AITSL Standards

Shaunagh McCollam
Pre-service teacher
Practicum 2019

1. Know your students and how they learn

I understand my students, how they learn and what strategies work well for behaviour
management. Students who have low literacy levels and struggle to read and write have
tasks altered for them accordingly. For example, in a geography test student completed I
asked students to have a go writing natural, managed and constructed. If they couldn't write
this, they could write the first letter, or a staff member would scribe for them.
Student who need this differentiated task included; Liam, Declan, Jacob, Rickail, Ava and
Audriana. This is only one example and I have used other strategies according to the lesson
content and activities.

In order to understand my students and how they learn I made the conscience effort to get
to know each student and their interests through casual conversation. For assessing student
knowledge, I have created checklists and written anecdotal notes on various students
during various lesson.

2. Know the content and how to teach it

I do have the required content knowledge to teach my lessons. The year one curriculum is
created to introduce and focus on multiple concepts at a simplified level however teaching
the students new concepts requires great detail and explicit instruction. Therefore, it is
important to ensure that I am teaching new concepts such as addition and time in Great
detail and use specific language to introduce the topics correctly. During the time I’ve taken
for next lessons and taught new sounds and digraphs to students. Each lesson has focused
on a new sound a diagraph in detail with the numerous examples. This is just one example
of how specific lessons need to be and how ideas and concepts are developed overtime. In
the beginning of packed I did struggle to specifically identified the students understanding
of concepts and how to teach them specifically therefore I have reflected and with the help
of my mentor teacher and have developed my practices to be more accommodating to
student understanding.

3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

My planning has enabled me to teach effectively. In numerous lessons, students for you at
particular routine they have learned throughout the year which I follow and adapting to my
planning. This does make lesson planning easier as students are affected in the tasks and
have clear understanding of the goals and aims for each of these lessons. Some teaching
and learning strategies I include into my planning includes explicit instruction, games, songs,
dances, songs, hands on material, modelling and goal setting. While I try to provide as much
detail in my lesson planning as possible there’s still plenty of room for improvement. For
 AITSL Standards

future planning, I need to include my strategies for questioning such as higher order
questioning.

4. Creative and maintain supportive and safe learning

As many of the students come from distressing backgrounds influenced by the domestic
violence and drug use it is important to create a safe environment they supported and
caters for students physical and mental safety. Therefore, it is important to create a positive
and fun environment for the students to thrive in and feel accepted and valued. Considering
the demographic at Lockridge Primary School it is important to consider the whole child’s
well-being (physical, mental and emotional needs). One way this has been incorporated in
the classroom is through the zones of regulation. This includes the green zone (when
students are happy and well), the yellow zone (this can include feeling silly or mischievous),
the blue zone (this relates to sadness, having nerves) and the red zone (anger and
annoyance). The staff often ask students which zone they are in if there are any indicators
of strange behaviour or mannerisms from the children. The zones of regulation allow for
students to express how their feeling and can also provide the teacher with different
options to allow student to self-regulate and return to the green zone. This is something I
would like to include in my classroom in the future.

5. Assess, provide feedback and report on students learning

Assessment is an important part of teaching and learning. Assessment can guide
understanding of student knowledge and reflect teaching practices. It is important has it is
useful for all areas of educator and the surrounding community. For example, the education
system, parent, students, parents, principals and teachers all use assessment, feedback and
reporting to work on improving and understanding individual student learning.

Personally, I can improve my assessment practices in all area and subjects. While formative
assessment is important, it is also important to have anecdotal for each subject and take
note of areas for improvement and successes for each students as well as referring to how
students learn and their engagement with tasks.

6. (and 7) Engage in professional learning and Engage professionally with

collages parents/ carers and the community

I collaborate with my mentor teacher, Education Assistance and Amanda (the other prac
student at Lockridge) on my lesson idea and plans. At Lockridge Primary school, there is a
wide range of knowledge and ideas when it comes to different approaches to teaching,
especially when it comes to behaviour management.