Standard 6:
Engage in professional learning
Teachers are embedded in learning communities which extend well beyond the classroom. From informal staff room chats to mandated Professional Development hours, a teacher's opportunities for professional learning are varied.
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I believe teaching should be a collaborative vocation where teachers create 'communities of practice'- informal groups not driven by externally mandated goals but by the passions of the participants (Mockler & Groundwater-Smith, 2009). As a member of SAETA I am encouraged to see teachers participate in a learning network by sharing ideas and resources via social media.
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This page showcases some of my professional learning to date. I reflect upon and connect these experiences with the AITSL standards where applicable.
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Evidence 1: SAETA Workshop
Evidence 1: Having attained a student membership with the South Australian English Teachers Association (SAETA), and having identified that I need to expand my repertoire of strategies for teaching English (focus area 6.1), I participated in a SAETA workshop for early-career teachers, which afforded me the opportunity to network with teachers and glean new ideas for the classroom (focus areas 6.2 & 7.4).
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The workshop was divided into two parts:
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Part 1: Teaching Grammar and Punctuation
This focused on the benefits of using Functional Grammar, which allows students to more easily comprehend the relationship between form, context and meaning. The workshop also introduced a range of practical tips for teaching grammar, including dedicating weekly lesson time for grammar/punctuation, using grammar songs, basing lessons on common issues, repetition, and having students use Grammarly to check their own work (focus areas: 2.1, 2.5).
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Part 2: Teaching Hard to Engage Students
This focused on practical strategies for hard to engage students including low SES and ATSI students. The speaker advocated using diagnostic assessment and WAVE levels (or tiers) to plan learning tasks and proffered an array of strategies, including: silent reading, student choice, use of visual aids, use of games and plot cards, writing prompts and having students develop their own content (focus areas: 1.1, 1.3, 4.1 & 4.3).
Evidence 2: Interim Self-Review
Evidence 2: Here is an interim self-review, wherein I identify the strengths and weaknesses of my teaching practice as they were midway through my final Professional Experience.
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In my review I identify my professional learning needs and align my future teaching goals with the AITSL Standards (focus area 6.1). I identify a need to increase my repertoire of teaching strategies for the content area of English, a need which I later addressed by attending the SAETA Early-Career Teachers Workshop.
Evidence 3:Mentor Feedback
Evidence 3: Here is an email thread showing my mentor's written feedback following my first Yr. 9 English lesson. Full of encouragement, it also specifies areas of my practice needing improvement, including transitions, pacing and behaviour management.
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I have included my reply to her email to demonstrate my positive reception of her feedback.
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I also have included her feedback after the next lesson with the same cohort, wherein she congratulates me for improving my transitions, pacing and class management, and, indeed, delivering the "perfect lesson".
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While subsequent lessons were by no means 'perfect', this thread demonstrates my openness to and facility for applying constructive feedback from my supervisor to develop my teaching practice (focus area: 6.3).
It also evinces my readiness to use a range of teaching strategies, resources, effective classroom communication, and to support student participation and manage classroom activities (focus areas: 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2).
Evidence 4: Notes from "Inclusive Learning" PD Session
Evidence 4: On both my Professional Experience placements I participated in staff meetings, curriculum area meetings and Professional Development sessions (focus areas: 6.2, 6.3, 6.4).
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Here is transcript of notes I took from a Professional Development session on "Inclusive Learning" at St John's Grammar, which reinforced the principles of inclusion and differentiation taught in the MTeach. A key learning I took away from this and applied to my teaching was to make adjustments as necessary (i.e. provide extra scaffolding) rather than set Tier 3 students up with separate tasks at the beginning (focus areas: 1,2, 1.5, 1.6, 4.1, 4.4).
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Other PD sessions I participated in include: a "Teachers' Panel" hosted by Flinders University, where teachers shared behaviour management strategies and career advice; staff development days at Renmark High School, focusing on teaching students in a world of AI and DECD Emergency Management Procedures; and three days of PD at St John's, which included a session on Teacher Well-being.
I have also participated in Flinders' Horizon Award, which offers generic PD sessions to assist students with the transition to employment. I have received a Silver Award for my volunteer work and engagement with Horizon programs.
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Standard 7
Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
Creating and maintaining positive professional relationships with colleagues, parents and the community is an incredibly important part of the teaching profession.
Parental involvement has a positive influence on student achievement levels (Ellis et al, 2015, p. 161), therefore opportunities to collaborate with parents regarding students' education should be embraced. Teachers ought to be approachable, honest, listen, share information and offer support to parents/carers (Ellis et all, 2015, p. 172).
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Meanwhile, according to Hattie (2017), 'collective teacher efficacy' is the number one factor influencing student achievement. Collective teacher efficacy is fostered by supportive leadership, mentoring, collaboration and critical friendship, which is 'a successful marrying of unconditional support and unconditional critique' (Mabeath & Jardine, 1998, p. 41).
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During my education, training and professional experience I have had opportunities to achieve proficiency in relation to Standard 7. Please keep scrolling to view my evidence.
Evidence 1: Email Exchange with Parent
Evidence 1: Here is an email exchange with a parent which has had personal information removed for privacy reasons.
