Application of the NSW Professional Teaching Standards

1. Application of the NSW Professional Teaching Standards Graduate Diploma of Teaching & Learning 2013 NOTE: For complete copies of lesson plans and programs please refer to my e-portfolio (http://mcuraeportfolio.weebly.com/)

2. HAMBLEDON PUBLIC SCHOOLBali Dr. QuakersHill NSW 2763 Photo taken with 1/2M. 08/12

3. DOMAINS PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE 1 Teachers know their subject content and how to teach that content to their students. 2 Teachers know their students and how they learn. 3 Teachers plan, assess and report for effective learning. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 4 Teachers communicate effectively with their students. 5 Teachers create and maintain safe and challenging learning environments through the use of classroom management skills. 6 Teachers continually improve their professional knowledge and practice. PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT 7 Teachers are actively engaged members of their profession and the wider community.

4. DOMAIN 1 Teachers know their subject content & how to teach that content to their students. STANDARD 1.1.1 Demonstrate relevant knowledge of the central concepts, modes of enquiry and structure of the content/discipline(s). STANDARD 1.1.2 Demonstrate research-based knowledge of the Pedagogies of the content/discipline(s) taught. STANDARD 1.1.3 Design and implement lesson sequences using knowledge of the NSW syllabus documents or other curriculum requirements of the Education Act.

5. Lesson 1- Fitness (Throw and Catch)Lesson 2- Fitness (Throw and Catch)

6. continuation… 1) The lessons on Fitness is part of a program I designed that was taught over 4 weeks. The lessons were structured around curriculum documents and the children’s developmental stages. The learning objectives identified as learning outcomes appropriate to the teaching tasks were recorded on each learning plan. 2) A lot of research was done on planning and designing the program. It was particularly centred around the developmental stages and milestones of children aged 6-7 years old. Apart from the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Syllabus, other resources I used to design the program are, ‘Get Skilled, Get Active’ (a K-6 resource to support the teaching of fundamental movement skills), ‘Fundamental Motor skills’ (a manual for classroom teachers) and ‘Child Development’ by Berk.

7. STANDARD 1.1.4 Demonstrate current knowledge and proficiency in the use of the following: • Basic operational skills • Information technology skills • Software evaluation skills • Effective use of the internet • Pedagogical skills for classroom management.

8. The images above are examples of me using digital resources in the classroom as one of my teaching strategies. 1) Digital technology plays a crucial part of my teaching practices. I use it for planning, programming, modelling and demonstrating ideas/concepts, engaging and stimulating, for reflecting and keeping records of student assessments are to name a few. 2) Reflecting and testing new approaches are regular practices of mine to improve my teaching and learning methods for classroom management and having technological skills is huge bonus in addition to this.

9. DOMAIN 2 Teachers know their students & how they learn. STANDARD 2.1.1 Demonstrate knowledge, respect and understanding of the social, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds of students and how these factors may affect learning.

10. 1) Child & Adolescent Development2) Inclusion in Education • I believe a duty of a teacher is to help students realise their potential, to develop relationships with them and be interested in who they are to become. I also believe that classrooms should genuinely reflect a concern for students, a regard for their learning and an interest for their advancement. These teaching philosophies of mine are very personal to me as they were inspired by my own life experiences especially as a student. Together with Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach on cognitive development, Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition theory and Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, my planning and teaching in a culturally diverse classroom is greatly influenced by these particulars. • Inclusion in education is characterised by Foreman (2011, p 16) as being “based on the philosophy that schools should, without question, provide for the needs of all the children in the community, whatever their background, their ability or their disability”.

11. continuation… • The first extract above is from a paper I wrote about catering for a particular EAL/D student and it focuses on getting to know my students, where they are from, what they know and how they learn best. • The second paper I wrote is based upon the principles of inclusion. Inclusion in education is characterised by Foreman as being “based on the philosophy that schools should, without question, provide for the needs of all the children in the community, whatever their background, their ability or their disability”..

12. STANDARD 2.1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of the typical stages of students’ physical, social and intellectual development as well as awareness of exceptions to general patterns.

13. The following slides are from a PowerPoint presentation I have created aspart of my in-school task during my placement. Here, I have identified howknowledge of child or adolescent development influences planning andteaching.

14. Continuation… • PIAGET’S THEORY- “Three educational principles derived from his theory [Piaget]continue to have a widespread influence on teacher training and classroom practices” (Berk, 2009, p.256). 1) Discovery learning 2) Sensitivity to children’s readiness to learn 3) Acceptance of individual differences. Each of these principles has been applied to the planning and programming during this practicum so that learning was scaffolded. The objective was to allow students the opportunity to explore using different materials and strategies and not merely present them with ready-made knowledge.

