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Achieve full teacher registration with the support of an experienced Gowrie mentor—for free

On behalf of the Victorian Department of Education, Gowrie Victoria is offering a free mentoring program for early childhood provisionally registered teachers (PRTs) to reach full teaching registration with the Victorian Institute of Teachers (VIT). VIT requires teachers who hold provisional registration to move their practice from the Graduate to the Proficient teacher level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) within two years.

This free mentoring program pairs new teachers with one of Gowrie’s early childhood experts, and in around three-to-five months, your mentor will help you build genuine teaching confidence, so you feel prepared to transition to full teacher registration.

What Can You Expect in the Program?

The program includes one-on-one support from an experienced early childhood mentor at no cost to you or your service. It’s a wonderful opportunity to engage with someone external to your workplace.

“Effective practice is strengthened when early childhood professionals: draw on expertise beyond the team to gain clear and shared understandings and to inform new directions” (VEYLDF, p.8).

The program includes step-by-step guidance from deciding on your inquiry question and focus to working confidently through the Evidence of Professional Practice (EPP) template.

 

The program includes three onsite observation and reflection sessions. Mentors will observe your teaching practice, provide feedback, reaffirm and validate teaching practices, highlight areas of strength and areas for further reflection and growth through providing provocations to reflect on practice.

The program includes ongoing mentoring and feedback for both your written documentation and teaching practices. Drawing attention to what teachers are doing well as much as where they want to or need to improve are so important.

The program includes support through the workplace panel reflection and VIT submission process.

 

  • Communities of practice
  • Opportunities to observe high quality practice and environments at some of our Gowrie services
  • Professional learning and development opportunities

“Mentoring strengthens educators’ professional development and growth and builds capacity” (ACECQA, 2008)

Hear from other teachers who completed the program

Our flexible mentoring program helps educators across Victoria navigate their registration journey, overcome local challenges, and grow their skills.

I first heard about Gowrie’s Mentoring Program from a friend who had been supported through their Inquiry Project. At my centre, there wasn’t a fully registered teacher available to guide me, so I was really pleased to find out that Gowrie offered this support. At the beginning, I felt quite overwhelmed by the inquiry requirements, the documentation and all the reading, especially while working full time. My mentor made it feel much more manageable by breaking things down into smaller steps, explaining what I needed to do and helping me stay focused on one stage at a time.

PRT Mentee

I’m really grateful for the support, guidance and encouragement I received throughout my VIT Full Registration journey. From starting my inquiry project through to getting ready for my panel meeting, my mentor was a genuine support. They took the time to review my documentation, gave helpful feedback and asked questions that helped me reflect on my teaching practice. The regular conversations made me feel more prepared and confident, and I could see how much I was growing as an educator along the way.

PRT Mentee

Being part of this mentoring experience has also helped me think more about my own role as a mentor. It reminded me how important it is to listen properly, ask useful questions and create a space where new teachers feel comfortable to talk honestly about their practice. For me, mentoring is not just about helping someone get through a process. It is about supporting them to build confidence, recognise what they are already doing well and keep growing as a teacher.

PRT Mentee

Ready to take the next step towards full registration?

Access personalised mentoring to support your practice and registration journey.
Enquire About Mentoring

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