About
Teachers Help Line is Australia’s first independent not for profit source encompassing a network of independent charities and volunteers willing to assist with emotional issues and help with practical information for teachers within the Australian education system.
Our mission is to give free confidential support to all teachers including:
- Experienced teachers experiencing burnout
- New teachers who have not mastered the basic competencies in their first few years.
- Teachers needing assistance in specific areas such as classroom or student management
- Transferred teachers experiencing difficulty with new demographics or curriculum.
- Teachers who received inadequate training in their preparation programs.
As an independent service for teachers , we ensure privacy from school personnel supervision, thus ensuring confidentiality to participants.
Teachers are self-referred and not tied to supervision in any way other than being “recommended” by their principals, the teachers’ union, or another teacher. No reporting back occurs unless it is initiated by the teacher who is assisted.
The help line uses the following strategies in developing a personalized assistance plan:
* Intake meeting. Each teacher has an opportunity to discuss his or her teaching with a trained educator in a non-evaluative meeting.
* Observation. A mentor teacher observes the teacher and offers non-evaluative feedback.
* Classroom visits. Participants visit exemplary teachers in their classrooms and work with a mentor.
* Small-group training. Discussion takes place in small groups composed of teachers with similar concerns (i.e., classroom management, lesson development, dealing with diverse student needs). Small-group workshops also are offered.
