Standard 6: Engage in professional learning
6.3: Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
6.3: Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
Artefact 1: Images from Sandra Rowan’s Professional Development Seminar During my teaching practicum, I was invited to attend a Mathematics Professional Development Seminar with Sandra Rowan. In this session, I had the opportunity to engage with colleagues to improve my teaching practice. |
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Artefact 2: Excerpts from Lesson Observations During my teaching practicum, I had many opportunities to engage with colleagues and develop my skills as a pre-service teacher. In particular, having two mentor teachers allowed me to identify teaching strengths and areas for improvement through consistencies in observation comments. |
Artefact 3: Standard Comment from Final Practicum Report Excerpt from the Final Practicum Report identifies my ability to fulfil Standard 6: Engage in professional learning to a graduate level. |
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Reflection
Professional learning is central to the provision of teaching pedagogy which is evidence informed and aligned with best practice. Nolan and Molla (2016) suggest that “building professionalism involves both individual professional learning along with the development of professional learning communities” (p. 10). Throughout my teaching practicum, I engaged in a range of professional learning opportunities which enabled me to extend upon existing notions of effective teaching practice. In particular, the contextual and experiential mentorship offered by qualified teachers was an invaluable resource which significantly shaped my professional identity.
During my practicum, staff meetings and professional development sessions allowed me to interact with and contribute to professional learning communities. Through these experiences, I was provided with the opportunity to build on theoretical understandings of primary education. For example, I was invited to attend a professional development session on Mathematics led by Sandra Rowan. During this session, I was introduced to a range of activities which are valuable in differentiating content for student’s needs. In addition, I assumed the ‘challenger’ role during a staff meeting in which teachers discussed their peer lesson observations using Blooms Taxonomy. Through these experiences, I developed an appreciation for professional learning communities which support teacher development.
Standard 6.3.1 outlines that pre-service teachers should engage with colleagues to improve teaching practice. Throughout my teaching practicum, the mentorship offered by a range of colleagues enabled me to observe unique teaching styles and receive varied feedback (Hsieh, 2015). In particular, having two mentor teachers allowed me to identify teaching strengths and areas for improvement through consistencies in observation comments. Further to this, my role in team teaching offered an insight into the effectiveness of different teaching styles and classroom and behaviour management. Most interestingly, working with casual teachers helped me understand the importance of flexibility in the teaching profession. Through this engagement, I was able to synthesise elements of each teaching style displayed by colleagues to develop my own unique pedagogy.
During my practicum, I engaged in continuous professional learning which transformed my practice. As a teacher, I would benefit from ongoing professional development.
During my practicum, staff meetings and professional development sessions allowed me to interact with and contribute to professional learning communities. Through these experiences, I was provided with the opportunity to build on theoretical understandings of primary education. For example, I was invited to attend a professional development session on Mathematics led by Sandra Rowan. During this session, I was introduced to a range of activities which are valuable in differentiating content for student’s needs. In addition, I assumed the ‘challenger’ role during a staff meeting in which teachers discussed their peer lesson observations using Blooms Taxonomy. Through these experiences, I developed an appreciation for professional learning communities which support teacher development.
Standard 6.3.1 outlines that pre-service teachers should engage with colleagues to improve teaching practice. Throughout my teaching practicum, the mentorship offered by a range of colleagues enabled me to observe unique teaching styles and receive varied feedback (Hsieh, 2015). In particular, having two mentor teachers allowed me to identify teaching strengths and areas for improvement through consistencies in observation comments. Further to this, my role in team teaching offered an insight into the effectiveness of different teaching styles and classroom and behaviour management. Most interestingly, working with casual teachers helped me understand the importance of flexibility in the teaching profession. Through this engagement, I was able to synthesise elements of each teaching style displayed by colleagues to develop my own unique pedagogy.
During my practicum, I engaged in continuous professional learning which transformed my practice. As a teacher, I would benefit from ongoing professional development.