I am well on the way to becoming a competent and effective teacher in my chosen fields of expertise, positive professional relationships have enabled me to further learn and develop.
 
 My current strengths lie in thorough planning for lessons and logical sequencing of content and activity – I am able to build up students for success (values and processes underpinned in Backward Design / Understand by Design planning framework). I present learning as a journey to my students, to enable them to see where they are headed and where they have been and the linking of it all together. Through planning, I am able to setup a classroom (approximately the first 10 minutes) to ensure students have success and feel confident. I can clearly articulate instruction, expectations and requirements for lessons to students and make them understandable for different students’ needs/abilities. I provide students with the why, rather than just here is a directive, go do it. I easily build rapport and make relationships/connections with my students and this informs my planning and my teaching practices. I have recognised my adaptability to manage situations that arise and the different classroom activities that go on. I am beginning to see I can utilise differentiated instruction for my students benefit to enable them to succeed. I am flexible and patient in dealing with the students and what goes on in the classroom. Developing my own classroom management style provided success, through me being consistent with my approaches, my students know what to expect and follow easily. I use a variety of teaching strategies and instructional methods for student success and understanding. E.g. hands up to show me you have completed the directive, providing learning intentions at the start of class, providing time limits and facilitating learning (not just giving student’s answers, asking why, what, how and what if). I take an active position in the class, moving around, chatting and helping as required. I was able to develop my own assessments and/or working existing assessment to mark student work with real experience using performance standards, helping students understand them. The managing of Year 9 and 11 food practical environment was a new experience, I feel I can create a successful/safe learning environment for students.
 
My current areas of development lie in developing my start of class recaps in order to be more effective and debrief what happened previously to lead into what is next. I would like to improve at following up student work and not just letting it pass by the due dates. I need to work more with the performance standards and my own understanding of them. I feel, early on in my classes I projected a weak presence (images of timidity, awkwardness, and indecisiveness). I acknowledge these of these might be taken as signs of weakness that students may take advantage of them. In term of behaviour management; I am comfortable with disciplining students who are talking, and when having to address the whole class but feel as though right now the strategy I tend to use to deal with students who are be disruptive, is to speak individually with the student, once/twice and then ignore it, not making a scene and finding common ground. I would like to develop strategies that I can use to manage this better. Additionally, I need to work on being firmer, I am too lenient. I need to be able to be tough but fair with my students. I have learnt that I need to be more vigilant of student activities to ensure they are on task and not just assume they are doing it.  I have begun to work on this.
 
Where to now, from here is it evident that I have been able to identify key strengths. After this placement and for my next placement for me to move to the next level, I need to continue writing detailed lesson plans and stepping it out for myself, so I can consciously be thinking about what I am doing and how I am doing it and if it is being effective. Focusing on structure and format, on being firm but fair and on watch and being vigilant of students to ensure they are doing work. I need to continue to follow through, taking feedback and actioning to improve my practice and the experience that my students have within the classroom.
 

THIS WEEK I:

• Taught 3 out of the 4 classes in my timetable for the entire week.
• Strengthened my relationship with all my students through interaction in class.
• Had time to review where I am at currently in terms of teaching practice and my own performance – STRENGTHS/LIMTATIONS/CHALLENEGES/STILL DEVELOPING.
• Continued to get to know the school and its values and integrated this into my educational philosophy.
  • Integrated into the school’s values and mission well.
• Attended/observed some Parent-Teacher Conversations.
• Focus on continuing to build rapport but at the same time this week more content focused with me managing the classroom and learning environment.

 

​Date: Friday, 5th May 2017
​
Today I Did:

• I observed and started to participate and teach with Year 11 Child Studies.
• I want be able to finalise my timetable.
• I want to do some professional planning.

