QCT Launches the Beginning To Teach website
September 2008
Online help for new teachers When teachers first step into the classroom and are ready to answer students questions, many find they can
have plenty of their own as they adjust to their new careers.
Now, thanks to the Queensland College of Teachers new website for beginning teachers, those questions are being answered in a one-stop-shop of information.
We did some surveys and it was quite obvious that new teachers needed information just for them, director John Ryan said.
Until now, there hasnt been any other website where new teachers could get all the information they needed in the one place, so having it
up and running is a great resource.
The site went live in September shortly after the College launched its overarching, new-look website and features handy,
easy-to-access material for teachers working in their first three years on the job. Among the highlights are a new teachers reflections on how she
copes with her job and why she joined the profession, support for undertaking country service, and a series of videos with tips on building relationships,
managing your professional life and legal advice on some common issues that face teachers, such as being invited to a students party.
Mr Ryan said the websites information taps into international resources, as well as advice from new and senior teachers across Queensland.
It certainly helps make some of the grey areas clearer, he said. The key to the whole site is being able to support teachers, and it is like a comfort
place where they can go to look at what other people are doing and help reflect on why they became a teacher.
Mr Ryan said the website will be updated over time, including following the ongoing experiences of second-year teacher Sarah Penrose,
who is teaching English, Modern History and Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) at The Gap State High School.
To access the site, visit:http://beginningtoteach.qct.edu.au