Restart gives returners the best start

2 June 2011

Back to school ... Rowena Pearson with Blake Alidenes at Caravonica State School.

Education Queensland teachers planning to re-enter the workforce after an extended break can take advantage of the Department of Education and Training's free trial of the Restart Teaching professional development program.

Returning to the classroom after six years away was a daunting prospect for Caravonica State School Year 2 teacher Rowena Pearson.

Almost as daunting was the requirement to meet the Queensland College of Teachers' Returning to Teaching (RTT) condition for registration renewal, which was introduced from 2011.

But having completed the department's free 12-week Restart Teaching program trial, which has allowed her to meet the QCT requirement, she wouldn't have it any other way.

'It was a real confidence booster,' Ms Pearson said. 'Even though it was pretty intense, it was a fantastic way to catch up very quickly.

'It covered everything from curriculum to computers, to moderation and planning as well as how you set up your classroom with resources and furniture.'

The mother of two young children said having other mums undertaking the course helped and she emerged full of confidence.

'The facilitators, Keith Wilson and Leigh Scott, were just unreal, and the modules were really well set out and very comprehensive,' she said.

'It was fantastic being able to catch up on all the new policies and procedures.

'All the new ICT was fantastic, because I'd never done a web conference before, I'd never done discussion boards, I'd never done PD through iConnect on the Learning Place, I didn't even know about the Learning Place. That didn't even exist in the form it is now.

'It's very beneficial with the tasks you've got to do, the readings and things like that, and it gets you thinking about the 21st century learner because even that, the kids have changed so much since I left.'

From 2011, all returning teachers who have taught for less than one year (or 200 days) in the past five years will have their registration renewed subject to a Returning to Teaching (RTT) condition. To have the condition removed, the Queensland College of Teachers is requiring teachers to complete an approved 30-hour RTT program.

The department is currently funding a trial for Restart Teaching. Visit the Restart Teaching website for more details or to register to be considered for the trial.