Week+8

This week’s lecture was well-placed being straight after our placements when real teaching experience was still fresh in our minds. The guest lecturer Diane Powell took us through all the things we have to think about as graduate teachers next year and the requirements various organisations will have of us. This was useful information as, fresh from practicum, we are thinking more than ever about where we will be this time next year. The readings this week were links to the various websites we all have to become very familiar with. It was interesting the different approaches to assessment there are out there, and caused me to reflect upon which of these were employed by my school during practicum.
 * __Week 8 __**** - How To Survive Your First Year of Teaching **

The Victorian Teaching Professional Code of Conduct website clearly contains lots of important information that all of us as soon-to-be teachers need to be acquainted with. However, like a lot of the topics we have covered so far this term, a majority of the issues discussed has a solid basis in common sense. Still, it was interesting to see how our practicum schools interpreted or dealt with these principles. For example, Principle 1.8: ‘Collegiality is an integral part of the work of teachers’ took on a whole different slant in the staff room where there seemed to be a bit of “clique”iness going on at my school, with little groups of friendship and allegiance between some teachers that weren’t always ‘professional’ in their discussion of their other colleagues. However I could certainly see how some issues, when actually put into practice, were harder to implement impartially than others. Principle 1.6: ‘Teachers maintain a professional relationship with parents’, for instance, is easier said than done. Especially when it comes to being diplomatic and a persistent mother keeps asking how her little darling is doing, when really she doesn’t want the truth about how they are misbehaving but wants to be told they are the sweetest child in the class and academically brilliant to boot. In contrast to this, other principles I had trouble with in theory I saw how they in fact played out in reality. Principle 1.4 states that “teachers do not behave as a friend” to students. I struggled with this before starting my teaching placement because I saw it as a variation of connecting with the students that is such an important part of the teacher’s role. However, after dedicating the first few days of practicum to becoming friends with the students, this lack of boundaries proved difficult to overcome when trying to maintain discipline and focus in later classes. The concepts and issues discussed this week have thus proved very relevant for us at this time when we are so busy discussing and reflecting on our various practicum experiences. Author: Bianca

As mentioned above, Dianne Powell was the guest lecturer for the week 8 lecture and this was a fitting choice as she is the Assistant Principle at Kismet Park PS and would therefore be well-versed in matters of graduates teaching staff and the accountability and responsibilities of such employees. Her 'e-4' model of what makes an effective teacher this including the traits of empathy, energy, efficacy and evidence-based seemed to well-cover most if not all aspects of professional teaching.

As seen during practicum, a teacher who displays empathy towards not only the children in their class but also to those children whom make up the rest of the school community is far more likely to receive the respect of the students and would more easily build a strong rapport with them. This would inevitably make the job of a teacher a far more rewarding and positive experience. It would also be imagined that being treated with empathy from a authority figure or anyone for the matter is likely to encourage the same from the receiver.

The teachers, particularly Preparatory teachers, require a high amount of physical energy as well as emotional energy to keep up with the demands of the students. Practicum was very tiring but it is imagined that a teacher will eventually build up a higher level of resistance and be able to remain energetic for longer periods. Teaching also relates strongly to the emotional energy that is passed between the teacher and the student and thought should always be given to those students in particular who may find comfort in being in the school environment as opposed to their home environment.

Efficacy can be displayed by a teacher in relation to not only their students but fellow teachers as well. The level at which a teacher is efficient will determine their peer relationships and also the relationship with their students which will in turn directly influence or impair the learning outcomes of each student.

Lastly is the evidence-based trait of a teacher and this relates to the teacher's chosen pedagogy which should be based on sound research findings and reflective practices and the ability to assess, monitor and record the progress of each and every student within the class. A range of assessment strategies should be employed to ensure that each student is being fairly assessed on both their weaknesses and their strengths.

Author Angela Partridge

This week’s lecture was as Bianca says, well-placed when real teaching experiences are still fresh in our minds (for good or bad). Today’s lecture was excellent and provided us with the perfect opportunity to revisit our practicum’s Assistant Principal Diane Powell took us through all the things we need to consider if we are lucky enough to gain employment as graduate teachers next year and all of the requirements for teachers. Her E4 model for effective teachers which includes necessary traits of empathy, energy, efficacy and evidence-based pedagogy was very useful. I know from my own experience on practicum that by showing empathy and interest in both the students, teachers and wider school community I was readily accepted into the school. I also agree that being an efficient teacher is vital and the students will be quick up on any short comings .If they think you don’t know what you are doing you will never have their respect. Author Nick Power

I am in complete agreement with my fellow wiki writers that this week’s lecture was perfectly timed. As evidenced by discussions amongst ourselves and in the issue workshop we often found on practicum that what we are taught at university and what is practiced in the workplace are often vastly different. I take Bianca’ s point about the Code of Conduct and the contradictions in behaviour but that is a reality of nearly all work places. I attended a workshop to help develop the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct and remember being told by the presenter that almost anyone could be found to be in breach of the code of conduct if we were to look at their behaviour over a long enough period. I found Diane’s 4-E’s concept to be refreshingly easy to understand and apply to a classroom environment. The examples that Diane provided were geared towards a Primary school experience which is something I have found lacking in a lot of the readings. Many of the readings on education either focus on early childhood (in its traditional context of 0-8 years) or on Secondary school students. It was also useful to revisit the //Principles of learning and Teaching//, I do not think I was aware of how much importance many educators place on these principles. I had a crash lesson when on my second day of placement I was quizzed on them by the Principal and then told to go home and familiarise myself with them before reporting back the next day. At the school I was in for practicum I was reassured to see that these principles were addressed in the school’s mission statement but were also revisited at the weekly staff meeting within the context of the topics on the agenda. Author: Beth McMullin