~Professional Practice~
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
Summary of Standard
The third standard of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers requires teachers to not only plan for effective teaching and learning in the classroom, but to also implement this teaching and learning into the classroom. Planning for effective teaching and learning requires setting learning goals and planning lesson sequences. To then implement this plan, a teach needs to use a range of effective teaching strategies, demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies and also involve parents and carers in their child’s educative process.
Situation Action Outcome
Focus Area
3.4 Select and use resources
Situation
Students hadn’t had any learning experiences on a computer throughout the year. I had a discussion with a staff member and was able to organise a time slot for the pre-primaries to go to the computer room every Wednesday afternoon.
Action
Each Wednesday afternoon, I took the class over to the computer room where they could practice their computer skills. Many students hadn’t even used a computer before, I therefore thought it was important to teach them basic computer skills including; what the keyboard is, how to use the mouse and how to turn on the computer. I often had students playing games that improved their computer skills. One game I really liked was called “Cup Stacking”. Students were required to type the letters highlighted on the specific cup and then once they had typed that letter, the cup would stack. This game was great for students to practice their typing skills. Not only were students learning to type letters, but also they were practising their literacy skills with letter recognition.
Outcome
Over the course of the term, each student improved with their computer skills. By the end of the term, students were using their computer mouse correctly and were also typing on the keyboard correctly. Students became so excited each week to go over to the computer room and would often ask me every day if it was computer day yet.
Focus Area
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
Situation
Early on during my internship, my supervisor came for her first visit. She told me that I was using my voice too much to gain the students attention and that I was just going to end up hurting my throat, especially with 31 students. My supervisor had so many positive things to say to me, but using my voice too much was one of the negatives. She gave me different ideas to try when gaining attention. My supervisor also said that I was doing very well with changing my voice tone while actually teaching and that she was only concerned with attention gaining.
Action
I completely agreed with my supervisor and decided to trial different ways of gaining students attention in the classroom. I tried many different approaches but only ended up using a few specific ones throughout my entire practicum. The different approaches that were engaging to students were; hand clapping patterns, singing tunes and getting a reply, students putting their hands on heads, hands on shoulders and then hands in laps, shaking a maraca or tambourine and counting down from 5.
Outcome
Students actually paid more attention when I used each of the different ways to communicate to them. They were also much more engaged and interested. I was also able to save my voice from straining.
Focus Area
3.7 Engage parents/carers in the educative process
Situation
Engaging parents and carers in their child’s learning is very important, not only for them, but also for the child as well. I engaged parents and carers in their child’s educative process through many different ways while being on my final practicum as I know just how important it is to a child’s learning.
Action
At the start of my practicum, I sent a letter home to each parent introducing myself and explaining what I was doing and how long I would be in their child’s classroom for. I also wrote some of the classroom newsletters which were sent home each week.
Outcome
After introducing myself, parents and carers felt that they could come up and introduce themselves to me. Parents were very interested in finding out more about myself and how they could help out with their child’s learning.
The third standard of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers requires teachers to not only plan for effective teaching and learning in the classroom, but to also implement this teaching and learning into the classroom. Planning for effective teaching and learning requires setting learning goals and planning lesson sequences. To then implement this plan, a teach needs to use a range of effective teaching strategies, demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies and also involve parents and carers in their child’s educative process.
Situation Action Outcome
Focus Area
3.4 Select and use resources
Situation
Students hadn’t had any learning experiences on a computer throughout the year. I had a discussion with a staff member and was able to organise a time slot for the pre-primaries to go to the computer room every Wednesday afternoon.
Action
Each Wednesday afternoon, I took the class over to the computer room where they could practice their computer skills. Many students hadn’t even used a computer before, I therefore thought it was important to teach them basic computer skills including; what the keyboard is, how to use the mouse and how to turn on the computer. I often had students playing games that improved their computer skills. One game I really liked was called “Cup Stacking”. Students were required to type the letters highlighted on the specific cup and then once they had typed that letter, the cup would stack. This game was great for students to practice their typing skills. Not only were students learning to type letters, but also they were practising their literacy skills with letter recognition.
Outcome
Over the course of the term, each student improved with their computer skills. By the end of the term, students were using their computer mouse correctly and were also typing on the keyboard correctly. Students became so excited each week to go over to the computer room and would often ask me every day if it was computer day yet.
Focus Area
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
Situation
Early on during my internship, my supervisor came for her first visit. She told me that I was using my voice too much to gain the students attention and that I was just going to end up hurting my throat, especially with 31 students. My supervisor had so many positive things to say to me, but using my voice too much was one of the negatives. She gave me different ideas to try when gaining attention. My supervisor also said that I was doing very well with changing my voice tone while actually teaching and that she was only concerned with attention gaining.
Action
I completely agreed with my supervisor and decided to trial different ways of gaining students attention in the classroom. I tried many different approaches but only ended up using a few specific ones throughout my entire practicum. The different approaches that were engaging to students were; hand clapping patterns, singing tunes and getting a reply, students putting their hands on heads, hands on shoulders and then hands in laps, shaking a maraca or tambourine and counting down from 5.
Outcome
Students actually paid more attention when I used each of the different ways to communicate to them. They were also much more engaged and interested. I was also able to save my voice from straining.
Focus Area
3.7 Engage parents/carers in the educative process
Situation
Engaging parents and carers in their child’s learning is very important, not only for them, but also for the child as well. I engaged parents and carers in their child’s educative process through many different ways while being on my final practicum as I know just how important it is to a child’s learning.
Action
At the start of my practicum, I sent a letter home to each parent introducing myself and explaining what I was doing and how long I would be in their child’s classroom for. I also wrote some of the classroom newsletters which were sent home each week.
Outcome
After introducing myself, parents and carers felt that they could come up and introduce themselves to me. Parents were very interested in finding out more about myself and how they could help out with their child’s learning.
Evidence
Action Plans
As a teacher, one of the most important and crucial things you need to do is plan for and implement effective teaching and learning. I will definitely conduct further research into how to effectively plan and implement teaching and learning as it is the foundation of being a teacher. There are so many resources available to teachers that can help with planning and implementing effective teaching and learning. One website that has helped me immensely already is Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/). There are so many unique and wonderful ideas on there that are perfect for effective learning and teaching to take place. I know I will keep using Pinterest, along with other new resources to help me as well.
As a teacher, one of the most important and crucial things you need to do is plan for and implement effective teaching and learning. I will definitely conduct further research into how to effectively plan and implement teaching and learning as it is the foundation of being a teacher. There are so many resources available to teachers that can help with planning and implementing effective teaching and learning. One website that has helped me immensely already is Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/). There are so many unique and wonderful ideas on there that are perfect for effective learning and teaching to take place. I know I will keep using Pinterest, along with other new resources to help me as well.