Nomination Form 2019

The Medal for Excellence in Beginning Teaching

We would like to nominate to following student………Lucinda Blom………… who is undertaking the

 Early Childhood
*Primary R-7
 Middle and Secondary
 Special Education
Education degree for the Medal for Excellence in Beginning Teaching.

Nominated by:
Anne Minuzzo
Name:
Year 5/6 Teacher
Position
anne.minuzzo755@schools.sa.edu.au
Email

Amanda Badcock
Name
Assistant Principal - Primary Years
Position
amanda.badcock797@schools.sa.edu.au
Email

Reynella East College

School/Site
You may wish to provide extra evidence to support their final report using the following criteria:
Outstanding professional qualities:
Lucinda was immediately encouraging and developed positive relationships with students. She talked with them and
showed interest in their life stories, guiding them to solve personal problems and develop self-confidence. She has a
very patient, kind and caring nature which helped students feel quite comfortable yet still respectful. Lucinda set
personal goals to learn about all student’s backgrounds and developed trust through her interpersonal relationships
with individuals.
Lucinda demonstrated a genuine dedication to teaching, spending many extra hours focusing on improving her own
performance, making resources and ensuring student progress by always being willing to help.
She was always well prepared and organised for lessons, thinking ahead and gathering resources needed. On the odd
occasion when plans didn’t progress as expected Lucinda thought on her feet and quickly modified lessons. She
continually reflected on her performance, keeping the needs of the students foremost in her thoughts. Consequently,
lessons were always inspiring and engaging for students.
Lucinda willingly attended and actively participated in a variety of learning teams and committees. She listened to the
views of other professionals, showed great respect and appropriately supported meetings with constructive
contributions.
Planning that demonstrates an understanding of inclusivity and social justice:
Lucinda’s focus from the first time she entered the class was to create a positive, safe and collaborative learning
environment. She did this by providing a welcoming atmosphere for all students. She made personal connections with
students through informal conversations and built relationships through mutual respect. Students felt they were
valued.
All Lucinda’s lesson plans included differentiation which catered for students requiring extension through stretch,
through to students who required extra support. Tasks were designed with multiple entry points, allowing all students
access and an opportunity to experience success. Planning of units demonstrated that Lucinda had a good
understanding of the diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds of students in our class. She
asked questions, listened to staff and read information to gather a clear appreciation of the cohort.
Please forward to the Professional Experience Office: Jackie.Thomson@flinders.edu.au by Friday 19th July
2019.
(Please limit to 2 pages only)
 Nomination Form 2019
Whenever possible she provided opportunities for students to share their own life experiences and perspectives.
Planning encouraged and made allowance for students to interact with each other following clear expectations of the
level of respect. Tasks varied, starting with whole-group instruction and transitioned to flexible groupings and often
paired learning. Lucinda used student-led demonstrations with teacher monitoring and peer-supported learning to
increase student engagement. She facilitated and encouraged students to collaborate and cooperate with one another
and helped them build confidence in their own learning and their capacity to learn.
Knowledge of relevant curriculum areas and teaching methodologies:
Although Lucinda had limited experience with Year 5 and 6 students prior to this placement she had already made herself
familiar with the curriculum before the 10-week block began. She constantly referred to The Australian Curriculum
during planning and when developing rubrics and A – E standards.
Lucinda developed integrated units of work in the class. She incorporated links between areas of learning as well as the
students’ own experiences, including an excursion, in her lessons. As mentioned in the final report, many lessons were
activity-based. This gave students the opportunity to practice role modelling and new thinking skills. In small groups
students were presented with real-life situations which they explored and then presented their solutions to the class.
This encouraged student engagement and made the learning meaningful.
Students developed their individual learning goals through these lessons. Students were encouraged to do their best
and high expectations were set. Lucinda worked individually with students who were struggling to encourage them to
stay motivated. Students were given prompt, personalised feedback through informative comments that gave
suggestions on how they could improve.
Assessment, recording and reporting of student/children’s learning:
Lucinda became familiar with the school’s use of standardised and diagnostic tests including running records as a method
of monitoring student progress.
Lucinda used various assessment techniques. These included observations, peer discussions, work samples,
presentations/performances, tests and inquiry projects as well as involving student reflection. She also used pre and
post assessments to check prior knowledge and measure growth of learning. Lucinda was very thorough when marking
student work, spending time to accurately check their understanding and plan for further learning. Students were
provided with positive and timely feedback which gave them direction for future learning.
Assessment criteria, from the curriculum, was decided when planning the learning and explicitly communicated to
students prior to the task. Rubrics were then developed based on the assessment criteria. Through these methods
Lucinda was able to thoroughly monitor and track student achievement. She frequently discussed and provided
relevant information about student progress to me. Detailed records of student progress and achievement were kept
in digital form and were able to be easily shared with other professionals as needed.
Through involvement in our three-way conferences, one plan meetings and midyear reporting Lucinda was able to gain
an appreciation of how we report to parents and students both formally and informally.
Lucinda participated in a numeracy moderation task, where various work samples were assessed against the curriculum
assessment standards, as part of the Panalatinga Partnership. She also worked with a team of teachers and leaders to
level EALD writing samples.
Climate for learning, and behaviour management and guidance:
Lucinda immediately established and then maintained a positive, safe, student centred environment where students felt
valued. She quickly identified individual learning strengths and needs, through observation, formative assessment and
conversation with students. Lucinda was then able to differentiate learning according to student needs and therefore
allow all students to participate in activities and experience a degree of success. Lucinda implemented a variety of
strategies to eliminate behaviour issues and selected strategies depending on the needs of individuals. When necessary
Lucinda approached behaviour management in a very calm, quiet manner. She addressed the issue, listened to the
student and stated the purpose of the task and why the student was required to participate. She then continued to
support the student and monitor the behaviour throughout the lesson.
Reflective practice and self-development:
Lucinda reflected on her skills and performance throughout her teaching experience. She openly discussed her strengths
and areas for improvement with other professionals to gain a variety of opinions. Although the suggestion of being
observed by school leaders was daunting at first, Lucinda welcomed the feedback and transformed it into a positive
experience. She gained self-confidence and was prepared to experiment with ideas. During the placement I observed
Lucinda continuously striving to learn and improve at every opportunity. She was always looking for new ways to add to
the students’ positive experiences.

Please forward to the Professional Experience Office: Jackie.Thomson@flinders.edu.au by Friday 19th July
2019.
(Please limit to 2 pages only)