A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Chapter 3 (continued)

Strangers in Their Own Country: Teachers in the Northern Territory of Australia

Goals of the Teacher Induction Program

A great deal of concern and attention is given by administrators and resource specialists to make new teachers feel welcomed, appreciated, and supported. As former new arrivals themselves, those involved in teacher induction are keenlyaware that a successful transition to a new environment is of key importance in the Territory--more important in the first year than curriculum, classroom management, or lesson plans, which form the basis for teacher assessments. Support is both formal, such as ESL resource specialists who visit to assist teachers, and informal, such as "having a shoulder to cry on" and "providing a support network."

A successful transition requires new teachers to find their place in a multicultural environment. Teachers come to the Northern Territory for many different reasons--some as "missionaries," some on "paid holiday," others "to save money to buy a house," some because "there are few teaching jobs available in the rest of Australia." The school system must orient new teachers to the realities of living in Aboriginal communities and teaching Aboriginal students throughout the Territory. They encourage new teachers to keep some zeal of the missionary but to temper their enthusiasm with the pragmatism of the mercenary. As program deliverers say: "It is important that you remember who you are, your value system, and your culture."

Before arriving in the Territory, few new teachers are aware of Aboriginal learning styles, Aboriginal customs and mores, the role of community councils, and other aspects of the Aboriginal community. It is important for the new teacher to "get off on the right foot." Although learning to live in another culture can last a lifetime, some shortcuts are useful. Program administrators have found that a few lessons before going to their schools give new teachers a perspective on what is occurring and why, and how they should deal with the situation. Equally important, cross-cultural training provides contact with experts at the central office that can serve as a resource for new teachers: "They're only a telephone call away."

New teachers are on probation for one year in the Northern Territory. Although retention is the goal and assessment is downplayed, administrators want to ensure that "the few bad apples" are weeded out during the probation period.

The Teacher Induction Program

• Orientation: provides support, acculturation, and cross-cultural training to all teachers new to the Northern Territory. Orientation consists of three parts:
  • Basic Orientation, which is a one-week pre-NT service introduction;

  • Orientation recall, which reinforces basic orientation and provides exposure to NT curriculum and practical models of program delivery; and

  • School-based support, which further reinforces basic and about orientation recall and provides on-going individually focused advice, coaching, mentoring, and counseling at the school site by school-level and central-office staffs.

• Peer probation: assists and assesses teachers new to the Territory on their teaching skills and their adaptation to living in an isolated Aboriginal community.

• Professional support for Aboriginal teachers: provides additional support to new Aboriginal teachers.

• Other teacher training: exposes new teachers, through in-services, to successful teaching practices.

The following diagram illustrates the way in which program developers conceptualize the integration of the topics covered through the teacher induction program's four components.

Orientation

Basic Orientation. Before arriving in the Northern Territory, new teachers receive information packets that outline the first week's activities at the division orientation and regional orientation. At that time, new teachers are informed of the school where they will be teaching. Increasingly, attempts are made to provide information about the school ahead of time and provide an opportunity for the new teacher to speak to the principal or head teacher.The Territory rarely sends an inexperienced teacher to a one-teacher school.

During the three-day divisional orientation, "participants will be able to access regional personnel in order to informally discuss working and living in the Northern Territory." The orientation begins with a brief welcoming session and barbecue, to set the tone that the central office is serious about supporting new teachers and to begin building networks between central office staff and new teachers and among new teachers. Social events play an important part in the basic orientation and are viewed by new teachers as extremely important and successful.

During the three days, the program administrators hope to achieve five intended outcomes:

• Completion of the paperwork required to begin work;

• Introduction to Operations South structure and procedures and the related familiarization with personnel and services;

• An awareness of Aboriginal mores and customs;

• An exploration of teachers, schools, and law; and

• An understanding of NT-specific information.

During basic orientation, teachers who will be working at isolated schools have additional logistical arrangements to complete before leaving town.

Through formal sessions, breaks, and planned social events, new teachers meet all division staff with whom they may interact at any time during the year. This includes administrative support staff who may deal with payroll issues, administrators who may deal with equipment needs, resource specialists who may provide curriculum and instructional advice, and human resources who can provide information about legal issues. All division staff view their responsibility as "being there when needed, for whatever."

Immediately following the divisional orientation, a one-day regional orientation takes place. Prior evaluations found that rural teachers wanted more time on issues related to bush teachers and rural schools, and urban teachers felt too much time was spent on issues that only bush teachers encountered. Operations South therefore revised its regional orientation to provide separate rural and urban programs.

