We recently made updates to our booking notification workflow with the goal of creating a fairer and more balanced experience for all users. In this update, we prioritised push notifications as our primary method for sending booking requests. To ensure no opportunities were missed, SMS and email notifications were designated as backup options, activated in cases when push notifications might not be successfully received as quickly as SMS due to differences in handset, network, signal strength and / or location.

We got it wrong

We've been listening to your feedback throughout this period. It's become evident that for many of our valued teachers, SMS notifications are often preferred for a diverse number of reasons across our community of over 130,000 teachers in Australia.

We’re bringing back SMS

The team is working on rolling back SMS as a booking request preference. This feature will return very soon.

You will once again have the option to receive both SMS and push notifications simultaneously.

As we work to reintroduce SMS as a preferred option for booking notifications, we're also committed to continue to refine the three-phase booking request process for users who prefer utilising push notifications as their primary alerts.

The future of SMS on ClassCover

ClassCover sends over 4.7 million SMS messages a year. This comes at a significant cost. Recognising its value to you, our team is exploring more sustainable ways to continue to offer this essential service to you well into the future.

Warm regards,

Team ClassCover

Stay Tuned for More Updates

ClassCover is also working on other improvements to the booking process:

Choose your own custom notification tone.
As of 4/2/2024 we have introduced a set notification tone for ClassCover. This tone was specially selected to be different from the default tones on both iPhones and Androids. It’s also loud enough to capture attention. Soon, you’ll have the ability to choose your own notification tone if this doesn’t work for you.
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Actionable notifications
You may have noticed in some apps you are able to interact with the notification on your screen to take an action — like previewing a message or confirming two-factor authentication. We will soon be rolling out actionable notifications to booking requests on ClassCover, meaning you will be able to accept and decline quicker than ever from your home screen., without opening the app.

Apple Watch functionality
Some feedback we are receiving is that many teachers prefer to get notifications on their Apple Watches during class as they don’t have access to their phones. To make this easier, we are introducing a ClassCover app for Apple Watches, meaning you will be able to accept or decline a booking request from your watch.

ClassCover has released significant improvements to ClassCover's booking request notifications and process. We understand the challenges of varying mobile phone connectivity and service, which can change depending on location, service provider, network congestion, device settings, and even weather conditions.

It’s crucial that you receive booking requests promptly to respond in time, which is why we’re making improvements to our booking request notification process. Here's what's new::

Faster, More Responsive Push Notifications: We've upgraded our booking request push notifications to ensure they reach you faster and more reliably.

Introducing Priority Alert Trigger Process: We've implemented a fail-safe notification system to make sure you never miss a booking request, regardless of your phone service.

1. Initially, the booking request is sent as a push notification.
2. If the push notification fails, it's immediately sent as an SMS.
3. If the SMS fails, it's then sent as an email, allowing you to accept or decline directly within the email.

This process will occur instantly after each step, ensuring the booking is delivered to you via one of these methods.

Tip: Make sure you are using an email address that you check regularly

iOS Push Notification Sound Update: We've reverted the iOS push notification alert sound back to the tri-tone. This change comes after Apple's recent update to a quieter default sound, ensuring you hear your notifications loud and clear.

These updates are part of our ongoing commitment to make your experience with ClassCover as smooth and efficient as possible.

You're invited!

When: Tuesday 19th of December, 5pm AEDT

Join Antoinette Mullins from Steps Financial for this timely and insightful free webinar packed full of tips for teachers wanting to better manage cashflows and learn best practices for budgeting.

As teachers, you are focused on educating your pupils but sometimes your own needs are left behind. Spend an hour learning a skill that is essential in the post-Pandemic world, where living expenses are increasing much more than our incomes: We will show you how to work out a budget that fits YOUR life and goals, then design a cash flow system that directs any surplus towards these goals.

Relief teachers without a steady income about to head into the school holiday break will especially benefit from a strong cash flow plan.

​​​​​​​We’ll start by talking through money values, which can shape our relationship with money and drive our decisions and spending. Is your cash flow system ‘deliberate’ or just something that’s happened over the years? If you need to do some work on creating a cash flow surplus, then we’ll discuss some practical money management tips.

This webinar has limited spaces

When: Thursday 26th of October 2023

Time: 5pm AEDT

Don't miss ClassCover Learn's upcoming PD webinar hosted by Karina Barley from Project Autism titled 'Understanding the Language of Behaviour'.

About the webinar:

Behaviour! As teachers, you deal with a variety of student behaviours on a daily basis. You can have the perfect lesson plans, great organisation and even the best resources, but if you have one or more behaviour issues in your classroom; the classroom’s entire rhythm can be thrown into disarray.

Understanding the language of behaviour can make a huge difference to the way that you run your classroom and can eliminate many unnecessary disruptions.

This webinar explores childhood behaviour and provides strategies to assist teachers to understand and make necessary adjustments depending on that behaviour.

Access

Free for ClassCover Learn members

$25 for non-members

See what else is coming up on the live webinar schedule 🍿

ClassCover Learn has just released a new course titled 'Supporting Students with ADHD as a Relief Teacher'. For NSW teachers, this course is NESA accredited.

