Teaching Remote

If you want to challenge yourself and improve your skills, then teaching in the Northern Territory is calling you… Teaching in the NT, no two days are ever the same.

A privileged experience

Living and working in a remote Aboriginal community can be an extremely rewarding experience.

For you, this experience could be a highlight of your personal, professional and faith life.

It is a privilege and a sacred task for Catholic Education staff to work in this culturally and spiritually rich environment.

However, the work is challenging – for a range of reasons - and it may not be for you.

No two days are the same

• If you want immersion in the heart and history of Australia; where no day is quite like the one before;
• If you know that teaching is a calling and would like to make a difference to students futures;
• If you want to live and work in the beauty, diversity and splendour of Central or Northern Australia;
• If you want to really make a difference for children and communities engaged in cultural maintenance and development through education;
• If you want to test your resilience and your capacity for teamwork and collaboration;
• If you want to do something practical for Reconciliation and the realisation of the presence of living God’s Kingdom;
• If you want a rich (personal) learning experience;

Then you’ll be very welcome at an Aboriginal Catholic Community School in the Northern Territory. 

Day to day teaching

Teaching a two–way curriculum involves working collaboratively with your assistant teachers, local cultural and community leaders.

You will be teaching students who are socially and culturally different from you so that there will be many times when you will be as much a learner as you are a teacher.

You and your assistant teacher will have reciprocal and complementary relationships within the class: there will be times when you will take the lead on curriculum knowledge and the English language and times when your assistant teacher may take the lead especially in the use of the local language and knowledge and interpreting the children’s behaviour and responses in class. 

There are many people, beyond the classroom, who teachers can look to for support and assistance.  Catholic Education have specialist teachers and inclusion support advisers that visit the school.  As well your fellow teachers and your principal will help you with practical teaching strategies and advice.

A different reality altogether: 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning

All Aboriginal Catholic Community Schools are governed by the provisions of the Catholic Schools (NT) Collective Enterprise Agreement (2022 - December 2024).

Salary rates and payments for non-teaching staff are set out in the Collective Enterprise Agreement (2022 - December 2024) which can be found here.

Child Care

All our remote communities offer preschools.

The Urban and Regional Catholic Primary Schools offer Early Learning Centres for children aged 3 to 5 years with Before School, After School and Vacation Care services available at most of the schools. Go to the CATHOLIC SCHOOLS section of this website to find out exactly what each of our 18 school offer.

Secondment

Catholic Education Australia offer 2 year secondments to our teachers who want to work in our remote Northern Territory Schools. 

A secondment gives you a guarantee of employment at your current school or within our system on your return after two years working in the Northern Territory.

You will be paid for your relocation expenses to the Northern Territory and back to your place of origin.

To arrange a secondment you need to

1. Be teaching in a Catholic School within the Catholic Education System.
2. You need to speak with to your current principal, to seek their support.
3. Your principal then will seek authorisation from their Catholic Education Office for you to be granted leave without pay for the period of secondment.
4. The secondment letter from your Catholic Education Office and a letter of support from your Principal must accompany your application. 

Supporting teachers

There is no question that teaching remote, you will be tested. 

The Territory is a place where you can challenge yourself to reach higher levels of professionalism - a chance to revive the passion that drove you to be a teacher. 

Catholic Education NT offers practical support to our teachers to enhance your teaching experience and your journey with us.

Teaching strategies - towards engaging classrooms 

Classroom behaviour is an important aspect of the learning environment.

Many of our students will come to school with little experience of the expectations that teachers may have of them in terms of school behaviours. 

Teaching students to "get along" is a key task in your classroom.  Using mindfulness in your classroom is proven strategy for a positive learning environment.

The Aboriginal staff will have insights into the behaviour of your students. It is vital that you establish a dialogue with the Aboriginal staff about classroom management strategies.

Classroom management should be a shared responsibility; don’t expect Aboriginal staff to carry the load.

Each of the ACCS has or is working towards a school-based positive behaviour and classroom management policy. (School Wide Positive Behaviours Program).  Consistency is essential to the implementation of this policy and making classrooms and the school effective learning environments.