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Professional Portfolio. Brendan Manteufel. Contents. Standard One: Know students and how they learn Standard Two: Know the content and how to teach it Standard Three: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
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Professional Portfolio Brendan Manteufel
Contents • Standard One: Know students and how they learn • Standard Two: Know the content and how to teach it • Standard Three: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning • Standard Four: Create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments • Standard Five: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning • Standard Six: Engage in professional learning • Standard Seven: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community • Professional Development plan • Appendices
Standard One: Know students and how they learn • I believe that I demonstrate a strong understanding of the elements involved in this teaching standard. In my current work as an Outside School Hours Care employee I have witnessed over a period of five years the development of students in my care. I have observed their changes physically, socially and intellectually and thought to myself how these changes would affect my ability to teach them. While my prac teaching experiences have been fairly limited in scope (grade two and grade five twice) I believe that my experience in the childcare industry makes up somewhat for this. • I have put much thought into learner differences and preferred learning styles. I particularly enjoy Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and am always conscious that if one style of teaching doesn’t work with some students that it is definitely worth trying in a different style. Appendices A and B mention this thought put into learner differences, “He has displayed an ability to adapt and change his lesson to suit,” and “His lessons display a willingness to include a variety of approaches”. I believe this evidence suitably proves my ability to understand the implications for teaching that learner differences have.
Standard One: Know students and how they learn (ctd) Over the years I have had much experience working with people from diverse backgrounds including those who identify as Indigenous. In Appendix D I made sure to include and celebrate the Indigenous perspective and involvement, while I haven’t actually taught this plan I believe it serves as appropriate evidence of my ‘knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds’. At Saint Marks there was much ethnic and socio-cultural diversity, this gave me valuable experience of this in a teaching context as opposed to in my workplace. I believe I handled this rather well, this can be seen in Appendix B “Brendan presented himself professionally and ethically. He was sensitive towards delicate situations that occurred in the classroom and acted accordingly.” I have also experienced much diversity in the context of my coached team at Annerley Football Club. This can be seen in Appendix F “not only teaches them ball skills but also other key aspects of living including team work, leadership, races and cultures”. While in my first teaching prac I had some trouble with planning for students of varying abilities I believe that in my last prac I have addressed those deficiencies very efficiently. Evidence of this can be found in Appendix A “Brendan has displayed a very high standard in all of these areas. He is enthusiastic, well mannered, accepting of advice and flexible. He responds to individual differences by close proximity and asking if they need assistance.” Finally while I do not have practical teaching experience with students with disability I do have experience with these people. I routinely work with people with disabilities in my work at OSHC and on my community engagement prac worked very closely with people with disabilities. In Appendix C I reflect upon these experiences. While I found it difficult and confronting initially I developed techniques to better help them. I look forward to using what I have learned in that prac and at work in an educational context.
Standard Two: Know the content and how to teach it • I believe that over time I have met this standard to a level suitable for a graduating teacher. I have always prided myself in my immersion into a topic when I have to teach it. I am passionate about presenting this information in a way that is engaging and informative for students. This can be seen in Appendices A and B “His lessons are inclusive, his planning includes interesting activities”, “Brendan has a very good general knowledge and a good understanding of relevant curriculum. He engages the children with this knowledge which he is able to impart in his lessons.” and “Brendan has a very good understanding of curriculum content and Essential Learnings”. • I also believe that I organize my content into an effective sequence for learning and teaching. This can be seen in Appendix E through my use of the 5 E’s (constructivist approach to learning) and In Appendix D with my use of inquiry-based approach. Both were effective for their context. • In Appendix B it can be seen that while I based my lesson planning on curriculum I was not successful in modifying my lessons based on assessment. In Appendix A however I remedied this and made a point of changing my planning style to reflect progress and competency rather than just following the curriculum to a tee. I even made graphs plotting the progress of the class and made sure to focus on areas that students struggled in. “He has created, explained, corrected and given feedback on these tests. He also assessed these results from a statistical point of view.”
