Newcastle teacher talks with Taylor Mahoney about the connections between explicit teaching, progress monitoring and student wellbeing.
Recipient of the 2024 NSW Premier’s Teaching Scholarship, NESA Quality Teaching, Jessica Sarmento is committed to improving the literacy and numeracy outcomes of students across the state.
Jessica Sarmento applied for NESA’s scholarship as a way to consolidate the evidence for literacy and numeracy skills leading to positive wellbeing outcomes for students.
“I developed a passion for differentiated and tailored literacy and numeracy instruction and research after moving from primary to secondary teaching.
“It became apparent that my new role teaching students in the middle years required nuanced ways of fostering inclusive learning environments where every student felt comfortable taking risks, particularly when it came to participating in lessons involving literacy and numeracy competencies,” Ms Sarmento explains.
Preparing to head off on a study tour of Tasmanian and New Zealand schools, Ms Sarmento says her research will operate from the understanding that literacy and numeracy are precursors to positive wellbeing in our schools.
“As enablers of social equity and educational excellence, secondary classrooms must be shame-free learning environments.
“We must lead with a concerted focus on supporting the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of students in the middle years.
“My goal is to experience and learn as much as possible from the schools I have the privilege of visiting,” Ms Sarmento said.
An invaluable professional opportunity for Ms Sarmento, she encourages more teachers to apply for NESA’s scholarship.
“A Scholarship is the ideal opportunity to bridge classroom practice and evidence-based pedagogy.
I would wholeheartedly recommend educators wanting to develop wider professional networks, embrace the chance to travel and explore research that connects with their professional research interests,” Ms Sarmento said.
The 2025 Premier’s NESA Quality Teaching Scholarship is open to accredited primary, secondary and early childhood teachers currently teaching in NSW schools or early childhood services.
It is designed for the study of quality teaching, to support professional development, to provide resources and evidence to improve practice and to celebrate and acknowledge teacher excellence in NSW.
If you are ready to take the next step in your professional development, apply now until 11:59pm (AEST), Friday, 3 May 2024.
