Associate Teacher Meeting

Associate Teacher Meeting 30 April 2009

Haere mai and welcome Whakatepea te ko, kia kotahi We are in this together

Role of the Associate Teacher Provide opportunities for students to: • refine practical experience • construct new learning, knowledge and understanding • try out ideas and theories to test and modify them in practice Observe student’s teaching • model and discuss own assessment, planning, teaching, evaluating and reflecting • introduce student to teachers and families • induct into centre’s policies and programme • provide support and encouragement • monitor progress carefully • discuss student responsibilities and participation/contributions • provide regular verbal and written feedback • discuss any concerns with student and university supervisor • regard student as a potential professional colleagues • contribute to the triadic assessment process • complete weekly reports and final assessment report and return final report to practicum office

University Supervisor • Initial supervisory visit to liaise with associate, clarify requirements, check student has prepared profile for notice board, check student’s hours of attendance and non-contact time activities, professional preparation, check practicum file/portfolio set up, provide initial guidance, arrange time of triadic assessment visit, set up process of receiving and responding to reflections. • Assessment visit to read portfolio, observe teaching (minimum ¾ hour) • Facilitate triadic discussion • Contribute towards assessment • Provide guidance and clarify future needs (as required) • During practicum: • to respond to queries • liaise as necessary • provide support • respond to reflections • deal with concerns • After practicum to write up final report/confirm results and send to practicum office

Student teacher responsibilities Contact associate teacher and visit centre if possible Attend 7.5 hours each day Follow centre or kindergarten policies Provide profile for notice board Inform of any absences Provide evidence of understanding from course work Maintain confidentiality and ethical practice Communication and team work Engage in teaching and learning Understand teaching responsibilities of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Consistently reflect on own practice Document involvement in teaching and learning Demonstrate teamwork Prepare for triadic assessment and contributeprofessionally

Social Sciences Health Drama Physical Education Mathematics Dance Science Visual Arts Music Te Ao Māori Pedagogy Learning Theory Languages and cultures Technology Courses in the Programmes explore concepts relating to:

Graduate Diploma in Teaching (new programme in 2006) Conceptualising Practice 4 May – 29 May This is a four week practicum, the second practicum for students who began their study in this programme in January 2009, or if they are part time, January 2008.

Graduate Diploma in Teaching • Began in 2006 • Is available for graduates of both teacher education and university courses (the same as primary and secondary teachers) • Is an extended, intensive programme • Includes fourteen weeks of practicum • Is available both face-to-face and flexibly • Attracts a broad range of people from diverse backgrounds and experience

Feedback • The practicum assignments, which are innovative, reflect best practice in ECE services and give students the opportunity to engage in complex reflections on their teaching. They seem to mirror the Graduating Teacher Standards and they increase in complexity through the three teaching experiences. The course outlines suggest that the courses support the teaching experience.

Portfolios The portfolio is intended to provide evidence of the student teacher having met the learning outcomes on the practicum and of their work in each of the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) courses.

Portfolio Requirements • Can include: • Photographs and interpretive statements • Learning stories, child’s voice, whanau voice • Records and interpretations as demonstrations of teaching • Reflective writing • Records of involvement in meetings • Evidence of communication with families, whanau and the wider professional community

In order to better understand Te Whāriki on her first practicum this student teacher documented her sense of belonging in the kindergarten and what assisted this. Examples

Evidence of involvement in the visual arts included reference to specific understandings from coursework.

Koru

Reflection • DATA • Brookfield’s critically reflective lenses • Smyth’s Stages in Personal and Professional Empowerment

DATA • Describe • Choose a specific incident or an aspect of practice. • Analyse • Look into the reasons for the occurrence. • Theorise • Explore alternative theories. • Act • Examine possible changes to practice.

