August 2022 Western Teacher

The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.)Volume 51.6 August 2022 sstuwa.org.au togetherstandsAlliance Pg 4

Car LoanNovated Lease Salary $80,000$80,000 Cost of Vehicle $40,000$36,364 Finance Over 5 Years $54,080Included Running Costs $25,250Included Novated Lease Costs -$70,590 Total Costs $79,330$70,590 YOU SAVE $8,740 You’ll get the best price available on your next car and all your running costs –fuel, tyres, maintenance, and more! will be covered in one fortnightly payment. Transfer your car loan to a novated lease and save thousands Talk to Kane Bowra today to learn more. 0401 522 kaneb@fleetnetwork.com.au626 We’ve been helping Western Australian teachers drive their way to savings for decades. Book a school visit today and we’ll come to you! Table above is based on a 60 month term; a residual value of 28.13% as required by the ATO; an annual estimate for fuel, maintenance, tyres, registration and comprehensive insurance. Car Loan finance figures are based on a variable comparison rate currently available with a major consumer bank and can vary depending on your personal circumstances. Before entering into a Novated Leasing arrangement you should consider your objectives, financial situation and needs and seek appropriate financial advice based on your personal circumstances.

In this edition In editionthis Western Teacher is the official publication of The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.) Advertisements in Western Teacher are the responsibility of advertisers. While Western Teacher makes reasonable efforts to ensure that no misleading claims are made by advertisers, responsibility is not accepted by The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.) for statements made or the failure of any product or service to give satisfaction. Inclusion of a product or service should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.) Correspondence: The Editor, PO Box 212 West Perth WA editor@sstuwa.org.au6872 | Ph: 9210 6000 Member Assist: Ph: 9210 TheAuthorisedABN:Printmemberassist@sstuwa.org.au6060postpublication100004470|$4.9554478094635byMaryFranklyn,GeneralSecretary,StateSchoolTeachers’UnionofW.A.(Inc.)1 West Street, West Perth WA. Printed by Vanguard Press, 26 John Street, Northbridge WA. August 2022. Cover: The SSTUWA continues to stand with the Public Sector Alliance in promoting genuine collective bargaining as the way forward, rather than one-sizefits-all wages policies. Read more on page 4. To access the digital copy of Western Teacher, visit: sstuwa.org.au/westernteacher Connect with us: @sstuwa Barrie Bennett reference books forBuildingIntelligenceInstructionalInstructionalExpertisetheClassroom An SSTUWA project in collaboration with Barrie Bennett BARRIE BENNETT BEYOND COOPERATIVE LEARNING n Effective Group Work InstructionalIntelligence EffectiveWorkGroup ManagementClassroom IntelligenceGraphic Dr Barrie Bennett is an internationally renowned educational expert and emeritus professor at the University of Toronto. His books cover a range of interrelated topics that support effective teaching and learning. Members can access special pricing on the series. Place your order at sstuwa.org.au/shop Features Mental health and safety 8 Scholarship experience has shaped teaching practice 10 Knowing your level of union coverage 12 Reconciliation in action at Mosman Park PS 14 Paving the way towards inclusive education 15 Wear it Purple Day pull-out poster 18 Why we need to think about how we talk about teachers 20 You’re never on your own in the SSTUWA 22 Gender workplace equity afforded by law 23 Regulars From the President 4 From the Senior Vice President 6 Education and Training 28 Member Benefits 30 Classifieds 32 Noticeboard 34 2022 Western Teacher deadlines Edition Deadline January 29 November February 31 January April 8 March May 26 April June 30 May August 18 July September 22 August October 3 October November 31 October Dates are subject to change Volume 51.6 August 2022 3Western Teacher August 2022

For SSTUWA members on under $100,000 this represents in the first year a 5.5 per cent increase, not the one per cent that was on the table in July 2021 when negotiations began. Make no mistake, without the powerful and cohesive presence of the PSA it is highly unlikely that the state government would have budged from its original $1,000 stance.

From the launch at the SSTUWA offices, through to the Town Hall meeting in November, various individual union actions and the rally at Parliament House in August, the collective voice has been loud and strong.

Applying a diverse range of actions has led to some good outcomes. Prior to formally agreeing to the state government offer the SSTUWA stipulated that such agreement was on the

Gains continuesfront,throughmadeunitedwork

4 Western Teacher August 2022 From the President As an affiliate of UnionsWA, the SSTUWA has long known that strength lies in unity; the multiplier that applies when unions work together towards common goals.

If more evidence was needed of this simple truth it comes from the success of the Public Sector Alliance.

By Pat PresidentByrne

Great credit goes to UnionsWA Secretary Owen Whittle and his team.

Bringing together so many public sector unions, including the SSTUWA, United Workers Union, CPSU/CSA, United Firefighters Union, WA Prison Officers Union, Health Services Union WA, Professionals Australia, the Rail Tram and Bus Union and WA Police Union was no easy task.

Success? Yes. Thus far the Public Sector Alliance (PSA) has been the driving force behind not one, but two changes to state government wages policy. Instead of a $1,000 increase for each of the two years of the 2021 General Agreement, public sector workers were offered three per cent increases in each year and a one-off cash bonus of $2,500.

Each union has a diverse membership that spans an incredible range of occupations, salary levels and backgrounds. This brings different demands and requirements. Every union involved has at times had to balance those specific needs with the common good. When one union has undertaken actions every other alliance member has been there to offer support.

In August the WA Labor Party released its 2021 Platform. In that document as the seventh of 20 “Enduring Labor Values” the platform states: “We are committed to protecting and advancing the rights of working families, including their rights to join trade unions, to organise in the workplace, to bargain collectively and to exercise their right to strike. Our partnership with the trade union movement remains crucial for Australia’s future.”

5Western Teacher August 2022

• A review of the Country Teaching Program eligibility requirements.

Just a few days earlier the Premier had, with no consultation, released via the media the latest changes to the state government wages policy. This is not how bargaining collectively works. Nor does it foster any type of partnership. The message from the PSA is: don’t dictate, negotiate.

From the President condition of guarantees that any further improvements would be passed on to teachers and leaders. This has meant not only the SSTUWA, but other unions who had signed agreements, have benefited from those assurances. Has the outcome thus far been perfect? No. Was the manner in which the most recent offer was made acceptable? No.

• A review of portable ICT devices in schools. Both parties - the department and the SSTUWA - have committed to a series of meetings to ensure completion of these projects as soon as possible. The Agreement and Exchange of Letters prvovide several ongoing avenues for negotiations to occur around education support, ICT matters and individual member’s concerns, to name a few.

These are the ways the SSTUWA directly contributes to the development of professional learning and performance management processes and of course, state and federal initiatives.

• A major expansion of the transfer pool.

The latest wages policy will offer immediate financial relief to some public sector workers; it will not however address what has been a long-term decline in real wages for the sector, a decline that is seeing workers desert the public service for private industry. The staff shortages this is creating are being felt across schools and TAFEs. We will continue to work with the PSA to ensure all public servants start to catch up with the cost of living after several years of having salaries capped as a budget management strategy. Above all, we are seeking a return to genuine Strikingbargaining.abalance between immediate salary relief for members, plus a significant set of gains in working conditions and the need for proper long-term and real pay rises has not been easy. The Agreement and Exchange of Letters set out several large pieces of work to be completed by the parties. These include:

The 2013 National Education Reform Agreement (NERA) between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments (and through memorandums of understanding with private schools) planned a $16 billion increase in school funding over six years, 80 per cent of which was to go to public Asschools.Trevor Cobbold of Save our Schools Australia has frequently reminded people, NERA was supposed to be the implementation of the Gonski report. But it never happened. At least not in the way it should have.

Not only was the distribution inequity a rort, but the rate of private school funding increases was at a higher rate than any received by public schools. This is a kick in the guts for public education when the system was already motionless on the canvas. Gonski reacquainted Australians with fairness for school funding: Equity in funding, a fair go for all Australian students no matter the postcode. Now it needs to be actioned. Backroom deals and shady agreements are hopefully now in the past. (A federal Independent Commission Against Corruption could seek to probe how bushfire, flood and other deals delivering education funding were cut in the last few Ayears.)genuine needs-based system is necessary. An option for consideration would see all schools accessing the same system of needs-based funding, scaled by their fee structures, other income sources and current wealth. This option may lead to the definition of a private school to be much more consistent with what is seen elsewhere right around the world. The fact that private schools in Australia receive such large amounts from the public purse is mocked across the globe. This option could lead to resolving the social inequity we currently see in our schooling system. Public schools would be far better resourced and once again be schools of choice for parents from across the Givencommunity.theevidence that recent declines in PISA results have largely occurred in private schools, parents may consider schooling options in a different light under such a proposed shift in needs-based school funding. Any ability to better cope with cost-of-living pressures would be welcomed by parents. WA public schools, despite competing on unfair funding grounds, consistently punch above their weight and continue to deliver. A fairer funding system would simply allow them to provide for students in a way that is currently, and has been for some time, unimaginable. It’s time for Gonski to be implemented as it was designed to be.

The current agreement is now set to expire and the position of the SSTUWA is that Western Australian students are entitled to 100 per cent of their federal funding entitlement. This should not include clauses which pay for services that all sectors receive. For example, if everyone in the education sector uses the services of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), then costs should be met from everyone’s slice of the pie, not just from the public sector’s slice as is currently the case. Just another sneaky example of inequity by reducing the public education funding pie. $9 billion of JobKeeper payments to private schools only, the list is long...

It wasn’t the Gonski model itself that failed, it was federal leadership that failed Gonski, a simple case of sabotage. Recent federal funding approaches have left Australia with declining results in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), higher levels of social segregation between the rich and the poor schools and arguably unbridgeable gaps in school infrastructure standards. (The capital investment gap is valued around $21.5 billion, whilst just short of $10 billion is committed until 2029 in packages to help private schools adjust to a new school resourcing model.)

By Matt Jarman Senior Vice President

7Western Teacher August 2022 From the Senior Vice President

The ideologically motivated funding of private and public schools in Australia under the previous federal government could easily have covered the intended Gonski model, such was its wastefulness.

GonskiFundingas it was designed

Mental health and safety

WHS Act 2020 Time to get technical. But before we do, here are some terms you might want to remember:

• Inadequate support from supervisors and/or co-workers.

