WESTERN SYDNEY

UNIVERSITY
School of Education

102605 Secondary Professional Practice Community Engagement

Report
Pre-service Teacher's Name: Dave Kumar

Pre-service Teacher's ID:

From:18357413 o:
Professional Experience Session: 20/8/2020 15/9/2020
Return to School Centre Evans High School
Name of Educational Setting:

60
Number of Hours

Evonne Sciberras
Supervisor's Name/s:

Description of Educational Setting:

The Return to School Centre (RSC) at Evans High School is situated in Blacktown. The program is a
Western Sydney Regional resource funded through the NSW Department of Education. The program caters
for long suspended students (5-20 days), whom are referred from Western Sydney Public Schools and are
ranging in years from 5-9. The classroom staff to student ratio has a maximum of 6 students to 1 Head
Teacher Welfare and 1 School Learning and Support Officer.

The students attend the RSC from 9.30-11.30 everyday of their suspension. The program focusses on the 5
l
domains of Wellbeing- Social, Emotional, Physical, Spiritual and Cognitive. Al students attend the centre
with an up-to-date Student Behaviour Support Plan (Risk Assessment). The deliverable program focusses
on the process of Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviour, in addition all students will have Direct and Indirect
· Functional Behavioural Assessment completed. The role of the centre is to support schools, students and
families with the return to school post suspension via progress reports and recommendations.

Summary Comments:
Dave became a valuable member of the program from day one. His openness to learn and positive nature is
admirable. After discussing what Dave would like to get out of his placement we designed his placement to
have two roles. Most importantly Dave's role was to support the students. This was facilitated through
shadowing the classroom SLSO and myself, in delivering the wellbeing program to the small class.
Secondly, Dave and I discussed the opportunity for him to create a document to support the use of pedal
desks in the classroom. Both roles Dave engaged in professionally and appropriately.
The program requires a calm, consistent and confident approach, which Dave displayed immediately. I
quickly ascertained that Dave was competent enough to work independently with a student 1:1 in the
classroom. His role was to support the student with academic work and some whole class social and
emotional learning. Dave supported the student in reading an english text and scaffolded the student's
homework, in an attempt to help the student complete work at home and on return to school. Dave built
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timetables and home routines with links to trauma informed principals, that the program engages in. Dave
built into the student plan calming strategies, meditation techniques, brain breaks and de-escalation skills.
Dave also had the opportunity to support the student back in their mainstream classes on return to school,
post suspension. His support for the student was built in the student support plan as a recommendation
from the school Principal and myself. Dave managed the implementation of support and transition with
ease.

Dave showed that he is beginning to understand that not all plans go ahead in the teaching world. With
experience, Dave will become more comfortable with shuffling plans and adjusting expectations, building
his skill set with being flexible and managing the pressure of delivering the program on the go when
students don't follow instructions or don't turn up for school and arrive late.

I was very impressed with the speed at which Dave picked up the context of the setting. The creation of the
document for the use of pedal desks with regard to de-escalation, physical release and mindfulness
strategies will be something I will include in my program in the future.

I believe Dave has the capacity to develop into a valuable member of the teaching profession.

Final Grade: Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

[8J □
Supervisors Signature: Date:
11 /(o /20
Pre-service Teacher's Date:
Signature:
Z 7/10/--io
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WSU Co-ordinator's Date:
Signature:
5/11/2020