Reflection: 2014

Positive recollections on professional knowledge

Throughout my practicums, I have gained a real insight into the practice that occurs in
primary schools in Brisbane. Initially, I watched and assisted teachers recognising how
they cater for the range of students and incorporated the loaded content into their daily
schedule for the week. Initially I felt being a teacher deemed an impossible task as I
recognised the amount of social and cognitive work that is needed. However with time
and the reigns loosening each time, I began to feel confident leading the classroom.
The most recent practicum allowed me to gain a real sense of autonomy as the teacher
was constantly on Professional Development (either working for the teachers union or
doing research for the school). With the teacher absent, I began establishing my own
presence and routine within the classroom. As each day wore on, I was developing
relationships with each student and planned and provided differentiated questions to
appropriately challenge each student in each lesson. For example, I recognised that the
seating arrangement was catered for peer learning, so I consistently tried to incorporate
peer scaffolding to support and deepen all students understanding on content.
Throughout this degree, I have not only gained knowledge on teaching strategies and
understanding students but have grown confident in subjects like mathematics and
science as I recognise the interest and skills it brings me and the students within the
classroom. This practicum my teacher asked me to focus on the mathematics and
science units for the students and with my granted autonomy I adjusted the content for
my teaching style. I was even challenged to work with Chinese exchange students who
had no background on English. However, by expanding my resources through games and
multi-lingual subjects like mathematics, I felt I was able to engage them in school.
With this granted sense of autonomy and finally putting pedagogy into practice, I began
to critically reflect the learning occurring within the classroom. As I was gaining an
understanding of the curriculum and school culture I recognised flaws in the school like
the lack of Indigenous Australian content and multicultural education. Unlike the private
school, The University of Queensland recognises that indigenous education and
multicultural education need to be consistently weaved into the classroom. With this in
mind, I introduced a yarning circle to the school and allowed students to express their
perceptions on the knowledge, content and experiences of the classroom in a safe
environment.
Recognising my need for improving my professional practice and engagement
Although I have begun developing a strong set of pedagogies to implement the content
and differentiation for students, I have yet to take this a step further and critically
analyse my practice through data and sequencing programs.
I have yet to create my own learning program, which engages students through a range
of resources. For my next practicum, I hope to gain even more autonomy in developing a
sequence that incorporates all student interaction as I have more time and will have
more pedagogical knowledge. Through creating unit plans prior to my practice, I will be
able to remain organised and have time to interpret student data as well as moderate
activities to support their achievements.
Although I have had some experience with feedback as I marked students homework,
tests and discussed appropriate feedback with my teacher, I have not provided feedback
appropriate to each students learning goals. I found it effective when my teacher created
a learning development plan for each student to challenge themselves and individually
structure their learning. In my future practice, I will adopt this teaching strategy and
allow students to recognise their progression in each curricula for my final practicum.

I have also recognised that although I aim to promote multiculturalism and indigenous
education, I have yet to engage the parents and community within my classroom
culture. The value of having parents/carers and Indigenous elders to enter a classroom,
share a part of their culture and allow them to be directly involved in their childs
learning is valuable not only for the child but for all the students within the class.
Through getting to understand my students background and with influence from the
cross curriculum priorities, I can create a unit plan which incorporates the community as
a resource for the students within learning and to enable me to learn new forms of
pedagogical practice.
I have also not engaged in professional learning in an active form. Although I have
attended meetings and have tried to incorporate some learning programs each school
has, I have not actively tried to improve my practice through meetings and workshops. I
realise that as a teacher, I have the responsibility to constantly update my knowledge
and practice with my colleagues to cohesively create a holistic vision for the school. For
my final practicum, I will try to learn and incorporate some of my knowledge and
understanding to the school and create programs, clubs or workshops that inform
teachers on the upcoming research and changes undergoing Australian Education.
This reflection has helped me realised that although I have begun to take the shapings
of a teacher, constantly adapting and improving my teaching pedagogy will allow me to
easily adapt to the ever-changing classroom and the diverse range of students.
Areas to focus on for improvement

Focus Area
2.4
I understand strategies for teaching Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander
students
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My
proble
Attention
Priority Low
High
Medium
m
yes
yes
My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Connect with indigenous
community around the school for resources and continue using the yarn
circle.
Focus area
3.2 of student learning, content and
I plan lesson sequences using knowledge
effective teaching strategies.
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My
proble
Attention
Priority Low
High
Medium
m
yes
ye
s
My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Continue to observe
supervising teachers pedagogical practices, be up-to-date with relevant
curriculum documents and take the time to get to know students.
Focus area
3.6
I evaluate and improve teaching programs
Major problem
Needs
Attention
Sound
Good
My Priority

