Step 2- Develop and submit your first two modules

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Here’s what you need to do in the second stage of applying for HALT accreditation. From collecting evidence of your practice to attending a NESA workshop and submitting your first and second modules.

Developing your first module

Your first module involves collecting and annotating documentary evidence of your practice, including:

  • organising your evidence into 3-10 items/sets
  • nominating 10-15 Standard Descriptors
  • nominating between 2-4 Standard Descriptors per item
  • annotating the documentary evidence in your NESA online account. 

Collectively, your documentary evidence needs to demonstrate the practice and impact of your practice for every Standard Descriptor for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher as applicable.

Your evidence needs to demonstrate how you have supported colleagues to improve their practice and the impact on students’/children’s learning progress and achievement.

During your HALT application, you will need to submit three modules that include a balance of documentary evidence from the following six evidence categories:

  1. Learning and teaching programs
  2. Observations of teaching students/children
  3. Reflection and feedback on teaching practice
  4. Assessment and reporting on student/child learning outcomes
  5. Collaboration and communication
  6. Professional learning.

Lead Teacher applicants

Collect and annotate documentary evidence of your practice and write a description of up to 1000 words for your Lead Teacher Initiative for submission with Module 1. You can include documentary evidence related to your initiative in one or more modules.

Evidence needs to relate to the NSW curriculum or Early Years Learning Framework

All evidence submitted needs to relate to teaching practice in a NSW school/service using the NSW curriculum or Early Years Learning Framework.

Our evidence guides can help you prepare your modules

Use NESA’s evidence guides to support your preparation of each module.

Attend a NESA workshop

We recommend you attend a NESA workshop to help you unpack the Standard Descriptors at the relevant HALT career stage and develop documentary evidence for your modules.

Write a module overview statement

Write a 250 to 400-word overview statement that provides context and background for the evidence. This will also need to be uploaded to your NESA online account (eTAMS).

Nominate your referees

You need to nominate 3–5 referees in total. You can nominate up to two referees in your first module.

Across all the modules your nominated referees must include:

  • a teacher colleague, and
  • a teacher who has received professional assistance or guidance from you.

Your other referees can include but are not limited to teachers, school/service leaders (including principals/service directors leading other schools/services), and early career or pre-service teachers. These referees do not need to be accredited teachers but cannot be students or children.

If you are applying for Lead Teacher, you need to ensure that at least one of your nominated referees can comment on your practice in relation to your Lead Teacher Initiative.

You should read the Referee Guide to gain a better understanding of how the people you nominate are required to comment on your practice.

Internal observations of practice

As part of one or more modules, you need to submit:

  • two internal observations of your practice in the classroom/learning environment and
  • one observation you conduct of a colleague teaching students/children.

Early childhood teachers

For early childhood teachers, a teacher colleague does not have to work in your service. They may come from another service of your employer or be a teacher from your professional network. You should contact NESA for further advice if you do not have a teacher colleague or a service director who is accredited at Proficient Teacher or above in your service.

Your principal/service director (or their delegate) and a teacher colleague will each complete an internal observation and report of your practice.

You will observe a teacher colleague for the purposes of demonstrating your capacity to work in a supportive and collaborative manner to improve the practice of colleague(s). You must write and annotate a report of this observation aligned to nominated Standard Descriptors at the relevant career stage and this report will be included as one item of documentary evidence.

Where a teacher applying for HALT is the only accredited Proficient Teacher in the school/service, NESA will provide advice on who will conduct the two internal observations.

There are several resources you can access to help you understand and structure internal observations.

Submit your first module

You can submit your module in your NESA online account (eTAMS).

Your application will be assessed by NESA-trained HALT Assessors.

You will receive a HALT Module Report 28 days after submitting Module 1 which will provide feedback and advice on the Standard Descriptors identified in this module which are fully, partially, and not demonstrated.

Review module assessment

Each of the three modules is assessed by at least two NESA-trained HALT Assessors. It will take up to 28 days to assess your modules, not inclusive of school holidays. You will be advised if NESA allocates a third assessor, in which case an additional seven days will be required to complete the assessment.

After the module has been assessed, you will receive a detailed HALT Module Report with feedback on the extent to which your practice and impact of your practice has been fully, partially, and/or not demonstrated against the nominated Standard Descriptors.

You should carefully read your HALT Module Report to understand the reasons for the assessment and feedback and the advice on how to address any Standard Descriptors not yet fully demonstrated in a subsequent module.

We recommend you attend NESA’s workshop on understanding the HALT Module Report to maximise the feedback provided.

Developing your second module

Consider the feedback from your HALT Module Report when planning your evidence for your second module.

Follow the same process as Module 1

To prepare Module 2, follow the same process as in Module 1:

  • collect and annotate documentary evidence
  • nominate up to two referees
  • consider submitting one or more of your two mandatory internal observations of practice
  • consider submitting your observation of a colleague’s practice.

Remember to follow the advice from your HALT Module 1 Report.

Submitting your second module

You need to pay the second instalment of the application fee — $180 (HA) or $220 (LT) — before submitting Module 2.

Your application will again be assessed by NESA-trained HALT Assessors. You will receive a HALT Module Report 28 days after submitting Module 2 which will provide feedback and advice on the Standard Descriptors identified in this module which are fully demonstrated, or partially, or not demonstrated, where relevant.

We recommend you attend NESA’s workshop on understanding the HALT Module Report to maximise the feedback provided.

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