Week by week suggested guideline for Teaching and Learning 2

Professional experience in schools helps to develop the professional knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for beginning teachers. The professional experience promotes learning about professional contexts, about educational settings and practices, about schools and other learning settings and most importantly about teaching and learning strategies that foster students’ growth and development.

The following schedule is a guide to provide ideas and elaborate on the unit content and in-school learning tasks. The schedule can be varied or added to according to the needs/situations of the school, the context and pre-service teacher.

TIMELINE / PRE-SERVICE TEACHER / MENTOR TEACHER
Before the Professional Experience /
  • Nominate online
  • Complete your criminal history check and forward to placement school and CDU Professional Experience Office
  • Once placement is confirmed, contact your mentor teacher to establish a relationship and provide the details they will need (a visit is preferable)
  • Clarify details regarding placement and initial expectations of placement (where possible)
  • Prepare yourself for the commitment of a teaching day: You should be at the service/school 10 minutes before your shift starts or 20 minutes before the students start pre-school in the morning and at least 10minutes after your shift ends or one hour after pre-school finishes, depending upon the activities that the service/school has organised for staff. Some days may be even longer
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  • Organise a timetable of days of attendance for the pre-service teacher
  • Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the professional experience handbook and with the assessment forms

Week 1 /
  • Pre-service teachers can begin reflective journal and discussing entries with mentor teacher
  • Introduce yourself to the children and other staff
Pre-service teachers should be involved this week with:
  • marking attendance, yard duties
  • observations and individual summaries of children (refer to Resources heading under “Early Childhood” tab in InSchool site)
  • organising/settling children
  • assisting and coordinating transitions
  • attending staff/room meetings
  • preparing draft lesson plans for next week and having discussions with mentors in regards to the lesson planning.
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  • Introduce pre-service teacher to the director/principal and other staff where appropriate
  • Check with the pre-service teacher about the specific requirements of the professional experience and how they can be accommodated
  • Discuss the reflective journal with pre-service teacher. Give feedback on how you will respond to planning and teaching
  • Assist pre-service teacher identify focus children
  • Give the pre-service teacher opportunities to complete and discuss observations
  • Provide access and time to discuss yourobservations and program as well as how you plan your program and undertake observations
  • Check draft lesson plans and provide feedback and suggestions
  • Allow the pre-service teacher opportunities to manage lesson transitions and working with small groups
  • Complete Form A ‘‘Form A: AITSL Standards for Graduating Teachers’, mid-point assessment and send to:
  • Give the pre-service teacher (and if necessary, CDU) feedback as to progress. (See “At Risk” procedures if necessary)
  • Pre-service teacher and mentor teacher discuss:
-the language of the profession
-emergent teacher identity, personal philosophies, developing and shaping philosophies/beliefs, finding common ground in teacher philosophies/beliefs
-development of positive attitudes and perceptions – room culture, physical and aesthetic environment of room, room routine and layout
-teacher and child interaction techniques – fostering relationships with children, communication strategies, discussion of teaching strategies, verbal and non-verbal cues for gaining children’s attention positively
-Observation techniques
-duty of care
-learning objectives, outcomes, indicators
-the EYLF and/or State/National Curriculum
Week 2 / Pre-service teachers should be involved this week with:
  • marking attendance, yard duties
  • observations and individual summaries of children (refer to Resources heading under “Early Childhood” tab in InSchool site)
  • organising/settling children
  • assisting and coordinating transitions
  • attending staff/room meetings
  • Continuing to add to reflective journal and discussing entries with mentor teacher
  • Teach a minimum of 2 lesson plans
  • Reflect on lessons with mentors
  • Undertake further planning and teaching for groups/individuals if mentor and pre-service teacher feel confident in this. Aim to build up to teach one half day/session.
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  • Give the pre-service teacher opportunities to complete and discuss observations and planning
  • Assist pre-service teachers reflection through oral and writtenfeedback on lesson plans and teaching
  • Allow the pre-service teacher opportunities to manage lesson transitions and working with small groups
  • Discuss the reflective journal with pre-service teacher.

Final Day of Placement /
  • Discuss with your mentor teacher and complete placement assessment forms, and discuss progress.
  • Take a copy of these forms for your records to keep as part of your teaching portfolio. Show evidence where these competencies are being addressed
  • Send original copies of completed Assessment forms and Time sheet to:
  • Work as a co-professional in the classroom supporting students in small groups and individually
  • Continue reflective journal entries
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  • Mentor teacher to complete Form B & C. Use the reflective journal as a tool to facilitate discussion with the pre-service teacher
  • Discuss progress made by pre-service teacher

After the placement /
  • Ensure that you have completed the required in-school days. If not, negotiate with your mentor teacher about suitable times to complete this requirement
  • Submit all paperwork to the Professional Experience Office
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  • Complete all relevant paperwork and return to the Professional Experience Office

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