Today I Learnt:

• Homeroom
  • Routine…. Homeroom does not officially start until both teachers are present. The student take control. Prayer, class bag. They independently read the notices once roll etc. has been taken.
• FREES-  spent on the organisation of my professional planner -keep track of what I do when I do it etc.
• Site Coordinator was away but was spoken to by the principal, who I gave all the information too, will email Monday and Call Tuesday to follow up.
• Year 11 Child Studies
  • Draws back to aims and practical experience.
  • Recaps yesterday with class.
  • Expectation is that after the role is completed the student are ready to go and have prepared themselves.
  • Even though notes are a part of the activity, watching video is more important… always able to watch them later.
  • When watching video with the student it is not just about the facts and analyse of what they are saying, it is also about looking at what was done, could it have been done better… positive, minus, interesting.
  • Create context to the assessment and provide background to what they are doing.
  • YOU NEED TO BE SPEAKING AND WRITING FORMALLY IN ASSESSMENT… x kids.
• Classes I will be taking
  • Year 11 CS- Gaitneris
  • Year 8 RE – Prior
  • Year 10 HR – 10 BLUE
  • + 2 more TBC

 
BEFORE BLOCK:

• Finalise timetable.
• Begin preliminary planning for all classes.

Date: Wednesday, 3rd May 2017
​
Today I Did:

• I continued observe my mentor teachers in action.
• Observed a Year 11 Hospitality Class.
• Identified my focus for my teaching block when teaching across all of my line at these classes.
• Had the chance to work one on one with a few students.

​
Today I Learnt:

• I have noted that all the teachers I have observed use explicit instruction to setup the class and learning that will take place in the class.
• I have seen different styles that teacher’s in school use and how student may not respond well to certain styles, e.g. authoritarian approach.
• When working with my class I will seek to build rapport and relationship with them in order to be able to respect them and have them respect me.
• Year 11 Hospitality – focus on use of specific language (mise en place, textures, soft, smooth etc. Teacher spends time on explain correct writing format. Teacher is setting up the students to be successful within the subject in future years. Teacher has measures in place that allow them to succeed and extend themselves as necessary.
• Year 9 IT
  • 1 on 1 work with students to solve issues on Photoshop and have them be success in executing skills after demonstration.
• Year 11 Child Studies
  • FOCUS at this school seems to be on literacy and correct use of word etc. This will need to be built in to my lessons.
  • Choice of word – reflection on your strength and what you are still developing (not weaknesses or limitations).
  • CLASS STRUCTURE:
  • Roll class
  • Greeting students as they walk in, beating them to class.
  • Recap of student lesson – you would be surprised how many students give blank faces when asked what happened in yesterday’s class.
  • Child Studies at school is designed to look at Child Care as a career path, to create a passion and let them know that further study is available.
  • We will be working on the new unit (started Wednesday) and I will eventually be taking over the class and continue on with this unit. We will need to sit down book kitchen and discuss food orders.
  • Effort is as important, if not more important than academic achievement.
• Classes I will be taking
  • Year 11 CS- Gaitneris
  • Year 8 RE – Prior
  • Year 10 HR – 10 BLUE
  • + 2 more TBC

 
Next Time:

• I want to continue to immerse myself in the college culture and come to further understand the vision and mission that they set out.
• I want be able to finalise my timetable.

• Religion the answers you get for marking will be more varied from students - keep open mind for responses.
• Suggested format - you may have or develop you own style of marking, this is how Lisa. F does it.
  • Look and mark the student she knows will be a higher grade student. Then do the rest, this way you know generally what to look for.
  • Avoid distractions and only look at the evidence the student gives - e.g. written or visual response  NOT writing style or page layout and formatting.
  • If they have the evidence shown somewhere, you can give them marks for their work.

 
WHY DO WE MARK?

• To see if they understand the task
• To see if they have met the learning intention
• To check that they have completed the task
• To provide useful feedback
• To motivate and engage students

 
 
WHEN DESIGNING DESIGN BREIFS AND ASSESSMENT TO USE WITH STUDENT, CONSIDER ASSESSMENT AND THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA...

