and I had met the eligibility requirements. After completing my first practiocum, I had built my confidence in my teaching pedagogy and was ready to try teaching in a casual capacity.

What was the process of applying for your approval to teach like?

At the beginning of the process, I had to collect all the important documents to support my approval to teach application. These included:

• completed and signed Child-related work declaration NCCHC (PDF 773.79KB)
• Four approved forms of proof of identity
• academic transcripts of completed degrees or other tertiary qualifications, or results to date for current degrees or other tertiary qualifications (internet extracts can be accepted if certified by the university)
• copies of all of your professional experience/practicum reports to date including your final professional experience/practicum report (when completed)
• evidence of change of name (if applicable)
• evidence of Australian citizenship, permanent residency or visa permitting employment (if applicable).

Then, I filled in the application with my personal details and made sure I selected school locations in areas that I’d be willing to undertake employment.

From there, I was able to submit my application. I was then invited to complete the online teacher suitability assessments which measure cognitive skills and emotional intelligence. Lastly, I completed a video-based interview which you have an hour to complete, including preview time to read and prepare responses to each question.

I found viewing the online interview tips and tricks video extremely helpful in my preparation.

Once completed, my confirmation of interim approval to teach was sent to me via email. I ensured that once I did graduate, I sent my final transcript and professional experience placement report to grp@det.nsw.edu.au and was upgraded from interim approval to teach to full approval, meaning I could apply for permanent employment.

What were the benefits of being able to teach in a casual capacity while still finalising your studies?

There have been an immense number of benefits from teaching in a casual capacity in NSW public schools whilst completing the final years of my Master of Teaching degree.

The days and hours are flexible, which allows me to go home and study or do things that fill my cup in the afternoons. Teaching casually has also provided me with so many learning opportunities and lessons that I will take into my own classroom one day. Such lessons have been vital while at university as I have been able to link my real-life experiences to the content being taught to us by our university lecturers. In this last year, I have noticed a shift in my understanding of the syllabus content, which is reflected in my assessment tasks.

How did you find casual teaching work once you acquired your conditional accreditation and interim approval to teach?

I utlised my connections from past placement experiences to kick-start my casual teaching journey. In the beginning, those schools are where I primarily taught.

Coming into the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, I decided to join ClassCover. Through the ClassCover webpage I set up my profile and requested schools in my area. Some schools in my local area would also reach out to me and request to add me onto their casual list.

Through the ClassCover app, I have been able to connect to 9 different NSW public schools outside of the schools I completed my placements at. As well as using the ClassCover app, I have emailed different public schools to introduce myself and express my interest in working with their school. This has provided me with some incredible connections across school networks.

What are your plans now that you have finalised your studies?

For the duration of this year I plan to work casually with schools within my local area. I have been so fortunate to be booked out for the entirety of the term with schools that I truly love working with and plan to continue this for Term 4.

Looking to 2025, I plan on applying for permanent classroom teacher roles to obtain a position with the NSW Department of Education. This is a goal I have worked so hard to achieve and I am truly excited to start my beginning teacher journey with my own class.

If you are in the final 12 - 18 months of an initial teacher education degree, apply for approval to teach with the NSW Department of Education today.