Teacher registration

[hazel and dave]

Hi,

We have just been granted our visa and all is feeling a bit topsy turvey at mo, nothing more so than the process of getting ajob when we finally arrive.

We applied under Dave's trade - carpentry etc, but I am a secondary English and Media teacher and am hoping to get mysel registered etc before we go. Am really concerned about registration process etc and would be grateful for any tips or hints about the whole process. I did the traditional route of BA and then a PGCE - rather than a BED. Is this generally acceptable?? I have been a mentor for trainee teachers for 8 years and have a fair bit of experience, especially in challenging schools. Does this count or is it all tick boxes and letters after your name?

I have also read (somewhere??) that I need transcipts of my courses; is this degree and post grad, or just post grad? And what exactly is an acceptable transcript? I did a pilot scheme course - which has since been adopted with modification - and not sure a true outline of the course would exist!!

ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Quoll]

Get transcripts of absolutely everything just in case! When I registered, they needed to know exactly how many hours of underwater macrame I had had lectures in/taught (I did a PGCE too). My college, in those days, didnt record in that detail so I had to sign a stat dec stating what (to the best of my recollection) approximate times allocated to each subject. They generally like to have information that you have done a unit in behaviour management if you are heading for a job which is focussed on that area or a unit in special ed etc. However, in my experience, if you are game to put your hand up for special ed or challenging behaviour positions they really dont care in the end (we have had some poor gullible little souls who expressed an interest but no formal qualifications teaching our most vulnerable and challenging kids!!!)

It can be difficult getting a teaching job here - just so you know. It will always be easier in out of the way places that no self respecting teacher would want to go to but the prime city spots are very hard to find. With school based management there is also, sadly, a tendency to appoint people who cost you less - so experience can be a bit of a disadvantage if a school is looking to keep its staff budget low. (My SIL and another ex colleague are excellent and very experienced teachers and not able to get a permanent position in Ballarat for example, because they cost too much!). However, don't get too depressed about it, just be aware that it may take a bit of time to get the position of your dreams!

[ali]

Congratulations of getting your visa and good luck with the registration

Ali

[hazel and dave]

Thank you, that's really helpful. I'm going to start tracking down my tuturs now!

[The Broughtons]

3 years and a PGCE is fine. I registered with Victorian Institute of Teaching from the UK and had my registration card 2 months before we got here. They are pretty quick off the mark but I know that Denise (Col and Dee) had to wait ages for her registration with Queensland.

Course transcripts of everything are a must as are degree certificates - certified copies of course.

Where are you heading? If I can help at all just give me a shout.

Felicity

[col&dee]

Originally Posted by The Broughtons

3 years and a PGCE is fine. I registered with Victorian Institute of Teaching from the UK and had my registration card 2 months before we got here. They are pretty quick off the mark but I know that Denise (Col and Dee) had to wait ages for her registration with Queensland.

Course transcripts of everything are a must as are degree certificates - certified copies of course.

Where are you heading? If I can help at all just give me a shout.

Felicity

Yeah, that's right.

It took 3 and half months for my registration to be granted (I applied 3 months before I left Scotland thinking that was plenty of time and was still waiting when I arrived in Brisbane (though now in Sunshine Coast).

Definitely gather together your transcripts of records before you leave the UK too. Unfortunately it's not too easy to secure any work in Sunshine Coast so it may even take me longer than 3 and half months for this part.

Good luck,
Denise

[hazel and dave]

Thanks for that - doesn't seem quite such a paper work nightmare with a bit of advice! We're not exactly certain where we want to go, but definitely Vic. How did you find getting your transcripts, was it a bit of a struggle or were the uni's fairly easy to deal with? I'm not thinking about contacting them until after the Christmas break - I'm quite sure it wouldn't do any good!

[Gazzer]

Hi

We've been on the Gold Coast fot four months. I sent all my paperwork a month and a half before we left - well I thought I had all my paperwork but had cleverly missed the transcript bit - there was a lot going on at home at the time!!

Two days after arriving I got an e-mail asking for transcripts for my application to continue. It took me two months to get any sense from my uni back haome - didn't help that it has been taken over by another uni since then. It took that length of time for the uni to tell me that they only keep transcript records for 6 years as this is the legal requirement and I left uni over ten years ago. I contacted the Queensland college of education and they told me exactly the information I would need as I couldn't provide the actual transcript. I got in touch with the English uni and they sent a letter with all the required info on quite quickly.

Once that info had been certified it was processed really quickly and my registration was complete on Dec 14th - the day the schools broke up for 6 weeks

I've also been told it's hard to get a job but I only want supply work for now and see how things go. I've been in to my kids school for a bit of a nosey. The staff have all been very encouraging and helpful.

Good luck with your transcrpit hunt

Emma

[hazel and dave]

I know I said I would wait until after Chrsitmas, but got the passports back today with those lovely little stickers in and I just couldn't stop myself. 2 phonecalls and 2x£20 cheques and it seems to be sorted - am now waiting for the call back saying there is an error / computer failure / freak accident with a cup of coffee or something! All seems to have been far too easy!!

[Julie&Martin]

Hi
We have just been granted our visa and are heading for Perth in March, we were accepted on my husbands job as a bricklayer. I work as a primary school teacher and only qualified 3 years ago. Does anyone know if that will be enough experience.
Any advice would be helpful
thanks Julie