Organisation: Milgate Primary School
Job Title: Teacher
Location: East Doncaster
Word Limit: 350 -500 per point
SC1 Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of initiatives in student learning including the Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12 and the Assessment and Reporting Advice and the ability to implement curriculum programs consistent with their intent
My strong understanding of the Standards, the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT) and, assessment and reporting strategies has been developed and refined throughout my Bachelor of Education studies. With a keen interest in student curiosity and inquiry-based learning, I underpin my teaching practice with key aspects of the PoLT to engage and inspire students of all academic levels and learning styles. I have exposure to planning, delivering and evaluating teaching and learning programs through my practicum placements, which I have completed at government and catholic schools in both rural and urban locations, and in high- and low-socioeconomic regions.
During my teaching placement at St. Anne’s Primary School, I was involved in planning a unit on Australian History for Level 5 and 6 students. Using inquiry-based techniques, such as the Bloom’s Taxonomy framework, Dewey’s theories and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, I structured the tasks and activities around student opinions and ideas. Using the “Backwards by Design” model to facilitate student input, I conducted an assessment of student’s existing knowledge in the form of a class mind map, with student’s prior knowledge of the topic populating the “what we know” column. The second phase of this mind map activity involved an in-depth class discussion to create the “what we want and need to know” column. This information allowed me to create a range of content-rich activities, tasks and assessments that catered to the interests, learning styles and academic abilities of all students in the class. Students had the opportunity to plan their learning around the final assessment tasks, empowering them to gain the knowledge they needed to achieve success in this unit.
Throughout the unit, students had a range of tasks and activities available to them, and were required to regularly reflect on their learning to facilitate self-monitoring of their progress against the expected outcomes for the unit. The final assessment task was broken up into three choices which were designed to cater to the range of preferred learning styles and interests of students in the class. In addition to choosing their task, students could also opt to work in collaboration with their peers or complete the task of their choice individually.
The design of this unit gave significant power and input to students, and resulted in very high levels of student engagement. This was displayed through positive classroom behaviours, as well as high-level performance against assessment outcomes including exceptional submissions for the final assessment pieces. Throughout the unit, the vast majority of students shared their knowledge, ideas and opinions, readily engaging in class discussion and healthy debates.
This example showcases my ability to implement curriculum programs in line with their intent by using key aspects of the PoLT to drive positive learning experiences for students. As a Teacher with Milgate Primary School, I look forward to creating a supportive and productive learning environment for my students by fostering positive relationships and providing engaging learning experiences across all areas of the curriculum.
SC2 Demonstrated understanding of how students learn and effective classroom teaching strategies and the capacity to work with colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning
A key aspect of my teaching philosophy is the effective running of the classroom through positive behaviour management strategies and the creation of an environment that is conducive to learning and embraces student’s preference, needs and diversity. Throughout my teaching placements I have worked in collaboration with supervisors and other teachers to create inspiring teaching and learning programs and implement these effectively within the classroom environment, taking into account the learning needs and preferences of all students.
Whilst completing my teaching placement at St. Paul’s Primary School, Mildura, I had the opportunity to be involved in the redesign of the Level 1 literacy program. The Level 1 teaching team had identified the need for the redesign due to a great variance in the academic levels of students within the Level 1 program. Working collaboratively, we reviewed the existing data relating to student’s literacy, including running records, guided reading, and written and oral language assessment performance. Using this information, we determined each student’s place in the range of academic groupings we had created.
Following the analysis phase, we designed weekly literacy planners, each with their own touchstone text to be introduced as the focal point of the literacy lessons for that week. A range of activities stemmed from the weekly touchstone text, with students engaging in whole-class activities before breaking into their literacy groups for further learning. Where possible, student’s individual needs, interests and preferences were discussed with them in order to plan appropriate tasks. The overall focus of the design of the program was to provide appropriately differentiated activities to cater to the range of student learning styles and ensure maximum student engagement.
