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FAQs

Recruitment and Selection

Training and Leadership

Placement and Schools

Beyond the Program

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

How do I apply?

If you are interested in becoming an inspirational leader and contributing to the Teach For Australia mission to confront educational disadvantage then please submit an online application via this website. 

Please note we can only accept online applications – we are unable to accept paper applications. Because places are limited, we recommend that you apply early.

What happens after I apply?

All applications are personally assessed by a member of the Teach For Australia staff. If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to participate in a 20-minute telephone interview. The final stage of the selection process is to attend our Selection Day where you will complete two interviews, a group activity, a sample teaching lesson, and a problem solving test. Successful candidates from the Selection Day are extended an offer to join our Associate Program.         

When is the application deadline?

Application dates for the 2012/13 will be posted here as soon as they are available. At this stage we anticipate two rounds of recruitment that will coincide with the beginning of each university semester.

Owing to the scale and spread of our recruitment requirements we will begin filling our positions shortly after the first deadline. In past years we have filled our requirements for subjects such as Legal Studies, History, Humanities and Business early in the year.

Consistent with previous years, we anticipate that the majority of 2013/14 positions will be filled in the first round of recruitment and so you are encouraged to apply in the first round to provide you with the biggest opportunity for success.

What are the minimum requirements to apply?

To apply, you must:

  • Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident 
  • Be on track to successfully complete (or have already completed) at least a Bachelors degree in 2012 that DOES NOT meet the requirements for entry into the teaching profession
  • Have completed your degree to at least a High-Credit average (except in exceptional circumstances) 
  • Meet the requirements to enrol into the University of Melbourne’s Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (TFA)

What are the minimum academic requirements?

In order to be eligible to apply for Teach For Australia we look for at least an average score of 70 across your university grades. This generally equates to a High-Credit or Distinction average depending on your University’s grading system. For universities operating a 7-point GPA system, we look for a GPA of 5 or above.

All applicants are looked at holistically so if you feel you have other attributes that contribute to your application but do not fall within the above criteria then we would urge you to apply and outline these attributes on the application form.

Similarly, if your undergraduate grades do not meet these requirements but you have successfully completed postgraduate study at a High-Credit or Distinction average then we encourage you to apply.

If you have genuine extenuating circumstances that have impacted on your grades, please include details in your application.

In order to be eligible for MGSE’s program, you must also have completed disciplines from your studies that satisfy the requirements for two separate learning areas. More information on this requirement can be found here.

If I'm not accepted into Teach For Australia this round, am I able to reapply?

Candidates may only apply to Teach For Australia once during a calendar year, but are welcome to reapply in subsequent years. 

My degree was awarded from a university overseas, am I able to apply?

Provided that your overseas qualification is recognised as equivalent to an Australian 3-year Bachelors degree, you are eligible to apply. 

Can I apply if I am not an Australian citizen or permanent resident?

No. Teach For Australia can only accept applications from candidates who are Australian citizens or who hold Australian permanent residency at the time of applying. Unfortunately there can be no exceptions to this. If you are invited to attend a Selection Day, you will be required to provide proof of citizenship or permanent residency.

Is there an age limit?

No. Teach For Australia has no restrictions on the age of applicants. It is designed for people who wish to teach for a minimum of two years but are open-minded about their future career options and would like to gain valuable and useful leadership skills they can then transfer elsewhere after the program.

What dates will the selection process run?

If you are shortlisted after the application stage, phone interviews will take place from mid-late April.

Selection Days are scheduled between for the first 3 weeks of May. If you are invited to attend a Selection Day, you will need to be available for one full day during this period. We will provide you with as much notice as possible prior to the Selection Day. 

If you are overseas during the selection process, it is possible to conduct your phone interview internationally however you will need to attend a Selection Day in person in Australia.

Dates for the second round of selection will be provided when they become available.

I graduate in the middle of 2012, should I apply this year?

You must have successfully completed a bachelor's degree (in any subject area other than education) by November 2012 to be eligible to apply this year. If you will be graduating mid-2012 we recommend you apply for the program in early 2012.

When will Teach For Australia make offers to participate?

We anticipate making all first round offers of participation before the end of May 2012

Candidates who are placed on the waitlist or who are unsuccessful from Selection Day will also be informed by the end of May

Does Teach For Australia operate a waitlist system if positions are filled?

Yes, Teach For Australia operates a waitlist system. If you meet our requirements at Selection Day but we have reached capacity in either the subjects you are eligible to teach or your preferred placement locations you will be placed on our waitlist.

If subsequent opportunities arise before the commencement of the program, and you meet the requirements of these based on your subjects and preferred placement locations, we may formally invite you to participate in the program.

TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP

What qualifications will I receive through the program?

At the conclusion of the full two years' of study at Melbourne Graduate School of Education and teaching your own classes, you will graduate with a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching [TFA].

What is the teacher education like?

The teacher education is conducted by Melbourne Graduate School of Education and Teach For Australia in Parkville, Melbourne. The delivery mode consists of lectures, workshops and tutorials conducted during the day and early evening. There is also a significant online engagement with both Melbourne Graduate School of Education and Teach For Australia over the two years.

