Use our frequently asked questions to help you find your way around the Australian Teacher Aide website and to learn more about our professional development for teacher aides, schools and training organisations.

Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week

When is Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week?

In 2024, Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week will be celebrated from Monday 2 September to Friday 6 September.

See how schools celebrated Appreciation Week here

Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards

When do the Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards open?

The Australian Teacher Aide of the Year awards open for nominations in May each year, and the individual and team winners are announced during the first week of September. This coincides with a week of celebrations for Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week.

In 2024 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year will open in May and culminate during the week of Monday 2 September to Friday 6 September. In 2025 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year will open in May and culminate during the week of Monday 1 September to Friday 5 September.

Billing

How can I access a copy of my invoice?

To view or print a copy of your invoice, log into your ATA account, go to My Portal - My Account - Transactions

Joining ATA

How do I create a free subscriber account with ATA?

As an ATA subscriber, you will receive our weekly communications including our newsletter, TA Talk, invitations to live web events and access to some resources.

To create a subscriber account with ATA, follow these instructions.

How do I become an ATA Member?

As an Individual member of ATA, you will receive invitations to all our live web events, have access to the webinar recordings in our professional development library.

To become an ATA member, use these instructions.

If your school already has a membership with ATA, you will receive unlimited access to all ATA professional learning resources when you link to the school.

Use these instructions to create your personal account and link to your school.

How do I create a School membership account with ATA?

Congratulations on making the commitment to support your team with professional development through an Australian Teacher Aide membership!

As members of ATA, you and your school team will receive invitations to all our live web events, and have unlimited access to the resources in our professional development library, including webinar recordings. Schools also receive exclusive access to Effective Teacher Aide Practices for Schools (eTAPS), a four part foundation program to build capability to use evidence based practices to support all students. 

To create a member account for your school use these instructions.

Why am I not receiving emails from ATA?

We will always do our very best to respond to your query within one business day. We also send e-newsletters each Thursday. If you are not receiving our weekly newsletter or responses to queries submitted via our contact form, please do the following:

1) check your junk/spam email folder (if found there, mark our emails as 'not junk'), and

2) in My Portal, ensure your Communication Preferences are switched on, and that the email address registered in Personal Details is correct.

I have created an account however I have not received a welcome email with login details.

Thank you for subscribing to ATA! There could be a couple of reasons why you have not received a welcome email.

Firstly, very occasionally, our emails end up in people’s ‘junk’ or ‘spam’ folders. Please check to see if the email is there. If so, make sure you ‘whitelist’ our email address so that all future emails arrive without a problem.

Secondly, have you inputted your email address correctly during the sign up process? To test this, go to Member Login and select Request New Password. If your username is not recognised, then it is likely you have made an error when entering your email address at sign up. If this is the case, please create another account taking special care to enter your email address correctly.

If you require further assistance, please contact us.

Logging In to ATA

I have forgotten my login details. How can I gain access to the member portal?

If you have forgotten your login details, or you are logging in for the first time, you will need to request a new password to gain access to your member portal. 

1.     Select Member Login (top right hand corner of page)

2.     Select Request New Password

3.     When prompted, enter the email address you use currently to receive communication and notifications from ATA

4.     Check your inbox for an email from us.

5.     Use the link provided in the email to reset your password and gain access to your member portal, My Portal

If you don't get an email immediately, please check your junk folder as it may have landed there. If found in your junk folder, please mark the email as 'not junk'.

Membership – General

I am still linked to my previous school. How do I link to my current school?

Contact ATA and request to be de-linked from your previous school. Once you have received confirmation that you have been removed from your previous school, use the instructions below to request to link to your current school. 

  1. Log in to your ATA account
  2. Go to My Portal
  3. Select Search for Your School or RTO now 
  4. Use the search field to search for your current school
  5. Choose Request Link to school

The person responsible for approving staff to link to your school membership, will receive an email notification regarding the request. Once your request is approved, you will have full access to all our resources, again.

Where will I find my membership certificate?

We issue Membership certificates to fully paid members only. They are uploaded to the Certificates folder in your portal, following payment.

To view or download your certificate, log in to your ATA account and go to My Portal - My Content - Certificates.

How do I renew my membership?

Log in to your ATA account, and go to My Portal. Select My Account - Current Subscriptions and select Renew Subscription.

How much is membership?

You can view our plan options and pricing by selecting the Membership tab on our main menu.

What will I get access to when I become an ATA member?

