Professional engagement
Engage in professional learning and improve practice
Activity - Doug and Barbara Clarke maths incurion
Location - Mount Dandenong Primary School
Duration - 1 hour
Location - Mount Dandenong Primary School
Duration - 1 hour
Through observation of this maths incursion I developed an understanding of the power of a number line as a representational tool for considering quantity, relative size, addition and subtraction, as well as negative numbers. I also observed that maths can be fun and engaging - the students really enjoyed working in pairs and taking turns to role the dice. It was also useful to learn how an activity such as the "one minute challenge" can be adapted to meet the needs of students of different abilities.
Activity - Sustainability Professional Development Session
Location - Mount Dandenong Primary School
Duration - 1 hour
Location - Mount Dandenong Primary School
Duration - 1 hour
Through this training I developed an understanding of how sustainability can be built into the everyday fabric of the classroom, school (i.e. a 'whole school' approach) and community life. Additionally this session provided me with access to a range of practical ideas and resources for use in the classroom via 'The Sustainability Hub'. This training was supported by Sustainability Victoria and developed and implemented by CERES.
Activity - Developing Literacy Partnerships in the Early Years of School
Location - Kallista Primary School
Duration - 6 hours
Location - Kallista Primary School
Duration - 6 hours
Literacy training held at my daughter's primary school helped me develop an understanding of how school and home can work together to support the development of childrens' literacy skills. These learnings will be useful for me as both a parent and as a beginnning teacher who must develop an understanding of how to engage parents/carers in the educative process. These sessions were run by the school's reading recovery teacher Margaret Brooks and covered the areas of Speaking & Listening, Reading & Writing and How Children Learn.
Activity - Teaching handwriting professional development
Location - Oatlands Primary School
Duration - 1 hour
Location - Oatlands Primary School
Duration - 1 hour
Through this training I developed an understanding of the mechanics of writing including pencil grip, paper positioning and posture. I also learnt a number of strategies for teaching handwriting including writing pattern tasks and formation language for Victorian Cursive Script (eg. 'open oval, high stick, flick' for a lower-case 'd').
Activity - Cued Articulation Self Guided Training
Location - Home (and at Oatlands Primary School)
Duration - 5 hours (estimated)
Location - Home (and at Oatlands Primary School)
Duration - 5 hours (estimated)
I have undertaken self guided cued articulation training using a range of resources including instruction manuals borrowed from my mentor teacher and a YouTube video of the 'cued articulation' creator Jane Passy, The purpose of cued articulation is to simplify the organisation and pronunciation of spoken English, a task which can be difficult for some children. 'Cued articulation' hand signs are used to represent the 49 phonemes which make up the English phonological system.
Activity - Understanding Dyslexia and Significant Difficulties in Reading
Location - Face-to-face training (at Kallista Primary School) and online
Duration - 6 hours (face-to-face) and 20 hours (online study)
Location - Face-to-face training (at Kallista Primary School) and online
Duration - 6 hours (face-to-face) and 20 hours (online study)
Through this training I developed an understanding of dyslexia and significant difficulties in reading and how these difficulties can impact on learning. Topics covered in this course included the process of assessment, how to gather information about co-occurring difficulties and the importance of monitoring student progress. Also covered were the principles of intervention, a range of teaching strategies to support critical aspects of reading and how to individualise class reading programs.
Activity - Walker Learning Approach P-2 Introductory Overview
Location - Early Life Foundations Centre (Brighton)
Duration - Full day
Location - Early Life Foundations Centre (Brighton)
Duration - Full day
Introductory presentation of the key elements of the Walker Learning Approach (WLA) in the early years. Full day course covers research and philosophy, setting up the environment, linking literacy and numeracy, linking to frameworks and planning and documentation and implementation strategies.
Engage with colleagues and improve practice
I believe the following feedback from my mentor teacher is evidence of my ability to seek and apply feedback to improve teaching practices: "Robyn has continued to display a very professional approach to her teaching...she accepts and welcomes advice given and incorporates these suggestions into subsequent lessons."
During my placement I engaged with parents/carers in a professional and sensitive manner when the opportunity arose (eg. at drop off and pick up times and when parents/carers were acting as helpers in the classroom). At the commencement of each placement I issued a letter of introduction to parents/carers via the classroom teacher. I also paid careful attention to the strategies used by my mentor teachers for working effectively and confidentially with parents/carers in relation to a range of sensitive issues such as lower expected test results (grade 5/6), repeating grades (prep) and incidents of bullying (both grade 5/6 and prep).
Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
(Planned) Membership of The Mathematical Association of Victoria
The MAV provides professional support for mathematical education including professional development, an annual conference and newsletters and journals. MAV membership also provides automatic affiliation to the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT).
The MAV provides professional support for mathematical education including professional development, an annual conference and newsletters and journals. MAV membership also provides automatic affiliation to the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT).
(Planned) Membership of the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English
As with MAV, membership of VATE provides professional support including professional learning activities, regular bulletins and online resources. VATE membership also provides automatic affiliation to the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE).
As with MAV, membership of VATE provides professional support including professional learning activities, regular bulletins and online resources. VATE membership also provides automatic affiliation to the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE).