There’s one group of people in our lives that deserve a standing ovation every day, in our opinion, but if there’s one day to clap louder, it’s World Teachers Day!
From your favourite teacher to the one who challenges you to be your best, the support teachers helping make sense of it all and the Head of Years holding us all together – teachers play a fundamental and vital role in our communities.
Our Careers Educators and Teachers also form part of that support network, and this World Teachers’ Day, we want to celebrate their essential role in our classrooms.
What is World Teachers’ Day?
Australia celebrates World Teachers’ Day every year on the 28th of October. In recent years, teachers nationwide have shown exceptional resilience, commitment and perseverance through the challenges of COVID-19 – always putting students first and delivering on making sure young people get the education they deserve.
World Teachers’ Day is a united opportunity to come together and acknowledge the hard work teachers put into their roles all year round.
This year’s theme is ‘Hats Off’, a well-known gesture that shows respect and gratitude to another person. The term came into use in the 1800s but became popular in the 1920s-1940s and is still used today as a symbolic phrase!
Show your support this World Teachers’ Day – Grab your hat – beret, beanie, bucket, bowler – and create a post on social media, making sure to use #WTD2022 and @aitsl.
You can also head to the World Teachers’ Day dedicated site and create your own ‘Hats Off’ GIF to share!
Why Does Careers Education in the Classroom Matter?
Surveys with students indicate they want – and need – easy access to crucial information to help them make informed decisions about their next career steps.
Many young people struggle to know where to find this information – which is why having careers education in the classroom is a vital part of supporting them! But it’s not just about having one-off classes about careers and ticking the box!
We caught up with a few Careers Teachers in the Explore Careers network to learn more about where careers education sits within the teaching world.
“As a career educator, I see my role as an extension of the learning that students do during their schooling,” advises Thea Kamvissis, a Careers Practioner with Keysborough School. “Teaching in my role can take many forms, such as working with students to identify their interests, favourite subjects, strengths and areas for improvement and providing current and relevant information to support students in making informed decisions.”
“Careers education takes on many forms at Haileybury, so it is undoubtedly very important,” says Catherine Johnston, Careers & Pathways Coordinator with Haileybury High School. “Even though it may not be specifically labelled as careers education, there is a great deal of crossover into areas such as entrepreneurship, which is a focus of the Haileybury Incubator Project our Years 9s take part in. through Year 9 HIP, and through many of the modules delivered through the Personal Excellence Program in Years 9-12. Careers education is embedded throughout the curriculum, meaning students don’t view it as just an add-on.”
Career education in the classroom also needs to be complimented with connections in the real world – and there are many ways to do this! Charles Impey, Careers Advisor with Calrossy Anglican School, told us:
“Careers is offered as a mainstream program as well as a Year 10 elective program called Careers & Community Connections, which involves six classes a fortnight, including two double lessons. The program gives us enough time to leave school for various activities.”
“Activities include community volunteering at Ronald McDonald House, visiting aged care providers to meet and greet residents, visiting childcare and kindergarten centres to read story books utilising the special library of books built up for this program – and lots more!” adds Charles.
Phew!! Chatting with Catherine, Thea and Charles made us realise that our careers teachers and educators do a LOT in and outside the classroom to help their students put their best career foot forward!
Which makes them worth celebrating loud and proud in our books!
How Explore Careers Supports Careers Education Delivery
As Australia’s Number One Careers Education Program, we’re here to support, add value and boost existing careers delivery in the school environment.
“Explore Careers provides the ‘missing link’ for careers educators,” says Thea. “With its established partnerships with industry organisations, schools can easily reach out to and incorporate into their Careers programs and bring the “Future of Work” to the students directly. Win-win for all.”
Everything Explore Careers does is aimed at making careers education in (and out!) of the classroom as easy as possible:
“From a career program in school perspective, we enjoy the wonderfully presented and packaged careers information contained within the Explore Careers Website,” advises Charles. “This includes the individual industry partner profiles, videos, industry summaries and profiles and the career quiz, just to mention a few readily available resources.”
Where to Find Out More
Here at Explore Careers, we’ve always been at the forefront of offering up-to-date, accessible information for young people and helping Careers Educators deliver in their roles – and we’ll keep striving to do more.
Digital resources are vital for successful career education during these times, which is why you can get free access on our site to:
- Our Career Quiz: The ultimate starting point for your career planning! This quiz won’t take up too much of your time but will quickly highlight the key industries that match you and your strengths and skills.
- Industry Profiles: Once you know the industries that are a good match for you, you’ll want to dive deep into learning more about them! Our industry profiles give you key job roles, expected salaries, required qualifications, entry pathways, and more.
- Employer Profiles: Start matching the industries you’re interested in with the biggest employers in each sector, and you’ll be well on your way!
- Blogs and Resources: From writing a resume, acing the interview and understanding your career journey. You can find the right advice for you right here.
This World Teachers’ Day, make sure you take a moment to celebrate and appreciate ALL the teachers in your life – and don’t forget to take your hat off to them!
