It is great to work with so many passionate educators as we all deal with environments of shift and change. One of our Presidents' Dinner speaker, Associate Professor Jennifer Alford, asked me to share the following quote with you, and I think it will resonate with many of us: 

“Teachers understand curriculum work as a complex process involving prioritisation,
 translation, and transformation of knowledge into appropriate conditions for learning.
 It is about understanding curriculum work as a deeply creative and productive process
 that relies on confidence with and command of content; deep pedagogical expertise;
 and a good understanding of the learners in question. It is understanding teaching as
 scholarly work, as intellectual work, as knowledge work.” (Mockler, 2017, p. x) 

Mockler, N. (2017). Roll back curriculum constraints and give teachers freedom to make professional judgements. EduResearch Matters AARE. https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=1984 

Our other guest speakers at the Presidents' Dinner were representatives from the Australian Road Safety Foundation who spoke about an excellent new resource:  RoadSet,  aimed at Year 9 students. This looks to be an exciting digital resource that teaches while it engages students effectively.

Opportunities for Associations:

Please send EOIs to enquiries@jcqta.qld.edu.au OR president@jcqta.qld.edu.au if you are interested in any of the following opportunities :

1) Teach QLD brochure - please let me know ASAP if your association would like to be interested in this opportunity, the more associations the less the cost, sign-on date is Friday 26 February - see more here

2)  JCQTA Storage - we have secured storage space, at Coorparoo.  Please let us know if you would like to make use of this space.  We encourage associations that have no storage currently to join us in this initiative.  Associations that already have storage space might like to think about joining us at the Coorparoo facility as we could get a larger space and reduce the costs you are paying currently.  In the meantime, costs will be approx. $240-$300 per year (each) if three or four associations join us.  Make contact and access details (entry codes and padlock codes) will be given.

3) President's report  

 4) “Getting Governance Right”
Target Audience: All board/committee members and executive officers of professional teacher associations.  Presenter: Dr Deb Hull - APTA Board Member, CPTAV President and Executive Office of History Teachers’ Association of Victoria.  Format: legal obligations, best practice principles for financial governance and how to get the most out of your meetings. 40min presentation, 20min Q&A

Tuesday 16th March - 6:30-7:30 pm QLD time   Brochure and registration link coming to ASAP.

As your team faces increasingly challenging issues within their role, our free workshop ”Counselling Skills for the Community Service Professional’ will provide them with specialist counselling and communication skills, helping add greater professional and personal rewards to their role. The 6-hour, comprehensive, online workshop is entirely free. It’s an opportunity to engage in 3 learning sessions, which include:

1. A Micro-Skills Refresher to review: attending behaviours; responding skills; reflection of feeling; reframing & challenging.

2. Common Traps and Temptations for professionals includes: giving advice; taking an expert position; judging the client; problem-solving; fact centred listening; inappropriate self-disclose.

3. Applying Counselling Skills in Challenging and Complex Areas which includes: situations of values conflict; requests to problem-solving; working with resistant clients, clients showing strong emotions and clients experience significate crisis.

PLEASE NOTE: All attendees receive a comprehensive workbook and readings, which includes a summary of all skills covered. This free workshop will be held online via Zoom on Friday 26^th March from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm.

Places are limited so registration is on a “first in/first-served” basis. All community services professionals and their volunteers are invited to attend. Please share with your networks.

We are proud to provide this opportunity to our industry colleagues in support of the work they do. As a leader in Counselling education for 30 years, we look forward to sharing knowledge and skills that will support your team in positive, affirming ways.

Please check event details via this link and register your team now: Counselling Skills for the Community Service Professional 


Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors