Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
Nil
Unit rationale, description and aim
This professional experience orientates pre-service teachers to the school community, policies and procedures and current educational trends. Through this unit pre-service teachers engage in professional learning experiences that provide opportunities for the development of knowledge and skills, deeper cultural awareness, and professional identity. This unit enables pre-service teachers to employ a range of teaching approaches which caters for different learning needs and fosters both independent and collaborative learning. Opportunities are provided to develop and demonstrate effective classroom management which will ensure a safe and effective learning environment. Pre-service teachers will develop their understanding of codes of ethics and conduct, and will be required to complete online modules in legal and professional requirements, including Duty of Care, Child Protection and Mandatory Reporting. This includes a module on working with children and young people that will focus on responding to concerns and strategies to keep ourselves and others safe and support children, young people and vulnerable adults.
This professional experience comprises a minimum of 20 days placement and supervised teaching in a school context. It is complementary to the work in other units and enables pre-service teachers to apply the theory, skills, techniques, and processes presented and learned in Education Studies and Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment studies.
This unit aims to provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to develop and demonstrate effective classroom management which will ensure a safe and effective learning environment, through professional experience in a school setting.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - articulate a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the teacher’s role and the implications for practice, including: Professional Standards; policies and processes; codes of ethics and conduct; legal and professional responsibilities; and the broader contexts of schooling (GA3, GA5; APST 4.4, 4.5, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2)
LO2 - demonstrate a critical understanding of a range of effective verbal and non-verbal communication and interpersonal skills and strategies to support learner engagement (GA5; APST 3.5, 4.1, 4.2)
LO3 - apply knowledge of content, curriculum, pedagogy and learning to plan, implement and evaluate a range of teaching, assessment and feedback strategies, and use of broad range of resources (including safe and ethical use of ICT) in order to engage diverse learners in both major and minor teaching areas (GA1, GA5, GA8, GA10; APST 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2, 6.3)
LO4 - critically analyse, synthesise and develop a range of classroom management strategies and apply in extended lesson sequences (GA8; APST 2.1, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)
LO5 - apply assessment strategies and use assessment data to evaluate student learning and subsequently make well-considered decisions regarding relevant learning goals and teaching approaches (GA5, GA8; APST 2.3, 3.1, 5.1, 5.4)
LO6 - utilise self-evaluation critiques and reflection in addition to the acceptance of feedback from others to refine and improve professional practice (GA4; APST 3.6, 6.3)
LO7 - demonstrate an understanding of the importance of legislation, policies and strategies for building safe and supportive environments for working with children and young people (GA1, GA5; APST 7.2).
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning. |
1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. |
1.5 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. |
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. |
2.2 Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. |
2.3 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. |
2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. |
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
3.3 Include a range of teaching strategies. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
3.5 Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement. |
3.6 Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning. |
4.1 Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
4.2 Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions. |
4.3 Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour. |
4.4 Describe strategies that support students’ well-being and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements. |
4.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. |
5.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning. |
5.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning. |
5.4 Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice. |
6.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs. |
6.3 Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices. |
7.1 Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession. |
7.2 Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage. |
Content
Topics include:
- The complexities of the teacher’s role and the implications for practice, including: Australian Professional Standards for Teachers; organisational policies and processes; principles and codes of ethics and conduct; legal and professional responsibilities including Duty of Care, Child Protection and Mandatory reporting
- Building safe and supportive environments for working with children and young people
- Current teaching and learning theories for effective classroom interactions
- Development of effective resources, teaching strategies and learning activities, including lesson planning and preparation, which cater for different learning needs and contexts
- Implementation of appropriate assessment techniques/processes and feedback and reporting procedures for effective learning
- Effective communication and classroom management skills appropriate for creating and maintaining positive, safe and challenging learning environments
- Strategies to foster reflective and self-auditing practices to improve learning and teaching
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Refer to Professional Experience Handbook for detailed guidelines regarding teaching and other requirements.
Pre-service teachers in this phase of the Professional and Community Experience undertake a minimum of 20 days of supervised teaching in schools, comprising a combination of five to ten single days throughout semester, followed by a continuous 10 – 15 day block in the same school. This experience will involve:
- assisted immersion in school and class contexts to begin to experience aspects of the secondary school teacher’s role and responsibilities
- participation and engagement, as a community of learners with peers, supervising teachers and university staff, in structured observation, team and small group teaching, leading to whole class teaching
- structured observation and analysis of high quality teaching episodes in both the major and the minor teaching areas
A variety of learning-teaching strategies may be used including:
- face-to-face lectures for briefing and debriefing
- Attendance at all Professional Experience briefing and debriefing meetings is a unit requirement.
- online delivery of content and online quizzes
- Completion of all specified preparation and legal modules is compulsory prior to commencement of the school placement.
- The Working with Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults module is an online module that will take approximately 2 hours to complete. Successful participants will be given a record of completion.
- seminars, tutorials, or workshops, which include pre-service teacher-led discussions and group work, provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to reflect on and build on their experiences in the field.
- information and communication technologies may be utilised to facilitate an understanding of an educational community of practice.
Professional Experience: Teaching Requirements
Through school-based experiences, pre-service teachers will examine the nexus between theory and practice as they analyse and reflect upon current practices, develop communication, planning and teaching skills and relate their experiences to the theoretical foundations introduced through lectures and tutorials at university. In partnership with the teachers and school communities, they will practice and develop the content and skills explicitly addressed in on-campus units.
Suggested arrangement of the Professional Experience
5 Single Days - Proposed Teaching Expectation
Days 1 – 3
- Structured observation and small group/team teaching
- Assisting the class teacher in the teaching and learning process
- Self-auditing and evaluation
Days 3 – 5
- Structured observation and small group/team teaching
- One – two lessons/learning experiences per day, leading to whole class teaching
- Self-auditing and evaluation
Days 6 – 10 (Single days or incorporated into the block) - Proposed Teaching Expectation
Days 6 – 10
- Observation and small group/team teaching
- Assisting the class teacher in the teaching and learning process
- One – two lessons/learning experiences per day plus management of class routines
- Self-auditing and evaluation
Block Practicum: 10 days - Proposed Teaching Expectation
Weeks 3 – 4
- Two - three whole class lessons/learning experiences per day plus management of class routines
- Self-auditing and evaluation
Assessment strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers, the University and schools collaborate in co-ordinating the school based experiences of the pre-service teachers as they develop further their appreciation and understanding of the role of teacher. The report completed at the end of this unit covers the following themes:
- Professionalism – in conduct, in the execution of teaching and learning and in relationships with all parties
- Detailed, clearly expressed, thoroughly prepared and well-presented lessons
- Organisation and implementation of a range of learning activities and assessment strategies
- Diversity of teaching approaches
- Development of knowledge, skills and effective classroom strategies, including ICT, to promote engaging learning environments
- Engagement in a range of activities around the teacher’s role, including assisting the class teacher, structured observation and critical reflection, as appropriate to the setting.
The University will award the final grade based on reports from relevant school personnel.
Pre-service teachers who fail this unit will be asked to ‘show cause’ and will be terminated from enrolment in their course if the unit is failed twice.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Professional Experience Assessment Professional Experience requirements include compilation of evidence as required. Compilation of evidence will include:
This evidence must be compiled into a well-presented and well-organised Professional Experience folder, which must be updated on a daily basis throughout the placement. Artefacts and reflections should provide evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate, and can be included in the ePortfolio. | A pass or fail grade will be awarded for the completion of the professional experience | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 | GA1, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Hurdle Requirement: Online preparation modules Prior to commencing the Professional Experience placement, pre-service teachers must complete a series of compulsory online preparation modules, attaining a score of 95% or above in each module. The modules cover:
Pre-service teachers must also complete and provide evidence of the the following:
Note: Completion of this module does not exempt students from seeking a Working with Children Check or a Police Check where this is appropriate or mandated. | Hurdle requirement: a Pass grade only will be awarded.
Pre-service teachers will not commence the Professional Experience placement until all modules have been passed and all legal requirements have been met. | LO7 | GA1, GA5 |
Representative texts and references
Berns, R. (2013). Child, family, school, community (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Clarke, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.
Groundwater-Smith, S., Brennan, M., McFadden, M., Mitchell, J., & Munns, G. (2009). Secondary schooling in a changing world (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage.
Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R. & Le Cornu, R. (2015). Teaching: Challenges and dilemmas. (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.
Henniger, M. L. (2009). The teaching experience: An introduction to reflective practice. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2014). Models of teaching (9th ed.). Boston/London: Pearson.
Killen, R. (2013). Effective teaching strategies: lessons from research and practice (6th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.
Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Slee, J. (2014). Classroom management: Creating positive learning environments (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning.
Pollard, A. (2014). Reflective teaching in schools (4th ed.). London: Bloomsbury.