The rural program takes place at Titjikala School, a two-teacher school located 130 kilometers south from Alice Springs. Topics covered during the rural regional orientation include developing a school culture; programming and teaching language; administrative survival and useful resources (permitting new teachers to speak with Titjikala's head teacher who has one year's experience in the NT); and proforma model programs (NT teachers use NT curriculum resource materials). The underlying focus of the rural orientation is living and working in Aboriginal communities and in remote areas. In contrast, the urban program stresses issues that new teachers must deal with during their first week: establishment of classroom routines and class rules; expectations for teachers; curriculum documents; support resources; and primary and secondary model programs and programming requirements. The urban program is not school-based.

At the end of the week rural teachers are escorted to their schools. Attempts are made to ensure that each escort is familiar with the school and community. The first day at school for rural teachers (if it has more than one teacher), as well as for urban teachers, is devoted to a school-based orientation. The school-based orientation is intended as an introduction to the school. New teachers meet colleagues, senior teachers, and curriculum specialists (if the school has any), and learn about school policies, community and school expectations for teachers, school culture, logistics, rules, and, in some cases, their assignment. Most urban teachers in secondary schools do not know the specific classes they will be teaching until the beginning of the school year. Bush teachers will usually receive briefings about the local language, Aboriginal customs, and community rules.

In recent years, only 50 percent of teachers new to the NT in any year have been hired in time to attend basic orientation. Missing basic orientation handicaps new teachers, particularly their ability to achieve confidence in dealing with issues of Aboriginal classroom management and student discipline. Several years ago,Operations South offered a second basic orientation. This repeat session was eliminated because of budgetary constraints.

NEW TEACHER COMMENTS ON ORIENTATION The orientation program has been extremely well organised, enabling new recruits to obtain a greater understanding of personal and professional expectations in the NT. A great way to meet new friends and fellow teachers as well as obtaining information about the education department. Getting to know people from Human Resources Management, student support and so on has and will be an essential part of our future development.... Thanks for a great few days. I found the interaction with other staff to be invaluable, getting to know other recruits as well as my supervisor on a professional and social basis. The recruits need to be broken down into smaller groups; this would enable them to ask questions which relate to their own situation. Coming from Victoria, my knowledge of Aboriginal culture was limited. This opened my eyes, and I feel more confident dealing with Aboriginal people.Made me aware of some of the customs and social rules. Made me aware of the difficulties from the children's point of view.

Orientation recall. Four to six weeks after basic orientation, new teachers return to Alice Springs for additional orientation. (New teachers who missed basic orientation also participate.) For rural teachers, orientation recall is a three-day training program that covers curriculum issues, teaching materials, and practical solutions to everyday classroom situations. It is an opportunity for "bushies to strengthen ties among themselves and with central administration staff." Orientation recall provides bushes with a needed dose of support after the difficult first extended period living in an Aboriginal community and teaching at an Aboriginal school. A key word stressed at orientation recall is "belonging."

Most of the new rural teachers report that classroom management is a major problem in the early months. However, basic orientation intentionally does not cover this topic in any depth. Central staff believe and teacher reports support that new teachers need to experience the situation first, otherwise they are not ready for training.

Commenting on an orientation recall session on teaching appropriate learning behaviors, one teacher said it clearly: "Recall provided what I need to know. I learned the importance of reflection, and I have a much better sense why my children will not or cannot do some things. I will be concentrating on teaching these behaviors when I return to Yuendumu." Similarly, a recall session on appropriate learning behaviors provided new teachers with models of student behavior to help them realize the importance both of individual learning styles and of the cultural learning environment.

At rural orientation recall, emphasis is placed on new teachers learning from one another. In general, curriculum strategies "are learned by word of mouth." Trainers encourage new teachers to share ideas and experiences about what they have tried, what worked for them, what didn't, and what they are thinking about trying in the future. New teachers are encouraged to continue this reflective assessment and outreach after orientation recall. A "bush network" exists in the NT that links all remote schools by telephone and fax. Advice and support for teachers is available continually from a network of peers. "It was my lifeline the first few months," one said.

Throughout the three-day session, practicality is stressed over theory. The purpose is to share ideas, learn shortcuts, and develop a reservoir of teaching strategies and materials to draw on in the months ahead.

In contrast, the urban orientation recall is only one-half to one day. The program centers on learning more about the curriculum and curriculum materials.

School-Based Support. Support is intended as "an intensive, vital and planned professional and personal introduction for newly appointed staff to relevant aspects of their daily workplace. This part of induction continues throughout the year and is closely aligned with probation."