Standard Two: Know the content and how to teach it (ctd) • I believe that through my university studies, practical experiences and work in the community I have developed a strong understanding of and respect for Indigenous culture some of which can be seen in Appendix D and F. I actively promote reconciliation, which can be seen in Appendices D and B “Brendan presented himself professionally and ethically. He was sensitive towards delicate situations that occurred in the classroom and acted accordingly.” • In the course of my pracs I have utilized several different strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy. This can be seen in Appendix A “His lessons display a willingness to include a variety of approaches including hands on activities, role play and group activities” I believe the most successful of these were my rotational activities for both literacy and mathematics. • Finally, one of my most passionately held beliefs in teaching is that technology, used appropriately can be a fantastic way to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. This can again be seen in Appendix A “He uses information technology effectively and has incorporated suggested teaching strategies into his lessons e.g.: hooks”. My favorite example of this was when I was teaching a lesson on measuring angles. I decided to use a projector to project an image of a protractor onto the whiteboard. Using this scaled up version it was much easier to teach the whole class how to use a protractor to measure an angle. Once they had the basics I used a website where they themselves could manipulate a protractor to measure an angle. As the whole class was sitting on the carpet engaged with what was going on they could help each other. Even though this seemed like a deceptively simple use of ICT it proved to be an incredibly effective one.
Standard Three: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning • I am proud of my improvements in meeting this standard over my last several pracs. Looking back on my experiences I can see that I have become a much more effective planner. I find myself constantly changing the ways in which I plan and believe that I have proven adept at establishing challenging learning goals. Examples of these goals can be found in Appendices D and E, any student can potentially achieve these goals but there is also room for higher ability students to excel! Also related to this are my experiences as a football coach as discussed in Appendix F. Similar to teaching I am imparting skills, knowledge and adjusting my ‘plans’ on the fly to better suit the children’s needs. • I now base my planning not only on curriculum but also on what I know the students will engage with. I also consider what strategies I use that are most effective with that group of students. This planning approach can be seen in Appendix A “His lessons are inclusive, his planning includes interesting activities”. I also use a variety of teaching strategies depending on the context. I keep my students self-motivated by ensuring my teaching strategies are as interesting and relevant as possible. This variety of teaching strategies can be observed in the differences between Appendices D and E. • This can also be seen in Appendix A • “Brendan’s instructional technique is very good. He has implemented a variety of teaching strategies, accepted advice, included ‘hooks’ to motivate and engage and has promoted discussion by including interesting facts in his lessons. His questioning technique is also very good as are his responses.”
Standard Three: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning(ctd) • Throughout my prac experiences I have taken advantage of resources provided by the school, constructed my own for use in the classroom and also utilized ICT extensively. Given an appropriate context I endeavor where I can to utilize group work, rotations and ICT in my planning as I have found these to be incredibly effective if done properly. This can be seen in Appendices D and E extensively. While not mentioned in Appendix F I have also used ICT in the context of analyzing game performance. • Traditionally as a male with a strong voice I have utilized it extensively and had great success. I found this to be limited however when inevitably I lost my voice and suddenly realized how much I’d relied upon it. Recognizing this as a weakness I sought to work on a series of nonverbal techniques to spare my voice wherever possible and on my last prac found these to work admirably. I am fond of using my physical presence, silence, eye contact or a hand in the air as techniques to attract attention rather than relying on my voice all the time. When using my voice I like to utilize tactical pausing, modifying intonation and volume to keep the students on their toes. • Through the process of reflection and thoughtful planning I have always tried to be flexible with my planning and constantly seek to improve upon it. This can be seen in Appendix A “Brendan is able to implement change and be flexible when a planned activity doesn’t eventuate. He has displayed an ability to adapt and change his lesson to suit”. • The sole area in this standard that I do not feel that I have yet met in an educational context is that of engaging parents/carers in the educative process. While I have extensively interacted with parents while on prac and in the context of my football club as seen in Appendix F I have not yet involved parents educationally while teaching. This is something that I look forward to trying on my upcoming prac and in the future.
Standard Four: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments • I believe that I fully fulfill all the criteria in this standard of teaching. I have used numerous strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement, most notably with the use of a ‘hook’. I make a point of knowing my class well enough so that when I plan I can create an engaging, informative learning experience for them. This can be seen in Appendix A “He has implemented a variety of teaching strategies, accepted advice, included ‘hooks’ to motivate and engage and promoted discussion by including interesting facts in his lessons”. • Initially I struggled with dictating the flow of a classroom, being organized is something that in the past I have struggled with but with work I have improved this dramatically and am far more efficient in organizing activities and providing clear directions. This can be seen in Appendix A “Brendan has acknowledged that his organization needed addressing and has subsequently acted upon this” and “Brendan’s confidence in himself has increased considerably. He is enthusiastic and has a controlled presence when interacting with the children. He has communicated effectively with other staff, myself and the children.” • As someone who has worked in outside school hours care for five years and coached football teams for almost as long, I feel very confident in my behavior management skills. I have had a long time to work out what techniques work better with different age groups and what works for me personally. My progress in this area can be seen in Appendix A “Brendan has command of the class. He expects the children to listen and cooperate. He has efficiently used the school behavior management program – steps. He has spoken quietly to individuals displaying inappropriate behavior. Transitions are also well utilized”.
