Menu
Education
Global Search

Teacher Standards and Accreditation

Teaching Standards in Action courses

The Teaching Standards in Action (TSA) suite of courses help you understand how the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (the Standards) can shape and strengthen your teaching practice. TSA courses adopt a blended approach to professional learning. While they are accessible online, they are designed to encourage collaborative practice at the school and classroom level.

The TSA courses align with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (the Standards). They combine e-learning with applied learning in your own classroom and in collaboration with your colleagues.

Each TSA course:

  • is free of charge and accessible online at anytime
  • has a flexible timeframe so you can save your work and complete the course in your own time
  • can be logged as elective professional development (PD) with NESA
  • can support the achievement of your professional goals, as outlined in your performance and development plan (PDP)
  • was developed by teachers, for teachers.

You can engage in the TSA courses:

  • independently
  • in collaboration with a team (for example, a faculty, stage or professional learning community)
  • as part of an integrated whole-school professional learning plan.

Supervisor involvement

You need to identify a supervisor to support your work in the TSA courses. Your supervisor might be:

  • your Head Teacher or Assistant Principal
  • an expert teacher
  • a Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher
  • a teacher mentor
  • your principal
  • any teacher responsible for supporting other teachers' professional development.

Your supervisor will lead and support your learning in the course. This involves:

  • meeting with you at recommended points
  • helping you make connections between the course content and your teaching practice.

If you are working through the courses with a team, your supervisor could lead the whole team. They might differentiate the facilitation of practical activities to suit the unique needs of your school. They should provide regular feedback to help you apply the course content successfully in your classroom.

It is understood, however, that in some circumstances it may only be possible for some supervisors to have minimal involvement. This will not stop you from being able to complete the TSA courses.

The TSA courses strongly encourage collaborative teaching practice, supported by expert teachers.

Teachers who take up the role of a supervisor in a TSA course and are actively facilitating professional learning at the school level can use this opportunity to collect authentic evidence for accreditation at Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher.

The content in the TSA courses are directly informed by the Standards and when leading one of the courses, supervisors will be supporting you and your colleagues in implementing Standards-based teaching practice.

Completing a TSA course

If you are maintaining your accreditation you can log this as Elective PD in eTAMs. This will occur when:

  • all tasks and professional readings are completed
  • reflection is completed at the end of each part of A, B and C
  • all course evaluation questions are completed in part D.

Casual and temporary teachers

Casual and temporary teachers can also access the department's TSA courses online.

If you are a casual or temporary teacher, you can request that a school you work infrequently nominates a more experienced teacher to act as your supervisor as you complete a TSA course. You should negotiate meeting times with them to discuss your progress through the course and your application of course content.

Teacher Quality Advisors for your Operational Directorate can also provide you with information and advice regarding TSA courses, and explain how they can be utilised to support professional learning for casual and temporary teachers.

Teacher Quality Advisors can be contacted at Educational Services.

Category:

  • Human resources
  • Teaching and learning

Topics:

  • Professional development
  • Professional learning
  • Teacher accreditation
  • Teaching
  • performance

Business Unit:

  • People Culture and Capability
Return to top of page Back to top