The Hunter Special Educators Hub started in 2018. It began as the brainchild of local special educators who wished to facilitate collegial relationships between professionals who were performing similar roles in disparate and sometime isolated environments. Currently, the Hub services over 200 special education teachers, executive and support staff covering Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Lower Hunter. We also have a thriving Facebook community where articles, resources and videos are posted regularly - just search "Hunter Area Special Education Hub" on Facebook.
The Hub is funded and resourced by Kotara School, an SSP in Newcastle for students in Years 3-6 who have a mental health diagnosis. We meet once per term for two hours of collaborative professional learning, resource and idea sharing and networking. All Hub meetings are registered with MyPL and can be used as Teacher Identified Professional Development. It is facilitated by an organising committee of 8 teachers and executive, who meet once a term to discuss upcoming plans. We operate with the full support of our Directors and Learning and Wellbeing Teams, many of whom have been attendees and presenters at our sessions.
The rationale for the formation of the Hunter Special Educators Hub is to improve the overall standard of professional learning available to the special education community, contribute to the discussion on best practice in the field as well as provide support for special educators operating in isolation in mainstream settings. So far, the Hub has run professional learning sessions on topics as wide ranging as programming requirements and expectations in special education settings, Minecraft for Education, teacher wellbeing and self-care, Neurosequential Model for Education and improving enrolment processes. We have also recently been asked to act as a pilot group for the Department’s new Trauma Informed Practice for Improved Learning and Wellbeing modules.