Date and time 

Thursday 23 May 2024, 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm 

Delivery mode 

Online – a Zoom link will be provided 24 hours prior to the event

Audience   

Beginning teachers 

Description 

The Victorian Teaching Profession’s Codes of Conduct and Ethics are public statements developed for and by the teaching profession to: 

• reflect shared principles about practice, conduct and ethics to be applied to promote the highest standards of professional practice
• enable registered teachers to reflect on their ethical decisions
• establish the quality of behaviour that reflects the expectations of the profession and the community, and
• provide a clear statement to the community about these expectations. 

This workshop is designed for beginning teachers to help them understand the expectations of the teaching profession and the community in relation to their professional conduct, personal conduct and professional competence. 

Key takeaways  

• knowledge of the Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Conduct to guide professional conduct and practice
• awareness of key revisions to the Code of Conduct
• understanding of online conduct and social media in the contemporary teaching context
• keys to maintaining professionalism in a digital environment
• guidance on maintaining professional boundaries
• access to further resources. 

Presenter information  

Linda Blakis  

Linda Blakis is a Principal Practitioner with VIT. After a highly competitive recruitment selection process, Linda joined VIT in February 2019 to take on the newly created Principal Practitioner role. This role works across many branches to build a strong connection between VIT and the teaching profession.  

A trained secondary teacher, Linda has worked predominantly in the northern growth corridor of Melbourne, and was Assistant Principal of a large P-12 school before taking up the VIT appointment.  Linda is passionate about teaching and the importance of investing in teachers, who she sees as our state’s most important professional group. 

Lucy Buncle  

Lucy Buncle is the acting Professional Practice Manager at the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT). She studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne and then completed a Diploma of Education (Primary) at La Trobe University Bundoora. After half a decade teaching, Lucy decided to continue her education, embarking on a Masters of Education (Expert Teaching – Gifted and Talented education) at Monash University. Lucy taught for more than a decade in primary schools in the inner-city and the outer-western suburbs of Melbourne. 

Lucy joined VIT in 2022 as a Senior Professional Practice Officer. In this role she has worked closely with teachers at every stage of the teaching continuum, from pre-service teachers through to Principals. Her role is to support them to meet and maintain the professional standards. To ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people, Lucy also delivers workshops on the Victorian Teachers Code of Conduct and produces resources to support teachers to apply the Code to their context. Lucy is currently working as the acting professional practice manager for the remainder of the 2023 school year.  

Link(s) to relevant VRQA Standards 

• Care, Safety and Welfare of Students – Safe environment
• Care, Safety and Welfare of Students – Child safety