Element 6: Teachers continually improve their professional knowledge and practice.
6.1.1 Capacity to analyse and reflect on practice.
I have...written lesson reflections for lessons I conducted on my practicums. These allowed me to critical analyse and reflect on a number of different aspects of my lessons. I also created evaluation questions/measures prior to conducting a lesson so I would know what to look for when reflecting on its outcomes. Through writing these reflections, I was able to make adjustments and improve on certain weaknesses found in future lessons.
Evidence: Copies of lesson reflections.
6.1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of the professional standards framework and its impact on the professional life of a teacher.
I have...through completing assignments at university that involve creating a portfolio that showcases evidence of the standards, I have gained a thorough knowledge of what they are and what they look like in practice. As the standards are 'professional' standards they must be gained, followed and sustained to successfully become a professional teacher in all key stages.
6.1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of the available professional development opportunities and the importance of personal planning to ongoing professional growth.
I have...gained the knowledge that professional development is vital to stay proficient and professional as a teacher. I am aware that the development workshops give teachers new or enhanced information about their teaching practice which is invaluable for them to keep up to date and dynamic.
I have...knowledge that principals organise and offer schools a range of professional development opportunities. I am also aware that the teachers federation and the DET offer professional development courses.
I have...knowledge of how a professional development workshop runs as I participated in a part of one on my 3rd year practicum experience. Teachers were given information and modeled different literacy strategies over the range of student stages.
6.1.4 Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of teamwork in an educational context.
I have...the knowledge that teamwork is very important in educational contexts as teachers work in a school community to achieve the same outcomes. Therefore it is important that teachers collaborate with their resources, ideas and experiences.
I have...had experience of teamwork when I taught in China on an english camp with 10 other students. We all collaborated our lessons and ideas, creating a richer set of learning experience for the children as we all gave our own inputs and ideas. We also team teached some of the lessons so that the students could have access to certain resources and so that similar ages could work on joint tasks for efficiency.
Evidence: Photos of team teaching?
I have...experience of working with teachers aides on my practicum experiences. I found it was important that we worked as a team setting the same objectives for the lesson, so that all students could achieve the desired outcomes. It was important that we respected each others ideas and teaching styles. It was also important that we supported each other when problems arose.
6.1.5 Accept constructive feedback to improve and refine teaching and learning practices.
I have...reviewed and analysed practicum cooperating teachers comments given to me about my lessons they observed. I am aware that these critical comments are invaluable to my learning as a student teacher, as they inform what may need refining or improvement in my practice.
Evidence: Teachers comments and how I changed an aspect for a future lesson.
6.1.6 Prepare for ans contribute to discussions about the teaching profession or subject/content.
I have...knowledge that teachers prepare and contribute to disscussions about on teaching in stage meetings and also in staff meetings. I know that it is important that teachers share and discuss their ideas, any issues or something valuable to the practice they have found.
6.1.7 Explore educational ideas and issues through research.
I have...knowledge of the teacher as an active reseacher in their classroom. This involving reflecting and experimenting with new ideas or practices in the classroom to evaluate best practice. Eg.This could include video taping a lesson to find whether certain ways of asking questions to students had an impact on their learning in different ways or ask students to evaluate the way they feel about a certain lesson aspect etc.
I have...explored educational ideas and issues through conducting my honours project. The project requires me to conduct research in the educational field based upon the issue of whether teachers beliefs about their practice are similar to what the reserach literature is saying about it. If they are not the same then an educational issue arises, as positive outcomes found in research may not be implemented in the classroom.
Evidence: Project proposal.
6.1.8 Recognise the range of policies and policy documents that teachers in NSW may need to comply with following employment in a school.
I have...knowledge of a range of policy documents, including the school student welfare policy.