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When I first received the email I was a little taken off-guard. I immediately felt a little attacked and consequently defensive ("Surely I discussed the rubric and made it available...this isn't my fault!"), then panicky ("Oh no! What if I didn't do a good enough job at making the assessment requirements and rubric clear?! Perhaps my comments on the assignment were inappropriate!"), before realising this parent was, far from attacking me, a concerned and involved parent wanting to gain insight into the factors affecting their son's engagement. Anyhow, my immediate feelings of defensiveness highlighted to me that there were indeed aspects of my practice needing improvement.
I composed a draft reply, then sat down with my mentor to edit it, taking on board her advice for forming constructive relationships with parents (focus areas: 3.7, 6.3). Her critique of my original reply was most helpful, and we sent a response which thanked the parent for their involvement, addressed the parent's concerns, shared information, justified teaching decisions but allowed for a review of grades and further collaboration to improve outcomes for the student in the future (focus areas: 5.5, 7.1).
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The parent's understanding and appreciative reply demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach taken at the guidance of my mentor (focus areas: 7.3). This incident and set of interpersonal interaction gives evidence of my capacity to have respectful, critical and collaborative relationships with colleagues and parents.
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Evidence 2:Training and Certifications
Through tertiary education and other training, I have developed the skills which enable me to create safe, productive and academically rigorous learning environments.
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Click on the images below to access full PDF documents.
Standards 7.1, 7.2 & 7.3 and more are met in this section.
Item 1: Master of Teaching (Secondary)
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This Portfolio reflects my learning throughout the entire MTeach.
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Click on the image (right) to view a PDF of my full MTeach transcript.
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All 'Graduate' levels of the Standards have been met through this course.
Item 3: Bachelor of Arts Transcript
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My BA equipped me with the in-depth content knowledge required to teach my specialisations to secondary students with expertise.
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English and Theatre Studies, Ancient World Studies (Majors) and Philosophy (Minor) are not only my areas of specialisation, the are my passions.
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This document links to Standard 2.1.
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Item 5: Child-related employment screening (CRES)
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A cleared CRES means I pose no risk to the safety of children.
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CRES links to Standards 7.1: Meet professional ethics and responsibilities and 7.2: Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements.
CRES was a requirement for undertaking Professional Experience placements.
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Item 1: MTeach
Flinders University, 2019
All focus areas, Graduate
Item 3: BA
University of Melbourne,
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Item 5: CRES
2018
Item 2: TESOL
Flinders University, 2016
Item 4: RAN
2018-2020
Item 6: First Aid
2019
Item 2: Graduate Certificate in TESOL Transcript
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The Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language equipped me with the knowledge and teaching strategies to support EAL/D students with English learning.
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This training links to Standard 1.3: Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Item 4: Responding to Abuse and Neglect Education and Care Training
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RAN training was a requirement for undertaking Professional Experience placements.
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This value of this training, for me, lay in learning some of the signs of abuse and neglect in young people. I feel more confident now in my ability to recognise these signs and respond accordingly. This training links to an array of Standards (see left).
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Item 6: First Aid Certificate
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First Aid training is a requirement for working in schools across Australia.
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First aid training links to Standard 7.2: Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
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Standards Covered:
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
Graduate: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may effect learning.*
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1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural and religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Graduate: Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.*
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1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
Graduate: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.*
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1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
Graduate: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability.*
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2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Graduate: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.*
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2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies
Graduate: Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.*
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4.1 Support student participation
Proficient: Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities.
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4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
Proficient: Establish and maintain orderly and workable routines to create an environment where student time is spent on learning tasks.
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4.4 Maintain student safety
Graduate: Describe strategies that support students' well-being and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
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6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs
Proficient: Use the National Professional Standards for Teachers and advice from colleagues to identify and plan professional learning needs.
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6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
Proficient: Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice, targeted to professional needs and school and/or system priorities
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6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Proficient: Contribute to collegial discussions and apply constructive feedback from colleagues to improve professional knowledge and practice.​
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6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
Proficient: Undertake professional learning programs designed to address identified student learning needs.
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7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
Proficient: Meet codes of ethics and conduct established by regulatory authorities systems and schools.
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7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
Proficient: Understand the implications of and comply with relevant legislative, administrative, organisational and professional requirements, policies and processes.
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7.3 Engage with the parents/carers
Proficient: Establish and maintain respectful collaborative relationships with parents/carers regarding their children's learning and well-being.
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7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
Proficient: Participate in professional and community networks and forums to broaden knowledge and improve practice.
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References
Ellis, M., Lock, G., & Lummis, G. (2015). Parent-Teacher Interactions: Engaging with Parents and Carers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(5), Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 01/01/2015, Vol.40(5).
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Hattie, J. (2017). visiblelearningplus.com. Cited in Waack, S. (2018), Hattie's 2018 updated list of factors related to student achievement: 252 influences and effect sizes (Cohen's d). Retrieved from:
https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/
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Macbeath, J., & Jardine, S. (1998). I didn't know he was ill – the role and value of the critical friend. Improving Schools, 1(1), 41-47.
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Mockler, N., & Groundwater-Smith, S. (2009). Teacher Professional Learning in an Age of Compliance: Mind the Gap (Vol. 2, Professional Learning and Development in Schools and Higher Education). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
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