EDUC5187 PER1 Assignment - Teacher Quality JIN Man 110158709

Reflection in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers contains elements of high quality
teaching and explains clearly how teachers in different career stages initiate high quality
teaching in practice. There are three domains of the Australian Professional Standards for
Teachers: professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement,
and altogether seven standards under the domains (AITSL 2014). Some of the
characteristics of good teachers mentioned above can be seen and reflected in the
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers while there are some gaps as well.

Most of the characteristics of good teachers identified by experts above are shown in the
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in some ways. Firstly, both research and
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers stress the importance of professional
knowledge, in terms of content knowledge, getting to know students' learning needs and
good pedagogical skills. It can be seen that good content knowledge is basic and essential
for teachers to understand and interpret information and concepts in the content. Knowing
students and their individual learning needs may help teachers to involve variety teaching
methods, adjust pedagogies and make classroom learning experiences diverse to meet the
learning needs of students as a whole class as well as individuals.

Secondly, it is reflected in both the research mentioned above and Australian Professional
Standards for Teachers that if the teacher has high expectation for students and good
communication skills, the effectiveness of planning and implementing teaching and learning
will be improved. As it is demonstrated in the domain of Professional Practice (AITSL 2014),
respecting students, setting high standards and supporting students to face challenges in
classroom may help improve students' learning achievement. What's more, as a good
communicator, the teacher may use either verbal or non-verbal communication skills to
promote quality of interaction in class and good personality, such as kindness, patience,
sense of humor, may help create safe learning atmosphere and encourage student's
engagement. It seems that respecting for students, professional skills and teachers'
personality are important characteristics for a good teacher and effective teaching.

Thirdly, it can be seen from the research and Australian Professional Standards for
Teachers that the importance of the application of the codes of ethics has been attached to
being a good teacher as it is critical and has profoundly influence on building and

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EDUC5187 PER1 Assignment - Teacher Quality JIN Man 110158709

developing positive teacher-student relationships. However, some gaps can be seen from
the comparison of the characteristics of a good teacher in research and Australian
Professional Standards for Teachers. For example, using Information and Communication
Technology (ICT), providing appropriate assessment and feedback and engaging other
teachers, students' family and the communities are mentioned in Australian Professional
Standards for Teachers, which are missing in the research result. It perhaps because the
studies and research I chose to review on are mostly identifying the characteristics of good
teachers from students' perspective, who may probably focus on connections with teachers
and their own learning experiences and lack awareness of external factors outside
classroom.

Reflection in my own pathway

In my initial journey entry for this course (see Appendix A) I emphasized teachers'
professional knowledge and skills and personality as some of the important characteristics
of a good teacher. I believe that these characteristics may help teachers deepen
understanding of the content and students, differentiate and meet individual learning needs
and facilitate positive connections with students. Allied to this, I also value the reflective
skills, which involves different levels of inquiry and thinking (Groundwater-Smith et al, 2015,
p. 33) as an notable characteristic for a good teacher. After reading and studying about the
codes of ethics and teachers' ethical practice, I amended my initial journal entry and added
some characteristics for a good teacher such as respectful, integrity, caring and so on.

Moreover, there are more things to be considered as a qualified teacher. Firstly, there are
some areas in Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus on understanding and
teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (AITSL 2014). This implies that
students in Australian schools are diverse and multicultural. This may require the teacher,
especially for me a language teacher, to have knowledge, understanding of and respect
different cultural and social background in order to incorporate them into teaching and
learning experience. Secondly, along with the good teacher-student relationships,
cooperating with colleagues, engaging parents and broader communities in educative
process professionally are also crucial to promote teaching for effective learning (AITSL
2014; SA Tfel 2015). It enlightens me about my own pathway as a beginning teacher in
Australia secondary schools that a good language teacher should not only involve positive
personalities, professional knowledge and skills, the codes of ethics in teaching practice but

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EDUC5187 PER1 Assignment - Teacher Quality JIN Man 110158709

also have strong awareness of individual and cultural varieties of students and be a good
team worker with colleagues and communities.

In conclusion, studies and research show that students expect a good personality,
professional knowledge and skills as well as empathy and ethics of a good teacher while
the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers reflect these characteristics in some
ways and additionally make explicit the importance of some focus areas, such as using ICT,
assessment, learning report and engaging colleagues and communities in educative
experience. The research and Australian Professional Standards for Teachers also
encourage me to consider and amend critically and reflectively my initial journal entry of
good teachers and teaching in terms of multicultural classrooms and external factors
outside the classroom. My understanding of a good teacher and teaching has been
nourished while exploring the relevant research and the course journey and I believe that it
will be improved throughout the continuing study of this course and the practicum as a
beginning teacher.

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EDUC5187 PER1 Assignment - Teacher Quality JIN Man 110158709

References

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 2014, Australian Professional
Standards for Teachers, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, viewed 8
April 2016,
<http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list>

Benekos, PJ 2016, 'How to be a good teacher:passion, person, and pedagogy', Journal of

Criminal Justice Education, vol. 27, issue 2, pp. 225-237.

Bullock, M 2014, 'What makes a good teacher? Exploring student and teacher beliefs on
good teaching', A Rising Tide, vol.7, pp. 1-30.

Gndara, P & Santibaez, L 2016, 'The teachers: our English language learners need',
Educational Leadership, vol. 73, no. 5, pp. 32-37.

Groundwater-Smith, S, Ewing, R & Le Cornu, R 2011, Teaching: challenges and dilemmas,

4th edition, Cengage, Melbourne.

Lnemets, U, Kalamees-Ruubel, K & Sepp, A 2012, 'What makes a good teacher? Voices
of Estonian Students', Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, vol. 79, issue 1, pp. 27-31.

Raufelder, D, Nitsche, L, Breitmeyer, S, Keler, S, Herrmann, E & Regner, N 2016,

'Students'perception of good and bad teachers-results of a qualitative thematic analysis
with German adolescents', International Journal of Educational Research, vol. 75,
pp.31-44.

South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning 2015, South Australian TfEL Framework
Guide, Government of South Australia, Department for Education and Child Development,
viewed on 8 April 2016,
<http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/pages/tfelresources/satfelframeworkguide/?reFl
ag=1>

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Appendix A