Standard Four: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments(ctd) • Part of my responsibilities as a teacher is maintaining a safe work environment for all those around me. I believe I have a strong understanding of this having worked in a similarly regulated industry. I think that my strengths in behavior management contribute positively to maintaining student wellbeing. By keeping on top of any situations that may arise I can usually prevent them from occurring in the first place and by utilizing non verbal techniques a majority of the time, my voice can be used almost like a shock weapon. This can be very effective if needed in an emergency. Related to student safety is the responsible use of ICT. I have found that by inspecting anything you intend to have the students use and by monitoring their use of the technology most problems can be averted. I also believe in the practice of instilling a sense of self-responsibility in the students so that they are more likely to be cyber safe. • I have always been responsible in my use of ICT while planning lessons. One good example of my being careful with ICT occurred on my last prac. As a reward scheme occasionally during certain lessons I would play the children some music through my computer and speakers. The precaution that I took was that no music I played had any lyrics; because of this there was no chance that the music would contain anything inappropriate. At one point a student approached me, rather upset and told me that a song playing had recently been played at her Grandfather’s funeral. In order to preserve the classroom as somewhere safe, secure, and supportive for her I removed that particular track from the playlist.
Standard Five: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning • This is a standard upon which I have improved much between prac experiences. On my first teaching prac I set assessment and marked it, but failed to give anything more than verbal feedback or change my lessons based on it. This was noted in my final report and so I resolved to improve upon this. In Appendix A it can be seen that I demonstrate the appropriate understanding of the various purposes for assessment “Brendan has provided an assessment at the end of each week in Maths. He has created, explained, corrected and given feedback on these tests. He has also assessed these results from a statistical point of view.” • I now have a greater understanding and appreciation for why teachers use assessment. I have often used it as a diagnostic tool to ascertain prior knowledge or to assess their progress thus far in a unit. In Appendices D and E there are numerous opportunities for various types of assessments. • I have often used assessment as a way of figuring out what to plan next. In fact in Appendix A it can be seen that I used results from pieces of assessment to ascertain whether my teaching was helping and how. I graphed the student’s marks and tailored my planning in order to better improve their performance.
Standard Five: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning(ctd) • In my last prac I was always sure to talk to students about their results so that they could improve upon them. I have not however had an opportunity yet to report to parents about their children’s results. Under the guidance of my current prac teacher this is something that I look forward to trying. • Finally I have experience in making consistent and comparable judgments in regards to assessment. Appendix B shows my involvement in a CTJ or compulsory teacher judgment day. I had the opportunity to mark work samples from a variety of schools and to my pleasant surprise my marking was consistent with everyone else’s.
Standard Six: Engage in professional learning • I fully understand that as a teacher professional development is an incredibly important part of my evolution as an educator. I can see that the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is beneficial in assisting me in realizing what personal development I should be undertaking to make me a better teacher and this process of evaluating myself against the standards has opened my eyes to what I need to improve upon. • As my parents are both teachers I hear their stories about professional development quite often. I know of my obligations in relation to mandatory professional development and have a fantastic outlet for advice on what sorts of training to undertake. I have undertaken professional development as part of my on the job training in before and after school and have even had some professional development while on prac. Through these experiences I have come to realize the benefits of this training.
Standard Six: Engage in professional learning (ctd) • As a young prospective teacher I eagerly listen to any advice given, this is a recurring theme amongst my final prac reports for both my pracs thus far (see Appendices A and B). I am always happy to receive advice from those more experienced than I and have even taken ideas from fellow prac students in relation to planning. This cooperation with fellow staff can be seen in Appendix A “He is enthusiastic, well mannered, accepting of advice and flexible”. • As a university student studying education I have always believed that if you don’t want to stagnate that you need to be constantly learning new things. It shouldn’t matter if you are young or old if you are not learning you aren’t growing as a professional. I look forward to the opportunities that professional development offers.