15. STANDARD 2.1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of students’ different approaches to learning.

16. “Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences defines intelligence in terms of distinct sets of processing operations that permit individuals to solve problems, create products, and discover new knowledge in a wide range of culturally valued activities” (Berk, 2009,p.323). Linking this theory to teaching practices is crucial and necessary to successfully engage individual learners. • I use various types of media to try and cater for all types of learners. These media include visual aids, concrete materials, audio recording, videos, different types of texts, flashcards, smartboard and ipad.

17. STANDARD 2.1.4 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of students’ skills, interests and prior achievements and their impact on learning.

18. Abstract concepts especially in subjects such as maths and science can be better grasped with the help of visuals, concrete objects and experiments. Students should also be given scaffolding instruction and be given the chance to play (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2002). • Engaging the students in physical activity using fun games that the children are familiar with.

19. STANDARDS 2.1.5 and 2.1.6 1)Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specific strategies for teaching: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students • Students with Special Education Needs • Non-English Speaking Background students • Students with Challenging Behaviours. 2) Demonstrate knowledge of a range of literacy strategies to meet the needs of all students including: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students • Students with Special Education Needs • Non-English Speaking Background students • Students

20. 1) http://forwardfrombasics.weebly.com2) Inclusive Education • ‘Forward from Basics is a website I have created as part of my university assessment which addresses issues of how to produce literate students using different strategies for all types of learners. • (same as in slide 10) Inclusive Education is a paper I have written exploring the importance of inclusive education in today’s diverse communities.

21. DOMAIN 3 Teachers plan, assess & report for effective learning. STANDARD 3.1.1 Demonstrate the capacity to identify and articulate clear and appropriate learning goals in lesson preparation. STANDARD 3.1.2 Plan and implement coherent lessons and lesson sequences that are designed to engage students and address learning outcomes. STANDARD 3.1.3 Select and organise subject/content in logical, sequential and structured ways to address student learning outcomes.

22. 1) Maths Program2) Fitness Program

23. Continuation… • Appropriate learning goals are clearly outlined in both programs in lesson preparation. • They consist of coherent and sequential lessons designed to engage and address key objectives.

24. STANDARD 3.1.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of appropriate and engaging resources and materials to support students’ learning.

25. In the ‘money’ lessons, I used ‘ALDI’ brochures, real money, • interactive activity on the ‘smartboard’ and the ipad to learn • and practice adding amounts in dollars and cents. • ‘Length’, 2D shapes and ‘Built Environment (HSIE)’ were • covered in this ‘shoebox’ project I had introduced to the children • which was concluded by having them present it during ‘NEWS’.

26. STANDARD 3.1.5, 3.1.6 and 3.1.8 *Demonstrate knowledge and use of a range of strategies to assess student achievement of learning outcomes. *Demonstrate knowledge of the link between outcomes and assessment strategies. *Demonstrate knowledge and a rationale for keeping accurate and reliable records to monitor students’ progress.

27. RECORDS AND REPORT SAMPLES 1) 2) 3) • Other assessment tools used during my practicum were on-going stage • assessments, SENA testing, sightword program and 1-minute reading.

28. RECORDS AND REPORT SAMPLES 1) After every writing session, I assess the student’s writing based on what I have taught them and this is done through anecdotal records. Copies of their work samples (portfolio) have also been collected and kept in each students’ files. To sum up, I gave out an assessment where the children had to sequence events in a story and identify elements in a story to see what they have learned in the term. 2) Presenting the ‘shoebox’ project during NEWS was a great way to assess student achievement of learning outcomes in HSIE, 2D shapes and measurement. 3) Notes of observation are taken to assess how students complete an exercise. This particular note was written after a fitness session which turns out to be a very important evaluation as the following lessons had to be modified based on my observations.

29. STANDARD 3.1.7 and 3.1.9 *Give helpful and timely oral and written feedback to students. *Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and practices of reporting to students, parents and caregivers.

30. ORAL FEEDBACK • The best form of feedback given to the Year 1 students I taught is done orally, which I constantly give out to individual students and as a whole class during, after a lesson or exercise and when continuing with a session. I also ensure I give the students a chance to work on and improve their work after feedback is given. Examples of feedback given to class: 1) Feedback was given to the whole class, after a writing session reminding them that ‘RECOUNT’ tells us what happened in the past and not written using future tense. 2) Structuring written work so that the orientation, body and conclusion continue from one to the next- This feedback was given when I found a lot of students introduced one topic and then talked about a different one in the body.

31. Reporting to students, parents and caregivers • On numerous occasions I have reported back to parents regarding their children’s progress, behaviour and overall well-being. 1) One particular student lacks concentration and frequently gets into trouble. After speaking with him privately, I found out the underlying issue to be lack of sleep and told this student that he needed to work on this so that he is able to participate and work better in class. 2) There is another student who I found to be highly dependent on teacher’s assistance. After speaking with her, I found that she was having trouble with her eyes so I made sure she was closer to the board and spoke with her mother about her issues. She now wears glasses and produces more work in class. • I had the opportunity to sit at a parent & teacher interview and gained a better insight of the principles and practices of reporting to all parties involved.