The program saw students read the touchstone text and interact across phonological awareness activities as a class. These activities included literacy concepts such as rhyming words, initial sounds, syllables, and onset and rhyme tasks. Students would then move into their groups and complete two literacy activities that they had indicated an interest in. Allowing students the freedom of choice empowered them to manage their own learning and drove greater engagement in the literacy program. Each literacy lesson included a guided reading rotation to facilitate the continuous collection of student data, which informed on-going planning and ensured students were being appropriately challenged and moved between levels where warranted.
The integration of student interests and ideas into the planning of the program served to drive high levels of student engagement. The class and group activities created a peer-support culture, where students sought assistance from those in their group before looking for further assistance. Communication skills and respect for others were demonstrated to a level far beyond what was expected of Stage 1 students. My involvement in the planning and implementation of the redesigned literacy program for Stage 1 students at St. Paul’s Primary School demonstrates my strong understanding of how students learn and effective classroom teach strategies, as well as my capacity to work in collaboration with other educators to drive positive student outcomes through improved teaching and learning.
SC3 Demonstrated capacity to monitor and assess student-learning data and to use this data to inform teaching for improved student learning
My teaching placements have provided me with excellent opportunities to gain an insight into the importance of student learning data, including the most effective ways to assess students in order to gain useful, relevant data to inform my planning. During my Bachelor of Education studies, I undertook an elective subject in social work, which assisted me to understand the range of factors external to a student’s school life that may affect their learning. My sensitivity to these factors enables me to interpret student learning data with a holistic view, assisting students appropriately where required. Additionally, throughout my teaching placements I have worked with students who have had learning difficulties, as well as gaining an understanding of how to identify the warning signs of possible learning challenges.
By integrating a range of assessment techniques into my teaching practice I am able to gain true insight into the strengths, knowledge gaps and areas for development in all my students. I have experience using informal teaching techniques such as “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down” to give students an opportunity to display their level of understanding and exit tickets or traffic light discussions, which gives students an opportunity to share what they’ve learnt in a lesson, what questions or ideas they’ve considered, or where they’ve become stalled in their learning, providing me with information that is very useful in planning future lessons. Additionally, I have experience with on-demand testing, running records and NAPLAN, as well as having designed pre- and post-testing for students of all levels across the range of key learning areas.
During my teaching placement at St. Paul’s Primary School, I worked with the Level 1 teaching team to manage low student engagement and declining academic performance within mathematics. In order to re-energise students, a new program was rolled out that focused on scaffolded learning and catered to a wider range of learning styles. Each lesson began with a topic-related game, which was followed by an interactive mini-lesson using the interactive whiteboard and required each student’s participation. A pre-test was conducted for each topic, which facilitated student’s placement in one of two groups. Group A was for students with an advanced or moderate level of knowledge of the material to be covered, with tasks encouraging higher order thinking skills and student curiosity. Group B was for students who had a lower level of existing knowledge or required additional support, and students could choose to place themselves in Group B if they felt out of their depth in Group A. Group B received significant support from the teacher to understand the topic and meet the expected learning outcomes.
The program was a success. With students able to engage in self-selection of their group where needed, all felt supported and appropriately challenged, and positive outcomes followed.
My work on the rollout of this mathematics program at St. Paul’s Primary School showcases my capacity to monitor and assess student learning data, and to use this data to inform my teaching to drive improved student outcomes.
SC4 Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills and high level interpersonal skills including a capacity to develop constructive relationships with students, parents and other staff.
A confident communicator, I pride myself on my ability to adapt my communication style to suit my audience. By undertaking an elective in social work during my degree, I have developed a range of skills to assist me in identifying when family or other issues external to the school environment may be affecting a student’s learning, as well as giving me the confidence to appropriately address such concerns so suitable interventions can be implemented.
As part of my placement at St. Paul’s Primary School, I was involved in the completion of a funding application form to ensure appropriate government funds were allocated to the education of a student at the school with a severe learning disability. This process involved meetings with the teacher, teaching aide, school principal and the student’s parents to ensure the correct information was included on the form and that all supporting evidence was present. My involvement in collating the information and completing the form gave me an opportunity to build positive partnerships through open communication with a range of key stakeholders in the education environment. Additionally, my excellent written communication skills came to the fore when completing the form to ensure the student’s case was adequately presented and the language used was appropriate at all times.
