1.1. Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning
As a teacher I need to make sure that I understand how student’s physical, social and intellectual development and their individual characteristics may affect learning.
As a teacher awareness of the physical development students are undergoing is paramount. In many schools where I have undertaken practicum prioritise healthy eating and have set times for students to have a healthy snack. During my 2013 practicum the student’s routine was to come in after lunch, eat a healthy snack while having free choice reading. This was an important routine as it not only calmed them down after lunch but promoted healthy eating habits. In regards to physical development it is also important that students have appropriate rest and engage in physical activity. If a student has not had an appropriate amount of sleep the night before then they are unable to focus properly in class the next day and will be disengaged from their learning. In my future class I would like to make sure that each day contains some form of physical activity.
After completing EDU2CAD I know that children go through different stages of development. In my teaching I will take note of this so activities are developmentally appropriate. Learning is a social activity and in my teaching approach students are required to work collaboratively in groups with other students. In order to get them to work together well I will explicitly model strategies and techniques. For students being social is a big factor, as a student teacher I have seen many disputes that students had in the yard and classroom. When problems arise I try to get the students to see the others point of view and have them create their own solutions when possible.
When volunteering in Prep classrooms at one school I was exposed to the importance of play based learning. The school followed the Walker Learning Approach. This approach gave the students the chance to learn through play and by doing so learn academic, social and emotional skills. I do not know much about the program but I can see how effective its implantation is.
1.2. Understand how students learn
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
To properly meet students’ needs I need to be flexible as a teacher. I need to actively listen, observe and engage with my students at a professional and social level to gain a better understanding of who they are and how they will best learn. When teaching if I see that something is not working I will stop the lesson, admit to the students that something isn’t right and change what we are doing to something more appropriate.
In my teaching I strive to make my teaching engaging for all students. When planning activities I take into account what the students are interested in and how they like to learn, to do this I use Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences to plan activities.
Throughout my degree I have gained an understanding of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. In my teaching I will use this as well as my knowledge about scaffolding to design teaching experiences that will support students and extend their learning.
1.3. Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
In my classroom I will aim to provide opportunities to foster respect and understanding of different backgrounds. In my practicums I have been at schools with a very diverse range of students. From that experience I know that I have to be aware of access to resources at home, parent education and background, if parents are able/willing to help their children at home. From practicum I have seen the effect on students whose parents are not able to help them practice reading at home. The students whose parents did not listen to them read their take home books were evident as they were behind the other students. For these students extra support was needed and so they worked with someone who did intervention to help them improve their skills.
As well as being aware of my student’s backgrounds and how they affect the learning of my students I need to be aware of how my own background affects my teaching and interactions with my students.
1.4. Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
Through my course I have completed the subject EDU2CII- Cultural and Indigenous Perspectives- through which I learnt a lot about the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students. I know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures are identified as a Cross Curriculum Priority in teaching by the Australian Curriculum. This means that as a teacher I will embrace teaching this content as it is important to Australian history and identity and when teaching students from this background I will act with an awareness of their culture.
1.5. Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
On practicums and in subjects taken I have learnt about the importance of differentiation. Differentiating learning means that all students are catered for. On practicum I have had the opportunity to plan lessons and individual group tasks that would cater to the wide range of needs the students in the class had. I have seen that grouping students according to ability levels so that they are working with students of a similar ability can work really well as you can focus in on an area that needs improvement. For example in literacy groups in my practicum 2013 I was able to target specific learning needs of the students in particular groups. I have also seen that in some circumstances it is good to have groups of differing abilities so that students can help one another and draw on each other’s strengths. I also like having open ended questions and activities allow for students to show different competencies, as well as giving students the opportunity to decide how they are going to present their work; taking into account Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences allowing students to work according to their own learning style and abilities.
1.6. Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability
As a pre-service teacher last year I was placed in a classroom that had multiple students with Autism or sensory issues. My mentor teacher was a professional in the area of Autism and had done further study in this area. Doing my placement in her classroom inspired me to take the subject Understanding Autism this year as an elective in an attempt to further my own knowledge on the subject which prior to the commencement of last year’s prac I had very little knowledge about. Last year while on placement I was extremely lucky in that I got the chance to attend a workshop that my mentor teacher was running about Autism and from my mentor teacher I gained some of her resources that she uses to engage and help the students with Autism in her class. A lot of the resources used in the class are extremely visual, in the class she uses a lot of visual cues to tell the students how she is feeling, and her expectations. A visual timetable was used so students know the routine for the day and for a particular lesson. During my time volunteering in schools I have also had the opportunity to intact with students with Autism and see teachers use social stories to get their students used to particular things.
Even though I am gaining a better understanding of Autism I am aware that I lack knowledge in other disabilities of a learning nature. In 2013 I was tutoring a boy who had dyslexia so on my own I read a lot of information about dyslexia and reached out to other teachers for their experience and knowledge so I could better help my student.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning
As a teacher I need to make sure that I understand how student’s physical, social and intellectual development and their individual characteristics may affect learning.
