Organisation: Wollemi College
Job Title: Part – Time PDHPE Teacher
Word Limit: 2 pages
Location: Werrington, West Sydney
I pride myself on my superior teaching skills, and the ability to deliver relevant, meaningful and engaging learning experiences. My students participate in class knowing what is expected of them, and are encouraged to work to the best of their ability. I base my teaching on the New South Wales Quality Teaching Framework which is based on the powerful premise that all students can learn substantial concepts and skills given the appropriate support, a stimulating environment and the expectation that they can succeed in learning. Consistently utilising the Teaching Learning Cycle ensures that all class programs are driven by student achievement. I continuously assess student learning and use this information to review and revise my teaching practice. Through constant reflection I can ensure that I utilise best teaching practice at all times and that my student needs are always being addressed.
Demonstrating my commitment to character development in students, I have recently created and presented leadership modules to my class at Mitchell High School. The aim of the modules was to guide students to discover their strengths and virtues and I presented the modules through set lesson content and practical team building activities. By incorporating these modules into the standard syllabus of the school students gained valuable insight into their strengths as leaders and developed confidence both within the classroom and with their peers.
I recognise the importance of the right of parents to set the agenda in the moral development of their own children and I seek to give them every support. Through working closely with parents and reinforcing their values and building character within their children I am able to ensure that parents are the first educators. By maintaining clear and concise communication with parents through regular phone calls and face-to-face meetings I am able to preserve consistency between the home and school which helps to foster a spirit in which each family is accepted, respected and has a unique contribution to make.
As well as regular teaching duties I am enthusiastic to contribute to extra-curricular activities. I believe that sport and team activities are most important in the development of character. In my practicum placement at Doonside Technology High School I was involved in the implementation of a student mentor program. This program involved pairing up senior and junior students and having them participate in a number of activities, including sport and academic competitions. The program was very successful and assisted students to build genuine virtues such as friendship, fortitude, endurance, optimism, cooperation and responsibility.
Having graduated in 2013 from the University of Western Sydney with a Master of Teaching (Secondary), I have the appropriate qualifications to undertake the role of PDHPE Teacher. My studies had a pedagogical emphasis on Personal Development, Health and Physical Education as well as Modern History which gives me the advantage of having the ability to teach a second subject.
Further qualifications that I have that would be relevant to this role include
- Bachelor of Health Science (majoring in PDHPE with a sub-major of Historical Studies)
- Certificate III Fitness (facilitation and management of gymnasiums and clients)
- Certificate IV Fitness (strength conditioning and athletic performance)
- Certificate in Faith Education
Working at Mitchell High School for over twelve months has provided me with practical experience and familiarity with the NSW Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) syllabus. I have had the opportunity to assist with the development of a junior teacher program that reflects the new BOSTES syllabus and is inclusive of the learning needs of all students. The program included a variety of teaching strategies that could be used to identify the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes that students are expected to develop at each stage of learning. It gave scope to teachers to be able to identify any adjustments in learning required based on the needs, interests and abilities of students. The program incorporated kinaesthetic learning activities and cross-curricular teaching principles in order to support goals such as transfer of learning, teaching students to think and reason and providing a curriculum that was more relevant to students.
My experiences demonstrate that I am well qualified to effectively integrate innovative information and communications technology (ICT) across all curriculum areas. As a classroom Teacher, I continually incorporate technology into my classroom practice to achieve the best outcome for my students. I always ensure that I am up-to-date with technologies that can be used within the classroom and consistently make use of SMART Notebook and Interactive Whiteboards to provide engaging and effective lessons. I prepare and deliver all of my lessons using the SMART Notebook software and often incorporate animations and other visual media to engage and motivate students. I regularly promote the use of computers to assist students with research and learning and give them ownership as to how they best utilise their time on the computers. This fosters a sense of education of the will and encourages students to locate, access and verify the integrity of data and information when investigating and researching. Recent personal development training in the use of Edmodo has opened up new opportunities to connect with students and parents to collaborate on assignments and discover new resources. By utilising the Edmodo program I am able to assist with connecting students with the people and resources they need to reach their full potential.
My knowledge of teaching and learning styles is reflected in my ability to incorporate differentiated planning and programming into my lessons in order to consider students’ varying abilities, learning styles, interests and needs. I use teaching, learning and assessment strategies that are fair and flexible, provide an appropriate level of challenge, and engage students in meaningful ways. By developing individual learning goals and providing a variety of stimulus materials in a range of mediums I am often able to meet the needs of a class of students that are from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. I challenge each student to reach their full academic potential through effective classroom teaching, providing handouts as a supplementary resource and study tool and encouraging the completion of homework to meet set deadlines. This fosters the development of internalised motivation and sound habits of responsibility. I promote and guide effective study by engaging students in chapter summary exercises, class tests, semester reviews and the constant review of student notes.
I have the ability to work collaboratively with staff and parents and consistently focus on open and productive dialogue with parents so that all issues can be managed successfully and efficiently. By maintaining open and transparent communication, issues can be dealt with before they escalate, thus ingraining a sense of partnership, process and success between all parties. I ensure that my colleagues are aware of ongoing difficulties and record all relevant information accordingly. I prepare thoroughly for parent-teacher interviews, generating a profile for each student, including their results in assessment tasks and their general behaviour in classroom activities. With parents and students I discuss and negotiate individual learning and behaviour contracts to meet student learning needs. As a Community Coach for the Active After-school Communities program I collaborated regularly with teaching staff. This included obtaining assistance in the administration of the program and delegating roles such as supervision and suitable programming. As a member of a faculty team I collaborate regularly with my colleagues when organising excursions or other extra-curricular activities. I engage in professional development workshops and general staff meetings and use such occasions to interact on an informal level with my colleagues to build and maintain positive working relationships.
