Demonstrated knowledge in student learning including the standards, the Principals of
Learning and Teaching P-12 and Assessment and Reporting Advice and the ability to
design curriculum programs consistent with their intent
I have a sound knowledge of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and how to incorporate
theses standards into the classroom. I have attended a professional development day investigating
the VELS at Gladstone Park Primary School. I have also applied VELS in my teaching this year and
have used the Quick Vic Reporting System. I believe the VELS are put in place to create high quality
learning environments for children, to increase student outcomes and enable then students within
your class to reach their full potential.
Throughout this year I have used the VELS curriculum. Along with fellow teachers we have began to
re-structure out curriculum in accordance with the VELS. I have attended an Integrated Inquiry
training session and we now have begun to develop our own Integrated Inquiry topics that focus on
the VELS and the student’s needs.
I believe the standards have been introduced to prepare children for a world that is complex and
forever changing. The standards identify what is important for our students to learn at different times
in their schooling.
It is important that children are exposed to the broad range of learning area in the three core,
interrelated strands set out in the VELS to give each child the chance to succeed in all areas.
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Physical, Personal and Social Learning; Health and Physical Education, Interpersonal
Development, Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship.
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Discipline-based Learning; The Arts, English, Languages other than English, Humanities,
Mathematics, Science.
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Interdisciplinary Learning; Communication, Design, Creativity and Technology, Information and
Communications Technology and Thinking.
Last year I attended a professional development day looked at POLT (Principals of Learning and
Teaching). I believe that POLT allows teachers to look at the way we teach, highlighting the areas
that we do well in and the areas in which we need to improve. Principals of Learning and Teaching
provide us with feedback from a wide variety of sources i.e. the students that you teach, POLT
coordinator.
I believe that the Principals of Learning and Teaching allow us to;
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Become skilled practitioners who provide meaning for students
Reflect and evaluate on our own learning
Gain feedback from students
Restructure, learn from and change areas that need to be improved.
I believe that it is important to continually learn and improve and in my teaching I will do this
by;
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Constant reflection and evaluation of teaching and learning.
Attend professional development days and staff meetings relating to current initiatives
Continually research into new ways of learning and teaching.
Discuss and conference with other team members about ideas and training.
Demonstrate an understanding of how students learn and effective classroom teaching
strategies and the capacity to work with colleagues to continually improve teaching and
learning.
I endeavour to provide students with a safe, engaging and enjoyable learning environment in which
they can learn and work towards achieving their goals. The learning environment that I promote
fosters critical thinking, develops problem solving strategies and facilitates the acquisition of lifelong
learning skills. As a teacher I believe that it is my responsibility to know my students and be aware of
their knowledge when they enter the classroom, in order to connect to that knowledge and build on it.
I continually adopt and adapt various strategies and methodologies to cater for students needs. Ways
that I have achieved this are through;
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Being Supportive of individual needs
Being aware of the different rates if learning, adapting approaches accordingly
Utilising various resources, hands-on experiences, games and learning technologies, to allow
students to reach their full potential.
Placing high learning objectives for students that are challenging, but encourage them to work
towards experience and success.
To allow students to reach their full potential it is important to employ high quality teaching skills
which resolve around individual students needs, differences in culture, backgrounds, interests and
experiences. This can be achieved by incorporating various teaching and learning strategies and
theories into the planning and implementation of programs, these may include;
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Gardener’s Multiple intelligences, which revolves around auditory, kinaesthetic abilities. This
year in my teaching I have found that when explaining tasks and situations it is important to
provide a visual component as well as an auditory component. In order for students with
different needs to gain the most from each lesson. For example during modelled writing time a
visual representation of a piece of writing in the board along with a verbal explanation helps
visual and auditory learners. Also, by incorporating drama into the activity allows students to
act out the experience to gain meaning of what has been taught.
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De Bono’s six thinking hats, which considers ideas and issues from different perspectives.
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Blooms Taxonomy, which provides sequential components of learning a skill. The teaching
strategy is to incorporate the taxonomy in the planning of a learning task. These should
incorporate the competencies of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis
and evaluation, respectively.
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Thinking curriculum, within a thinking orientated curriculum the teacher should provide
students with challenging tasks that will stimulate, encourage and support thinking. Teachers
also will model thinking and learning strategies that they want their students to develop.
I believe that it is extremely important to work as a team with colleagues in order to strengthen,
teaching practices and to further own learning. I have developed that ability to work with other
teachers to improve teaching and learning this year by;
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Working effectively, team teaching along side my mentor and the fellow grade 2 teacher.
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Constantly seeking advice and seeking out information from other teachers.
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Working in a virtual classroom with my mentor. At Gladstone Park Shopping centre, promoting
our school for education week.
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Continually meeting with my working teams and planning as a team.
Capacity to monitor and assess student learning data and to use this data to inform
teaching for improved student learning.
This year in my teaching I believe that I have been able to effectively assess students throughout the
year. I have done this through using a variety of assessment tool these are as follows;
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South Australian Spelling Test- In which students are given a spelling age and a score, this
allowed me to structure my spelling groups for the year, putting students into 4 ability groups.
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MIOOW Spelling test- A spelling test that outlines what common words the student can use
and what words they have to learn.
