MERCY COLLEGE

Teacher Role Description

We are a Catholic school for girls which has a proud and rich history of educating young women in Years 7-12 providing knowledge and skills to equip them in their future life directions. The Mercy values of excellence, hospitality, justice and compassion are guiding principles that signal ‘who we are’ to each other and for each other. We seek to be a College that educates the whole person.

With an emphasis on developing a socially just and environmentally aware approach to life, we provide a basis for each girl to contribute with purpose to our local, national and international world as a confident, articulate and self-aware young woman. We challenge our students to become independent and questioning learners and equip them with the skills necessary for lifelong learning. Inspired by Catherine McAuley and the Mercy tradition, we strive to do this within a faith-based, nurturing and educationally challenging environment.

At Mercy College, we respect, value and celebrate each student’s gifts and all that she brings to our community. All that we do in the areas of faith, wellbeing, academic and co-curricular programs seeks to affirm, celebrate and extend each girl’s talents and gifts. Our teaching and support staff work in partnership with our families to support their daughter’s development.

COMMITMENTTO ETHOS

All staff in the Catholic school have an indispensable role to play in furthering the mission of the Church. It is

expected of all employed in a Catholic school that they:

-accept the Catholic educational philosophy of the school

-develop and maintain an adequate understanding of those aspects of Catholic teaching that touchupon their subject areas and other aspects of their work

-by their teaching and other work and by personal example strive to help students to understand,accept and appreciate Catholic teaching and values

-avoid, whether by word, action or public lifestyle, influence upon students that is contrary to theteaching and values of the Church community, in whose name they act

-comply with the accreditation policy of the CECV to teach in a Catholic school

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

The role responsibilities draw upon the Victorian Catholic Education Multi Enterprise Agreement 2013 and the AITSL Professional Standards for Teachers. The role revolves around a demonstrated commitment to professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement.

Professional Knowledge

Know Students and how they learn

1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students

1.2 Understand how students learn

1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds

1. 4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities

1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability

Know the content and how to teach it

2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area

2.2 Content selection and organisation

2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting

2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies

2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Professional Practice

Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

3.1 Establish challenging learning goals

3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs

3.3 Use teaching strategies

3.4 Select and use resources

3.5 Use effective classroom communication

3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs

3.7 Engage parents/ carers in the educative process

Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

4.1 Support student participation

4.2 Manage classroom activities

4.3 Manage challenging behaviour

4.4 Maintain student safety

4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically

Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

5.1 Assess student learning

5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning

5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements

5.4 Interpret student data

5.5 Report on student achievement

Professional Engagement

Engage in professional learning

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

6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning

Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities

7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements

7.3 Engage with the parents/carers

7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities

MERCY COLLEGE IS A CHILD SAFE SCHOOL

Mercy College provides employees, volunteers and clergy with regular and appropriate opportunities to develop their knowledge of, openness to and ability to address child safety matters. This includes induction, ongoing training and professional learning to ensure that everyone understands and is compliant in their professional and legal obligations and responsibilities, and the procedures for reporting suspicion of child abuse and neglect.

PROFESSIONAL DRESS

Mercy College has a Staff Dress Code that all staff are expected to adhere to. The dress code is referred to in the College Handbook.

STATEMENT OF DUTIES -TEACHER
Contemporary Teaching /
  • Develop a stimulating learning environment by using a variety of styles and approaches to cater for individual learning needs
  • Understand and adhere to state and national course requirements including the standards of professional practice – Australian Standards of Teaching – and the CECV
  • Employ a variety of effective teaching strategies to effectively implement the curriculum
  • Give appropriate time to lesson planning and organisation
  • Understand state and national course requirements
  • Keep accurate records of student attendance
  • Embrace the use of information and communications technologies to enhance learning
  • Engage in learning progress discussions
  • Write formal academic reports that conform to report writing guidelines
  • Monitor the progress of each student and provide meaningful and regular feedback to each student on their progress
  • Liaise with appropriate support staff in the implementation of the curriculum

Pastoral Care and
Child Safety /
  • Provide students with a child-safe environment
  • Be familiar with and comply with the school's child-safe policy and code of conduct, and any other policies or procedures relating to child safety
  • Proactively monitor and support student wellbeing
  • Exercise pastoral care in a manner which reflects school values
  • Implement strategies which promote a healthy and positive learning environment
  • Attend year level meetings as scheduled
  • Attend all school assemblies
  • Attend school liturgical celebrations
  • Attend school organised activities relevant to house or year level, as required

Curriculum Development /
  • Plan, develop, review and evaluate curriculum in subject areas and at year levels which you teach
  • Develop assessment instruments in a collegial manner where whole group testing takes place
  • Evaluate digital learning materials and make recommendations to subject coordinators about their implementation
  • Create and evaluate online resources for the purposes of enriching the curriculum
  • Attend subject meetings as scheduled

Professional Development /
  • Have current knowledge of curriculum initiatives in your teaching areas
  • Commit to ongoing professional development in your teaching areas
  • Be open to researching areas of interest relevant to directions provided in the school’s strategic plan
  • Continue development of ICT skills as technologies evolve
  • Participate in the staff appraisal process
  • Be an active member of a relevant professional association as duties permit
  • Support collegial learning by acting as a mentor or supervising and supporting a student teacher after consultation with subject coordinator

Co-Curricular Involvement /
  • Support and be involved in the co-curricular program
  • Proactively encourage students to participate in co-curricular activities
  • Act as a role model for participating students
  • Keep accurate records of student attendance and participation within the
    co-curricular activity
  • Create and maintain a safe environment in which students may enjoy their participation
  • Oversee the provision and care of relevant equipment materials and first aid requirements

General and Administrative Duties /
  • Contribute to a healthy and safe work environment for yourself and others and comply with all safe work policies and procedures
  • Maintain currency of first aid, mandatory reporting and anaphylaxis training
  • Demonstrate duty of care to students in relation to the physical and mental wellbeing
  • Attend all relevant school meetings and after school services/assemblies, sporting events, mass, community and faith days as well as professional
    learning opportunities
  • Participate in duty supervision as rostered and other supervision duties
    when required
  • Demonstrate professional and collegiate relationships with colleagues
  • Uphold the professional standards expected of a teacher
  • Other duties as directed by the Principal