James Preece: Pre-service Teacher

James delivered a 2 week unit of work in the 8 Modified History class. The cohort of students have
significant learning difficulties including Autism Spectrum Disorder, auditory processing disorder,
EALD, low literacy levels, or have been deemed to be a Student at Risk. The class also includes a
number of ATSI students, one of whom has hearing loss. The students are mostly eager to learn
and with one to one teacher and SSO support and are able to succeed. The curriculum has been
modified to cater for student learning needs and differentiated further for individual students.
The topic this term has covered The Asia-Pacific World: Japan under the Shogun (c.794-c.1867).
After initially observing the class on at least 2 occasions, James lead a unit based on the role and
changing role of the Japanese Samurai.
Learning Content
Learning Processes: James took the suggestion to show a Commando style documentary,
exploring the skills, weapons, armour, training techniques and beliefs of the Japanese Samurai
through the eyes of an American Green Beret soldier. Students were engaged in the fast paced
documentary but were reluctant to take written notes from the whiteboard as the documentary
played. Students had a hard-copy and digital version of a mind-map to order the notes.
James then reiterated much of the content of the documentary in an introductory style PowerPoint
about Samurai. He then provided students with a basic modern day resume and students had to
order their notes from both the documentary and PowerPoint, under the headings of the resume.
The assessment task asked students to create a resume, written from the first-person perspective
as a Samurai.
Learning Context: Given that all the students have learning difficulties, James spent significant
time, moving around the classroom, providing students with individual support and clarification and
scaffolded all processes.
Student Respect: James built professional working relationships with students by conversing with
individual students and offering support and encouragement to all members of the class. In
individual cases, time was designated to refocusing students who became distracted easily. James
was able to build relationships with students by taking time to establish whether students played
extra-curricular sport. James found a commonality between himself and an ATSI student- both
played footy and were able to converse.
Professional & Collegial Learning: James took all suggestions on board and was happy to use my written
and video resources, as well as creating and sourcing his own. James spent.