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Burt Reading Test- A test that gives students a reading age and allows you to see what the
students are struggling with.
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Running Records- Allow the teacher to benchmark students reading levels; this has been
extremely helpful in seeing the improvement of the student’s abilities as well as for placing
them into their task board ability groups.
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MIOOW Word Recognition test- This test allows the teacher to see what common words the
student can read and the student can be tested every term to see their progress.
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DMT Maths test- This is a great test for the start of the year it allows the teacher to see what
the student can do and what they need to learn. This is also a great test to place students in
their numeracy groups.
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Numeracy Interview- I went to a professional development session in 2005 that explained
how to use the interview. This test allows the teacher to see the strengths and weaknesses in
each child.
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Observation- Constant observation allows you as a teacher to see how students interact with
others, their work habits as well as the improvements and weaknesses in their work.
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Individual Learning Plans- Students that are ‘at risk’ I have put on individual learning plans
this year. This has allowed me as a teacher to constantly work on helping the individual reach
the set goals.
Throughout this year these tests have given me an insight into each individual and how they are
progressing along. This allows you as a teacher to adjust what you are teaching to focus on individual
students needs.
Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills and high level
interpersonal skills including a capacity to develop constructive relationships with
students, parents and other staff.
An essential part of the teaching role is to be a part of the teaching team. I believe that teamwork is
about sharing, collaboration, planning and evaluation as a group and being part of a supportive
network. Good teamwork ensures a supportive and encouraging environment for people to work in
and ensures a consistent approach towards curriculum delivery. Team work allows us to create a
forum in which we can openly discuss ideas and gain different perspectives.
I have demonstrated my ability to work in a team by;
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Regularly attend staff meetings
Consult on a regular basis with the other year level teacher.
Work in a team teaching environment
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Volunteer for professional development days
Be an open colleague so teachers feel that they can come to you for advice.
I believe that as a graduate teacher I can bring fresh ideas, if selected I look forward to continue to
involve myself in extra curricular activities.
Throughout this year in my teaching and on previous teaching rounds I have demonstrated
my interpersonal and communication skills with parents, students and colleagues by;
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Participating Parent Information nights
Being apart of 3-way conferences
Discussing issues with parents before and after school
Attending meetings and professional development days with staff
Creating an environment in which students are valued in a climate of mutual respect.
Participating and contributing to team and level meetings
I believe that communication in the classroom is a three-way process in which parents, teachers and
students become partners in learning, working together to achieve a common goal as we all have the
student’s best interest at heart. I believe that parents play a pivotal role in children’s learning and
should be involved in their child’s learning when ever possible, this can be done in a variety of ways.
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Parent- Teacher interviews
Informal and Formal discussions
Emails, notes and letters
Diaries
Reports and newsletters
Demonstrated commitment and capacity to actively contribute to a broad range of school
activities and a capacity to reflect on, evaluate and improve professional knowledge and
practice.
I believe that it is extremely important as a teacher to constantly look for ways of improving ones
teaching and learning. This year I have attended many professional development days these include;
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The Graduate Teachers seminar
You Can Do It Training
The Brain Man
Professional Development on Intellectual Disabilities
Visual thinking PD
Thinking Curriculum PD
Integrated Inquiry PD
Oral Language PD
Developmental Play PD
These professional development days have given me an insight into new initiatives and new ways of
teaching. It’s fantastic to hear different perspectives on areas that I have great interest in. I have been
able to reflect upon these days and have tried different methods in my classroom. From this I have
been able to see what has worked and what hasn’t worked. I have been able to reflect upon my
professional development undertaken this year by completing my portfolio that had a running
description of the days undertaken.
This year I have demonstrated my commitment to contribute to a broad range of school activities by
being involved in;
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School Concert
Virtual classroom
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Christmas Carols
School excursions
Interviews and information nights
Market Day
Demonstrated ability to create a supportive classroom environment where positive student
welfare and management practices are implemented.
Throughout my teaching experiences I have endeavoured to provide students with a safe, engaging
and enjoyable learning environment in which they can learn and work towards achieving goals. My
classroom environment is one in which myself as a teacher and the students work together as a team
to learn. I am an approachable person in which students, parents and teachers feel they can come to,
if they need to talk or ask for advice.
Examples of how I continually adopt and adapt various strategies and methodologies to cater
for students needs are;
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Being aware of different rates of leering, adapting approaches accordingly.
Utilising various resources, hands-on experiences, games and learning technologies, to allow
students to reach their full potential.
Maintaining high expectations of students that are challenging, but encourage them to work
towards positive experiences and success.
Understanding a wide range of individual needs.
Evidence of establishing positive discipline strategies and creating stimulating and supportive
environments include;
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Establishing class expectations and consequences with individual behaviour management
programs as required.
Using Carter’s assertive discipline model or class management strategies as outlined by Bill
Rodgers.
Establishing and creating with student’s class rules and consequences
Creating meaningful and innovative lesson’s in which students feel stimulated and supported.
Using a range of small group learning opportunities such as cooperative and mixed ability
groups.
Working as a part of a team to ensure effective and positive classroom management.
Critically evaluating and reflecting on learning experiences.