While completing my placement at St. Anne’s Primary School, I had the opportunity to run a social and emotional learning (SEL) session for Level 5 and 6 students. The content of SEL sessions were predominately driven by the students, and the lessons were built around ‘circle time’, where students would sit in a circle and engage in discussion and positive debates about various issues. SEL sessions were governed by a series of guidelines that were designed by the students themselves, and included only one person was to speak at a time, a level of respect was to be maintained at all times, and maturity was to be shown.
The topic I developed for SEL was “inclusion and exclusion”. Students were prompted to discuss their personal experiences or observations of inclusive and exclusive situations and behaviours, and the conversation led into discussion regarding the wider community, the country and worldwide. Following the group discussion, students completed a range of reflective thinking tasks in small groups.
Delivering this SEL session gave me a strong appreciation of integrating student voice into teaching and learning where possible. The level of class engagement in the session was the highest I had experienced throughout my practicum placements, and students displayed a level of maturity far beyond their years.
These examples demonstrate my high level written and verbal communication skills, as well as my capacity to build strong partnerships with key stakeholders within the education environment.
SC5 Demonstrated commitment and capacity to actively contribute to a broad range of school activities and a capacity to reflect on, evaluate and improve professional knowledge and practice.
A passionate school community member, I thoroughly enjoy taking all opportunities available to become involved in school activities and get to know students outside the classroom environment. While on placement at Eltham North Primary School, I was involved in the morning walking club which involved supervising, encouraging and motivating students on a morning walk. This activity assisted students to focus better in class throughout the day, as well as creating positive health habits. I have also had involvement in the swimming program at Milgate Primary School, as well as inter-school sports programs at a number of schools, from managing practice sessions; liaising with opponent schools to make and finalise game day arrangements; distributing and collecting permission slips; medication management, including appropriate documentation, in line with protocol; and accompanying students to games, including managing student welfare and attendance roll procedures.
My commitment to being the best teacher I can be permeates all areas of my practice. I am passionate about an on-going approach to professional development, and regularly reflect upon my teaching experiences to consider where my development focus currently lies. Throughout my practicum placements I have embraced all learning opportunities, including maximising the time I have with experienced teachers, absorbing their strategies and professional knowledge as much as possible. My professional development days have included topics such as Inquiry Learning, and the International Baccalaureate, Primary Years Programme.
One experience that stands out for me was working alongside an experienced teacher as she identified and mapped out her professional goals and areas for improvement. She then identified other teachers within the teaching staff who had opposing strengths and areas for improvement to her own, and buddied with these colleagues to help each other reach their professional goals. I was involved in these professional discussions, and got to witness firsthand how a deliberate approach such as this can be extremely successful. The teachers shared their previous outcomes, discussing what they could have done better and sharing opinions on particular situations, swapped their planning strategies and resources, and used each other as a trusted advisor. Not only did both teachers benefit from this process, but it also served to create strong lines of communication and excellent morale as staff worked together to achieve their own goals for the benefit of the school and its students.
My active approach to contributing to school activities, as well as my commitment to professional development is showcased through these examples, and I look forward to being an active school community member and continuing to develop my teaching practice as a teacher at Milgate Primary School.
SC6 Willingness to commit to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program and undertake necessary professional development.
My experience with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) has come from both a placement I completed at Milgate Primary School, as well as my volunteer teaching contributions there. I had the opportunity to complete a professional development covering the IB PYP, which gave me further insight into the program.
My practice is underpinned by student curiosity and inquiry learning, which sit at the core of the IB PYP. As a teacher who is committed to assisting students to meet their potential and instilling in them a love of learning; a passion for asking and understanding; and the qualities that will make them positive contributing members of society, the IB PYP aligns well with my professional outlook and my teaching philosophy. I look forward to continuing to develop my skills and knowledge within the IB PYP as a teacher at Milgate Primary School, confident I can make a strong contribution to both school and student outcomes.