By Hazel Doran and Antony Pearson Communications officer and WHS organiser

We know Australian teachers experience a high level of work-related mental stress. This is illustrated in the early-career teacher attrition rate, numerous studies like the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018, or simply by eavesdropping most staffroom conversations on a Wednesday at lunchtime. To combat this, there is a lot of information and media content focused on self-help, in a trend coming to be known as “toxic positivity”. Does this advice sound familiar? Go for a 10-minute walk, close your eyes and take deep breaths, visualise a calm beach or your favourite place. While these articles mean well, they tend to put the onus of workplace de-stressing on the worker. Being proactive about your mental wellbeing isn’t just about looking inwards. Psychological health is an important part of work health and safety (WHS), backed up by the Western Australian WHS Act 2020. If your school or TAFE college is creating an environment that is harming your health, it pays to know your rights.

Work health and safety 8 Western Teacher August 2022

• Work demands, in particular: excessive workloads, high mental workload, extended work hours.

• WHS Act 2020 – the work health and safety legislation that came into effect in WA from 31 March 2022.

• Psychosocial hazard – psychological and social aspects of the work environment and the way that work is organised that are potentially harmful to the health of workers.

As part of a risk management process, PCBUs should assess psychosocial hazards like:

• PCBU – person conducting a business or undertaking (put simply, your employer). In the case of public schools in WA, the PCBU is the Department of Education (DoE).

Section four of the WHS Act 2020 defines health as meaning physical and psychological health. That means any provision of the WHS Act that refers to “health” includes psychological health. It also states the PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of its workers. So, let’s take a better look at those psychosocial hazards. Psychosocial hazards Some of the most common psychosocial hazards to look out for include stress, fatigue, bullying, violence, aggression, harassment and burnout. While these can have an impact on all workers, those at the highest risk of having their well-being negatively impacted by psychosocial hazards include workers who are older, new to the organisation, doing new tasks or those in training, like graduate teachers.

• Unclear or constantly changing management expectations about the responsibilities of the job/ incompatible expectations or demands placed on workers by different workplace stakeholders.

• Lack of job security, such as shortterm contracts without guarantee of Whenrenewal.itcomes to psychosocial hazards in education, we know from TALIS 2018 that the main source of stress reported by teachers in Australia is having too much administrative work to do (55 per cent), having too much marking (43 per cent) and keeping up with changing requirements from overseeing bodies (38 per cent).

• Practical jokes or initiation.

As a psychosocial hazard, bullying can have a significant impact on your mental health and well-being, making it a WHS issue.

• Setting unreasonable timelines or constantly changing deadlines.

• Fair and appropriate rostering and allocation of working hours.

For more information, members can refer to the workplace bullying Know Your Rights sheet on the SSTUWA website or go to the DMIRS website and access the Code of Practice. Record it, report it, resolve it Prevention is key to maintaining a safe workplace where mental well-being and health is a priority.

If you suspect your school or TAFE is not maintaining its duty of care to workers, then contact your HSR and union representative immediately. They can work with the school principal and DoE or TAFE human resources/health and safety teams in creating an appropriate WHS management plan and an emergency and critical incident management plan. All hazards, including psychosocial, within the workplace have to be managed as per Regulation 3.1, Managing the risks to health and safety, of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 and should be reported to the principal/line manager and appropriate representatives, including your HSR or union rep.

To help your claim, it is important keep a record of the date, time, place and a brief account of the alleged inappropriate behaviour or circumstances, plus any other supporting documented evidence involved (written communications, possible witnesses), which should be recorded as soon as possible.

If your school does not have an elected HSR, why not initiate the process by asking your PCBU to conduct an election for one or more representatives? The SSTUWA can assist in the election process. Looking for support or help with your mental health?

School and TAFE employees have access to the trained staff at PeopleSense via the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Reach them at peoplesense.com.au or 1300 307 912. Free of charge, independent and confidential, the EAP is designed to support the emotional and psychological health of employees through counselling and advice.

• Informing a worker about inappropriate or unreasonable behaviour in an objective and constructive way.

Work health and safety 9Western Teacher August 2022

• Setting tasks that are unreasonably below or beyond a person’s skill level.

The SSTUWA runs education-specific five-day training courses for HSRs to equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively aid in protecting and promoting the work health and safety of those they represent.

• Belittling or humiliating comments.

• Denying access to information, supervision, consultation or resources to the detriment of the worker.

• Unjustified criticism or complaints.

• Withholding information that is vital for effective work performance.

When you know what to look out for, you can more easily identify the potential hazards in your workplace and report them. In schools this is a psychological injury investigation report form (PIIR form) and in TAFE use your college’s online WHS reporting mechanism. Always consider when making a report to alert your health and safety representative (HSR) and union rep and seek further assistance from the SSTUWA if needed.

• Spreading misinformation or malicious rumours.

• Informing a worker about unsatisfactory work performance in an honest, fair and constructive way.

We know bullying can come from many different sources for teachers and lecturers, so it is important to know how to spot the signs.

• Aggressive and intimidating conduct.

• Victimisation.

• Deliberately excluding someone from work-related activities.

• Abusive, insulting or offensive language or comments.

• Deciding not to select a worker for a promotion based on performance, skill or capability.

• Transferring a worker to another area or role for operational reasons.

Bullying and harassment

• Implementing organisational changes or restructuring.

• Taking disciplinary action, including suspension, or terminating employment where appropriate or justified in the circumstances.

Whether intentional or unintentional, behaviours that could be workplace bullying if they are repeated, unreasonable and create a risk to health and safety include [taken from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s (DMIRS) Workplace Behaviour Code of Practice]:

• Changing work arrangements such as rosters and leave to deliberately inconvenience a particular worker or workers. It is important to note that reasonable management requests are not to be considered as bullying behaviour and a list of such reasonable requests are outlined within the code as well:

• Setting realistic and achievable performance goals, standards and deadlines.

The greater the sense of belonging and pride in the classroom and/or school, the more the student will toe the behavioural line and assume the well-being and performance of the group. Generating a collective sense of student belonging reduces student-authority conflict and enhances peer regulation of classroom expectations. Without a sense of acceptance and belonging, and in an attempt to be noticed, students who feel unwanted and disconnected may create opportunities to engage in less productive ways.

introduces Domain One: Body, which focuses on self-regulation, de-escalation, mindfulness and being present, centred and ready to learn. As the title suggests, it prioritises the body and considers the impact of chronic stress and how this affects an individual’s regulatory abilities. Physical and neurological developmental factors are explored, and the unit seeks to establish an empathetic awareness of and for students and staff. The second session, Domain Two: Relationship, focuses on the importance of relating and belonging. It states that we are hard-wired for connection. Emotionally, physically, mentally and neurologically we depend on connections with others to grow, develop and maintain our well-being.

BSEM defines student engagement as being determined by “a complex interaction of behavioural, affective and cognitive motivations and competencies”. They assert that teachers can foster student engagement through the following seven sub-categories: Positive movement and rhythm; humour/play/fun; physical theatre and clowning around; positive emotions; willingness; cultivate wonder and flow. All of the resources, lessons and suggested links are developed and backed by multidisciplinary specialists. Every lesson can be adapted, extended or presented as is given. Engagement is “the intersection of flow, willingness, positive emotions and cultivation of wonder”.

The eight sub-categories include attachment; unconditional positive regard; redefining power: empathy and Zen mind; golden statements; process vs person praise; active constructive responding; whole school relationships; and teacher Eachself-care.sub-category is afforded at least one lesson plan, with suggested resources to adapt or use as is. Differentiation, particularly of resources, is not always necessary as they have created handouts, games and activities that are accessible across age and ability ranges.

Domain Three: Stamina and Domain Four: Engagement are delivered consecutively in session three. When given opportunities to learn, practise and reinforce stamina in daily ways, we know that students can succeed – once they build their own confidence to face life’s big and small adversities with strategies that have the potential to last a Thelifetime.cluster of four sub-categories include growth mindset; emotional intelligence; mindfulness and resilience.

As the 2021 recipient of Lynette Virgona Memorial Scholarship, I was able to undertake the invaluable Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) training. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 constraints, I was prevented from participating in the face-to-face delivery. However, I completed the four-day training via Zoom videoconferencing and found the experience to be informative, enlightening and affirming. BSEM lived up to my hopes and exceeded my expectations. I believe that it is an essential course for any professional working with young people.

The Berry Street Education Model delivers classroom and whole school strategies, which are sub-divided into five categories, or Thedomains.firstsession

A common example might be a student, who is consistently sent to a buddy class or suspended, being far more likely to engage in maladaptive, disruptive behaviours to have their needs met, essentially making their behaviour worsen as a consequence of their punishment. This domain emphasises the teacherstudent relationship and importance of creating safe opportunities for learning.

Scholarship experience has shaped teaching practice

By Sarah Dinan Alkimos College

Members’ matters 10 Western Teacher August 2022

The training quoted impressive and reliable research that showed increased levels of school performance, achievement and well-being when character strengths approaches are consistently used in the classroom and not merely gestured at in a weekly Health lesson. The framework for Domain Five aims to foster gratitude and hope; recognise individual values and develop character and community strengths. Both School of Special Educational Needs: Disability and School of Special Educational Needs: Behaviour and Engagement colleagues may benefit from BSEM practices. We know that with the implementation of strategies and resources, teachers have support to put theory into practice and can feel confident in its efficacy. Often I felt during the BSEM training as though they were verbalising what I already knew to be true, but did not previously have the hard data, evidence or perhaps terminology to explain. I was already doing many of the things that the BSEM training suggested, but as a consequence of completing the course I have been able to tweak and refine my Ipractice.havealso started to embed some of the practical strategies supplied into my own lessons which incorporate the routines and pedagogy promoted.

The final session is devoted to Domain Five: Character. BSEM aims for the student to be able to “identify areas of talent and extrapolate and apply the strengths that are developed through that talent to a variety of life’s domains”, including interpersonal relationships, vocational pathways and further Essentiallyeducation.

Members’ matters 11Western Teacher August 2022

Furthermore, I am now able to access the BSEM Alumni Portal, which has a wealth of resources. I can also follow news, view further professional learning (PL) opportunities, and connect with BSEM practitioners and/ or colleagues who have also completed the training. As the course encourages participants from a variety of backgrounds and professions, this has also proved to be hugely advantageous. I have begun to share with colleagues in my department and with members through discussion, observation and modelling. I have had discussions with my principal to schedule whole-school PL also. I am a better teacher as a result of undertaking this course but I am not an expert. The more answers I am given, the more questions I have and the more research and training I feel compelled to undertake and share.