Australian Teacher Aide members have access to a wide range of professional learning designed for education suport staff. 

To get an idea of the type of PD our members have access to, you can view our resource previews by going to each Interest Group, under the Professional Learning tab, and selecting the Preview link. 

Use the Membership tab on our main menu to learn more about membership, and view features specific to each membership plan.

If you want to view the bigger picture, our New Member Orientation video will give you a great overview of membership features and benefits.

Membership is for 12 months from date of joining.

When does my membership commence?

Membership commences from the date of joining and remains current for 12 months. For example, if you apply for a membership today, you will have full access to the member resources and live events until this time next year.

Which membership plan should I choose?

Our membership plans are customised for individuals, schools and training organisations. You can view our plan options by selecting the Membership tab on our main menu.

Am I eligible to join ATA?

You can join ATA if you are studying, working or seeking work as a teacher aide, a school leader looking for PD for your teacher aide team, an education support teacher or manager of an education support team in a training organisation, or a parent looking to learn more about supporting student learning. We have a range of membership plans for individuals, schools and training organisations.

Do you have any sample resources that I can view prior to purchasing membership?

We have a number of video previews which will provide you with a snapshot of some of our resources. Links to previews can be found on the different Interest Group pages, such as Additional Needs, Behaviour etc, under the Professional Development tab.

Do you offer trial memberships?

We are confident in the quality of our resources. If, after joining ATA, you are not satisfied with our professional development, you can provide us with your feedback and request a refund. We honour all refund requests in the first 30 days of membership.

You may find our video previews useful to gauge the suitability of our professional development. Links to previews can be found on most Interest Group pages, under the Professional Development tab on our main menu.

I am a student studying Education Support; can I join ATA?

Of course. We have a special discounted membership plan just for education support students. To join, select Membership from the main menu, choose Teacher Aides and then select the Student Teacher Aide plan. You are eligible to use this plan for 12 months, after which time you can select a full teacher aide membership.

Membership - Schools and Training Organisations

How do I link to my school or training organisation's membership?

Use these INSTRUCTIONS to link yourself to your school or training organisation's membership.

 

How do I check which staff are linked to my school's or training organisation's account?

If you are the Business Administrator on your school or training organisation membership account, you can check which staff members have access to the account.

  1. Log in using the Member Login option at the top right hand corner of the ATA website
  2. Navigate to My Portal
  3. Under My Account, select Businesses

The names of the staff members who are linked to your account will appear here.

Please use the Remove Person feature if staff have left your school or organisation. 

How many staff can I link to my school membership account?

We believe in a whole-school approach and therefore, we allow you to link an unlimited number of teacher aides (and other staff) to your school membership account. This means contract and casual teacher aides have as much opportunity to access PD, as their full-time colleagues.

(N.B Training organisation membership plans prescribe staff limits)

How can schools best facilitate the use of ATA resources with TA teams?

When your school becomes a member of ATA, your teacher aides will create their own personal accounts (this is free) and then request to link to the school membership account. Once approved, your TAs will have full access to all the member resources. 

We explain this process, plus much more about how to find and use our resources, during a 30 minute phone or video meeting following membership payment.

We encourage school leaders to work with their TA teams to plan for PD, ensuring the vast range of ATA resources are well utilised. Our Professional Development Planner for Schools is a great tool to assist with the planning process.

We suggest teacher aides use the CPD Diaries in their portals to record details of professional development completed. Once a CPD Diary entry is created, we will verify it and issue a Certificate of Completion.

How do I pay for my membership with ATA?

All memberships are paid annually. After you choose your membership plan and create your business account, an invoice will automatically be sent to you. You can pay online via our secure payment site using a credit card, or you can pay by EFT directly to our bank account.

Does a training organisation membership with ATA enable education support teachers to use the ATA resources for use in classroom or online delivery to students?

Thank you for considering ATA membership for your Education Support team. Our professional development resources are being widely used by training organisations for teacher professional development and industry currency purposes. If your teachers want to use our resources for delivery to students, a licence arrangement is required. If you would like to discuss this option, please use our Contact Us form to submit your inquiry.

Is there a ‘group’ membership option for a number of schools within our Dioceses or a region of schools?

Of course! These membership plans are customised and we would be happy to provide you with a quote. Please use our Contact Us form to submit your inquiry.

Membership - Teacher Aides

How do I pay for my membership with ATA?

All memberships are paid annually. When you create your account and choose your membership plan, you will be prompted to pay online via our secure payment site, using  your credit or debit card.

