Hamlyn Banks Primary School teacher Cathy Buchanan-Hagen reveals how Teaching Excellence Program helped her learn

A Hamlyn Heights teacher with decades of experience has revealed how an Australian-first program helped her expand her skills further.

Hamlyn Banks Primary School teacher Cathy Buchanan-Hagen has revealed the benefits of a state government teacher program. Picture: Brad Fleet

Passionate about her job teaching at Hamlyn Banks Primary School, Cathy Buchanan-Hagen leapt at the opportunity to expand her skills with a state government program.

Mrs Buchanan-Hagen was among the 2022 cohort of the Teaching Excellence Program (TEP), aimed at supporting and challenging teachers with a minimum of three years’ experience to take their teaching to new levels.

She will also be one of the TEP alumni community facilitators in 2023, working on a podcast series.

Mrs Buchanan-Hagen has been teaching since the 1980s, and said she signed up for the program as an extension of her leadership training.

“I knew it would be a great way to work with colleagues who were really passionate about their role as educators, and the need to really raise the status of teachers,” Mrs Buchanan-Hagen said.

Mrs Buchanan-Hagen said the TEP deepened teacher understanding of education. Picture: Brad Fleet

“The program is really designed … to deepen our knowledge and our understanding of what education entails.”

The TEP is a year-long training program, and involves conferences, subject-specific study days, learning communities for participants to share ideas, and self-directed projects to test skills.

The TEP is the first year-long professional learning program of its kind in Australia, and aims to encourage teachers to bring big, new ideas to classrooms and share modern, cutting-edge ways of teaching with colleagues.

Mrs Buchanan-Hagen said the TEP exposed participants to expert teachers and researchers, who encouraged them to take given information and reflect on their own practice.

She said it was “wonderful” to have a Geelong-based TEP Academy – the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership regional centre which opened in the CBD in March.

Mrs Buchanan-Hagen said it was important for regional teachers to have access to high quality professional training locally.

“I would advise all educators who are really passionate about their jobs to join because they will be able to work with colleagues who are passionate, they will learn a lot from the experts, but also from their colleagues,” she said.

“It really invigorates a love of learning, and I think it’s really great to see the quality of educators that we have here in Victoria.”

Once teachers graduate from the TEP, they are able to apply for a Teaching Innovation Fellowship grant through the academy to receive ongoing support and take their learning further.

Applications for the 2024 cohort of the TEP opened this month, with 500 places offered across government, Catholic and independent schools.

Education Minister Natalie Hutchins said through the nation-leading opportunity, teachers had “an incredible chance to deepen their practice and help transform the learning experience of thousands of students”.

Mrs Buchanan-Hagen said teaching was one of the most important jobs, that came with “amazing responsibility”.

Applications for the 2024 TEP cohort close September 15.

For more information or to apply visit academy.vic.gov.au/professional-learning/teaching-excellence-program

Originally published as Hamlyn Banks Primary School teacher Cathy Buchanan-Hagen reveals how Teaching Excellence Program helped her learn