Teaching future teachers

When Anita started teaching community services, she still felt a little apprehensive about stepping in front of a group of students for the first time.

"Even though I had completed a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40116) I still felt lost. I found myself wanting to learn more about how to be a great teacher," she said.

Anita soon found that she loved teaching but started to wonder how she could help others become the best teacher they could be.

"I felt that if I could support people who wanted to teach then they would feel more ready to step into this role — more than I did when I first started. This in turn would lead to a better learning journey for the students," she said.

With that in mind, Anita made the switch from teaching community services to training the next generation of teachers.

"Teaching in vocational education is extremely rewarding and gaining a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40116) is the first step to an amazing career that enables you to deliver training. This could ultimately change a student's life, being able to gain a qualification to enable them to teach in an industry of their choice," said Anita.

While Anita's training and assessment students come from a variety of backgrounds, the thing that ties them together is their passion for teaching. With some students living in rural or remote locations, and others working full time, TAFE's flexible study options have put their dreams of becoming a teacher within reach.

"Some of our students have faced challenges with being able to attend classes due to where they live or work commitments. Our new online delivery mode provides the opportunity for everyone to be able to study at times that support their current commitments. This helps towards gaining their qualification," said Anita.

The course includes weekly online classes and tutorial sessions led by a training and assessment specialist, allowing students to complete their qualification from the comfort and convenience of their own homes.

"This enables all students to come together with live classes to work collaboratively with other students that are also studying the course. This reduces the isolation that many learners face when studying online," she said.

"Students also have access to recordings of all classes and tutorials to watch back at a time that suits them, should they not be able to attend a class."