You'll access key resources, develop professional networks and strengthen your expertise as you begin your teaching career. You’ll receive mentoring and engaging professional development to support your transition to the proficient career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
My mentor has been the most amazing support for me specifically in my first year, catering for a very complex class in a year level I was not confident in. She supported me to complete my portfolio. I’ve continued to utilise her support.
Mikaela, ECT in her second year of teaching
Program overview
You’ll build capabilities and skills in using evidence informed pedagogies, focusing on:
- creating a learning environment and culture for wellbeing, equity, and excellence
- facilitating expert learning through intentional and responsive teaching
- developing learner agency through dialogic teaching and metacognition.
View the 2025 handbook on plink.
Applied learning
Applied learning is key to improving your practice. After attending program days you’ll complete applied learning activities that will support you to transfer your learning into practice and develop evidence sets for your professional portfolio.
Support for the applied learning tasks will be provided by your mentor, evaluator and ECT facilitators. By attending the year 2 program days you’ll receive an additional release day to collate your evidence for the professional portfolio.
Expert mentoring
ECTs, you’ll be assigned a mentor at your school or preschool in the first year of the program. They’ll support your induction and facilitate reciprocal observations of practice. You’ll work together to strengthen your skills and knowledge of effective teaching and learning.
For mentors
As a key learning partner for your early career teacher in the first year of the program, you play an important role in supporting their growth and helping them navigate the transition from the graduate to proficient career stage. Together you’ll attend the Graduate to proficient professional learning day.
By attending the Mentoring ECTs professional learning day, you’ll have the opportunity to further develop your mentoring skills. This will equip you to facilitate conversations focused on professional growth and enhance your capabilities as a practice-focused mentor.
As an assigned mentor, you’ll also be eligible for up to 4 additional release days to support your ECT.
How to enrol
If you’re appointed to a permanent or contract role (longer than 1 term), you’ll automatically be enrolled and sent a welcome email.
If you’re a mentor, you’ll be enrolled by your leadership team.
For all other early career teachers, you can access resources and register for professional learning days on our plink dashboard.