MTeach PrePrac Conference

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MTeach Pre-Prac Conference

• The First Practicum Professional Experiences 1

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Contexts, expectations advice

• The Practicum in context
• Roles and responsibilities
• University requirements
• School expectations
• Some advice
• Troubleshooting

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Contexts

• AccreditationNumber of days of Practicum to
  satisfy
• NSW Institute of Teachers
• Interstate and international employers
• Professional learning
• Teaching practice - you in the classroom
• Teachers roles - you in the staffroom
• Schools as workplaces - the school as an
  organisation in the community
• Candidature
• Your progress in the course

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Roles

• Student teacher
• Cooperating Teachers
• School Practicum Coordinator
• University (Tertiary) Supervisor
• Practicum Administrator
• Practicum Coordinator
• Course Coordinator

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Responsibilities - 1

• Student teacher
• as an enrolled student
• as a visitor in the school
• Cooperating teacher
• negotiate timetable of lessons and observations
• retain in loco parentis and responsibility for
  childrens learning
• monitor advise on your progress
• observe your lessons (Lesson Feedback form)
• be observed teaching
• write the Final Report
• recommend the grade Satisfactory/Fail

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Responsibilities - 2

• School Practicum Coordinator
• Assign you to 1 or more cooperating teacher(s)
• Orientation to school
• University (Tertiary) Supervisor
• Liaison between school and university
• Monitor your progress
• Visit the school on at least 2 occasions
• Observe teaching give feedback on your progress
• Check compliance with university requirements
• Advise/counsel students having difficulties
• Notify Practicum Office of students at risk
• Discuss your grade with Cooperating Teacher(s)

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Responsibilities - 3

• University Practicum Administrator
• Mrs. Robyn Hector (Manager, Professional
  Experiences)
• Liaison with school regarding placements,
  supervision, students at risk of Fail, and
  results
• University Practicum Coordinator
• Unit of Study Coordinator
• Primary
• Secondary Dr Tim Allender
• Ensure compliance with university requirements
• Advise/counsel students having difficulties
• Monitor and authorise results
• Dispute resolution and appeals (stage 1)

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Responsibilities - 4

• Program Directors (MTeach Course Coordinators)
• Primary Jan Milton
• Primary (w/e) Sandra Newell
• Secondary Tony Sperring
• The buck stops here
• Ratify final results
• Appeals (step 2)

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University Requirements

• Attendance
• Teaching load
• Lesson observations
• Lesson planning
• Other professional activities
• Communications with Supervisor
• exchange contact details
• Timetable personnel
• Professional conduct
• Universitys Code of Conduct for Students

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Attendance

• 20 days - 100 attendance requirement for all
  Professional Experience Units of Study
• Full school day e.g. 8.30am - 4pm
• Signing on/off each day
• For any absence
• Leave of absence form (university)
• Notify School Office and Cooperating Teacher in
  advance
• Notify University Supervisor in advance

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Teaching load

• 10 - 14 periods per week (or pro rata based on
  40-minute periods)
• 6.5 - 10 teaching hours per week
• Assume responsibility for teaching classes on
  first day of Prac session
• by Wednesday of Week 1 at the latest
• Teach all classes under supervision of the class
  teacher

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Lesson planning

• Mandatory written Lesson Plan for every
  timetabled lesson
• using the format prescribed for your curriculum
  area (i.e. Primary, English, Science, Maths etc.)
• written before the lesson
• approved by the Cooperating Teacher before the
  lesson
• shown to the University Supervisor
• kept for future use e.g. portfolios

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Lesson observations

• Average 1 per day over the 20 days
• Written record to be kept
• Observe for a purpose. E.g.
• Starting the lesson/Engaging the learners
• Managing transitions
• Classroom management
• Questioning strategies
• Observe a variety
• Teachers (including your peers)
• Classes
• Disciplines/subjects

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Other professional activities - 1

