Week+8


 * Week 8 - Issues from the Coal Face (VIT and Planning)

Guest Lecturer: Dianne Powell**

//Week beginning June 22nd 2009//

Hi guys, Bec here with our final (Week 8) lecture summary. Hope we're all feeling confident and motivated (hm.... exhausted?) in our final week this semester!

This week's lecture was taken by Dianne Powell (Assistant Principal at Kismet Primary School)

Title: **Performance & Development Culture OR How to Survive Accountability in Your First Year of Teaching**

Dianne first took us through our accountability for our first year of teaching. We need to be aware of: -Our annual performance and development review as graduate teachers -The registration requirements for the Victorian Institute of Teaching - www.vit.vic.edu.au -Staff Code of Conduct and Duty of Care This varies depending on the school you are employed with. It is every teacher's responsibility to familiarise themselves with the school's code of conduct, and be aware of their duty of care responsibilites. -Assessment and Reporting - the National, State and Local requirements There are various national, state and local requirements for

Dianne encouraged us to seek assistance if we need it in our first year teaching. She made us aware of the support mechanisms in place such as possibility of changing mentor teachers and external counselling run by the department available to all teachers. We are NOT ALONE in our first year!!!

Dianne then went through four key characteristics of effective teachers. She illustrated these characteristics using the Principles of Learning and Teaching Aims (PoLT - http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingprinciples/principles) and also by idenitfying traits that primary school children had come up with themselves in regards to what makes a good teacher.

The ideal teacher in a primary school child's eyes: -Someone who listens to what I have to say -Someone who bothers to get to know me -Someone who doesn't yell at me -Someone who understands my feelings -Someno who praises my efforts -Someone who talks to me in the yard
 * 1. Empathy-intellectual identification of oneself with another**

PoLT Principle: - Students learn best when their needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are reflected in the learning program

The ideal teacher in a primary school child's eyes: -Somenoe who likes to take us outside for games -Someone who makes the learning real by letting me use the computer and do hands on stuff to solve problems -Soeeone who is fair -Someone who can laugh with us -Someone I can talk to whenever I need to -Someone who lets me make mistakes
 * 2. Energy - vigour, force, activity (passion)**

PoLT Principles: -Students learn best when the learning environment is supportive and productive -Learning connects strongly with communities and practice beyond the classroom

The ideal teacher in a primary school child's eyes: -Someone who wants me to do my best -Someone who keeps our classroom interesting so that I want to learn new things -Someone who encourages me to work with others and share ideas -Someone who believes in me -Someone who gets me to think about my learning
 * 3. Efficacy - power to produce desired results**

PoLT Principles: - Students learn best when the environment promotes independence, interdependence and self motivation -Students learn best when they are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application

The ideal teacher in a primary school child's eyes: - Someone who makes it clear what I have to do to improve my work -Someone who lets me make decisions about my work sometimes -Someone who gives us a chance to decide on the assessment criteria -Someone who lets me give my opinion about other students's work
 * 4. Evidence-based - interpret, analyse and reflect upon data**

PoLT Principle: -Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning

All in all Dianne's lecture was very informative, and well-timed to talk about professional practice to hear straight after our placements. I look forward to everyone's reflections this week - will be great to hear what you all have to say after our first round.

Hi Bec, thanks for summarising this lecture, I would rate in among the best of the semester. It was excellent to have an AP in the lecture theatre, I felt as though she cemented the link between what we have learnt in class and in school.

Now I have to say that my fieldwork and practicum experiences have been excellent. I have spent a total of seven weeks including two weeks with a Year 6 class in rural New South Wales and four weeks with a Prep class in metro Victoria. This contrast of experiences has been terrific. It is difficult to shave off only a finite amount of the total breadth of things I have learnt but certain experiences do stand out. The most important thing for me was building a relationship with the children. I understood before entering the schools that this was very important but I don't think I grasped that it was in fact essential. Without a connection to the children the job is very difficult. I imagine this would be THE major challenge of CRT work. The second thing is learning to communicate with children. Prior to my practicum I had never had any constructive contact with prep aged children. Above all else I believe learning to communicate with children of that age was the greatest single thing I gained from the experience. Time management is the major skill I feel I developed to a workable point but will come with more experience. So often the vital sharing of learning at the end of a lesson would be lost because we ran out of time. The ticking of the clock is so relentless. Developing effective questioning techniques and maintaining a healthy bank of extension activities for more able students are among the other more technical aspects of teaching I believe I need to focus on going into my next practicum.

On the whole the entire experience of fieldwork and practicum has been great. I enjoyed the children's company immensely and it has only served to solidify my determination to work even harder to become an outstanding teacher. Personally the one thing I have enjoyed the most is the feeling of being challenged. This is something I have not experienced for several years and I am thoroughly enjoying the rollercoaster learning curve we are all riding.

Well done Team Riskfactor, it has been a pleasure to work with you all on this wiki, may next semester see us through to the beginnings of illustrious teaching careers.

Nick

Thanks for that Bec and NIck. This is Ken Nee here. At this stage, I am seriously questioning whether I will actually become a teacher. Maybe I will still try to get my piece of paper anyway. It breaks my heart in many ways to see kids being forced to do many things they don't want to. The education system does not necessarily recognize the child as a being in its own right. It just has this relentless agenda to churn out robots for the 'matrix'. Having said this, I am sure there are many teachers who are really balanced between being a professional and someone who makes the classroom environment a very accomodating and fun space. And I'm sure all of you will be great teachers.

Hello fellow team ‘Risk Factor’ members! It is Ian here with my final wiki reflection. Bec thanks for your summary and Nick for sharing your practicum experiences. Ken Nee it is upsetting to hear that you are questioning whether you want to be a teacher. I am sure I not only speak for myself when I say that you are a valued team member and I think you will make a fantastic educator. I hope you carry on and complete the course. I too enjoyed Dianne’s interesting lecture. If felt comforting to hear that there are steps in place us to help us in our first year as teachers. We are going to need ongoing assistance and support, especially in the infancy phase of our careers, so it is important to know that we are not alone. Another element of the lecture that I will take with me was the different traits that the primary school children are looking for in an ideal teacher. This takes on special significance having just completed our first teaching practice. I received a photocopy of my teaching prac assessment only yesterday that detailed my professional knowledge, practice and engagement. It contained invaluable comments from my mentor on each of these core criteria. I will however bear in mind what the children are looking for. In regard to this I will strive to be the best that I can be. I think I will even print out the 4 Es – Empathy, Energy, Efficacy and Evidence based, and stick them up somewhere as a daily reminder of the teacher that I want to be. I also wanted to reflect briefly on my Practicum experience. I spent the full seven week period of fieldwork and practicum at Heidelberg Primary school. I learnt a great deal about what it takes to be a teacher. I certainly got to experience the stresses, pressures and fatigue that teachers have to go through. I also got to experience however the limitless rewards which come from working with the children. I honestly can’t remember a time in my life where I have been lucky enough to experience moments of such pure joy and contentment. A few of these moments spring to mind. The first time I read a story to the class would be one. Also plucking up the courage to join in with dancing lessons and seeing the reaction from the children that “Mr Wilson!” was dancing would be another. These and many more moments I will never forget and have confirmed my desire to be a teacher. I just want to thank you all for sharing your weekly reflections. I hope you enjoy the much needed break and come back next Semester refreshed and raring to go!

Ian