Stay updated on the Anna Stewart Memorial Project and Rosemary Richards Scholarship by visiting sstuwa.org.au/scholarships

The Lynette Virgona Memorial Scholarship facilitated this avenue for professional and personal growth and I will remain grateful. It has made an immediate and lasting impact on me as a teacher and on my practice. Sarah Dinan (pictured above) is a specialist teacher and union representative at Alkimos College and the most recent recipient of the SSTUWA’s Lynette Virgona Memorial Scholarship. The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and do not wholly or partially reflect any official policies or positions of the AEU and SSTUWA. Applications for the 2022 Lynette Virgona Memorial Scholarship have closed.

recognising their own strengths and working out how each aspect of the strength can be adapted, transferred and extended to other areas of learning or achievement. Struggling students need structured opportunities to clarify and articulate their own values. Teachers must seek to clarify values with students to assist them with making life choices, solving problems and considering future goals.

New educators 12 Western Teacher

flexible and can be adjusted to suit your changing working needs. It is important that you keep in contact with us, updating your details as your circumstances change. By emailing updates to the Membership Team, we can ensure the best level of coverage at the correct subscription rate. If you are a pre-service teacher or early career teacher, you will also have access to the Growth Team. This team has all the information and support you need to make it through those difficult early years of your career. You can get in contact with the team via email: neweducator@sstuwa.org.au or even connect with them via the new educator Facebook group. Scan the QR code at the bottom of this article and complete some simple questions to join.

Becoming a fully financial member provides all the above-mentioned benefits and more. It also unlocks additional benefits of union membership. These include must-haves such as legal advice, industrial support, workers’ compensation advice, free/discounted legal services and journey accident cover. Options are available as you transition from student membership to fully financial, and these will depend on your Forcircumstances.example,if you are completing your degree and working in a relief capacity, you can access our special relief teacher subscription rate. If you are working part-time or even full-time while you are studying, you can access our special untrained teacher membership subscription rate. Once you have completed your degree, you can transition again to a rate based on your work fraction and salary level, ensuring you have the correct level of Forcover.fullmembership subscription rate details and information on how to transition from student membership to fully financial, simply get in contact with the SSTUWA’s Membership Team or Growth Team on 9210 6000 or via email: membership@sstuwa.org.au or Allneweducator@sstuwa.org.auoursubscriptionratesare

By Natalie Blewitt Growth Team coordinator

Knowing your level of union coverage

The members at New Educator Network –WA are ready to network and help you out with advice and support. All our updates and events appear here first, so don’t miss out. Not a member yet? What are you waiting for? Visit sstuwa.org.au to learn more and become a union member.

Membership with the SSTUWA means that you are never on your own. We have our members covered but it is important to know your coverage level. This will depend on whether you are studying to become a teacher, working in a relief teacher capacity, working parttime or working full-time. Those of you who are still completing your degree but working in a relief capacity, especially covering for COVID-19 vacancies, can access special membership rates. If you are studying to become a teacher, membership with the SSTUWA is complimentary. As a student member, you will have access to many benefits, including advice and support from our Member Assist and Growth Teams, exclusive discounts and promotions, a subscription to our Western Teacher magazine and access to the New Educator Network. Limited places are also available for you to attend training and professional development with our Education and Training Centre. As you are not teaching in a classroom, this entry level of cover is perfect to meet your needs. This membership subscription also covers you when you are completing your school-based However,practicums.once you start working in a classroom, your needs and level of coverage changes. It is important to upgrade your membership from that of a student member to a fully financial level. This will ensure you have the adequate level of cover for your circumstances.

(a) UnionsWA Council (1 year term) Fifteen (15) Delegates to be elected plus the President and General Secretary who are automatic ex-officio members.

Ian Stringall SSTUWA OFFICER 1 August 2022

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS ELECTION OF MEMBERS TO SSTUWA COMMITTEES AND DELEGATES TO UnionsWA AT NOVEMBER 2022 STATE COUNCIL

Nominations for positions on the following SSTUWA Committee and delegates to UnionsWA are now open:

Nominees or scrutineers wishing to attend must give the Returning Officer 24 hours notice. If a ballot is necessary, State Council members will vote on Saturday 12 November 2022 between 8.00am and 8.45am during the 2022 State Council meeting.

All nominees must be financial members of the union and must be proposed and seconded by financial members. Nominees must sign their acceptance of nomination and date their nomination form or letter. Nomination forms can be downloaded at sstuwa.org.au/nomination or obtained from the union office. All names must be supported by union identification (ID) numbers, written clearly, and show worksite. Gender and preferred name for ballot paper should be shown by nominee.

(b) Dispute Resolution Committee (1 year term) Twelve (12) Committee members are required to form the basis of the Dispute Resolution Committee from which three members’ names will be drawn by lot to form the Committee as and when required. No member of the Executive may nominate.

13Western Teacher August 2022 Elections

Facsimile nominations are acceptable, provided originals are forwarded without delay as confirmation.

Nominations must be in the hands of the Returning Officer by 5.00pm Friday 23 September 2022. Should more nominations than vacancies be received, a draw for ballot positions will occur at noon, Monday 26 September 2022 at the union office, 1 West St. West Perth WA 6005.

RETURNING

Nominations open: 9.00am 1 August 2022 Nominations close: 5.00pm Friday 23 September 2022

Reconciliation in action at Mosman Park PS

By Matthew Stewart Mosman Park Primary School

Primary School’s journey began in 2018, when staff realised that they were only really engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families over NAIDOC Week. The school wanted to include Indigenous voices and views around school activities more, so the families were invited to a series of morning teas to gain insights into how the school could enhance understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and improve the school experience for their children. One of the outcomes of this was the creation of a homework club to support the connection between home and school. The parents of these students were also invited to drop in, have a coffee and use the computers, too. Each term, Mosman Park PS holds barbecues and winter warmer events so that families can play with their children using the school’s resources and get to know each other and staff over a light meal. This has been a muchanticipated highlight.

Mosman Park PS learning support beenAmandacoordinatorFraserhasakeymoverin the homework club and has organised for students to have meaningful work to do with a volunteer each week. She has also supported the students and staff during the social Colleaguesevents.

In recent years, Mosman Park Primary School has been focused on upskilling staff on Indigenous culture and on further developing relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. In 2021, the hard work of staff was acknowledged by being one of only three schools nationally to be announced as finalists in the 2021 biennial Narragunnawali Awards, which celebrate schools that are doing amazing work in fostering a greater knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions. Finalists are acknowledged for strengthening relationships, building respect and providing meaningful opportunities in the classroom, around the school or service and with the community. The school also was a finalist for the SSTUWA’s 2021 Reconciliation in Action (RIA) MosmanAward.Park

Amanda Fraser Denise Barnett Kerrie Lynch

Indigenous focus 14 Western Teacher August 2022

All Mosman Park PS students are now engaged with, and excited by, their knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories (this year’s NAIDOC Week celebration was the biggest and best yet) and their parents are also wanting in on the action. Even the kindy students, under the expert tutelage of Denise and Kerrie, are able to learn and regularly use Noongar language through song, stories and greetings. The students even created their own Acknowledgement of Country.

Denise Barnett and Kerrie Lynch have been regular volunteers at the homework club and have supported the younger students, engaging with their families, too. The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework have enabled the school to be more inclusive; a place which has a much greater awareness of the full history and the culture of our area.

At Mosman Park PS the RAP vision has since translated into a new school motto and logo: “Championing the Skills to Listen, Learn and Lead”. Even the Stirling sporting house now bears the name of a Noongar activist, Fanny Balbuk, and there is an Elder on the school board – retired Noongar educator, Freda Importantly,Ogilvie. the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families have told the staff that they now have a greater sense of connection to the school and feel that they have a safe environment for their children to grow as learners.

Mosman Park PS teachers and SSTUWA members Kerrie Lynch, Amanda Fraser and Denise Barnett were nominated for the union’s 2021 RIA Award by colleague Matthew Stewart, who is also the school branch union representative. For more information about the 2022 RIA Award visit sstuwa.org.au/atsi Nominations open 1 September.

What would you do? Picture yourself at the end of a school day. One of your students who has recently stopped showing up to class knocks on the door. They are shaking. When you ask what’s going on, they explain that they have just been physically threatened by three students. Why so, you ask. Because they are gay and someone outed them; meaning that their sexual orientation was disclosed without their prior consent. It’s the third time this week, and the umpteenth this semester. In the corridors, bathrooms, locker room, outside school, by text, email, on social media. They have no one else to turn to, and they say you are their last resort before … How do you react? What do you say? Do you do something at all? Call their parents or guardians? Do they know about their child’s sexual orientation? Could telling them put your student in even more danger? Have you ever spoken about sexual orientation to your students? How about gender identity and trans people’s rights? Sex characteristics and intersex people’s rights? Are you yourself familiar with these terms? What about your colleagues? Your school?

International education 15Western Teacher August 2022

Paving the way towards inclusive education

By Jeremy CommunicationGobinofficer, IGLYO (continued

IGLYO, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) Youth and Student Organisation, is the lead youth development and leadership organisation working with LGBTQI young activists, counting more than 100 member organisations in over 40 countries in the Council of Europe region.

If you answered no to some of these questions, this article will show you that there are easy steps to take to change course towards a more inclusive education system.

More at risk of experiencing violence As UNESCO’s Out in the Open report shows, children and youth who are or are perceived to be LGBTQI are far more at risk of experiencing bullying and harassment based on their (actual or perceived) sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or variations in sex characteristics (or what we call SOGIGESC-based violence).

IGLYO has just released their 2022 edition of the Inclusive Education Report and Index, assessing measures ensuring LGBTQIinclusive education in the Council of Europe region in the light of 10 indicators. In this article, IGLYO’s communication officer, Jeremy Gobin, gives an overview of the 2022 Report and Index’s key findings, with a specific focus on the mandatory teacher training indicator, and sheds light on how teachers and school staff can change course towards more inclusive educational environments.