• Playground supervision
• Shadow your teacher
• Faculty and school staff meetings
• Shadow your teacher
• Excursions
• Shadow your teacher
• Notify your Supervisor

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Other professional activities - 2

• The wider school community
• The school executive principal, deputy,
  curriculum coordinator, department heads
• Support staff - e.g. school office, librarian(s),
  laboratory attendants, buildings grounds
• The library facilities, holdings, protocols
• ICT facilities staffroom, teaching equipment,
  protocols
• AV Teaching aids equipment, protocols
• Printing photocopying facilities, protocols

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School expectations

• Attendance
• Dress
• Behaviour
• you are a guest in the school
• professional distance
• Initiative and self-reliance
• Respect
• the schools values and codes
• the teachers right to decide what is appropriate
  for his/her classroom

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Some advice - 1

• Be well prepared
• Prac is a full-time commitment
• Its better to prepare too much, than not enough
• Maximise the Pre-Prac visits
• Timetable and Topics to be taught
• Class lists (learn names before you start Prac)
• Observe your classes and the teacher in action
• Protocols and procedures - admin staff, resource
  use, library computer rooms, teaching aids
• School policies (discipline/management, student
  welfare, prac students)

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Some advice - 2

• Establish professional relationships with
• children
• your Cooperating Teachers
• other school staff (office, library, lab staff)
• Seek advice Dont presume ask first
• Staffroom protocols e.g. milk/coffee/biscuits
• Resource use e.g.there goes 2nd Terms paper
  ration
• Communicate your plans in sufficient time to
  modify them if advised/required to
• Give back as well as take

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Some advice - 3

• Between now and the start of semester 2 you can
  empower yourself by
• Knowing the syllabus back to front
• Knowing where you can access teaching ideas and
  resources e.g.
• The BOS website
• The DET Curriculum Support website
• The EDNA website
• Yahoo and Google directories
• Your local 2nd hand or remainders bookshop

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Troubleshooting

• If you are having difficulties
• Identify the cause(s) and focus on that. Is it
• your commitment?
• your knowledge?
• your preparation?
• your time, task or people management?
• your relationships with your students?
• your relationship with the teacher(s)?
• Consult your Cooperating Teacher(s)
• Contact your University Supervisor
• Contact your curriculum lecturer

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Student At Risk of Fail

• The school will normally contact the University
  if it believes a student is at risk of a Fail
• At risk students will be informed of the
  schools concerns
• The prac office will arrange a special visit by
  the University Supervisor to consult school and
  student
• A visit from another university representative
  may be arranged (e.g. the Practicum coordinator
  or a subject specialist)
• The grade will be decided by the University in
  consultation with the Cooperating Teacher, the
  University Supervisor and the Practicum
  Coordinator

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Removal from the school

• The Principal has the right to expel anyone from
  the premises without following the universitys
  at risk procedures e.g. in cases of
• breaches of school policies or procedures
• unprofessional, inappropriate or disruptive
  behaviour
• irreconcilable personal differences
• Removal from the school is, prima facie, a Fail
  in the unit of study.

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Keeping it all in perspective

• Remember that while your very first classroom
  teaching experience can be challenging, daunting,
  nerve-wracking, demanding, surprising,
  exhausting, perplexing, frustrating (add your
  own adjectives here)
• Youll only ever have to do a very 1st prac
  once.
• All teachers do a First Prac and all survived
  and most prac students also survive the
  experience.
• You can contribute some things even the most
  experienced teacher cant youthful exuberance,
  idealism, freshness, empathy for learners, and
  wonder.
• Any mistakes you make can be left behind you, and
  are all part of the learning experience.

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And finally

• Aim to be one of the 95 of first Year prac
  students who
• have a great time at prac, because THIS is what
  you have always wanted to do
• captivate your students with your freshness and
  enthusiasm
• amaze your teachers with your energy, ideas and
  innovations
• contribute to the reputation of the MTeach for
  quality and excellence