Tomorrow, over 300 expert teachers from across Australia will come together to discuss issues in education, improve their practice and enhance their expertise. This is at a time when Australia's education ministers are rightly focused on recognising the role of expertise pathways to retaining our best and most capable educators.
Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers (HALTs) will travel to the Sofitel Melbourne on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 May to learn from leading education experts at the 2023 HALT Summit, with topics ranging from leading and influencing through professional conversations to engagement, wellbeing and learning for all students.
Each year, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) holds a free, exclusive event for nationally certified teachers to collaborate with leading thinkers and continue to build on their expertise. The HALT Summit brings together the expertise of some of Australia's best teachers under one roof. School leaders and aspiring HALTs are welcome to attend as virtual delegates.
"This year's Summit is at capacity, with overwhelming demand from the minute registrations were open.
"Year after year, with the increase in HALT numbers nationally, registrations have been growing, and this year was no exception. The first-ever HALT Summit to be held in Melbourne has hit the right note with educators, who couldn't resist the call to attend," said AITSL CEO Mark Grant.
Achieving national certification is a rigorous process, requiring applicants to demonstrate the impact of their practice on students and their colleagues. HALTs say that certification is "absolutely 100% the best professional learning I've ever done", that it's all about "making a difference", and that it helps them "challenge what's happening in the day-to-day".
Mr Grant said, "The 2023 HALT Summit is an incredible opportunity to bring together educators from across the country to share their knowledge and experience. Certification as a Highly Accomplished or Lead teacher is a significant achievement for teachers and can lead to opportunities for career advancement, professional growth, and recognition of their high-quality teaching practices."
One of the keynote speakers at the Summit this year is Nathaniel Tamwoy, a proud Argun man from Badu Island in the Torres Strait. Nathaniel has experienced education across the government and independent sectors as a day student and boarder. With English as his third language and an incredibly strong connection to culture, Nathaniel discovered quite early that his advocacy is critical in leading the dialogue about privileging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student voices in the education space.
Attendees will also hear from Dr Deborah Netolicky, a school principal with more than 20 years of experience teaching and leading schools in Australia and England. She sits on national and international education committees and is the author of Transformational Professional Learning: Making a Difference in Schools.
AITSL is a not-for-profit Commonwealth company which was established to promote excellence in teaching and school leadership across Australia. AITSL works to ensure that every child and young person in Australia has access to excellent teaching and school leadership, and that every teacher and school leader has the support, development, and recognition they need to be effective in their roles.