32. STANDARD 3.1.10 Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and practices for using student assessment results to reflect on lesson sequences and inform further planning of teaching and learning.

33. REFLECTION • Reflecting is a regular practice during and after a teaching session and is used to inform and improve further planning. 1) First lesson of fitness, I found that the balls initially used were too large making it difficult for the children to perform the skill components required for a throw/catch skill. 2) After presenting on the smartboard on how to write up a recount, I reflected that I should’ve provided more examples on the features such as of verbs, nouns & adjectives.

34. DOMAIN 4 Teachers communicate effectively with their students. STANDARD 4.1.1 Communicate clear directions to students about learning goals.

35. INTRODUCTION and CONCLUSION • When introducing lessons, I ensure I communicate to the student what the purpose of the lesson/activity is. • Concluding a writing lesson by reading a sample from a student is a great way to sum up what the intensions are for the lesson and encourages others to try and reach that goal.

36. STANDARD 4.1.2, 4.1.3 and 4.1.5 *Demonstrate a range of questioning techniques designed to support student learning. *Listen to students and engage them in classroom discussion. *Use a range of teaching strategies and resources including ICT and other technologies to foster interest and support learning.

37. QUESTIONING and DISCUSSION using ICT 1) 2)

38. QUESTIONING and DISCUSSION using ICT • Instead of showing the students pictures of 2D shapes and asking them for their features, I gave them the features then they had to think about the corresponding shape and draw a picture of it themselves. • First I demonstrated the meaning of verbs and then the children had to come up with their own with the help of the picture. • Both turned out to be great discussions that had all students engaged. • With lower primary I mainly ask questions based on categories, knowledge and comprehension (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy).

39. STANDARD 4.1.4 Use student group structures as appropriate to address teaching and learning goals.

40. GROUP STRUCTURES 1) 2)

41. GROUP STRUCTURES • Using groups especially in sports/games is a great way for students to learn about team work and gain social skills. • In the ‘Making Groups’ lesson in Maths, I had students work in pairs. Although it worked for some, it didn’t work so well with others especially with one particular student who merely depended on the other student. What I should’ve done was work with the ‘weaker’ students together as a group.

42. DOMAIN 5 Teachers create & maintain safe & challenging learning environments through the use of classroom management skills. STANDARD 5.1.1 Demonstrate a variety of strategies to develop rapport with all students. STANDARD 5.1.2 Establish supportive learning environments where students feel safe to risk full participation. STANDARD 5.1.3 Demonstrate strategies to create a positive environment supporting student effort and learning.

43. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS * Break time is a great time to get to know my students’ interests, hobbies and home life which is why I spend as much time as I can talking with them before and after school, crunch & sip, recess and lunch. 1) One particular student lacks concentration and frequently gets into trouble. After speaking with him privately, I found out the underlying issue to be lack of sleep and told this student that he needed to work on this so that he is able to participate and work better in class. 2) There is another student who I found to be highly dependent on teacher’s assistance. After speaking with her, I found that she was having trouble with her eyes so I made sure she was closer to the board and spoke with her mother about her issues. She now wears glasses and produces more work in class.

44. CREATING POSITIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

45. STANDARD 5.1.4 Provide clear directions for classroom activities and engage students in purposeful learning activities.

46. PURPOSEFUL LEARNING • In the beginning of a lesson, an overview of what the lesson will be about and an explanation of the purpose of what is to be taught and learnt is given. • I learned the importance of being explicit with instructions especially with lower primary. • I try to provide materials that are relevant purposeful and engaging as per the following examples. 1) I used a local newspaper article that I thought the kids would find interesting and used it to test their comprehension skills. 2) The Aldi catalogue was used in practicing adding dollars and cents in a Maths session.

47. Local shopping catalogue Local newspaper article

48. STANDARD 5.1.5 and 5.1.6 *Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to managing student behaviour and their applications in the classroom. *Demonstrate knowledge of principles and practices for managing classroom discipline.

49. MANAGING BEHAVIOUR • Classroom management became a key focus of mine especially during my last few weeks of my practicum. I learned that a poorly managed class was one that was disruptive and where little learning takes place. • Some of the strategies I learned and used to encourage students to be “respectful and responsible learners” included, positive reinforcement, counting, clapping, silences and looks, rewards (e.g. certificate, stamps and raffle tickets) and outlining expectations and the consequences for not meeting them. Reflection: One of the classroom management strategies I use is to provide engaging lessons/activities because when kids are engaged they are on-task which means leaving little room for misbehaviour. I’ve learned that before I give out any instructions, to make sure all students are listening so asking them to put their hands on their heads or pencils down are some methods I’ve used to ensure I have their attention. Also, allocation tasks to students makes classroom routines run smoothly eg. getting a couple of students hand out books before a lesson. Using a timer is also very useful.

50. STANDARD 5.1.7 Understand specific requirements for ensuring student safety in schools.