Your training will begin with the in-residence six week Initial Intensive held in Melbourne. The Initial Intensive will enable you to be effective in the classroom from Day 1 and to lay solid foundations for you to become an excellent teacher, leader and to achieve accreditation. During this Initial Intensive, you will learn about key pedagogical ideas as well as having the chance to apply your knowledge and practice your developing skills.

Subjects taught by experienced and expert lecturers include:

  • Language and Teaching
  • Discipline Specific Pedagogy
  • Social and Professional Contexts
  • Individualising Learning and Teaching
  • Leadership

It is an intense experience and you can expect to be challenged over this time. It's also fun as you get to know your fellow Associates and explore your ambitions. Over the course of your two years in the program, you will receive ongoing training and support from Teach For Australia in partnership with the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. You will continue to build on your pedagogical knowledge of the disciplines you are teaching, develop a professional practice portfolio and advance your leadership skills.

Your teaching load is reduced to 80 per cent of a full-time load to allow you time for your studies and development. Academic assessments are spread throughout the two-year program.

Your Training and Leadership Advisor will visit you to continue your training and development, meeting with you at least once per month in your school. A Clinical Specialist from Melbourne Graduate School of Education will visit you regularly in your classrooms and provide guidance on your teaching practice and classroom management. You are also assigned an In-school Mentor who will mentor you over the two-year placement.

You will attend professional learning sessions in your placement groups as well as additional intensive training sessions as a full cohort mid-way through the year and at the end of the year.

These Mid-Year and End of Year Intensives are held during school holidays and are no more than one week in duration.

What is the Initial Intensive like?

The Initial Intensive training runs for six weeks at the very start of the program. It comprises of lectures, practical workshops, group and individual assessments, social and team-building activities. For more information visit our How It All Works page. 

When and where is the Initial Intensive held?

The Initial Intensive generally start in late November to mid-January 2012 with a break for Christmas and the New Year. The Initial Intensive is held at the University of Melbourne in Parkville, Melbourne.

Is it compulsory for me to attend the Initial Intensive?

To ensure our Associates are adequately prepared for the classroom, attendance at the Initial Intensive is mandatory.

Do I need to live in residence during the Initial Intensive?

Yes, it is compulsory for Associates to live in residence including those who are based in Melbourne.

What is the training like?

Our teacher training is conducted in partnership with the The University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education. Upon the successful completion of the Teach For Australia program you will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching from the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. 

Your training will begin with the six week Initial Intensive held in Melbourne.  The Initial Intensive is designed to enable you to be effective in the classroom from Day 1 and to lay solid foundations for you to become an excellent teacher and achieve accreditation.  During this time you will learn about key pedagogical ideas as well as having the chance to apply your knowledge and practice your developing skills.   

Subjects taught by experienced and expert lecturers include:

  • Language and Teaching
  • Discipline Specific Pedagogy
  • Social and Professional Contexts
  • Individualising Learning and Teaching. 

It is an intense experience and you can expect to be challenged over this time.  It's also a lot of fun as you get to know your fellow Associates and explore your ambitions. Over the course of your two years on the program, you will receive ongoing training and support from Teach For Australia in partnership with the Melbourne Graduate School of Education.  You will continue to build on your pedagogical knowledge of the disciplines you are teaching, develop a professional practice portfolio and advance your leadership skills.

Your teaching load is reduced to 80 per cent of a full-time load in order to allow you time for your studies and development.

Academic assessments are spread throughout the two-year program.

Your Training and Leadership Advisor will visit you to continue your training and development, meeting with you at least once per fortnight.  You will attend sessions in your placement groups as well as additional intensive training sessions as a full cohort mid-way through the year and at the end of the year.  These Mid-Year and End of Year Intensives are held during school holidays and are less than one week in duration.  You are also assigned an In-school Mentor who will mentor you over the two-year placement.

How is the Leadership Development Program structured?

1. A powerful foundation: Leadership in the Classroom
Training, mentorship and extensive practice ensure that our Associates master the foundations of leadership- engaging with vision, planning purposefully, shaping culture, and driving performance to truly transform the educational trajectories of their students.

2. Find your own way: Leadership Coaching
Twelve monthly sessions with a senior leader from the sector of their choice support our Associates to reflect on their experience, deepen their self-mastery, and forge career plans beyond the two-year placement.

3. From classroom to boardroom: Leading Organisations
An academic Leadership subject and an Action-Learning Project run in the final semester of the program enables our Associates to take accelerated leadership paths in any organisation.

PLACEMENT AND SCHOOLS

Where do you place Associates?

For 2013/14 placements, Teach For Australia will be placing in Victoria, the ACT, and the Northern Territory.

We are also hopeful that we will be placing Associates into Western Australia, however this will be contingent on regulatory changes currently before the WA Parliament. Placements in WA will most likely be in regional areas such as the Kimberley. There may be a small number of placements in Perth.  If your preference is to be placed in WA, we encourage you to apply in Round 1 as a decision on placements in WA will be made in May.