Having experienced it myself as a child and a youth, mostly in primary school, I can testify. My experience goes in line with data from the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, or from our own research with LGBTQI students, showing that most students do not receive any information on SOGIGESC content, and that most teachers do not intervene in cases of SOGIGESC-based school-bullying because they do not know how to. However, the violence I experienced was proportional to my privilege: I was gay, white and I was not yet questioning my gender.

on page 16)

Currently six European countries have implemented anti-propaganda laws that make it impossible for learners to receive inclusive content in schools.1

To give you a broad idea of how bad the situation is, the main key finding we drew from this reassessment process is that, in four years, there has been a complete standstill in all indicators. Only six countries provide most of the measures across Europe as of yet, whereas 10 countries have failed to implement any measure at the time of writing the report. Some countries did add anti-discrimination legislation and action plans (currently 32 out of 49), but the existence of such policies does not translate into other measures, such as inclusive curricula, support systems or teacher training. Moreover, when there is progress, it mostly concerns sexual orientation, but there is overall very little progress for gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. And to cap it all, for the first time we had to look at opposition in some of the indicators due to the current backlash on LGBTQI rights, especially concerning trans, non-binary and intersex people.

Alearners.teacher can at times be the only resource for LGBTQI learners, who might be afraid to talk to their peers or parents. Teachers thus bear a responsibility to acquire the skills to support LGBTQI learners. Still, most LGBTQI learners experiencing violence say their teachers rarely intervene when there is verbal

The same cannot be said for many trans, non-binary and intersex students currently attending school, who are even more often absent from the public discourse and learning materials — or negatively represented when they are — and are thus even more at risk of experiencing violence in school.

SOGIGESC-based violence in schools, which most often translates into harassment and bullying but can be amplified by the lack of positive representation of LGBTQI people in learning materials, unsupportive school staff or hostile school climates, increases the likeliness for LGBTQI youths to be more absent from class, develop serious health issues such as low self-esteem, heavy depression, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, or go as far as to hide or disguise their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics out of fear of violence. Inclusive education is a key –that barely anyone is using A comprehensive school approach to inclusive education has been proven to be the most effective means to prevent and address SOGIGESC-based violence in school (see UNESCO’s Behind the Numbers report and our joint Don’t Look Away policy paper).

Tips for teachers and school staff

Starting from this principle, we at IGLYO have just released the second edition of our Inclusive Education Index and Report. Four years after the first edition launched in 2018, the second edition reassesses the concrete measures that all Council of Europe member states as well as Belarus and Kosovo have taken to ensure LGBTQI inclusive education in the light of 10 indicators.

International education 16 Western Teacher August 2022

Theharassment.bestway to translate policies into reality would be to introduce training programs for teachers and other school staff on LGBTQI awareness and inclusion.

Teaching the teachers From what we have seen, the main areas for improvement are compulsory inclusive education curricula, monitoring SOGIGESC-based bullying and harassment, as well as – and this is where I would like to bring specific attention – teacher training.

Achieving inclusive education is a process that, although involving players from different levels, can be ignited by you or any teacher or school staff2

(continued from page 15)

Although teachers are key to creating an inclusive and safe environment for all learners, many still report that they lack the confidence and knowledge to discuss LGBTQI issues or support LGBTQI

However, our findings indicate that only 26 Council of Europe member states have introduced teacher training, but mostly on a voluntary basis and in an unsystematic way. This is far from good enough. And this is when you, teachers and education service professionals, come into play.

2 The advice to teachers and school staff members provided in this article is highly dependent on national laws and policies, and I am well aware that teachers who are based in countries having implemented anti-propaganda laws or other antiLGBTQI measures are not in a position to safely advocate for LGBTQI inclusive education. Never hesitate to ask for advice from LGBTQI organisations and professionals in your country on how to address these issues in your local context and reality. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of EI, the AEU or the SSTUWA. This article has been reproduced here with permission.

inclusive societies. But being the first step towards positive change can only be achieved if you keep on challenging your knowledge and educating yourself. And I would like to seize this opportunity to thank you for bearing such important responsibilities, especially at a time when COVID-19 has exacerbated the manifold pressure that weighs upon your shoulders.

What you teach and the way you teach it is also all the more important as all learners’ experiences should be reflected in your curriculum so that they feel represented and valued. This can be achieved by embedding various identities in your learning materials and adopting an intersectional approach at all times [one that combines SOGIGESC with other identity traits such as socioeconomic status, (dis)ability, race and ethnicity, age, religion and beliefs, etc.].

International education 17Western Teacher August 2022

First, inform yourself about LGBTQI identities and engage with local and national LGBTQI organisations who can help. Many organisations are currently training school staff on how to better protect and promote the rights of their LGBTQI students; get in touch with them and see if they can support you and your school.

learnershaveAseducation-index.org/resourcesleadersoftheclassroom,teachersanincommensurablepowertoequipwiththerighttoolstobuildmore

All subjects taught in school can foster inclusion: if you are a history teacher, highlight the identities of LGBTQI historical figures; if you are a maths teacher, include various identities in your mathematical problems. Keep it going! These recommendations are only a fraction of what you can do to foster inclusive education within your educational environment. Further information, guidelines and exercises on inclusive education and how to prevent and react to SOGIGESC-based violence can be found on our Resources for Teachers page:

1Footnotes:Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.

You do not have to wait for teacher training to become compulsory to implement strategies and small actions on the individual level to eventually pave the way towards a more inclusive educational environment. You will quickly realise that your window of action is broader than you would assume. Many young LGBTQI people recall one teacher who affirmed them and made them feel safe; you can be that teacher. Even in a hostile environment, you can create a realm of safety for your students no matter how they identify.

If there are other teachers interested in your school or union, you can petition for training. Next, check out your school’s policies; be aware of where protections are included or are lacking. Most importantly, have a zero-tolerance for SOGIGESC-based bullying in your classroom.

Why we need to think about how we talk about teachers By Nicole Mockler University of Sydney

Issues 20 Western Teacher August 2022

Remember when former Morrison Government minister Stuart Robert lashed out at “dud” teachers? In March, the then acting education minister said the “bottom 10 per cent” of teachers “can’t read and write” and blamed them for declining academic results. This is more than just a sensational headline or politician trying to get attention. My research argues the way teachers are talked about in the media has a flow-on effect to how people feel about becoming a teacher, and how current teachers see their place in the So,community.whenwe talk about the shortage of teachers in Australia, we also need to look at media coverage of teachers in MyAustralia.newbook examines how teachers have been represented in the print media for the past 25 years. When you look at the harsh criticism and blame placed on teachers, it’s no wonder we are not attracting enough new people to the profession and struggling to retain the ones we have. My research In a world-first study, I explored how school teachers have been portrayed in Australian print media from 1996 to 2020. I looked at more than 65,000 media articles from all 12 national and capital city daily newspapers, including all articles that mentioned “teacher” and/or “teachers” three times or more. With an average of 50 articles per week for 25 years, and a total word count of more than 43 million, my analysis is one of the largest of its kind. While a lot has been written about teachers in the media over the years, this is the first study to systematically analyse such a large number of articles, representing such a complete collection of stories about teachers in newspapers, published over such a long time. So what did I find? A lot. But here are three key findings that are critical when it comes to the way we think and talk about teachers and their work. We are fixated on “teacher quality”

First, my research charts the rise and rise of attention to “teacher quality”, especially between 2006 and 2019. This

This article was first published at The Conversation website and is reproduced here with permission. The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and do not wholly or necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU.

In other words, “teacher-bashing” is the norm when it comes to stories about teachers in the Australian news media.

Teacher-bashing is the norm Finally, I found stories about teachers were disproportionately negative in their representations. I did find “good news” stories in my research, but they were outnumbered by articles that focused on how teachers, collectively and individually, don’t measure up. This included the linking of “crises” to “poor quality” teachers. Take, for example, former education minister Christopher Pyne’s comment that: “[…] the number one issue, in terms of the outcomes for students, is teacher quality, in fact [the OECD] said eight out of 10 reasons why a student does well in Australia or badly is the classroom to which they are allocated. In other words, the teacher to whom they are allocated.”

Nicole Mockler is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Sydney.

Issues 21Western Teacher August 2022 period covers the start of the RuddGillard “education revolution”, which reframed education in Australia as all about “quality”. It ends with the start of COVID-19, when reporting on teachers and education temporarily concentrated on home schooling. My analysis found the focus on “quality” was [placed] far more on teachers than, say, teaching approaches, schools, schooling, education systems or anything Whyelse.is this an issue? It puts the emphasis on the purported deficiencies of individual teachers rather than on collective capacity to improve teaching. It detracts from system quality – the systemic problems within our education system. “Teacher quality” is a way for politicians to place the blame elsewhere when they should be committing to addressing the root cause of these problems: inadequate and inequitable funding, excessive teacher workload, unreasonable administrative loads or teachers being required to work out of their field of expertise. Teachers’ work is made out to be simple (it’s not) The second key thing I found is media reporting on teachers consistently talks about their work as simple and commonsense, as though all decisions made by teachers are between two options: a right one and a wrong one. The phrase “teachers should” appears about 2,300 times in my database. Examples include, “teachers should be paid according to how their students succeed”, “teachers should not adopt a cookie-cutter approach to learning”, “teachers should arrive in classes prepared” and “teachers should not be spending time organising sausage Researchsizzles”. conducted in the 1990s, and still widely referred to by scholars, found teachers make roughly 1,500 decisions in the course of every school day. Recent research, including some I’m currently doing with colleagues, suggests teachers’ work has greatly intensified and accelerated over the past 30 years. So it’s likely 1,500 decisions per school day is now a very conservative estimate. These decisions include everything from “what texts will we focus on in English next term?” to “should I ditch what I’d planned for this lesson so we can keep having this conversation because the students are absorbed by it?”. It also includes social decisions, such as “do I intervene right now and potentially escalate what’s going on at the back of the classroom or just keep a close eye on it for Everynow?”.single one of those decisions is complex. And yet, in media coverage, claims of what “all teachers” or “every teacher” can, should or could do come thick and fast. Teaching is relentlessly difficult, and while not everyone needs to understand that – in the same way not everyone needs to understand exactly how to conduct brain surgery – we do need to pay some respect to the 300,000 or so Australian teachers who navigate the profession every day. Just because the complexity may not have been evident to us in our 13 years as school students doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.

If all people hear is that teachers are to “blame” for poor standards and they should be finding their demanding, complex jobs easy, this is hardly likely to encourage people into the profession. Nor does it give those already there the support and respect they need to stay.

“Teacher quality” is a way for politicians to place the blame elsewhere when they should be committing to addressing the root cause of these problems: inadequate and inequitable funding, excessive teacher workload, teachersadministrativeunreasonableloadsorbeingrequired to work out of their field of expertise.