I have an individual membership and my organisation has now taken out a corporate membership. How do I transfer from my existing individual membership to the corporate membership?

Well done on successfully advocating for your TA team and their need for ongoing PD that is customised and relevant to the support role.

You will need to go to our Membership page and select Search for Your Business Here and request to be linked to your school or organisation. Use these instructions to link to the school or training organisation membership. The administrator of the membership account, for example the TA Coordinator, will receive the request and has the permissions to approve it.

 

My Portal

My email address has changed. How do I update it on my account?

You can change your email details in My Portal, as follows:

  1. Log in to your ATA account using your original email address as your username. If you have forgotten your password, refer to the instructions in the relevant FAQ.
  2. Go to My Portal - My Account - Personal Details - Additional Details and update your email address.
  3. Save

Next time you log in, you may be required to reset your password.

What is a CSV file and how can I use it?

A CSV (comma separated values) file is a plain text file that contains a list of data. In My Portal, members can download a CSV file containing a list of all CPD Diary entries created. This report can be printed or saved in a document folder. We recommend the report be saved as an Excel worksheet, as opposed to a CSV file. This is a useful report to take to your supervisor when attending developing performance planning meetings. To download this report, go to My Portal - My Content - CPD Diary.

I'm logged in; what do I do now?

Once you are logged in, go to My Portal.  Complete the tasks in the light grey shaded panel at the top right. The prompts will vary, depending on what you have already completed. It might say, Create Additional Personal Data or Select Interest Groups.

If you are covered under a corporate membership, you will need to request to be linked to your organisation so that you can enjoy full member access to all our resources and events. You can request to be linked to your organisation by navigating to the Membership page and selecting Search For Your Business.

Professional Development

Are ATA resources more suitable for primary or secondary schools?

Our resources are suitable for educators working in both primary and secondary school settings. The concepts and support strategies given are transferable when supporting students across age groups, and it is generally the language, alone, that needs to be modified. If the word 'child/children' is used in some resources, it is a reference to students, generally. 

What is verified CPD? 

When you have recorded the details of your completed professional development in your CPD diary, and attached your evidence, as proof of completion, we verify the details.

Once verified we will issue you with 1 CPD point, and upload your certificate to the entry in your CPD diary. 
To locate your CPD diary go to My Portal - My Content - CPD Diary.

What is a CPD Diary?

The CPD Diary (Continuing Professional Development Diary) is a record of your completed professional development. This record is used by many schools as part of performance and development conversations. It is also used by training providers to assess your knowledge and understanding for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) eligibility. 

A CPD Diary is available in your member portal. You should create a diary entry each time you complete any professional learning in our Professional Development library, and upload your evidence of completion, such as the worksheet. You can also upload written notes, or an image of your work. 

You will automatically be issued with a certificate once you have recorded your professional development in your CPD Diary and attached the evidence.  You will also receive one CPD point for each entry completed. Each CPD point equals one hour of professional development

*Please note, you do not need to complete a CPD entry for live web events you attend, as entries will automatically be created in your diary, and a certificate issued (generally within 10 working days). 

To locate your CPD diary go to My Portal - My Content - CPD Diary. 

How do I download a CPD report?

To download a personal CPD report:

Log in, go to My Portal - My Content - CPD Diary. Once on the Diary Entries page, select the small orange tab labeled CSV. We recommend you export the CSV report to an excel file. This is a useful report to take to your supervisor when attending developing performance planning meetings.

To request a CPD report for all staff linked to a school membership, please contact us.

How do I get a certificate for professional development I have completed?

After attending a live web event, the name of the event you attended will automatically be recorded in your CPD Diary and your certificate will appear in My Portal - My Content - Certificates.

When you complete a professional development resource from our Professional Development library, you are required to manually enter the details in your CPD diary,  and attach evidence of completion.  

Once you have done this, you will automatically be issued with a certificate. The certificate will be uploaded to the entry in your CPD diary. You will also receive one CPD point for each entry completed. Each CPD point equals one hour of professional development

To locate your CPD diary go to My Portal - My Content - CPD Diary.

How do I use the writeable PDF worksheets?

Before you can type into a writable PDF worksheet, you will need to download the worksheet and save it to your computer files. Once saved, you will be able to complete the worksheet electronically.

Please note, you must have a PDF reader app such as Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on your computer.

Download step-by-step instructions for Windows or Mac.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE: Writeable PDF Worksheet

Will I lose my CPD Diary records if I let my subscription lapse, or if I change membership type?

