The Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia (STELLA) were developed and launched in 2001. In this article, the author aims to consider their relevance and value to practising and beginning English teachers. STELLA provides a lens through which the very complex job that English teachers do to prepare students for literate lives in the 21st century is brought into sharp focus. The STELLA framework comprises standard statements, key words and key questions. The beginning teachers were invited to write a short description of English classroom teacher practice as a response to one or more of the key questions. The key words and questions are reprinted in this article. (Contains 1 note.)