The PR around teaching needs to change As we consider what to do to improve teacher numbers in Australia, we need to think about the way we talk about teaching and teachers in the media.

Legal Services case managers

Legal Services advocates Our advocates specialise in advice and representation when formal proceedings may be required. Our advocates appear

Member Assist is available Monday from 10am - 4.30pm and Tuesday to Friday from 8.30am - 4.30pm. Organisers Our team of industrial organisers cover all schools and TAFE colleges, offering support to union reps and members in schools and campuses. The next time your organiser visits your school or campus, introduce yourself and get to know them. The union also has specialists for leaders, women and equity, TAFE, early childhood educators, new educators and WHS. All specialists provide up-to-date sector specific information to members.

If you have a complex work issue, you may be referred to a case manager. Case managers work with members over a period in matters such as fitness for work and performance management. Our experienced team will give your issue the attention it deserves, working with you every step of the way. With such a close level of support, every member of this team works hard to ensure members receive the best possible outcomes.

Members’ matters 22 Western Teacher August 2022

Membership with the SSTUWA ensures you are never on your own. Members can access information, advice, and support through a variety of sources and teams. Union representatives Schools and TAFE campuses across the state have SSTUWA union reps who are the first port of call for assistance. Reps have access to a range of support from union experts and can often resolve local issues on the spot. In many schools, there are also elected deputy reps, women’s contact officers and work health and safety (WHS) reps. Union reps are encouraged to attend training from the SSTUWA. The training will provide essential knowledge and skills to support reps in their important role of providing union leadership at their worksite. If there is no union rep at your current school or TAFE, speak with other members and form a branch. To find out how, get in contact with the Member Assist Team.

You’re never on your own in the SSTUWA

Member Assist

Three full time Member Assist staff are supported by a team of organisers, offering prompt and professional union advice to members. They are just a phone call or email away, providing information when you need it. The team can be contacted via memberassist@sstuwa.org.auemail: or by phone: (08) 9210 6060/1800 106 683.

By Natalie Blewitt Growth Team coordinator

The SSTUWA Education and Training Centre (ETC) is committed to providing high quality learning opportunities for educators at all stages of their career. All courses on offer through the ETC are developed and delivered by highly skilled, passionate and experienced educators. Whether you are a new graduate, an early career teacher, experienced teacher, aspiring leader, school leader or TAFE lecturer, you will find relevant, collaborative and empowering learning opportunities. Head over to sstuwa.org.au/training to find out more. Members in schools and TAFE colleges are eligible for five days of paid leave per year to attend Trade Union Training (TUT). Make use of your TUT leave to build your knowledge, skills and understanding of your union. As a member of the SSTUWA, you belong to the only organisation recognised to represent the industrial and professional interests of educators in WA public schools and TAFE. We really do have you covered with information, advice and support when you need it.

One area that I wanted to highlight are the benefits afforded under the Equal Opportunity (EO) Act 1984 This act contains important conditions that hold for employees of both the Education Department and the various TAFE colleges in the state.

The Schools General Agreement has just been registered, and as we go to print, we remain in negotiation over the TAFE General Agreement.

“For the purposes of this Act, a person (in this subsection referred to as the discriminator) discriminates against another person (in this subsection referred to as the aggrieved person) on the ground of breast feeding or bottle feeding if the discriminator requires the aggrieved person to comply with a requirement or condition —

Legislation also applies to discrimination on the grounds of family responsibility or family status – you can read the applicable EO Act legislation on this by going to:

byequityworkplaceGenderaffordedlaw

Thebit.ly/3B5YZ2rSSTUWAcontinues to improve the working conditions for women in our education workforce. Until true gender equity is obtained, our fight continues.

This is a provision that is protected in law and is encapsulated within both agreements under the section that says, “legislation that affects...”

Many of us have a general understanding of what the EO Act does, however we seem to forget that, as Public Servants, the Act applies to us as it does to all employers/employees. Part II of the EO Act, section 10A. 2 states:

Did you know that it is illegal to discriminate on the grounds of pregnancy, breast feeding, family responsibility or family status?

By Janette Bedwell Women’s contact officer

The New Educator Network Facebook group (New Educator Network – WA) offers an environment where you can talk to people who have been through, or are having, the same experiences as you. Read more on page 12. Education and Training Centre

Members’ matters 23Western Teacher August 2022 in the courts and in tribunals for the SSTUWA. This can be on issues for individual members, or cases which represent the interest of the membership. If necessary, the union’s Legal Services Team will refer you to you lawyers, Slater and Gordon, Tehan Legal or Eureka Lawyers, for legal advice.

What this means is that you cannot treat people differently because they are breastfeeding. For example, you must be allowed to have time to feed or express breast milk whilst at work.

The SSTUWA has won women many conditions over the years in both agreements, from paid parental leave to increased job security for part-time workers, who are mostly women.

(a) with which a substantially higher proportion of persons who are not breast feeding or bottle feeding comply or are able to comply; and (b) which is not reasonable having regard to the circumstances of the case; and (c) with which the aggrieved person does not or is not able to comply.“

Growth Team New to the teaching profession? The SSTUWA Growth Team has all the information and support you need to make it through those difficult early years of your career. This team also attends graduate modules and visits schools and universities, so keep an eye out for them. They can be contacted neweducator@sstuwa.org.auat or you can connect with them on Facebook.

To the untrained eye, the small community garden on Coast and Straits Salish territory (in Canada) – on what passers-by commonly know as the University of Victoria campus – might look unruly. Bursting with dandelions, lamb’s ear and grasses, it’s difficult to tell where the garden starts and where it ends.

Climate action 24 Western Teacher August 2022

The educators with the University of Victoria centre, along with educators from more than 10 collaborating early childhood centres in five countries (Australia, Ecuador, Canada, United States and United Kingdom), are part of the Climate Action Childhood Network. As the director of this network, which is composed of international interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners, I see the importance of generating responses to climate change through creating and experimenting alongside young children. Educators develop climate-specific experiences with children in different early childhood centres to address topics such as relationships with food, animals, energy, weather, waste and water.

Some of the environmental conditions that young children face today are toxicity, extraction, destruction, drought, pollution, wildfires and extreme weather. Yet, children are rarely consulted or included in environmental decisions. We believe a paradigm shift in early childhood education can provide a path to deeper societal changes that are required.

Wondering where those boundaries begin and end has been a fruitful challenge for children, educators and researchers at the University of Victoria childcare centre, who now work in the garden.

Growing knowledge of climate change starts early

The shift means moving from learning that is information-driven to learning that is situated, speculative and experimental. Collaborate with garden inhabitants It can begin with something like the community garden on Vancouver Island, led by researchers B. Denise Hodgins and Narda Nelson, that challenges ideas around managing and stewardship. There, the children are learning to collaborate with the community garden’s inhabitants: by planting, digging, fertilizing, watering and responding to the garden’s own Prioractions.to working with children to cultivate an awareness of Lekwungen food systems – a system of relations that predates settler colonial garden practices on these lands – educators attended a Colonial Reality Tour led by Cheryl Bryce. Bryce is from the Songhees Nation, traditionally known as Lekwungen. The educators also

The group buried itself in the garden overgrowth with gusto, rather than manage it. They didn’t know what was growing there or how. Those unknowns allowed them to move beyond the idea of a “controlled garden plot.” Instead, they think about what belongs and why, to consider what else they do not know. Such approaches are critical for children of this generation, and of generations to come, who are inheriting an ecologically precarious world. Climate ChildhoodActionNetwork

By Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Western University (Ontario)

Another project involved children, educators and researchers exploring creeks in each other’s environments across the planet. A group participated from Criuckshank Park, in Wurundjeri country in Melbourne, Australia — once a grassland, then a bluestone quarry that polluted a creek and now a greenbelt that winds through a gentrifying suburb. Another group was located in Haro Woods, an urban second-growth forest on Canada’s West Coast on the unceded, traditional and ancestral lands of the Coast and Straits Salish peoples, and what is known now as Victoria. Researchers Nicole Land and Catherine Hamm, working alongside children in their respective creekside settings in Australia and Canada, used FaceTime to explore new ways to connect. Sitting creekside, children and educators used FaceTime to share creek and water stories with one another. They listened to the sounds, asking: Where does the water go when it runs dry during certain seasons? What stories did this place tell before settler colonialism?

The Climate Action Childhood Network, alongside the Common Worlds Research Collective, positions early childhood education as a collective practice of learning with others. The goal is to move beyond learning about the climate crisis to seeing ourselves as part of it.

One example is Conversations with Rain, a project in Western Australia between the Art Gallery of Western Australia and researchers Mindy Blaise and Jo Pollitt. They worked alongside young children to respond to a painting, Raining on Kurtal, by Wangkatjunga/Walmajarri artist Ngarralja Tommy May. Children were invited to think with their own breathing. In a sketchbook, children began by marking a line for every inhale and exhale until a page was full. Then, considering the question “What if raining is writing?” children wrote as fast as rain, without stopping or planning. Water stories

The point of the FaceTime project was not to reinforce the idea of children as global citizens, who should learn about people and practices in other cultures and places. In fact, it resisted that urge to exchange facts about the parklands. Instead, it was concerned with what feminist scholar Donna Haraway described as “passing patterns back and forth”. Haraway discusses the children’s string game of cat’s cradle that can be passed (and elaborated) from person to person as a metaphor: when we hold each other’s stories and creations, this collective attention opens up new possibilities. Pandemic experiments Our work responded to the pandemic, too. A project based out of Cuenca, Ecuador, turned the difficulty of lockdown into an opportunity to experiment with an itinerant school.

Educators at Santana’s Children’s School with researchers Cristina D. Vintimilla and Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw created home gardens across the city. Children met with teachers three times weekly to create a curriculum that responded to the specific Insurroundings.anitinerant school on Cabogana Mountain, one child noticed how a particular stick looked like the leg of a hen wandering the garden. This triggered an exploration of the bird’s movement through imitation and drawings. The Climate Action Childhood Network has created new modes of engagement in environmental early childhood education. These modes will create the conditions for society’s youngest members, who will be the most impacted by ecological challenges in the long term, to actively participate in transforming the world they are inheriting.

When educators invite children’s speculations, we can tap into other worlds that allow us to imagine alternatives. “These beans are going to grow so high they will reach the clouds!” one child said on a recent visit to the garden. This is a beautiful declaration that forces us to challenge our assumptions.

