The Professional Teachers' Association of the Northern Territory (PTANT) is committed to supporting and enhancing the professionalism of teachers and the quality of education in the Northern Territory by linking with and supporting member associations, giving and gaining strength through involvement, cooperative effort and diversity of their individual contributions. The Northern Territory Professional Learning Conference (the Conference), coordinated by the PTANT and Member Associations, is a one-day event that offers professional development across the curriculum and all levels of schooling. This event has previously been known as the Festival of Teaching. This year, the Steering Committee resolved to change the name to the Northern Territory Professional Learning Conference to align with the professionalism of the event and encourage a wider teaching community to attend. The theme for the 2023 event was "Innovation - Hope-Filled Futures".
On Saturday, 26 August 2023, educators gathered at Dripstone Middle School to make the most of this one-day professional learning program which included:
- Keynote Speaker Louka Parry, CEO + Founder of The Learning Future
- Keynote Speaker Bill Zammit, Practical Happiness Speaker
- Up to 40 workshops spanning the curriculum
- Exhibits providing interaction with educational resources and education support organisations
This was the sixth professional learning event hosted by the PTANT. The goal of the Conference's dedicated Steering Committee, which included 11 representatives from 11 different professional teaching associations, is for the Conference to be the most desired professional learning event of the year for Northern Territory Educators.
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Louka Parry, CEO + Founder, The Learning Future
Louka Parry is the CEO and founder of The Learning Future. He works globally as a speaker, learning strategist and education futurist. He speaks on innovation, leadership and change, having worked with thousands of leaders and educators from diverse contexts all across the world. Through his work, he has acquired expert knowledge in leadership, strategy, communication, wellbeing and organisational change and culture. As an education leader, he was promoted to principal at only 27 years old and in 2012 he was named South Australian Inspirational Public Secondary Teacher of the Year. As the CEO of The Learning Future, he is committed to transform learning structures, systems and societies that better empower individuals to develop the key human capabilities that matter most and now into the future. He sits on the Steering Committee for Learning Creates Australia, and also co-leads Karanga: The Global Alliance for Social Emotional Learning and Life Skills, which connects the global education community at the forefront of the future of education and social emotional learning to empower children, educators and communities all across the globe.
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Bill Zammit, Practical Happiness Speaker
Bill Zammit has travelled a long and interesting road to get to Darwin where he now resides, as a passionate advocate for the Northern Territory. One of the more endearing attributes of the NT is the requirement that its leading citizens are able to tell a good yarn – and Bill tells some of the best. Bill created a highly successful safari company called Billy Can Tours which travelled to some of the most remote areas of Australia. From a migrant family in inner city Melbourne who had the foresight to send him to the Boy Scouts as a child – Bill has forged a fabulous career and now shares his insights and anecdotes as a gifted orator. Following the sale of his safari business, Bill travelled to India to study the enlivening practice of ‘Laughter for no reason’ – or Laughing Yoga. There are no tricky yoga moves in this refreshing stress busting practice, just lots of laughs and a fabulous method of reducing tension and reviving flagging spirits. Bill’s trust in his training programmes and his staff were brought about by his unique but simple leadership and management style. Bill will share his motivational, inspirational and effective techniques for reducing staff turnover, motivating employees and creating and maintaining a happy workplace.
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