Your CPD Diary records will always remain on your ATA account. If your membership lapses, and you wish to continue access to your CPD Diary records, log in to your account, go to My Portal and renew your subscription. Do not create a new membership account. If you are transferring from an individual membership to a school or training organisation membership (or vice versa), provided you use the same account, all your CPD Diary records will remain accessible.

How many CPD points do I allocate myself?

What are CPD Points? 
In some professions, such as teaching, staff are required to complete mandatory hours of continuing professional development (CPD), annually.  

1 CPD points is allocated to you for each hour of verified professional development you complete. 
 

How do I create a CPD Diary entry?

How do I create a CPD diary entry?

  1. Login to the ATA site
  2. Navigate to My Portal – My Content – CPD Diary
  3. Select Add CPD Diary Entry
  4. Enter the CPD Activity Name (write the title of the PD activity exactly as it appears on the resource page. This is the title that will be on your certificate)
  5. Enter a Description of the activity (suggestion: copy and paste the description from the resource page)
  6. Upload your completed worksheet or notes (required for verification purposes)
  7. Enter the Activity Completion Date
  8. Select Save
  9. Once verified we will issue you with 1 CPD point, and upload your certificate to the entry in your CPD diary. 

Live CPD events
When you attend a live webinar event, a CPD diary entry will automatically be created for you. The entry will appear in My Portal – My Content – CPD Diary within a few days of attending the event.
Your event certificates will automatically be uploaded to My Portal  - My Content - Certificates.

How do I get access to the professional development resources?

To access our professional development resources and exclusive member events, you will need to become an ATA member. Membership options are available under the Membership tab on the main menu.

Where can I find my certificates?

Your membership certificate and live web event certificates are in My Portal  - My Content - Certificates

Your professional development certificates are uploaded to the corresponding entry in your CPD diary, once verified. 

Your professional development certificates are in My Portal - My Content - CPD Diary.

Where do I find the professional development resources?

Our resources can be found by selecting the Professional Development tab on the Home Page.  
The professional development library is organised according to interest groups. Once you have selected your topic of interest, for example, Additional Needs and Disability, you will be able to view all related resources by selecting the Related Resources tab (under the light grey panel). If you know the name of a resource, you can also use the search function on the Home Page. Look for the magnifying glass icon in the right hand corner of the main menu.

Note: Level of access to our Professional Development library is dependent on your membership plan type. 

Can regional / remote schools access ATA professional development?

Absolutely! We are a national professional learning organisation and because our professional development resources are all online, they are accessible to everyone, regardless of location. We also deliver live web events every month and host an online professional learning community, so teacher aides have an opportunity to connect with their peers all around Australia. Our members are from all over Australia, including many regional and remote areas.

Does ATA professional development align with the Australian Curriculum and use evidence based practices?

Yes! Our professional development is based on the Australian Curriculum and evidence based teaching and learning practices.

Live Web Events

How do I register for a live webinar event?

Webinar event registration is a quick 2-step process.  Both Step 1 and Step 2 must be completed to successfully join the live webinar.

Follow the steps below or view the video tutorial.

Complete both steps below to receive your unique webinar ‘join’ link, and be eligible for 1 CPD point and a Certificate of Completion following attendance at the event.

Step 1 

1.     Select Member Login (top right hand corner) and log in to your account

2.     Select Events (from the green main menu at the top of the Home page)

3.     Choose the event you want to register for and double click on the title to bring up the registration process

4.     Select Register and follow the prompts

5.     Go to Cart (top menu) to 'check out' and 'place order' to finalise Step 1.

Step 2 

1.     Go to your inbox and open the email from ATA. (If you cannot find this email, please check your 'junk' mail)

2.     Click on the link in the email 

3.     Enter your name and email address when prompted

4.     Check your inbox for your webinar ‘join’ link

5.     Use this link to join our webinar on the relevant day. (We will usually send you a reminder email with this link, one day and one hour prior to the webinar).

All events that you register for will show in My Portal – My Content - Events.

Any associated event resources, such as worksheets, will be uploaded prior to the event to My Portal – My Content – Event Resources. We recommend you check your portal prior to attending each webinar for any associated resources.

How many live events / webinars do you present over 12 months?

We present one live web event every month from February through to November. 

Are the live web events recorded?

Yes, all our webinars are recorded and uploaded to the Professional Development library where they are accessible to members at any time.