Climate action 25Western Teacher August 2022 engaged in dialogue with Earl Claxton Jr., a SȾÁ,UTW (Tsawout) WSÁNEĆ (Saanich) Elder, ethnobotanist and Knowledge Keeper. Challenging assumptions

“Our water stories are not worried about saving or rescuing the water,” the project collaborators wrote. “Rather, they are about what might be required to carefully stay with the troubles made visible with polluted creeks in urban nature spaces.”

Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw is Professor of Early Childhood Education in the Faculty of Education and Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Research in Curriculum at Western University in Ontario, Canada. The opinions expressed in this article is that of the author and does not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU. This article was first published at The Conversation website and is reproduced with permission.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) is urging the federal government to ensure school funding is a key consideration of the review of the National Schools Reform Agreement (NSRA).

The lack of real wage growth over the last ten years is a considerable barrier to economic growth in Australia as it throttles domestic consumption.

“There is still an opportunity for the federal government to recraft the Productivity Commission review to include funding,” Ms Haythorpe said. “We also urge the federal government to consult directly with the teaching profession through the union and to update the terms of reference to ensure a thorough examination of the direct relationship between funding, equity and student outcomes.”

Businesses have ample room to absorb cost increases but are instead choosing to hike up prices to support record profits and CEO bonuses, while working people are seeing their pay swallowed up by the rapidly rising cost of living.

26 Western Teacher August 2022 National education and union Nationalnews education and union news

The Productivity Commission is currently conducting a review of the NSRA; however, the terms of reference exclude any consideration of funding. “The current review is hamstrung by the very agreement it is considering. There is a clear link between student outcomes and funding,” AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said. “Any consideration of student performance and outcomes for students with disability, First Nations students and other students experiencing disadvantage requires a comprehensive consideration of the underfunding of public schools, which is entrenched in the agreements associated with the NSRA for every state and “Theterritory.current agreements are so deeply flawed because they leave public schools below the minimum funding standards set out in the 2012 Gonski review, and they were developed without any reference to the teaching profession – the very people who have to implement the priorities they “Theset. recurrent funding shortfall has a direct impact on the ability of schools to deliver the reforms set out in the NSRA, as well as their ability to ensure ongoing staffing and resources for the delivery of learning and support programs for Thestudents.”present NSRA expires at the end of 2023, and negotiations for agreements covering 2024-2029 are expected to commence later this year.

“Corporate Australia is causing the cost-of-living crisis by passing on price increases and refusing to give working people decent pay rises. This is all about protecting their record high profit share at all costs,” she said.

Schools review must consider funding

“While they are warning that the sky will fall in if wages keep pace with inflation, they are creating an inflationary cycle by pocketing record profits and paying out record bonuses to CEOs who refuse to increase pay for their workers.

Record profits driving cost of living crisis

Australian companies are banking record profits rather than using them to shield consumers from cost increases is the leading driver of inflation, according to new research released by The Australia Institute.

The NSRA is the foundation for bi-lateral agreements between the Commonwealth and the states and territories, setting out goals for student performance and outcomes for students with additional needs, and minimum funding contributions.

The new research shows that big businesses are actively making choices which harm the economy and are putting millions of households under financial stress in order to increase their margins and secure record CEO bonuses. It also reiterates that wage growth, which is lagging well behind CPI, is not driving inflation.

ACTU President Michele O’Neil said the new research showed how hypocritical the big business campaign against wage growth has been.

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The union movement welcomes the action already taken by the Albanese Government in committing to providing 10 days of Paid Family and Domestic Violence leave through the NES, but more work is required, including the government’s commitments to include Gender Equity in the Fair Work Act, full implementation of the Respect@Work report recommendations, prohibiting pay secrecy and enforcing public reporting of pay gaps by employers.

Low unemployment not delivering wage growth

ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien said all the variables that workers had been told would drive wage growth were now in alignment, but real wage cuts stretching into the distance were still being seen. “With a functioning bargaining system, low unemployment, productivity growing and profits and bonuses at all-time records would translate into wage growth for working people,” he said. “The recovery from the pandemic is not being shared across the economy. We need to fix the bargaining system to kick-start wage growth for workers who have been missing out for a decade under the previous Government.”

“Businesses could absorb cost increases into their record-setting profit margins, but instead have chosen to pass them straight on to consumers, fuelling inflation and creating a costof-living crisis in this country. “Our system is broken when big business is setting records for profits and bonuses but workers’ pay hasn’t increased in real terms for nearly a decade. “Wage growth could be an engine of economic growth in a country that relies so heavily on domestic consumption. We should be sharing the recovery from the pandemic across the whole economy, not letting big business fuel inflation by funnelling it into offshore bank accounts and CEO bonuses.” Unemployment has fallen steeply from 3.9 to 3.5 per cent, but with a broken bargaining system, workers are unlikely to see any translation to wage growth, with real term pay cuts likely to continue through this year and into next. Working people have been promised that a tighter labour market, higher productivity and businesses recovering would mean higher wages, but with remarkably low unemployment, productivity growing and record profits and CEO bonuses, wage growth remains well below inflation.

Thewages.WGEA attribute 20 per cent of the pay gap problem to women-dominated industries in care and education being undervalued and underpaid. Women have lost nearly a decade under the previous government, and action is urgently needed to restart the work of closing the gender pay gap.

Years of inaction widens gender pay gap

Almost a decade of inaction on the gender pay gap under the previous government has resulted in women continuing to earn less than men in every age bracket, according to latest data released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency On(WGEA).average, women earn $483.30 less per week than men, largely due to women shouldering the majority of care responsibilities and making up 61 per cent of workers reliant on Award and minimum

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Education & Training Centre and Training 60-minute Date Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Content in the Curriculum Thursday 25 August, 4 - 5pm Behaviours of Students with Anxiety Thursday 25 August, 4 - 5pm Restorative Ways to Reconnect with Disengaged Students Wednesday 31 August, 2.30 - 3.30pm to the Sustainability Cross-Curriculum Priority Wednesday 19 October, 3 - 4pm Processing for the Students with ASD Wednesday 19 October, 2.30 - 3.30pm three-hour Date – A Step by Step Guide Monday 26 September, 8 - 11am From Teacher to Principal Monday 26 September, 8 - 11am an Inclusive Classroom Culture Tuesday 27 September, 8 - 11am an Inclusive Classroom Culture a respectful classroom environment

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Centre 28 Western Teacher August 2022 Online live

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When teachers understand students, their cultural and linguistic background, their gender identity and any significant experiences such as trauma, the experience of disability or a learning disorder, then teachers can shape an inclusive environment that promotes high-quality learning opportunities for all. It is a complex task to know all students but there are school procedures and weekly and daily routines that you can implement in your teaching practice that both build your knowledge of students and create a respectful classroom environment. Presenter Brendan Tollit will explore different routines and practices teachers can use to create a more inclusive classroom culture. You will also have an opportunity to interact with other participants, take a break and engage with the presenter online. Completing this course will contribute to three hours of professional learning. This session is aimed at secondary teachers. Join us for online professional learning in Terms 3 and 4 sstuwa.org.au/training register for all events

Online live three-hour event, Tuesday 27 September, 8 - 11am

Sensory Regulation and

Managing the

Leadership:

Well-Being, Workload and Work-Life Balance for Early Childhood Teachers

Don’t miss out - Limited seats remaining - Register today: sstuwa.org.au/training

Friday 16 September

Keynote speaker: Peta Slocombe Psychologist, author, speaker, coach Most of our bodies’ stress responses were intended for a sprint response.

Participants will learn how to recognise and predict behaviours that are likely to cause us stress, and how to manage our responses to these in the immediate, short-term and long-term as we continue to maintain our wellness in order to be the best educators we can be.

The context and the challenges we have all lived through have had particularly significant impacts on teachers’ mental health and well-being. The conference speakers will provide top practical strategies and ways to support each other, return balance to life and to be or stay well. Join your fellow early childhood educators for a day of learning and development and ensure all aspects of your life remain in balance.

Early Childhood Educator Conference: K-2 (TUT)

Featured speaker: Kylie Bice – Teacher, scholar, consultant Their Chaos, My Calm - Staying well and professional when the behaviour around us is a challenge Teaching is a demanding profession, and as well as being curriculum and assessment specialists, we also need to maintain our professional demeanour when some students, parents and even colleagues may behave in a way that causes us concern, anxiety or ongoing stress. This workshop explores the causes of disruptive or negative behaviour and works with participants to explore our own triggers, responses and self-management strategies.

Work/LifeMindfulness,ConferenceworkshopsResilienceandBalance

– Ian Crosby Assertiveness: Getting the Balance Right – Vanessa Herbert Rights, Entitlements and Your New Agreement – Cherry Bogunovich and Sharmila Nagar

COVID-19 for front line workers has been an ultra-marathon. Peta will talk about our biology and the personality variables most common to helping professionals. The context we have all lived through has had particularly significant impacts on teachers’ health and well-being. We will look at the top practical ways to support each other, return balance to life and to be or stay well. Peta Slocombe has presented, published, coached and trained internationally, and has a passion for changing the way we think about and manage wellness at work. Peta was the creator of Australia’s Biggest Mental Health Check-in and co-founder of the One Million Lives initiative.

Afternoon keynote speaker: David Koutsoukis Building Teams that Click - Why you click with some people and others drive you crazy. Teamwork is essential for any team, but quality relationships and great teamwork don’t just happen. People need to understand the unique dynamics of their team and know how to bring out the best from the different types of people. This fun presentation reveals simple, yet powerful, processes to help you identify different work styles quickly and communicate with them effectively. Discover the four rules of relationships and learn how to reduce conflict and improve communication in your team. You will receive a complimentary pack of Click Colour Discovery Cards created by David, as part of this session.

Education and Training Centre 29Western Teacher August 2022

AutoBahn Mechanical and electrical services. Members receive $20 off any service or 5% off any repair.

Bayswatersstuwa.org.au/autobahnMazda Exclusive offer including $500 fuel card, 4 years free service and more.

$250 Magic Hand Carwash voucher with any easifleet procured novated lease.

