Standard 6.1: Identify and plan professional learning needs.
Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the National Professional Standards in identifying professional learning needs.
Standard 6.1 was developed to ensure that teachers recognise the importance of professional development and improvement. This is important because teachers should always be working to provide students with the very best standard of education. Teachers can use various resources to develop their skills. |
ICT Elaboration: Demonstrate an ability to use the ICT Elaborations of the National Professional Standards for Teachers to identify personal goals for professional development.
Using ICT teachers can create an ePortfolio with a blog/journal this is a good way to encourage reflective practice which is an important part of professional development. |
Evidence.
Using the National Professional Standards as a framework I can identify and areas where I need to improve my skills, this helps me establish my leaning needs. For example, standards that outline content and curriculum knowledge highlight my personal need to be constantly improving my French. As such, I have plans to return to France next year to immerse myself in the language once again and study an intensive language course. Because I have a minor in French language I am only qualified to teach up to year 10 French, my goal is to be able to teach all years including year 12. As mentioned I need to continue my language studies to reach this goal. This is one way that I have identified my own professional learning needs. |
Standard 6.2: Engage in professional learning and improve practice.
Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
Teachers must engage in professional learning to improve their practice. This is essential to ensure that our teachers are consistently meeting all of necessary requirements to ensure that they are providing the highest quality education. There are many opportunities for professional learning, for example: workshops, conferences, and post graduate study. |
ICT Elaboration: Understand how to improve professional practice in the effective use of digital resources and tools through means including evaluation and reflection on current research and professional practice on a regular bases, and collaboration with colleagues both nationally and internationally through participation in online learning communities.
One way teachers can engage in professional learning is through online communities such as the South Australian History Teachers Association. Here teachers share resources and ideas. A community like SAHTA is designed to support teachers and help them improve their teaching practice. |
Evidence.
To engage in professional learning and improve my teaching practice I try attend information sessions and workshops as much as possible. Earlier in the year I attended the South Australian French Teachers' Association's conference. It was a whole day of workshops and information seminars designed to help teachers improve their practice. I learnt about various language apps and their potential use in the classroom. I also listened to a lecture about the widely unknown French history of South Australia and the various French explorers who arrived around the same time as the English. I gained a lot from this experience and I feel that it has made a positive contribution to my teaching practice. |
french_teachers_conference_.pdf | |
File Size: | 567 kb |
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Standard 6.3: Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
It is important that teachers engage with colleagues and seek constructive feedback from mentors. Using this feedback teachers can improve their practices and develop their skills. This is obviously necessary for providing the highest quality education possible. |
ICT Elaboration: Using reflective practices how do you seek out and apply feedback from supervisors and peers to improve teaching skills. This is linked to the professional learning networks that teachers develop.
ICT can be used to facilitate this process. For example, discussion boards, forums and chat rooms between colleagues are helpful for encouraging engagement and discourse. Tools like these encourage feedback and discussion necessary for successful reflective practice and professional improvement. |
Evidence.
There are a range of ways in which a teacher can engage with their colleagues to improve their practices, the most obvious is observation and feedback. For example, asking a colleague to come and watch one of your lessons with the aim that they might identify areas for improvement. While I was at Mount Barker Waldorf Steiner school I found another way in which teachers collaborate with one another to improve teaching practices. They have collaborative learning groups. The idea is that groups are given a topic and they're asked to work with one another to research suggested teaching strategies, share their personal solutions or experiences and then organise an informal presentation for the rest of the staff. Last term's professional learning groups addressed a range of learning disorders. The group I was assigned researched autism, with a particular focus on assessment differentiation. I found this process to be extremely beneficial as a new teacher. Groups draw on the latest research and information available, but also have teachers with over 40 years experience to share their personal strategies. This method allows you to become 'an expert' on one topic while you also get an overview of other groups topics. All of the work is then compiled into a book which is kept in the staff resource room and made available to all staff. The collaborative learning groups encourage teachers to be mindful of there practice while helping them to find ways to improve. |
professional_development_at_waldorf.pdf | |
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Standard 6.4: Apply professional learning and improve student leaning.
Demonstrate an understanding of the rational for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
Standard 6.4 requires that teaches engage in and apply professional learning, this is important as there is a direct correlation between teacher knowledge and student learning and achievement. A good teacher recognises that they are always learning. A way that teachers can identify gaps in their knowledge is through the use of an online blog. By using a blog teachers can engage in thoughtful reflective practice. Students benefit when teachers improve and expand their knowledge base. This is how professional learning improves student learning. |
Evidence.
I recently worked with some other pre-service teachers to research teaching strategies for students with Dyslexia. From our research I have learnt many strategies to recognise dyslexia, and provide support for dyslexic students in my classes. Whether it's as simple as changing the font in my PowerPoint presentations, so that it is easier for dyslexics to decipher, or seeking help and advice from professional groups like SPELD SA. I feel I have already improved my teaching practices for any future students I might have who suffer from dyslexia. See below for a copy of our presentation outlining teaching strategies for Dyslexia. |
dyslexia-presentation.pdf | |
File Size: | 4297 kb |
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