As a teacher awareness of the physical development students are undergoing is paramount. In many schools where I have undertaken practicum prioritise healthy eating and have set times for students to have a healthy snack. During my 2013 practicum the student’s routine was to come in after lunch, eat a healthy snack while having free choice reading. This was an important routine as it not only calmed them down after lunch but promoted healthy eating habits. In regards to physical development it is also important that students have appropriate rest and engage in physical activity. If a student has not had an appropriate amount of sleep the night before then they are unable to focus properly in class the next day and will be disengaged from their learning. In my future class I would like to make sure that each day contains some form of physical activity.
After completing EDU2CAD I know that children go through different stages of development. In my teaching I will take note of this so activities are developmentally appropriate. Learning is a social activity and in my teaching approach students are required to work collaboratively in groups with other students. In order to get them to work together well I will explicitly model strategies and techniques. For students being social is a big factor, as a student teacher I have seen many disputes that students had in the yard and classroom. When problems arise I try to get the students to see the others point of view and have them create their own solutions when possible.
When volunteering in Prep classrooms at one school I was exposed to the importance of play based learning. The school followed the Walker Learning Approach. This approach gave the students the chance to learn through play and by doing so learn academic, social and emotional skills. I do not know much about the program but I can see how effective its implantation is.
1.2. Understand how students learn
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
To properly meet students’ needs I need to be flexible as a teacher. I need to actively listen, observe and engage with my students at a professional and social level to gain a better understanding of who they are and how they will best learn. When teaching if I see that something is not working I will stop the lesson, admit to the students that something isn’t right and change what we are doing to something more appropriate.
In my teaching I strive to make my teaching engaging for all students. When planning activities I take into account what the students are interested in and how they like to learn, to do this I use Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences to plan activities.
Throughout my degree I have gained an understanding of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. In my teaching I will use this as well as my knowledge about scaffolding to design teaching experiences that will support students and extend their learning.
1.3. Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
In my classroom I will aim to provide opportunities to foster respect and understanding of different backgrounds. In my practicums I have been at schools with a very diverse range of students. From that experience I know that I have to be aware of access to resources at home, parent education and background, if parents are able/willing to help their children at home. From practicum I have seen the effect on students whose parents are not able to help them practice reading at home. The students whose parents did not listen to them read their take home books were evident as they were behind the other students. For these students extra support was needed and so they worked with someone who did intervention to help them improve their skills.
As well as being aware of my student’s backgrounds and how they affect the learning of my students I need to be aware of how my own background affects my teaching and interactions with my students.
1.4. Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
Through my course I have completed the subject EDU2CII- Cultural and Indigenous Perspectives- through which I learnt a lot about the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students. I know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures are identified as a Cross Curriculum Priority in teaching by the Australian Curriculum. This means that as a teacher I will embrace teaching this content as it is important to Australian history and identity and when teaching students from this background I will act with an awareness of their culture.
1.5. Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
On practicums and in subjects taken I have learnt about the importance of differentiation. Differentiating learning means that all students are catered for. On practicum I have had the opportunity to plan lessons and individual group tasks that would cater to the wide range of needs the students in the class had. I have seen that grouping students according to ability levels so that they are working with students of a similar ability can work really well as you can focus in on an area that needs improvement. For example in literacy groups in my practicum 2013 I was able to target specific learning needs of the students in particular groups. I have also seen that in some circumstances it is good to have groups of differing abilities so that students can help one another and draw on each other’s strengths. I also like having open ended questions and activities allow for students to show different competencies, as well as giving students the opportunity to decide how they are going to present their work; taking into account Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences allowing students to work according to their own learning style and abilities.
1.6. Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability
As a pre-service teacher last year I was placed in a classroom that had multiple students with Autism or sensory issues. My mentor teacher was a professional in the area of Autism and had done further study in this area. Doing my placement in her classroom inspired me to take the subject Understanding Autism this year as an elective in an attempt to further my own knowledge on the subject which prior to the commencement of last year’s prac I had very little knowledge about. Last year while on placement I was extremely lucky in that I got the chance to attend a workshop that my mentor teacher was running about Autism and from my mentor teacher I gained some of her resources that she uses to engage and help the students with Autism in her class. A lot of the resources used in the class are extremely visual, in the class she uses a lot of visual cues to tell the students how she is feeling, and her expectations. A visual timetable was used so students know the routine for the day and for a particular lesson. During my time volunteering in schools I have also had the opportunity to intact with students with Autism and see teachers use social stories to get their students used to particular things.
Even though I am gaining a better understanding of Autism I am aware that I lack knowledge in other disabilities of a learning nature. In 2013 I was tutoring a boy who had dyslexia so on my own I read a lot of information about dyslexia and reached out to other teachers for their experience and knowledge so I could better help my student.