Standard Seven: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community • I believe that as a prac student I have always met this standard in an impeccable manner. I believe that if teachers wish to be treated as professionals that we need to act like professionals. It can be seen in Appendices A and B that I am completely professional while on prac “Brendan has developed a good relationship with the class and other staff. He has participated in and contributed to staff celebrations and acted appropriately at all times.” • My conduct in schools must at all times be professional both inside and outside the classroom, the code of ethics have regulations that I feel are essential to maintaining a professional image and to keep private matters outside the school area. • Although I do not have much experience engaging with parents of students that I teach one of my primary duties in outside school hours care is building and maintaining positive relationships with the families of children under my care. While not exactly the same I believe that the experience is fairly transferable. While the conversation might be different, the need to be professional by respecting confidentiality remains the same.
Standard Seven: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community (ctd) • Over the years I have had the opportunity to further build relationships with parents in the context of my football club (can be seen in Appendix F). This was my first experience of this and I attribute my comfort in talking to parents to this experience. • While on my first teaching prac I had the experience of sharing in a CTJ day. This experience allowed me to work on my engagement with a professional teaching network. I enjoyed the exchange of ideas and work that took place and look forward to being a teacher in the same context. I also had the opportunity to experience some professional development; this allowed me to again experience interaction with the wider professional community at large. I believe that particular experience was very beneficial and will hopefully be the first of many informative professional development sessions that I attend.
Professional Development Plan • For my professional development plan I have highlighted three areas in which I believe I need to allocate concerted effort. These areas, in order of importance, include my organizational skills, my interactions with parents, and my interactions with children requiring special needs. These are all areas that I believe have room for improvement. I still believe that I meet these standards to an acceptable level but at the same time part of being a teacher is the constant drive for self-improvement. • The first area I have chosen to improve is that of my organizational skills. Although I have become much better at this in the last year or so I still see much room for improvement. I have purchased a diary that I intend to use for the purposes of recording everything I need to have done and when. In the past I have written everything down, just in several different places, which has led to confusion in the past. In my development plan I have proposed using this diary and being proactive in my planning. By doing this I intend to remain at least a week ahead in my planning. This will give me time to change the plans if needed, and also give me some time if something should go wrong. I have spoken at length to my parents, who are both teachers, and taken points from them about how they keep everything in their lives well organized. • Through the use of my planning diary, my parents keeping an eye on what I do at home and my prac teacher at school before too long I should work myself into good habits. I aim to have this implemented by the end of my prac experience and will audit myself at the midway point to inspect my progress. When successful I expect to feel much more relaxed and organized mentally, this will no doubt improve my teaching and therefore my student’s performance.
Professional Development Plan (ctd) • The second area I have chosen is that of professional relationships with parents. While I have always been a strong people person, and maintained good relationships with parents in other contexts, I have not utilized this in a classroom effectively yet. I have allocated myself the same timescale as with the first priority, as I believe these are both important goals that need to be implemented with my teaching as soon as possible. Under the supervision of my prac teacher I intend over the course of this prac to involve parents into the educational context. I will discuss this with other teachers, including my own parents and see how they do this themselves. The benefits from professionally run parent assistance is obvious; it helps keep parents on my side and presents a united front, not to mention helping me out in the classroom on occasion. • The third and final area I’ve selected as part of my development plan is that of interactions with children with special needs. This is much more of a long-term goal than the other two. While I have worked with children with disabilities before I do not have much experience in classrooms with them and would like to expand upon this to make me a better-rounded teacher. I am currently investigating professional development programs run by Brisbane Catholic Education in an effort to improve upon this facet of my teaching. To assist me with this I will interview people at my prac school to use their experiences to help me. I particularly look forward to talking to some teacher aides about this, as they go from classroom to classroom seeing a variety of teachers and children. I also believe that some teachers undervalue teacher aides as resources. I intend to review my progress in this goal at the end of prac and expect to see tangible results by the end of the year. • In conclusion I believe through addressing these three areas I can make myself a much more effective teacher. As stated earlier I believe it is a teacher’s duty to never be satisfied with their progress and to forever push forwards to become a better educator.
Professional Development Plan Brendan Manteufel
Appendices D and E can be found attached externally from this PowerPoint presentation