FIRST IMPRESSIONS--RIDING A ROLLER COASTER We made good time that first Sunday driving northwest on the dirt road from Alice Springs. It took Ted, an ESL resource specialist, and me about 90 minutes to drive to my school at Gutabi. The ride was exciting, beautiful, and reassuring. While I was a bushy (the name rural teachers use) at a bush school, Alice Springs and Ted would not be far away. The Australian outback was all I had imagined as a child growing up in Melbourne--vast, red, and intriguing. I had gotten a glimpse flying to Alice, where it looked vast, red, and empty--but most of my view was blocked by clouds. It is vast, and the red soil gives it a special look and feel. I liked what I saw. While the first 90 minutes were reassuring, during the next week my emotions were on a continuous roller coaster ride. During orientation, Ted showed me pictures of Gutabi. I don't think anything would have prepared me--the pictures showed the school and my house, but I couldn't get a sense of Gutabi, a cattle station where the school was located. On entering the house my normally optimistic nature faded quickly. The house was filthy. Spider cobwebs dangled in every corner. Looking out the kitchen window, I was struck for the first time that there wasn't much to Gutabi except my house and the school. I wanted to get back in the car with Ted and leave. Ted said, "Give it a week and if you still want to leave, I'll come pick you up." As upset as I was, it seemed a reasonable request. Ted and I walked the 15 meters to the two-room school. Ted said the school might need a second teacher, but they wouldn't be sure until the middle of the term when they knew what enrollments would be. The school was better equipped than I expected. We had computers, a telephone, fax machine, VCR and tapes, and a library. The school also included an ablution block so the children could wash and brush their teeth. After about 30 minutes, Ted said that he had to go and would telephone me during the week to see how I was getting along. Sunday afternoon, as I was trying to clean up the house (which was difficult since my gear hadn't arrived), a group of children congregated outside the fence surrounding the school compound. I went out and said, "Hello, I'm Miss Jackson, the new teacher. What are your names?" I was met by silence. I was disappointed but not surprised. At orientation, I was told not to be surprised at the lack of a verbal response. As the Aboriginal trainer described, "You need to sit back. Your culture is to barge in; the Aboriginal approach is to ease in. Be patient." I just "hung out." Some of the time the children talked to each other in their language, but most of the time they just sat in the dirt on one side of the fence as I tried to pretend I was cleaning up outside the house. After a while, one of the older-looking children told me that he wouldn't be coming to school tomorrow--there was going to be a funeral. He said it would be all right for me to come since I was the new teacher.

Urban schools and many rural schools provide a one-day school introduction. New teachers are provided with school and staff handbooks and in some cases, school action plans for school improvement. For most urban secondary teachers, it is on this day that they learn the specific classes that they will be teaching--beginning the next day. The content of school-based orientation is usually followed up throughoutthe year in meetings between school executives and new teachers, school-wide or syndicate-wide (a staff grouping) planning meetings, and local training programs (e.g., an optional weekly language course).

In urban areas, teachers are not isolated. Schools are often organized to promote collaboration and collegiality. One finds open classroom designs in many primary schools in the NT, team teaching, and school-within-school secondary schools, where teachers have daily planning periods on the operation of "their school." This physical and organizational structure provides a great deal of daily interaction and support between new and experienced teachers.

Larger schools have senior teachers (a promotional track) who are expected as part of their duties to provide assistance to other teachers. These senior teachers interact continually with new teachers as they fulfill their own responsibilities as mentors, team teachers, informal advisors, department heads, and members of peer probation panels.

School-based support also exists for bush teachers. In schools with two or more teachers, it is not uncommon to find a senior teacher. In small schools, decision-making is collegial with both the new teacher and experienced teacher(s) deciding who does what, why, and how. Teachers provide peer cross-training. Teachers with strength in mathematics will support teachers strong in language, and vice versa. In some schools, Aboriginal teachers are used to provide training to non-Aboriginal teachers on classroom-management techniques; these individuals reverse roles in curriculum areas.

In addition to this programmed school-based support, new teachers regularly meet informally with other staff. Many of these contacts transcend professionalism and blossom into friendships.

The central office provides school-based support through a team of traveling resource specialists. Most schools are visited for several days at least once a term. Curriculum and ESL specialists coach the new teachers (gaining insights by observing lessons, reviewing lesson plans, looking at student work, and in "late into the night" talks), extending the emphasis on practicality introduced at the orientation recall.

SCHOOL SUPPORT: A HEADTEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE As one headteacher described his duties: "I begin in-service as soon as they arrive. I need to explain community and acceptable interaction, how to interact with the children, and proper behavior and dress. Most recruits come from big cities and don't know anything about Aboriginal culture in the North, which is a bilingual situation. For Aborigines in the South, English is becoming their first language. Then it is my duty (spelled out in my duty statement) to explain the probation process--what their role is, my role, expectations and policies of the school, role of the assistant teacher, helping them with their programme, and identifying reasonable and applicable learning outcomes."

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[Chapter 3 (part 1 of 5)]

[Chapter 3 (part 3 of 5)]