Europcarsstuwa.org.au/easifleet

National fleet pricing on a range of products and services. easifleetsstuwa.org.au/bobjane

10% discount on vehicle hire in Australia. Fleetsstuwa.org.au/europcarNetwork Package your next car and save on tax. Bonus gift with vehicle delivery. Motorsstuwa.org.au/fleetnetworkMarketbyUnionShopper You choose the car, then we find you the lowest price. tyresales.com.ausstuwa.org.au/motormarket 10% discount on tyres. Westernsstuwa.org.au/tyresalesMotorVehicle Consultants We’ll find a car you’ll love. Save time and money when sourcing your next vehicle. AltronicsComputerssstuwa.org.au/westernmotors Build it yourself electronics centre. VIP trade discount in store and online. Applesstuwa.org.au/altronicsonCampus For details visit: Dellsstuwa.org.au/apple Save up to 5% off selected items. sstuwa.org.au/dell HP Computers Huge savings for members on laptops, accessories, printers and more. PLEsstuwa.org.au/hpComputers Save on your IT with access to the PLE Computers academic portal. Thesstuwa.org.au/pleGoodGuysCommercial Online access to live discounted pricing on The Good Guys’ range. ClassroomEducationalsstuwa.org.au/thegoodguysResourcesManagement A Thinking and Caring Approach. By Barrie Bennett and Peter Smilanich. Effectivesstuwa.org.au/classroommgmtGroupWork Beyond Cooperative Learning. By Barrie Bennett. Graphicsstuwa.org.au/effectivegroupworkIntelligence Possibilities for Assessment and Instruction. By Barrie Bennett. Instructionalsstuwa.org.au/graphicintelligenceIntelligence Building Instructional Expertise for the Classroom. An SSTUWA project in collaboration with Barrie Bennett. Teachersstuwa.org.au/instructionalintelligenceSuperstore 5-10% discount, in store and online. MovieEntertainmentsstuwa.org.au/teachersuperstoretickets Discounts on physical tickets (greater savings) and instant digital tickets. Outbacksstuwa.org.au/movieticketsSplash Featuring both water and year-round attractions. Discounted tickets for members. Rockfacesstuwa.org.au/outbacksplash Indoor rock climbing in Balcatta. $15 all day climbing pass with harness hire. sstuwa.org.au/rockface Massive discounts on products and services for SSTUWA members

30 Western Teacher August 2022 MemberbenefitsMemberbenefitsAccountantsandFinancialAdvisersAstonAccountants 10% discount on personal income tax returns for members. Industrysstuwa.org.au/astonFundServices Specialist financial products for union members. LIFEsstuwa.org.au/ifsFinancialPlanners $1,200 off your statement of advice fee plus a free financial health check for members. Teachersstuwa.org.au/lifefinancialTax $99 tax returns for members. TIPSsstuwa.org.au/teachertaxFinancialServices $1,100 discount on your TIPS Transition to Retirement strategy or Retirement plan. Exclusive to members. MEBankingsstuwa.org.au/tipsfsBank Special offers throughout the year for members. A bank built by, and for, union members. Mortgages,sstuwa.org.au/mebankMoneyand Me Complimentary advice, property reports, finance tools and more for SSTUWA members. OFXsstuwa.org.au/mmmeMoneyTransfers When it matters, OFX it. Save with the experts in international money transfers. Teacherssstuwa.org.au/ofxMutualBank Banking exclusively for the education community. AllwestCarssstuwa.org.au/tmbankFleet Vehicle salary packaging – save time, money and tax. Receive a $300 gift card with your new car. sstuwa.org.au/allwestfleet

Bobsstuwa.org.au/bayswatermazdaJaneT-Marts

31Western Teacher August 2022 Member benefits Food and Wine Campbells Access wholesale prices with a complimentary day pass. Cellarsstuwa.org.au/campbellsd’Or Best value winery tour in the Margaret River Region. 10% discount for members. Crackasstuwa.org.au/cellardorWines 7.5% off online wine orders. Tastesstuwa.org.au/crackaBudTours Swan Valley “Speed Grazing” – 20% discount. Good Food, Wine & Cider (am) or Good Food, Wine & Beer (pm). GoodlifeHealthsstuwa.org.au/tastebudtoursandWellbeingHealthClubs 20% discount on platinum 12 month memberships. Includes access to all Goodlife Health Clubs in WA. Stsstuwa.org.au/goodlifeJohn First aid saves lives. Discounted first aid courses and kits for members. WAsstuwa.org.au/stjohnOpticians 20% discount on spectacle frames and lenses. Perth and East Perth. HouspectHousingsstuwa.org.au/waopticians Buy, build and invest with confidence. $50 discount on building inspections. Johnssstuwa.org.au/houspectBuildingSupplies Trade prices on paint and painters’ hardware. Builders prices on all other hardware lines. SkylightsWAsstuwa.org.au/jbs Specialising in skylights and roof ventilation, servicing all regions of WA. 7% discount off selected products. sstuwa.org.au/skylightswa Insurance and Legal ISinsured Insurance for union members. Home, contents, car, landlords. SSTUWAsstuwa.org.au/isinsuredLegalServices Access to quality legal services for both work-related and personal matters. Teacherssstuwa.org.au/legalHealthFund Join the thousands of teachers who have already made the switch. Teacherssstuwa.org.au/teachershealthHealth–Travel For details visit: DotShoppingsstuwa.org.au/travelinsuranceMall BBQs, heaters and backyard kitchens. 5% discount for members. Electricalsstuwa.org.au/dotmallbuying Let Union Shopper find the best deal on your electrical purchases. isubscribesstuwa.org.au/electricalbuying Up to an extra 10% off any print and digital magazine subscription; over 4,000 titles. Jackson’ssstuwa.org.au/isubscribeDrawingSupplies 10% discount in Jackson’s 12 shops and online. Petalssstuwa.org.au/jacksonsFlowers&Gifts 20% off flowers and gifts. World-wide delivery available. Teachersstuwa.org.au/petalsSuperstore 5-10% discount, in store and online. Thesstuwa.org.au/teachersuperstoreGoodGuysCommercial Online access to live discounted pricing on The Good Guys’ full range. sstuwa.org.au/thegoodguys Vet Products Direct 10% discount on pet products, plus advice from professionals. AccorTravelsstuwa.org.au/vetproandAccommodationHotels Great savings for teachers at Accor Hotels in the Asia Pacific region. Choicesstuwa.org.au/accorhotelsHotels Choice Hotels welcomes SSTUWA members with exclusive rates at locations in Australia and NZ. Comfortsstuwa.org.au/choicehotelsHotelPerthCity Rooms from $145 per night including Light Start Breakfast for two. Located near the WACA in East Perth. Experiencesstuwa.org.au/comfortperthOz Save 10% on over 3,000 experiences across Oz + NZ. Innsstuwa.org.au/experienceoztheTuartsGuestLodge Forest retreat, 4-star, with indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and BBQ. Adults (12 years+) only. Five minutes to Busselton. Studios and rooms. 22.5% off rack rate or best available rate. Jarrahsstuwa.org.au/innthetuartsGroveForestRetreat Luxurious, accommodationself-containedinMargaret River. Discounted rates for members. Mandurahsstuwa.org.au/jarrahgroveHouseboats 10% discount on houseboat holidays. Rottnestsstuwa.org.au/houseboatsferrytickets Save up to $15 on Rottnest ferry tickets with WestClub. sstuwa.org.au/rottnest For more information visit sstuwa.org.au/benefits and the benefits tab of the SSTUWA App *Terms & conditions apply. Please visit our website for full details.

Après Huit and Dwell Cottage provide luxury self-contained accommodation set in beautifully landscaped gardens. Can be rented separately or together. Après Huit: 2x2, main house. Dwell Cottage: 1x1, furnished in a French theme. Robert: 0419 954 Dwellingupdwellcottage.com.au079

Jenny: 0435 257 124 Albany (Little Grove) Silent Grove Cottage. Self-contained two bedroom (queen/two singles) on two hectares of bushland. Undercover parking. Close to yacht club, walking/ bike trails, national park and beaches. Teachers’ rate: $150 per night. Stay seven, get one free.

3x1 spacious holiday rental. One double, one queen, five singles. 200m from the river and town. Magnificent river views. One large living area, three sided veranda and BBQ. Provide own linen and towels. $150 per night plus $50 cleaning fee.

ClassifiedsEmail50words or fewer to editor@sstuwa.org.au along with your union membership number. Free for members.

Jade:franklandriver.com.au0430450093|Sam: 0413 160 093 Fremantle Short term accommodation in central Fremantle. Recently refurbished with all conveniences for modern living. Townhouse has three queen-sized bedrooms plus provision for two singles. Enjoy time in the rear garden, complete with BBQ. Secure parking for two cars, access controlled by electric gates. 9430 4458 | 0407 083 Fremantleinfo@westerley.com.au174

SMS: 0422 333 057

Balingupgregrowl@iinet.net.ausurrounds

Peter: 0437 377 361 | westside@tower.net.au Block for sale: Singleton 806sqm (cleared) quiet street, easy walking distance to beach, shops, schools and ovals. $315,000 (negotiable).

River Region) Private B&B within newly built home. Parkland setting. Private queen bedroom, bathroom and breakfast room. Private entry and dedicated parking. 10 mins to Margaret River, Gracetown, central to wineries/breweries and beaches. $120 per night per couple including breakfast. Lee: 0412 902 Dunsborough932(Quindalup) Large 4x2 holiday home on Geographe Bay Rd. Swimming beach 30m away. Free use of private boat mooring. Room to park boats with boat ramp a minute away. Slow combustion wood heater and reversecycle air-con. Available all year except for leavers’ vacation. No pets. 0419 943 Dwellingupa_r_moore@bigpond.com203

Farm accommodation surrounded by nature and wildlife. Located near Balingup, Nannup and Busselton. Pick your own avocados. Main house (three bedrooms, $300/night) or Quarters (one bedroom, $150/night). Cowaramupinfo@avodale.com(Margaret

ClassifiedsBlockforsale:JurienBay

Frankland River Escape to the country. Imagine waking up to uninterrupted views of paddocks and trees with peace, quiet and tranquility. Choose a 3 bedroom house or a cosy cabin set on picturesque 83 acres. A great place to relax and unwind.

Kalbarri Clean, tidy, self-contained family-friendly 3x1 brick house at the top end of a quiet cul-de-sac. Sleeps 8: 2 x queen beds and 2 x bunk beds. Close to Blue Holes Beach, 15 min walk to town. kalbarriwa.net.au | 0435 845 504 Lancelin Large 5x2 holiday home. Everything within walking distance, close to beaches and town centre. Sleeps 14. Large wrap around verandah with outdoor seating/ eating and bbq. Heaps of parking for boats or quads. $45/night/person (min 6). Min 2 nights. SMS: 0412 804 345 Margaret River Two bedrooms, private, comfortable, fully equipped stone cottage with fireplace, located amongst the forest opposite Boranup National Park, 17km south of Margaret River on Caves Road. Close to beaches, wineries, caves and galleries. $150 per night for two people, or provide own linen and towels for $120 per night.