This course is a second instalment from the fabulous Tammy McMillan, following the release of her wildly popular course 'Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder', which has gained over 200+ 5 star reviews!

About the course:

Supporting students with ADHD as a Relief Teacher will help to unpack what ADHD is, how ADHD presents in the classroom and, effective and practical strategies to implement to support all of your students to shine!

What you'll learn:

• You will learn what ADHD is
• You will learn how ADHD can present in the classroom
• You will learn how to support ADHD as a Relief Teacher
• You will learn effective strategies to implement into the classroom

Not a ClassCover Learn member yet?

Sign up for as little as $12 a month

Learn more

There's a new way to save time when making bookings. Now, schools can reopen unfilled bookings and clone a previous booking in one easy step.

Reopen a booking:

This option will be available if a booking goes unfilled but the booking date has not yet passed. Go to Request History > Click Reopen Booking, You will be taken back to the booking request set up page where you can add more teachers to the request.

Previously, you could only add more teachers to a request while the request was still live. Now you don't have to spend time creating the same booking with all the same details. Simply click Reopen Booking, add more teachers and the booking request will get back to work for you.

Quick hack: In a rush? Try the Emergency List feature and send to all available or those that match a criteria and have this booking go out to more teachers in a click.

Clone a booking:

Do you have a regular booking that includes all the same details and teachers? Now you clone this booking in a few clicks, saving you time. Simply find that booking under Request History where you will find 'Clone Booking' if the booking has been passed or successfully booked.

Once clicked, all the details will be auto filled with the same teachers shortlisted. You can also add more teachers to the list here too if you want to cast a wider net.

This news broadcast has been sent on behalf of the NSW Department of Education

Managing your performance and development as a casual teacher just got easier with the release of the new Digital Performance and Development Plan (Digital PDP).

With a move from a paper-based form to a streamlined digital process, the emphasis is firmly on focusing on your progress and not the administration behind it.

Designed for intuitive use so your time can be spent learning, collaborating and reflecting on your professional development. Benefits include:

• straightforward functions, at a glance
• simple and easy to use.

Casual teachers will particularly benefit from the centralised, secure storage solution, providing accessibility to your information whenever you need it, wherever you are working.

Similarly, the new Digital PDP provides much-needed continuity to your ongoing development. The opportunity now exists to build consistency in conversations, even if you change schools during your current performance and development cycle.

Watch the Introduction to Digital PDP video.

The Digital PDP supports all teachers in having ongoing continual conversations, building critical relationships with your principal or supervisor.

It is available through your MyEssentials portal, via Q+ or on the intranet at Digital PDP.

The Digital PDP has been launched as part of a test-and-learn approach in 2023.

Any teacher can opt in to use the Digital PDP.

We welcome feedback on how the Digital PDP works for you, which can be submitted via the Digital PDP intranet page, This will help us iterate and improve the Digital PDP and ensure it meets the needs of our teaching staff.

If you do not wish to use the Digital PDP this year, you can still access the paper-based form on the Performance and Development Framework intranet page.

All school staff will be required to use the Digital PDP from 2024.

On the Digital PDP intranet page, you will find resources to help you use the Digital PDP for the first time, including quick reference guides and FAQs.

For support, please call EDConnect on 1300 32 32 32 - Option 3 > 6.

ClassCover Learn, our teacher PD platform, has a new home!

The new and improved ClassCover Learn has an improved learning experience and hosts 95 hours of teacher professional development. Also, members can now access 19 extra hours through RTCON TV!

All of this is included in a yearly membership at one low price of $99 a year.

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Did you know that with a ClassCover Learn membership, you can get access to 95 hours of high quality teacher PD for only $99?

Our PD is all online so you can complete courses at your own pace and obtain a certificate on completion.

For NSW teachers, we have 16.5 hours NESA accredited with more to gain accreditation very soon.

Our courses are recognised Australia wide and align with the Australia Curriculum.

This is the cheapest way to get your course hours up and without compromising on quality.

See our full teacher PD library

ClassCover Learn has a 4.5 star rating, based off 21,055 reviews

Understand how the new Q+ accreditation tool supports all teachers including casual teachers.

Q+ is an all-in-one place, digital approach to meeting your accreditation requirements, whether casual or in full-time employment.

Offering easy log-in to update and manage your accreditation details, Q+ features:

• single sign-on and efficient administrative updates
• a step by step easy-to-follow process
• see significant requirements seen at-a-glance
• locate key resources
• store evidence of your ongoing professional learning and development.

Offering the portability casual teachers need, you can share your accreditation progress with the school you are currently working in.

Q+ also supports your annual Performance and Development Plan (PDP) with:

• Easy access to your PDP for goal-setting
• Information about professional learning
• New universal support resources with professional development planning and accreditation.

Q+ supports the professional growth of all teachers. It shows you what to do and when throughout your accreditation and performance development processes.

This initiative is part of the department’s Quality Time program that aims to simplify, modernise and reduce administrative processes and practices so teachers, principals, and school based non-teaching staff can focus on the work that matters most – teaching leading and supporting students.

Visit the Q+ Professional planning and accreditation tool ,

Watch the 2-minute animation introducing the Q+ tool