EDFD260: TEACHING AND MANAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

(Third Year)

Reflection - The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Teaching and learning can be seen in all facets of life. While anyone can act as a teacher, or more capable
peer (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86), the role of a teacher within society holds the expectation for excellence with
specialised knowledge, teaching strategies and appropriate professional practice (Barry & King, 1998).
These expectations are made explicit in Victoria through the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers,
which is used to guide teachers at all career levels towards quality improvement (Australian Institute for
Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2014a). Similar to the Australian (Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2015) and Victorian (VCAA, 2016) curriculums currently in place,
each standard introduced by AITSL (2014b) was designed through extensive research and consultation.

Standard 2 emphasises that teachers should be expected to know the content and how to teach it (AITSL,
2012c). Shulman (1987) supports this standard by highlighting that the pairing of content specific and
pedagogical knowledge in creating effective teaching practice (Shulman, 1987). As Porter (2006) highlights,
it is the teacher who interprets and enacts what is written in curriculum documents, thereby stressing the
need for understanding of such content by the teacher for informed decision making in regards to the daily
curriculum (Anderson, Krathwohl, Airasian, Cruikshank, Mayer, Pintrich, Raths, & Wittrock, 2001).

I believe I have been working towards this standard as a pre-service professional throughout the examination
of content areas during my tertiary studies and practical experiences. My efforts to meet this standard have
been acknowledged by my supervising teacher during my placement experience in a grade classroom
(See Appendix A). The class I had the opportunity to teach were very inquisitive and would have a myriad
of questions regarding new content and tasks. Hence, I worked hard to ensure I would have as much content
and relevant pedagogical knowledge possible before each lesson. Whilst I tried my best in those scenarios, I
became aware of the large amount of content knowledge that a teacher must have for each topic and any
relating areas. Students questions were often beyond that of the content area that I was focusing on during
the lesson and I had to be aware of these connections and prepared for discussion to lead that way. On
occasion, I took opportunities to model good inquiry practice by learning about science content together
with students on instances where I did not feel I could answer competently as the more capable peer
(Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86).

Whilst the same class did not have any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students, I acknowledge my lack
of knowledge and ability to teach with respect for their histories, cultures and languages. In accordance with
focus area 2.4 (AITSL, 2014c) and my professional commitments to know and respect all my students
(Victorian Institute of Teaching, 2015), I aim to develop this through my participation in HIST106 -
Australian Indigenous Peoples, past and present.

It is the teachers role to bridge the gap between what a student knows and is currently capable of and the
target knowledge and understanding, such as that that is outlined in the curriculum (Hattie, 2012). Therefore,
it is vital that teachers become aware of what level their students currently are at through diagnostic
assessment, to then plan effective and individually relevant lessons (Tuttle, 2014). This is emphasised within
teaching practice through Standard 5 - Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning (AITSL,
2014d). Additionally, despite careful and informed planning, there is no certainty that students have
successfully learned what we were hoping for (Wiliam, 2013). Therefore, there is a need to assess for
learning, as learning and of learning to provide feedback on teaching, as well as feedback to students,
guardians, principals and other stakeholders (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and
Youth Affairs, 2008). Hattie (2012) discusses visible learning, where students are made fully aware of the
learning intentions and success criteria that they are working towards and thereby involved in the assessment
process. His research has shown that transparency in teaching and learning leads to students being more
likely engaged, confident and invested in their work within the classroom (2012).

I believe that while I have a strong appreciation for assessment and visibility for learning, this is not
representing in my practice. I am often unable to manage my time to ensure I have am able to adequately
complete my planned lessons and therefore give students effective and timely assessment and feedback (see
Appendix B). When I am given the chance, I have shown the capacity to provide meaningful feedback,
however this is not representative of a range of experience and capacity as is expected for Standard 5
(AITSL, 2014d). It is my goal in the upcoming school placement to ensure I am able to allow enough time to
not only implement an assessment activity, but to provide timely feedback and to interpret the results for
modification and planning in subsequent lessons. This can be achieved by communicating this goal to my
associate teacher, taking advantage of the student data they have already developed and ensuring that I
include formative and summative assessment during my allocated unit of teaching. This goal will go hand-
in-hand with the aim for teaching within the time limits and differentiating my learning based on student
ability.
References:

Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A.,

Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J., & Wittrock, M. C. (2001). A taxonomy for learning,
teaching, and assessing: A revision of Blooms taxonomy of educational objectives. New
York: Longman.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2015). F-10 overview:

structure. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/overview/structure

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2014a). Australian Professional standards
for teachers: Organisation of the standards. Retrieved from www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-
professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/overview/organisation-of-the-standards

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2014b). Australian professional
standards for teachers: Validation. Retrieved from www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-
standards-for-teachers/standards/development/validation

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2014c). Professional

knowledge: 2 Know the content and how to teach it. Retrieved from
www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list?s=2

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2014d). Professional practice:
5 Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning. Retrieved from
www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list?s=5

Barry, K., & King, L. (2006). Beginning teaching and beyond (4th. ed.). Wentworth
Falls, NSW: Social Science Press.

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs

(MCEETYA) (2008). Melbourne declaration on educational goals for young Australians.
Melbourne: Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs.

Porter, A. C. (2006). Curriculum assessment. In J. L. Green, G. Camilli, &

P. B. Elmore (Eds.), Handbook of complementary methods in education research (pp. 141
159). Washington: American Educational Research Association.

Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard
Educational Review, 57 (1), 122.

Tuttle, H. G. (2014). Formative assessment: responding to your students.

Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016). The Victorian Curriculum F10.
Retrieved from http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

Victorian Institute of Teaching (2015). The Victorian teaching profession code of

conduct. Melbourne: Victorian Institute of Teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/media/documents/imported-files/spl/Code-of-Conduct-2015v2.pdf

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological

processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.