32

Russell: 0418 933 270 Western Teacher August 2022

Studio B&B. New, stylish single room. Fridge, kitchenette, TV, aircon in lovely peaceful Floreat house and garden. Linen, tea/coffee, continental/cooked breakfast ingredients supplied. Suit mature person wishing to enjoy quiet accommodation. Close to city, buses, shops, hospitals and beaches. $85 per night, min two nights. Weekly and monthly rates available.

We operate a small guest house in central Albany, overlooking Princess Royal Harbour. Free accommodation available for the September/October school holidays while the guest house is closed. Wifi, kitchen, laundry and parking available. Proof of good character, and past or present employment essential.

Staycation? Attending a function? Cosmopolitan getaway? Fremantle is the place. Cafes, restaurants and breweries. Markets, beach, art galleries, museums, theatre, events, shopping, skate park, Ferris wheel, whale watching... What more could you want? Eco-Gallery Apartment is stylish, centrally located, sleeps three and has secure parking. (08) 6323 2339 | admin@smartstaywa.com.au

Kallaroo Serenity Escape is a 2x1 apartment with full kitchen, offering comfort and convenience. 20 min walk to beach, 5 min drive to train station, walking distance to Whitfords Brewing Co, cinema and shops. Toiletries, slippers and coffee machine provided. Min 2 nights. Sleeps 4, or 5 with mattress. No pets. $125/night for 3 people; $10/night per extra person. Molly: 0428 166 559 | mollysletters@gmail.com

In need of a tree change? Time out to reconnect with nature? Time for a vacation in Dwellingup’s Jarrah forest, 90 minutes from Perth. Chuditch Holiday Home is perfect for couples, groups and families. It’s centrally located and sleeps up to eight people. Shani: 0402 615 Floreatshanivore@hotmail.com235

Augustapkcrogerson@bigpond.com

Albany9844www.silentgrove.iinet.net.au4950|merron@iinet.net(Freeholidayaccommodation)

700sqm fully serviced, ready to build on, one block back from beach. Close to schools, town centre, marina and recreational water activities. Perfect holiday, retiree or seachange locale. $108,000 (negotiable).

Experienced professional celebrant available, all areas. Formal or informal, large or small weddings. A Beautiful Ceremony will help you design an unforgettable and uniquely personal ceremony. Mary: 0418 906 Learnmaryburke40@hotmail.com391tosocialdance

Mondays 7.30-9pm. $118/8 weeks. Beginners’ course held every term. Term 4 2022 starts 17 October. Stan: 9330 6737 | stan@stansdancing.com First aid training for students St John Ambulance WA offers free first aid training to all school aged students, ranging from Triple 000 Hero for kindergarten students to Road Trauma First Aid for secondary school students. Courses are curriculum mapped. 9334 1259 | youth@stjohnambulance.com.au MAWA The Mathematical Association of Western Australia offers professional learning opportunities, conferences and consultancy services to teachers and schools and networks. MAWA members receive 10 per cent discount on MAWA shop resources. For more information: Macramé9345mawainc.org.au0388|eo@mawainc.org.auisthenewyoga I'm a teacher running small group macramé classes in a cosy home studio. Join me and discover the power of mindfulness as you learn to engage your mind and your hands in a fun supportive environment. It's a powerful way to calm a busy mind. Cricketmarcia@knotinlove.com.auumpireswanted The Bunbury & Districts Cricket Association is seeking umpires for the coming season. Training is provided and remuneration is provided for every match officiated in. Matches are Saturdays between late October and March in the Bunbury region. Russell: Readingrussell.bdca@gmail.combooks Our school has had a big clean up of resources and we have many reading books to donate to a school or charity in need. There are approximately 3,000 varying from class readers to novel sets. If this is of interest, email: claire.barbosa@education.wa.edu.au Western Teacher August 2022

Heart Centered Ceremonies for couples wanting a personalised wedding. Lee will help you design your dream wedding – a memorable occasion. Mention this ad to receive a discount. Lee: 0404 655

Retirement coach Are you recently retired or retiring soon? You probably have a financial plan in place but developing a plan for the non-financial side of retirement can be as important as preparing financially. I offer support and guidance for the transition from work to retirement, helping you to find purpose and meaning in retirement. Contact me to arrange an obligation free chat.

0422 358 187

33 Classifieds ClassifiedsNannup Seraphim Retreat is a pet friendly 3x1 character farm cottage, five minutes from friendly Nannup. Set in acreage, with established gardens and stunning valley views. Air conditioned and wood heater. Horse riders can bring their horses to access our arena and trails. Teacher discount: $159 weekends, $149 midweek. See website for details. SafetySMSseraphimretreatnannup.com0420832510Bay Very clean and tidy, traditional style 3x1 duplex in Safety Bay. Fully furnished and equipped. One street from beach. Presently a minimum stay requirement (this may change). Triggcnjn@aapt.net.au Self contained accommodation. Kitchen, laundry, queen sized bed plus fold out double couch in lounge. Free WiFi and Netflix. Own entrance. Find us on Facebook. Kerry: 0409 884 330 | FB: @justriggin Yallingup67justriggin@gmail.com Rammed earth cottage, 2x1, nestled amongst bushland. Well located, short walk to Studio Gallery Bistro, two-minute drive to Caves House. Beaches, galleries, wineries and restaurants close by. Sleeps six. No dogs. stayz.com.au (property 136151) Kirsty: 0419 927 660 Tranquillity Counselling, Psychotherapy and Career Development I provide holistic, confidential practical counselling to help you deal with an array of issues, some being: general relationship, mental health, anger issues/management, anxiety, depression, self-harm, grief and trauma, addiction, abuse, palliative care. Milica Robinson, GradCertCareerDev,MCnsig&Psychthpy,BEd.

Marriage celebrant with 12 years of experience, working in the Peel, South West and Perth areas. Specialising in creating personalised ceremonies for couples at their chosen wedding location. I’d love to help you plan your special day! Meridith: 0400 312 Marriagemeri.lake4@gmail.com535celebrant

Learn jive, waltz, rumba, samba, tango and other dances for social events (ball, wedding, cruise, etc). A fun and easy course with quality instruction. Join with or without a partner. Melville (LeisureFit) Recreation Centre.

Marriageleehalligancelebrant.com.au567celebrant

Marriageretirementcoaching01@gmail.comcelebrant

SSTUWA members dressing up at your school?

Tag us in your pics so we can share! #SSTUWA (No students in the photos, please.) National TAFE Day 6 September Every year, National TAFE Day provides the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the public TAFE system as a highly regarded educational institution which has supported and provided opportunities for individuals, communities and employers for Moredecades.info: rebuildwithtafe.org.au R U OK Day: 8 September Life’s ups and downs happen to all of us. So chances are someone you know might be struggling. Your genuine support can make a difference whatever they are facing, big or small. So, don’t wait until someone’s visibly distressed or in crisis. Make a moment meaningful and ask them how they’re really going. Are they really OK? Ask them today. Your conversation could change a life. For more resources visit ruok.org.au

Noticeboard Email editor@sstuwa.org.autoNoticeboardRetired Teachers’ Association The AGM will now take place on Wednesday 28 September. The guest speaker will be Richard Often to talk about the Perth Town Hall. We hope for a greater attendance than in TheJune.choir and literature sessions continue at the union building in West Perth. Public transport is quite convenient and inexpensive. Parking is limited. On 25 July at literature, the talk was given by Kath Newmar on titles of books and how they are chosen. On 8 August, the talk was on Australian poet Les Murray and on 22 August, English writer Laurie Lee. On 5 September, Barbara McGovern will speak and on 19 September Shirley Gollagher will read humorous tales.Ann Strauss: 0458 625 520 Level 3 Classroom Teachers’ Association: 2022 meeting dates Saturdays, 9.30am at the SSTUWA premises Term 3 10 Sept Term 4 26 Nov Venue subject to change. Visit www.l3cta.org.au for venue information and to confirm attendance, or email contact@l3cta.org.au Wear it Purple Day 26 August Wear it Purple Day on 26 August is about showing LGBTIQ+ young people that they have the right to be proud of who they are. It is about creating safe spaces in schools, universities, workplaces and public places to show LGBTIQ+ young people that they are seen and supported. This year’s theme is “Still Me, Still Human”. For more info visit: wearitpurple.org State ConferenceCouncil November State Council Conference will be held on 11-12 November. Items must be received by 5pm Friday 23 September. 34 Western Teacher August 2022 SSTUWA committee meeting dates: Venue: SSTUWA office | Contact: (08) 9210 6000 or contact@sstuwa.org.au Teleconference facilities are availableEarly Childhood Educators’ Committee Time: 4pm 3 November New Educator Committee Time: 4.30pm 6 22SeptemberNovember CommitteeTAFE Time: 5pm 8 127SeptemberOctoberDecember School CommitteePsychologist Time: 4.30pm 9 November Women’s Committee Time: 5pm 20 September 8 November 13 December ATSIE Committee Time: 4pm 25 October LGBTIQ Committee Time: 4pm 18 October Book Week: 20-26 August During Book Week schools and public libraries celebrate books and Australian children’s authors and illustrators. Classroom teachers, teacher librarians and public librarians create colourful displays, develop activities, run competitions and tell stories relating to a theme to highlight the importance of reading. For more details visit cbca.org.au/cbca-book-week

So when it comes to health insurance, let Teachers Health be the champion for you. Trusted by over 370,000 teachers, education staff and their families across Australia. You’re championsthe of putting others first.

Transition to Retirement Specialists Financial solutions and advice to help you transition continue into 2022 & beyond! Please see tipsfs.com.au Do You Feel Covid Has Interrupted Your Plans to Retire or Reduce hours in 2022? What you will need to consider ... • Can I afford to drop a day? • How much will be enough to retire on? • How can I maximize my income & reduce tax? • When is it best to pay off my mortgage? Certified Quality Advice�Practice .. Celebrating 30 years of helping WA Education Staff & their families. Talk to your TIPS Financial & Lifestyle Specialists today. TIPS FINANCIAL SERVICES