High
Medium
Low
yes

yes

My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: conduct regular reviews of

teaching and learning programs using multiple sources of evidence including
student assessment date, curriculum documents and feedback from
colleagues, parent/carers and students.
Focus area 5.2
I establish challenging learning goals
Major problem
Needs
Attention
Sound
Good
My Priority

Focus area
4.5 need to use ICT safely, responsibly
I understand the relevant issues and the
and ethically. I am developing my understanding of the strategies available
to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and
teaching.
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My
proble
Attention
Priority
High
Medium
Low
m

My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Refer to research and ICT
documents to develop a deeper understanding of ways I can implement ICT
pedagogies
in a safe and responsible way.
High
Medium
Low

yes

yes

My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Develop different learning

goals for each student of varying ability and characteristics.

Maya Newell

42521336

EDUC3714

Reflection: 2015
I left Brisbane to pursue a new path for teaching. I decided to pack up and go for
a term in a different town in a different state to explore and dedicate myself to
being a teacher.

Focus area 6.2

I am engaging in professional learning and improve practice
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My
Focus
area
proble
Attention
Priority Low
High
Medium
5.5
Imam able to report on student achievement.
yes
yes
My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Next practicum I will get more
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My
involved in the extracurricular activities as well as PD sessions.
proble
Attention
Priority Low
High
Medium
Initially I felt confident going into somebody elses classroom. I was used to
yes
yes
thinking that it was their classroom and I would remain a puppet within that
My strategy
for ongoing
will
be:
Continue
to was
apply
a range
of
classroom.
However
I soon improvement
began to realise
that
this
classroom
also
my
strategies
for
reporting
to
students
and
parents/carers
by
keeping
accurate
classroom. That it was my own responsibility to take action and at first I was too
reliable
shy
to act.records.
My teacher on the other hand felt I was ready. He placed me in front of the
classroom and although I have had many professional experiences before I was
beginning to realise these students were very different to what I was used to.
These students were not city kids who spent their evenings listening to cars whiz
past. These students were used to jumping into creeks, playing rugby with each
other, riding their bicycle to each others home. I had stepped into a community
and these children were testing whether I was worthy of their time or not.
At first it remained a battle. I was constantly enforcing behaviour management
as fights or arguments would ensue as I turned to write on the board. I thought
to myself that perhaps this wasnt for me. That perhaps I just wasnt good
enough to be a teacher.
Then suddenly the weeks went by. The students started gaining my trust as I
showed them how fast I could run, how connected I was to the real world, where I
was from and where I was planning on going. As my teacher gave me more and
more responsibility, I began to embrace it.
At the end of the term, students were making arcade games. At some points
there were 40 odd students heavily working on their game with scissors, paint,
glue and paper all at the same time. At the beginning of the term, this would not
have been possible. But towards the end, they were all so passionate on their
arcade games that there were no behavioural problems, they wanted to talk to
me and only me because I was their teacher and I knew exactly what was going
on.
After this internship I realised, teaching is not just about being confident and in
front of the class; but its about getting to build a community within the
classroom. To be able to be so comfortable that you can have chaos in the

Maya Newell

42521336

EDUC3714

classroom, because you know what each student is doing, where each game is
and exactly where all the worksheets are.
Areas for improvement

Focus area 1.5

Differentiate teaching to meet the specific needs of students across the full
range of abilities
Major
proble
m

Needs
Attention

Sound
yes

Good

My Priority (Tick one box)

High
Medium Low
yes

My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: attend more Professional

Development seminars on this as well as collaborate more with other
professionals in this field to receive more resources.
Focus area
I understand and comply with literacy2.5
and numeracy strategies
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My Priority (Tick one box)
proble
Attention
High
Medium Low
m

yes
My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Although I only taught
reading, spelling and science, try to develop more strategies for
numeracy.
Focus area
7.2
I understand and comply with relevant
legislative, administrative and
organisational policies and processes required for teachers
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My
proble
Attention
Priority Low
High
Medium
m
yes
yes
My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Understand and demonstrate
national and state teaching standards by becoming more aware of my
schools administrative and organisational policies.

Focus
area 4.3
I understand
how to manage challenging behaviour
Major
Needs
Sound
Good
My
proble
Attention
Priority Low
High
Medium
m
yes
yes
My strategy for ongoing improvement will be: Continue to develop
practical approaches by establishing clear expectation with students and
address more discipline issues.