A career change can be daunting, but for former Royal Australian Navy boilermaker Shaun McCudden, becoming a teacher has been a fulfilling experience.

The 46-year-old began teaching five years ago on a Permission to Teach while he was studying a Bachelor of Education at Central Queensland University.

Shaun's journey into teaching reflects QCT data that the average age of all teacher applicants to Queensland is 37-years-old.

Before taking on teaching, Shaun spent seven years serving in the Royal Australian Navy, working aboard small boats and completing multiple deployments to East Timor and Bougainville. After his military service, he transitioned to a career as the head of engineering at Australia Zoo, where he oversaw the construction of animal enclosures and the maintenance of zoo facilities.

He also spent five years delivering engineering training to apprentices across Queensland, a role that would later spark his interest in teaching.

"While running Cert II engineering pathways programs for disengaged youth, I discovered my passion for working with younger students. This experience inspired me to complete my teaching degree," he said.

At Grace Lutheran College's Rothwell Campus he teaches Industrial Technology and Design at the school's Trade Skills Centre, joining a team of teachers bringing their trades, skills and experience to their students.

Within his first few years of teaching, he took on an Acting Head of Department role while his supervisor was on long service leave. Although it was a challenge, he described it as one of the most rewarding experiences of his career.

Now in his third year at the college, the career changer is not just teaching students, he’s also mentoring them and helping them find their own paths in the world of trades and technology.

For others considering a career change, he offers simple yet powerful advice: "Teaching and mentoring can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. For those considering a career change into teaching, I’d encourage them to pursue it wholeheartedly - it’s worth it."

Our 2024 TEACHX Awards ceremony was held in Brisbane on 24 October.

Thank you to all who attended - including our 31 recipients who travelled from all over Queensland to share their stories.

Watch our highlights video to hear some of the messages shared on the night.

TEACHX will be back again in 2025.

A spoodle, labradoodle and groodle have become permanent staff members at Indooroopilly State High School as part of its official therapy dog programme.

Meet Ludo and Truffles - two of the school's dedicated therapy dogs who provide support and care for both staff and students.

Seven-year-old Ludo the spoodle (to the left) was the first dog to join the school in 2018. Junior School Principal Deirdre Hall (a 2024 TEACHX award winner for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching) and Deputy Principal Sandra Odger (then Head of Inclusion) saw it as an opportunity to improve wellbeing and provide a calming influence for the school's 2,800 secondary students.

Conducting research into the benefit of therapy dogs and partnering with the University of Queensland for a study, the teachers went through the process of testing Ludo's temperament with students, filing the paperwork and getting his basic training certificate.

It's an experience they've been able to replicate with the two other therapy dogs; Pretzel the groodle began in 2021, and Truffles the labradoodle (to the right) began a year later.

The popularity of school therapy dogs has risen since the pandemic and Deirdre offers some useful advice on considering whether they could work for your school:

• start with research - talk with other schools who have therapy dogs in place
• know the differences between therapy, reading and assistance dogs
• consider temperament and hypoallergenic qualities (poodle cross-breeds are good options for people with allergies)

Indooroopilly's therapy dogs are owned by staff members (Ludo belongs to Sandra and Truffles belongs to teacher Jade Thompson), which means at least one of the dogs is able to be at the school every day of the week.

"You can see the change in our teachers' demeanour when the dogs arrive at staff meetings - they just light up" - Deirdre Hall

Registration is now open for the QCT’s free webinars happening during the staff professional development days in January 2025.

Can’t attend a live online session? Register via the links below and a recording link will be emailed to you.

Professional Boundaries
Thursday 23 January 10.00am-11.00am

Join a member of the QCT’s Integrity team as they explain the key components of the Professional Boundaries: A Guidelines for Queensland Teachers, which helps support teachers in their relationships with students.

Transitioning to full registration
Thursday 23 January 1.00pm-2.00pm

Join QCT presenters to find out about requirements of the process, including evidence teachers must collect to demonstrate they meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient career stage.

Mentoring colleagues in Highly Accomplished and Lead teacher standards
Friday 24 January 10.00am-11.00am

This session will help equip attendees with the knowledge and skills to support their colleagues to understand and apply the Highly Accomplished and Lead teacher standards. It is recommended for those looking to support their colleagues, school leaders, or aspiring certification applicants.

Visit events.qct.edu.au for more information.

Did you know there are instances where the QCT can suspend a teacher’s registration if it reasonably believes they pose an unacceptable risk of harm to children?

A recent case heard at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) shows how a teacher’s behaviour outside the school, and not directed at their students, can affect their eligibility for registration.

In this case, the teacher’s registration was suspended by the QCT after it was notified by Queensland Police that they had been charged with domestic violence.

The QCT can suspend a teacher’s registration in circumstances where the teacher has been charged with a serious offence, or if it reasonably believes the teacher poses an unacceptable risk of harm to a child.

For an unacceptable risk of harm suspension, QCAT must then review the continuation of the suspension to decide whether the teacher poses an unacceptable risk of harm to children.

Despite submissions by the teacher that they had an exceptional record across the schools they had taught in, the QCT submitted that the issue was not the quality of their teaching, but rather the risk of harm they pose to children. The QCT noted the presence of the teacher’s own children during the alleged domestic assault.

Whilst the teacher acknowledged their “poor decision” and that they “let down” their teaching team and community, it was noted there was little reference to the harm they caused to the impact of the conduct on the victim.

QCAT determined the teacher’s suspension must continue, as it could not be satisfied that they do not pose an unacceptable risk of harm to children.

Suspension and cancellation of registration are two of the disciplinary actions the QCT can take against a teacher who is currently – or was at the time of the conduct in question – a registered teacher.

Visit our website to learn more about the grounds for disciplinary action and practice and conduct matters.

Fully registered teachers must apply to renew their registration every five years.

The five-yearly renewal process contributes to protecting educational standards and student safety to uphold the reputation of the profession.

The date you need to apply by appears in your myQCT account and on each certificate issued (you can find the PDF in the mailbox of your myQCT account).

It's simple and takes five minutes. To apply for renewal, you must pay your annual registration fee and complete a renewal form online in your myQCT account.

The renewal form will include questions about:

• any changes in personal details
• recency of practice
• your professional development and if requirements have been met
• your professional conduct

You can still apply to renew your registration even if you haven’t been teaching. Many teachers maintain their registration for personal reasons or “just in case.”

Visit the Renewal FAQs page of our website for more information.

Are you intending to apply for certification in 2025?

Certification is the process in which experienced classroom teachers in Queensland schools voluntarily pursue national certification to demonstrate their teaching skills and abilities at the higher career-stages of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).

We are running masterclasses next year for teachers who are interested in applying and deepening their understanding of the Highly Accomplished or Lead APST.

Participants will commence building a portfolio application, as well as develop peer networks and receive feedback.

Interested teachers are invited to complete this survey by Friday 29 November 2024.

In doing so, you will join the waitlist and help us plan locations for the masterclasses next year.

Visit our website to learn more about certification.

We are bringing changes to the QCT eNews in 2025 - and we want to hear from you.

Please take part in our survey here by the end of Term 4 to tell us what you want to read about, and provide helpful feedback for our editorial team.

QUT is excited to announce that the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice will launch a new School of Education, effective 1 February 2025. This will see all staff, students and programs in the current School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education and the School of Teacher Education and Leadership move to the new school.

QUT has a long history and great strength in education and are excited by the opportunities the new school creates to provide a sharper focus on education as a discipline, foster collaboration and innovation, and enhance connections with our partners. It will also provide an opportunity to consolidate and strengthen postgraduate and professional development offerings.

QUT are currently recruiting for the position of Dean and Head of School who will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our School of Education.

Recognising QUT’s leadership in teacher education, we have been awarded Federal Government funding of $4.7 million to launch the Employing Queensland: Innovative Pathways to Teaching (EQuIPT) programme, which aims to strategically address critical teaching shortages in regional, rural, and remote Queensland schools. More information on this program is available here.

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