Professional Engagement
Word Walls - A Literacy Coach's Perspective
6.1 -Identify and plan professional learning needs
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.3 - Engage with colleagues and improve practice
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements.
I've been attending numerous PDs every Tuesday to follow up with lessons and to scaffolding my teaching practice. In this PD, the literacy coach, Rebecca Tabone, facilitated a PD on the application and theory behind world walls. The teachers' faculty broke into groups, ensuring that they weren't working with fellow teacher of the same grade. 6 word wall examples were scattered throughout the library, and the teachers critically analysed each wall, walking among each one like a an open gallery. The teachers and I were regrouped back in, and unpacked to each other, 'what makes a great word wall?' In doing so, the criteria from the unpacking would be used to re-evaluate and apply word walls back into the teacher's classroom. As a whole, teacher collaboration in the form of PDs allows for teachers to "work together to analyse and improve their classroom practice […] engaging in an ongoing cycle of questions that promote deep team learning” (DuFour, 2004. pg 9)
Planning Day - Working towards term 4
6.1 - Identify and plan professional learning needs
6.2 - Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.3 - Engage with colleagues and improve practice
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On the 16th of Septembers, the 3/4 faculty had a planning day to guide and plan classes for term 4. The artifacts I've collected are the AusVels curriculum documents, which will guide the planning of Itheme for next term
The planning day was very intensive, However, we were able to plan for 4 subjects, making a great start for the term ahead. My artifacts reflect how teachers engage in professional learning teams to guide and plan units, and to meet the learning intentions and needs of the children as "Teacher collaboration is an integral tool for professional developments and a driver for school development" (CCSRI, 2010). |
SAHPS Invacuation - Keeping the kids inside
7.1 - Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
During emergencies, SAHPS have 2 protocols they implement; Evacuation and Invacuation. As a teacher, it is paramount that children are kept track of during emergencies in order to account for their presence and safety in the school, ensuring a duty of care can be delivered safely and responsively. During my placements, SAHPS had a practice invacuation in which all the students who were outside had to run inside, awaiting responses by teachers and the principal. I had to mark the class role, then list the names of students who happened to be in the room at the time of invacuation. I then contact the principals, and wait for further instruction.
"Teaching staff owe a duty to take reasonable care for the safety and welfare of students whilst students are involved in school activities or are present for the purposes of a school activity. The duty is to take such measures as are reasonable in all the circumstances to protect students from risks of harm that reasonably ought to be foreseen. This requires not only protection from known hazards, but also protection from harm that could foreseeably arise and against which preventative measures can be taken."
(Department Of Education, 2013) |
St Albans Heights Family Maths Night
7.3 - Engage with the parents/carers
7.4 - Engage with professional teaching networks and broader community
3.7 Engage parents/carers in the educative process
4.1 - Support student participation
On the 27th of August, St Albans Heights Primary School organised a family maths night to commemorate numeracy week. Parents and students were welcome to the school after hours to participate in plentiful games, activities and brain-teasers to celebrate numeracy and thinking at St Albans Heights Primary School.
I had my own stall, 2D thinking, in which the aim was to turn 5 squares into 4 squares by moving only 2 sides represented as paddle pop sticks. A large number of parents and students came to my stall and attempted the challenge. It was ridiculously easy, only because I knew the answers! This day is a great example of a multitude of VIT Progression Points, highlighting the elements from Professional Practice and Professional Engagement.
As a teacher, It is very important to establish and nurture not only a relationship with the student, but also with the parents and/or guardians. This family day allowed me to builds upon the interaction between the teacher and carer, enhancing my abilities to assess and interact formally and informally which is concurrent with Churchill's breakdown of responsibility and the teacher's duty of care (2011). The night also sheds a reflection of the values and exciting qualities mathematics has to offer to students, asking many mathematical equations that utilise different thinking profiles to challenge and unpack information (Gardner 1991).
I had my own stall, 2D thinking, in which the aim was to turn 5 squares into 4 squares by moving only 2 sides represented as paddle pop sticks. A large number of parents and students came to my stall and attempted the challenge. It was ridiculously easy, only because I knew the answers! This day is a great example of a multitude of VIT Progression Points, highlighting the elements from Professional Practice and Professional Engagement.
