When completing your application for a teaching role, it is highly likely that along with your resume you will be asked to provide a statement of claims or key selection criteria that will include addressing the professional teaching standards of the state you intend to work within. This is, in fact, a crucial document that will illustrate to your employer your understanding of the key principles upon which your role will revolve. They detail the abilities, experience, knowledge or skills expected of registered teachers, and you are expected to provide demonstrated examples that address the main areas around your professional knowledge, practice, and engagement with students. Within these principles are up to 37 areas to potentially provide specific examples of your achievements within.
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers comprise seven Standards which outline what teachers should know and be able to do. The Standards are interconnected, interdependent and overlapping. The Standards are grouped into three domains of teaching: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement. In practice, teaching draws on aspects of all three domains. Within each Standard, focus areas provide further illustration of teaching knowledge, practice and professional engagement. These are then separated into Descriptors at four professional career stages: Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead.
The standards are a public statement by the profession of what teachers in Australian schools need to know, understand and be able to do and as such, provide a common reference point for describing, celebrating and supporting the complex and varied nature of the work of teachers.
If you are addressing these standards yourself, you need to prepare your answers carefully. For example, avoid blank unsubstantiated statements such as ‘I have extremely well-developed communication skills.’ This is just an opinion; the employer needs the quantifiable evidence that it is true. You need to provide concrete examples that demonstrate your skills and abilities and illustrate the complexity and demands of the task used as an illustration. It may be easier to do this if you use the STAR approach: Situation, Task Action and Result. What was the situation in which you demonstrated your communication skills? What was the task you were faced with and what action s did you put into play to get your desired positive result? These examples are, in fact, mini essays that explicitly illustrate your understanding of the Standards and your ability to apply them in real-world scenarios.
However, it may be that you feel more confident putting this important document in the hands of professionals. We at Teachers Resumes have had considerable experience assisting graduate and experienced teachers preparing these professional teaching standards documents. These are highly particular areas of focus that will build an accurate picture of your ability to fulfil the role you are applying for. You will be matched with a professional writer who has experience preparing these statements in your particular state. The consultation period is a little longer than normal, up to two hours in some cases, but it is necessary to explore each of the focus areas depending upon your level of experience – graduate or proficient. Once the consultation is complete, your writer will prepare the document, selecting the most pertinent and persuasive examples to use. Within a 3-page or 5-page document, it is unlikely to address all 37 examples, so we will present the most compelling exemplars that position you as someone who not only understands the requirements of the teaching standards but who demonstrates the needs of the particular role being applied for as well.
Call us today to discuss your application and how we can help you prepare the perfect document, accurately presenting your understanding of the teaching standards for your state and demonstrating your skills, experience and suitability for the role you are applying for.