• What do we want the students to learn?
• Why does the learning matter?
• What do we want the students to do/produce?
• How well do we expect them to do it?
• (The ACT Quality Teaching model, Assessment Practice Guide)

 
 
USEFUL RESOURCES:
 
http://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/297182/Teachers_Guide_to_Assessment_Web.pdf’
 
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/apr/16/how-to-marking-techniques-teacher-feedback-students
 
http://thehighlyeffectiveteacher.com/marking-tips-to-reduce-your-work-time/
​

Date: Wednesday, 12th April 2017
​
Today I Did:

• I to meet some of my classes and observe my mentor teachers in action.
• I had a people and culture induction with my Site Director and was officially inducted in to the site. I was given a key, an office and a computer login.

Today I Learnt:

•  Policies to keep in mind:
  • Pastoral Care
  • Attendance Policy
  • Behaviour Education Policy
  • Protective Practices (orange booklet)
    • What is reasonable?
    • Boundaries for you.
• It is possible to access school system from anywhere with Citrics, I have emailed instruction to my Uni email account.
• Important: use students, not child, girls or kids.
• Note responsible people
  • Year 8 – Rita
  • Year 10 – Ali
• Classes I will be taking
  • Year 11 CS- Gaitneris
  • Year 8 RE – Prior
  • Year 10 HR – 10 BLUE
  • + 2 more TBC
• Child studies
  • 25 students in class, EALD high student number,
  • The course for Year 11 is written to boast literacy and writing work.
  • No textile component, 2 practicals for food.
  • Aimed to prepared for Stage 2 SACE Subject like Hospitality and Child Studies.
  • They are in the same room expect for when they use the kitchen.
  • General structure to lesson.
    • Intro, expectations for to today.
    • Scan room, view they are doing the work.
    • Individually helps student with work, excepts drafts.
    • Uses an assessment collection sheet.
  • Constantly using positive affirmations to affirm students.
  • Doesn’t sit down just keeps moving.

 
Next Time:

•  I want to continue to immerse myself in the college culture and come to further understand the vision and mission that they set out.
• I want to work 1 on 1 with a student in one of the class and being the rapport building process.
• I need to follow up my timetable with my placement Site Director.

Date: Wednesday, 5th April 2017
​
Today I Did:

•  I attended a ALL COHORT excursion with the Year 10. This was the RAA Street Smart High Seminar.
• I seek to look at risk management plan for this excursion, see what content this seminar involves and learn about how the teacher predict what is going to happen in terms of student reactions with what is occurring on these day.

Today I Learnt:

• The seminar day include the following: http://www.raa.com.au/motoring-and-road-safety/driver-education-for-schools/street-smart
  • witness a simulated crash scene, including pre-and post-crash outcomes
  • hear from young people whose lives have been affected by road trauma
  • interact with leading community, state government and industry organisations who provide programs that aim to keep young people safe.
• Teacher Program for 2017 - http://www.raa.com.au/documents/street-smart-high-teacher-program-2017
• Observed that for these types of excursion the following ratio of teaching staff to students occurred… 2-3 Teacher per 30 students,
• The councillor also attend to ensure that if students had adverse reactions to content, they could support them and not have main supervising teachers taken from supervision of group.
• Identified that students were to be in pairs when going to the toilet etc.
• There were concerns that some of the girls may be want to sneak of meet with the boys form the surround high schools.
• Importance of roll call… In homeroom, before getting on the bus and then when back at school.
• The Year 10 Coordinator prior to promoting this excursion was required to complete and submit a Risk Management – identifying potential risks for staff and students.
  • Main risk for this excursion – Bus accident and physical/emotional harm that would cause but then also the emotionality of the content and then feelings and experience these may bring up for our girls.
• In the lead-up to the beginning of the seminar…
  • Teacher identified at risk student (those who may have adverse reactions) and spread themselves between them.
  • The coordinator sat behind the entire group to have the full picture of the student cohort and can see student’s reactions.
  •  I was positioned in the middle of students within my homeroom.
• AFTER EXCURSION: WHS Induction took place.

 
Next Time:

• I will have the opportunity to meet some of my classes and observe my mentor teachers in action.
• I have a people and culture induction with my Site Director and will be officially inducted in to the site. I will be given a key, an office and a computer login.