As a teacher, It is very important to establish and nurture not only a relationship with the student, but also with the parents and/or guardians. This family day allowed me to builds upon the interaction between the teacher and carer, enhancing my abilities to assess and interact formally and informally which is concurrent with Churchill's breakdown of responsibility and the teacher's duty of care (2011). The night also sheds a reflection of the values and exciting qualities mathematics has to offer to students, asking many mathematical equations that utilise different thinking profiles to challenge and unpack information (Gardner 1991).
St Albans Heights Primary School Strategic Plan and Teacher P and D's 2015
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St Albans Heights Primary School is currently building on the Victorian Government's ‘Strategic Plan 2011-2015’, targeting strategic intentions to guide internal planning processes, the facilitation of roles and responsibilities as a growing school, and to identify current and future priorities that need to be
addressed. Throughout the year, the staff faculty have been prioritising the strategic plan, 'future differentiated teaching and provide high quality feedback to the learner' (DEECE 2014) through internal professional developments made by teachers, and the implementation of a universal feedback scheme for not only students, but for teachers to communicate with each other. I attended an extended PD that discusses the SAHPS strategic plan and how planning, assessment and teaching practice is facilitating the outcomes suggested by the Victorian Government. Currently, the staff are prioritising assessment and feedback as key criteria to meet one of numerous goals set by the 2015 Strategic Plan.
addressed. Throughout the year, the staff faculty have been prioritising the strategic plan, 'future differentiated teaching and provide high quality feedback to the learner' (DEECE 2014) through internal professional developments made by teachers, and the implementation of a universal feedback scheme for not only students, but for teachers to communicate with each other. I attended an extended PD that discusses the SAHPS strategic plan and how planning, assessment and teaching practice is facilitating the outcomes suggested by the Victorian Government. Currently, the staff are prioritising assessment and feedback as key criteria to meet one of numerous goals set by the 2015 Strategic Plan.
As a faculty, we re-evaluated the goals set at the beginning of term 1, fine-tuning elements and lessons to unpack and target the outcomes set in order to 'support students' further learning and encourage them to monitor and take responsibility for their own learning” (DEECD 2013). The re-evaluation of assessment allows for the ‘setting of clear priorities to guide new planning and assessment, selection of assessment processes and strategies, and communication of the processes to others’ (Churchill et al 2011).
Teacher to Teacher feedback - colleague assessment on feedback
6.2 - Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.3 - Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Seng argues that utilising all 3 forms of feedback, students are more likely to scaffold and extend their knowledge (Seng 2011). Mr Harrison and I help craft Mrs Ali's feedback, not only improving our understanding of feedback, but also guiding her teaching practice.
1) Task Level Feedback
2) Process Level Feedback
3) Self regulated Feedback
This artefact is reflective of how teachers engage with each other and improve practice. The art and 3/4 teacher, Ms Harrison, is seen assessing the 3/4 leading teacher, Mrs Ali, during a session of Inquiry. As Mrs Ali is teaching, Ms Harrison and I were taking note of how she is able to utilise assessment for, as and of learning in the classroom setting. The feedback sheet explicitly discusses 3 tiers of feedback which, holistically, will create the optimal application of feedback and praise in the classroom;
DOXA Camp - An overnight stay in Baccuss Marsh
7.4 - Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
This collection of photos were taken from the 3/4 Doxa camp in Malmsbury.
It is a vital element of teaching to interact and build professional relationships with parents, carers and the wider community in order to personalise the learning experience of the student. This excursion promoted the connection between student learning and the community, normalising interaction and learning outside of the school setting. Excursions, camps and incursions that incorporate the wider community reflects the relationship between formal and informal learning with others, demonstrating our responsibility and duty of care as teachers (Churchill et al 2011).
It is a vital element of teaching to interact and build professional relationships with parents, carers and the wider community in order to personalise the learning experience of the student. This excursion promoted the connection between student learning and the community, normalising interaction and learning outside of the school setting. Excursions, camps and incursions that incorporate the wider community reflects the relationship between formal and informal learning with others, demonstrating our responsibility and duty of care as teachers (Churchill et al 2011).