We will not be placing Associates into any other states or territories for the 2013/14 program.

Teach For Australia places Associates in schools where they can have the biggest impact on educational disadvantage. These may be in:

-       Major cities such as Melbourne or Canberra;

-       Regional areas such as Shepparton, Mildura, and Warracknabeal; or

-       Remote places such as Tennant Creek or Katherine

What are the schools like?

Teach For Australia partners with secondary schools of educational disadvantage, determined mostly by socioeconomic measures. Before placing an Associate, we work closely with schools to ensure:

-       Eligibility - Only those schools which fit our disadvantage criteria are eligible

-       Potential for impact - Schools must provide an environment that will enable Associates to make an impact

-       Capacity to support Associates - Ensuring the school infrastructure enables the Associate to be adequately supported for two years

Teach For Australia schools vary in their ethnic make-ups, the age of their buildings and the communities they are in, and will often be in challenging areas.  In all schools the Principals and School Leadership have asked to employ Teach For Australia teachers and have agreed to provide the level of support required by the Teach For Australia program.  

Associates teaching in the NT or remote places can expect that a large proportion of their students will be Indigenous Australians.

Can I choose my placement location or school?

Teach For Australia can only be successful if we place highly motivated graduates exactly where the need is greatest, in any location across the country. This flexibility is crucial to achieving our mission of confronting educational disadvantage.

All candidates are required to be flexible with their location preferences when applying to Teach For Australia. Our key strength is our mission-focused approach to educational disadvantage; this allows us to place teachers where there is the greatest need. For Associates it also provides the opportunity, and challenge, to demonstrate their ability to adapt and affect positive change wherever they are placed to teach.

As such we require a level of flexibility with your placement location preferences, particularly with regard to being placed outside of major cities. This enables us to ensure that the program can have maximum impact in the schools and communities we serve.

In the application form, you will be asked to tell us which locations are your most preferred.  If you are successful in the selection process, we will allocate you to a school that needs your skills in October.

We cannot guarantee a placement in your most preferred locations.

Do Associates teach full-time?

Teach For Australia Associates work as full-time educators in their schools, with equivalent responsibilities to any beginning teacher. Associates will teach 80% of a standard teacher's timetable, to allow for university coursework, additional development and mentoring time spent with your Educational Advisor or in-school mentor, or observing other teachers.

What year levels will I teach?

All Associates are placed in secondary schools, teaching a range of classes from years 7 to 12.

What subjects will I teach?

Teach For Australia Associates teach subjects in which they are subject matter experts, as determined by the units undertaken in their tertiary study. All Associates teach at secondary school level and therefore may teach classes from Year 7 to 12. Associates do not teach subjects that they do not feel comfortable teaching.

In making the assessment of eligible teaching subjects, we apply the Victorian Institute of Teaching’s Specialist Area Guidelines which determine the subjects you will be given authority to teach in schools. They are also used to determine the Learning Areas you are eligible to enrol in as part of your teacher education with The Melbourne Graduate School of Education.

Although these guidelines are Victoria-specific, Teach For Australia generally uses them to determine eligible teaching subjects for Associates in ALL jurisdictions.

In some circumstances for placements outside of Victoria, we may determine that Associates have the specialist knowledge to teach certain subjects that they do not qualify for in Victoria (based on their tertiary study).

For placements in Victoria, Associates must meet the requirements in the guidelines in order to teach the relevant subjects.

Is it compulsory to complete the two years of the program?

We require all Teach For Australia Associates to commit to the two year program. The two years are vital to complete the training to become a qualified teacher and the program’s leadership development program. Failure to complete the two years will result in you not graduating as a Teach For Australia Associate and as such will not have access to the Teach For Australia Alumni program and its benefits. 

Most importantly, we believe that we best further our mission by ensuring that all of our teachers complete the minimum two year commitment they have given to their schools and pupils.

What are Teach For Australia Associates paid?

Teach For Australia participants and employed and paid by the Department of Education or their school for the duration of the program. Your salary (and other employment conditions) will depend on the Enterprise Agreement for teachers in the jurisdiction and sector of your school but will be comparable to other beginning teachers within your placement school.

As a guide, Associates receive approximately $45,000 plus superannuation in their first year.  

 

BEYOND THE PROGRAM

How does the Alumni program work?

Over the two-year program our Associates discover where they want to make a difference; continuing in teaching, becoming a school leader, working in policy, academia, business or social entrepreneurship. Associates join these Career Paths to support them in transitioning into and accelerating from new roles in their chosen sector. Alumni continue these networks, collaborating to share learning and inspiration and to deepen their impact. Between organisations, sectors, and even countries program initiatives support Alumni to network, learn and catalyse the systemic change needed to truly transform the landscape of education.

How can Teach For Australia develop my career?

The Associate Experience provides a rare platform to help you find out what your career calling is, develop clear plans and networks for your chosen path, build truly exceptional leadership skills to enable your journey, and achieve demonstrable results to highlight you as credible, accomplished and socially-conscious new leader.