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AI selection criteria coach for teachers

Paste a selection criterion and your draft response. Get a panel-style score, specific fixes and a STAR rewrite mapped to the Australian Professional Standards.

Your draft

0 words

Your text is used only to generate this feedback and to improve the tool. Don't include students' names or other people's personal details.

What you'll get

  • 1A panel-style score out of 10
  • 2What's working and what's missing
  • 3The AITSL Standards your answer evidences
  • 4A STAR rewrite in your own voice

Reviewed by an AI coach briefed on Australian merit selection, the AITSL Standards and each state's processes. It never invents experience you don't have.

In short

A strong teacher selection criteria response answers the criterion directly, then proves it with one specific example in STAR form: the situation, your task, the actions you took and a measurable result for students. Panels look for evidence linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Paste a criterion and your draft to get a score and a sharper rewrite.

How to use the ai selection criteria coach

  1. 1

    Paste the criterion

    Copy the exact wording from the job ad or role description, whether it's a NSW targeted selection criterion, a Victorian key selection criterion or a WA statement of claims.

  2. 2

    Paste your draft response

    Add what you've written so far. Rough notes are fine; the coach works best when it can see your real example.

  3. 3

    Add the context

    Tell it the role (graduate, experienced, leadership or casual) and any word limit in the ad.

  4. 4

    Read the feedback and rewrite

    You'll get a panel-style score, the specific gaps, the Standards your answer should be evidencing and a STAR rewrite in your own voice, within the word limit.

What selection panels are looking for

Government and many non-government schools in Australia hire on merit. A panel reads every application against the same criteria and shortlists the applicants whose evidence best matches them. That means a response is judged on evidence, not enthusiasm. A panel member should be able to tick the criterion off after reading your first two sentences, then see proof in the example that follows.

The language changes between systems. NSW uses targeted selection criteria, Victoria uses key selection criteria (KSC) and WA asks for a statement of claims. The principle is the same: show what you did, how you did it and what changed for students. See our guides to NSW targeted selection criteria and key selection criteria for Victorian teachers.

The STAR structure, and how the coach uses it

Worked example

The shape of a strong STAR response

Opening sentence
Answer the criterion in one line, using its key words
Situation
The class, year level or context, in one sentence
Task
What you needed to achieve, and why it mattered
Action
The specific steps you took, most of the response
Result
What changed for students, with evidence such as assessment data or work samples
Close One line linking what you learned to the role you're applying for

This is the structure the coach checks for. It doesn't invent examples: the best rewrites come from your own real experience.

The coach scores your response against what a merit panel looks for: a direct answer, a specific example, your own actions (not your team's), a result for students and clear links to the Standards. It then shows you which part is weakest and rewrites the response using your example.

Linking to the Australian Professional Standards

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers have 7 standards in 3 domains (Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement), across 4 career stages: Graduate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead. Panels often expect your evidence to match the career stage of the role. A graduate's response can draw on practicum; a Proficient teacher's should show sustained classroom practice.

  • Know students and how they learn and know the content and how to teach it (Professional Knowledge).
  • Plan for and implement effective teaching, create supportive and safe learning environments and assess, give feedback and report (Professional Practice).
  • Engage in professional learning and engage professionally with colleagues, parents and the community (Professional Engagement).

Other quick fixes the coach looks for

  • Your first sentence answers the criterion using its own words
  • You've used "I", not "we", for the actions that were yours
  • There's one main example, not three thin ones
  • The result includes evidence: data, work samples, feedback or observation
  • You've stayed within the word or page limit in the ad
  • Jargon and acronyms are spelled out the first time

Free review and full access

Your first review is free. After that, you can buy six months of unlimited reviews or get everything with Pro. The coach gives general feedback on your writing; it can't know a particular panel's priorities, so read the role description and talk to the school contact if you can. Your draft is used to generate your feedback.

Read selection criteria for teachers for worked examples, and practise the interview that follows with the AI teacher interview coach.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write teacher selection criteria?
Answer each criterion directly in the first sentence, then prove it with one specific example in STAR form: situation, task, action and result. Focus most of the response on what you did and finish with what changed for students.
What is the STAR method for selection criteria?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It's a way to structure an example so a panel can see the context, your goal, the steps you took and the outcome, in that order.
What are targeted selection criteria in NSW?
They're the specific criteria a NSW public school job ad asks you to address, alongside the general requirements of the role. Each one should be answered with evidence from your own teaching.
How long should a selection criteria response be?
As long as the job ad allows, and no longer. Limits vary between systems and schools, so check the ad and role description. The coach fits rewrites to the limit you enter.
Should I mention the teaching standards in selection criteria?
Yes, where it helps. Linking your evidence to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers shows the panel you understand what's expected at your career stage, but the evidence matters more than naming the standard.
Is the AI selection criteria coach free?
Your first review is free. After that, a one-off payment gives you six months of unlimited reviews, or get it with TeacherPay AU Pro.
Will the AI write my selection criteria for me?
It rewrites your own draft and example into a stronger response, but it won't invent experience. Panels can tell when an example isn't real, and interviews often test it.

Guides that go with this tool

Applications

Teacher selection criteria: how to answer them, with worked STAR examples

The method panels reward, the length rules by state, and four complete example responses you can adapt.

NSW applications

NSW targeted selection criteria: the half-page rule, how panels judge you, and two worked examples

The NSW Department's page limits and format, how merit selection panels work, and two half-page example responses.

VIC applications

Key selection criteria for Victorian teachers: format, panel rules and example responses

School Jobs Vic application rules, how Victorian panels assess you, and worked KSC responses you can adapt.