Brookfield’s Lenses • Our autobiographies as learners and teachers • Our students’ eyes • Our colleagues’ experiences • Theoretical literature

Smyth’s Stages in Personal and Professional Empowerment • Describing • Informing • Confronting • Reconstructing • (examples in practicum handbook)

Reflective Examples A father admitted that he had withheld signing a permission form for one of the male student teachers in one of our programmes because of his distrust of men wishing to work in ECE. The student reflected: “Until now I believed I would never have to deal with any form of accusation simply because I will never offend. However the conversation with my associate teacher pointed out to me that this kind of thing can happen to anyone….”

A student teacher has contact with a parent in another context and is sought out to discuss centre issues: “In not clearly stating that I could not talk about other children I was not being completely honest. I chose to avoid talking specific details with her and to turn the conversation to my experience. It may have been better to state my position at the start….”

Recognising the importance of own experiences “Without the ability to express our feelings through talk, our possibilities for communication are restricted and we start to feel powerless and lonely. As a foreigner to the culture and language of New Zealand I know from my own experience how difficult it can be to express oneself in a second language and in a culture where different rules are in effect. It may only seem a small difference, like a different sense of humor, but it can have a powerful impact.”

Demonstrating understanding of theory In reflective writing: “MacNaughton (2003), suggests contrasting constructions of modern and post-modern child that might be helpful. In this analysis my construction of ‘child’ would be considered modern e.g., emphasizing the difference between adult and child and reliance on the adult in the environment.”

Weekly Feedback Is important to let student teachers know how they are getting on. Discuss any feedback you write with student teachers. Great to see you engaging with families when they arrive to pick up the children. As I said today please be sensitive about how much time you spend doing this.

If you have concerns • Address them to the student teacher in the first instance and as soon as possible both verbally and in writing • Contact the university supervisor, a meeting may assist to address the issue • The university supervisor is likely to contact me but… • If it is still not resolved please contact me on 623 8899, extn. 48216 or d.lee@auckland.ac.nz

Final Reports • Are specific to the learning outcomes • Include examples that demonstrate competence, for example: Learning Outcome 1: “Kia ora Sujatha, communication is a real strength for you. You visited the kindergarten beforehand and established and maintained contact with your university supervisor throughout the practicum. You clearly have extremely positive relationships with the children and with their families and whānau. You readily discuss interactions of interest, and their implications for teaching and learning, with me as your associate teacher. You are confident and professional in all your dealings with the teaching team and other adults in the centre.”

If the learning outcome is not met: Kia ora Jane, I have been disappointed at your lack of commitment to this practicum. You have not demonstrated a consistent ability to engage with the children. You have spent a great deal of time on your own work which has made it difficult for you to establish relationships.

If any of the learning outcomes are not met • Triadic assessment should still take place • Student teacher will be aware that there are areas of concern • University supervisor facilitates, ideally the student teacher will understand that they have not demonstrated adequately that they should pass • All concerns should be documented in final report

Triadic Assessment • Important component of our programmes • Times can be negotiated when setting final visit • Facilitated by university supervisor • Student teacher begins process • No new information should be shared • A collegial and collaborative process • Includes reference to documentation and examples from portfolio • DVD available to borrow

Principles of Student Teacher Documentation • Reflections are of a high quality (rather than quantity) • Student teacher’s ability to notice, recognize and respond to children’s learning is evident in documentation (includes ‘assessment’ and ‘planning’) • The planning process is cyclical and authentic

Support for Associate Teachers • Web Site • Associate Teacher Handbook and meetings • Practicum handbooks • University Supervisor • Practicum Coordinator (d.lee@auckland.ac.nz) • DVDs (new one coming out this semester) • Combined Associate Teacher Symposium (13 June 2009)

“Teaching as an ethical enterprise goes beyond presenting what already is; it is teaching towards what ought to be” “Education is an arena of hope and struggle – hope for a better life and struggle over how to understand and enact and achieve a better world. We come to believe that we can become makers of history, not merely the passive objects of the great human drama” Bill Ayers

Associate Teacher Meeting